V6 questions

[Old-Guy]

Just to say I drove V353 JKV home (Gloucestershire) yesterday afternoon from Leicestershire. Started back later than I'd have liked. Exit from M1 to M69 solid so didn't join the queue and came off the M1 (S) at the next junction thence southwest to the A5 to pick up the Foss Way.
Delighted with the way she drives (though the vibration at 70+ on the M1 prompted me to I have all 4 wheels re-balanced this morning - complete cure; all 4 were out. Chris Mullins Tyres in Gloucester removed the existing unsightly clip-on weights, fitting adhesive weights out of sight).
The handling didn't seem at all strange, probably because I hadn't stepped straight out of the Subaru having gone up by train.

Half-way home, startled myself by flooring the throttle at about 50 to overtake - the muted thrum of the V6 changed to a loud snarl as she took off like a scalded cat; I hastily lifted my foot as the speedo needle went past 12 noon. Nice to know it's there if you need it - more caution in future!

Boxed up all the paperwork just now i notice it includes an official ES9J4 Engine Manual. Heading on the first page says RP7511 ->

Thanks for all the advice - I shall add 'Replace de-gassing tank' to my growing TO Do list - no major jobs and nothing crucial, but I like everything to work as it should. An early task will be a reversing camera (the Subaru has one and I wouldn't be without one now).

[Dieselman]

So it's not the Xm has weird feeling suspension, it's the Subaru.
That's how it should be, disconnected from road bumps, but secure and grippy. After a while it will inspire real confidence.
That performance connected with the cars ability means you have to keep a close eye on the speedo.

You will find Xm have excellent all round visibility, including towards the rear.

[Old-Guy]

Bought a sandwich on my way back from having the wheels balance and went up to the public car park to have lunch while doing a few rounds of Citarobics (without annoying the neighbours) and take a few photos.

Cleaning 150 miles of bugs off the screen and nose, I realised that the paint is eaxactly what I expected - and i was wearing polaroid sunglasses when I first looked at the bodywork - killed the pearlescent effect! She really is very smart:

P1050079web.JPG

Over the last 40 or so miles coming home, on a roads I really know, I hustled her as much as the early evening traffic would allow - she handles beautifully and has the performance to overtake safely where/when I wouldn't try with the Subaru (I avoid revving it beyond 4,000 which is where the power comes in); on snow and ice she wouldn't match the Subaru's truly awesome grip, but then i won't be taking her out when there's salt on the roads! At sane speeds on a dry road the XM corners on rails despite pot-holes and broken surfaces - without the Subaru's crashing and pounding!

I found the 'JKV' of the XM's VRN difficult to remember until I thought of 'JacKie V(6)', so Jackie she is (with a soft J of course!)

The Handbook (XM-GB-5005) that came with her is misleading in places: the keypad isn't as shown but exactly like our '95 Xantia, the V6 engine illustrated is the PRV 24V and the latch on the fuse compartment lid is a turn-buckle NOT "press downwards" (a frustrating hour on my knees trying to find out why it wouldn't open) and . Was there a later edition than 5005?

P.S. I don't have good depth perception, so without visual clues, parallel parking in a gap where I can't see my boot and the nose of the car behind is fraught - hence the need for a reversing camera (positioned to 'match' the tailgate lock cable entry behind the number plate).
The only time I've ever bumped another car is when a Discovery was parked tight against the Xantia's tail but with nothing behind it, leaving me about 18" to shuffle out of a line of parked cars; all I did was crack her number plate with the tow-ball. Not bad in 60 years and > 1.1 million miles! There's tempting fate.

[xantia_v6]

There was a new edition of the handbook each year. I think that the last change to the immobiliser was in 1998, so any handbook later than that should be ok.

Good luck with learning to park it!