Russ's 2.1 SED Auto now in Mandarin

[White Exec]

I wonder if someone has slipped some rubber piping (essential to fit over the nipples) over the top of some metal tubing? But why, when rubber alone would do the job?
Or maybe a non-OE item? Very odd. Maybe someone else has seen these stiffy bits before.

[russ92xmsed]

All I can think of Chris is when the car had it's performance mod done in 2001, by a Dutch specialist, they might have done something. But information on that is scarce to non existent. The invoice only gives a price. Quite a hefty one for only four hours work too.

I almost need to make a video of them just to prove how hard the pipes are!

[russ92xmsed]

Well I am totally convinced XM's are living cars. Whilst interfering with its fuel pipes this morning, it promptly locked me out of the boot. The handle became totally useless! Little rascal. Anyway some unlocking and locking, a good spray of WD40 and all is well.

Now who had the sound and sensible advice of checking your boot lock mechanisms?.............


The XM now has clear fuel pipes. The pesky bulkhead pipe was a fight. But I won. But due to me having to snatch snippets of time, I haven't Blimmin started it yet! So tomorrow it will be bled and hopefully it will start. Fingers crossed.

[jorgy]

lol Russ, it's locked me out of the boot too as of last week... But I suspect I could have burnt the motor in my case. Some boot-crawling is in order

Hope your starting up is better...

[russ92xmsed]

lol Russ, it's locked me out of the boot too as of last week... But I suspect I could have burnt the motor in my case. Some boot-crawling is in order

Hope your starting up is better...

There seems to be an epidemic I reckon Jorgy. Like an XM cold.. Only boot mechanisms!
Anyway, fortunately mine is back to normal thank goodness. I was for a moment there crawling through the back seat. At least that folds down, if it didn't, like a C6 with leccy rear seats... I would have been stuffed!

The lines have now been bled, although I still had some air in there annoyingly. Anyway I managed to get the large bubble in the top bulk head to filter hose, out. And then the lower hose would only fill up so far whilst priming. About 2/3 rads maybe. Which was odd. So I popped off the hose and filled it with fuel. Displaced the air and reattached. It reduced the air, but not perfectly. And yes I did loads of filter priming.
So I decided to start it and see what might happen. It kicked into life instantly with little smoke. But then it had been primed within an inch of its life. I looked for air bubbles, and only a few appeared in the top hose. But no others. Next step was to drive it. I took it out for a spin and initially it felt a bit sluggish, but then it was cold and not been driven for ages. Then it suddenly decided it was up for it and was flying along very happily indeed. I rechecked the hoses after the drive and the lower one had filled up and the upper hose bubble had reduced. No other little air bubbles in the fuel though when the engine was running. Which is kind of good news. BUT the real test is the cold start tomorrow with no priming.

[White Exec]

Air can lurk in "high spots", and be a bugger to bleed out with not very much flow along the pipe. Will probably bleed itself out eventually, assuming there is no new air ingress.
As you say, the acid test is starting.
Hope all goes well.

[russ92xmsed]

Well the cold start is certainly better. It kicks into life much more quickly, but still chucks a cloud of smoke out the back. Might be getting rid of more air, or there is still a leak. But much much much improved overall.
I think I'll turn my attention to the electrics next. Glow plug relay and it could of course could be the glow plugs still. There could be one that's gone phut.

So that was certainly worth while doing, changing those pipes.

[captainhaddock]

You need to drive it more So you'll get some new fuel in your system I wonder who that Dutch guy was who did the job on that car.

[White Exec]

On the right track. Yes, electrics next...

[russ92xmsed]

You need to drive it more So you'll get some new fuel in your system I wonder who that Dutch guy was who did the job on that car.

Yes i know... Compared to your 2500 mile jaunt Jaap I will admit, this time of year, and with the project I am working on at the moment, car driving is not really happening as much as I want, let alone anything like what you have just done.
But the fuel is new and it has system cleaner in there too. So that won't be the problem.

The Dutch company who was based in the UK... I say based as they aren't about now.. Was Van Aaken in Berkshire.
I had to move all the service history to a new file, the old a4 binder is now to small to cope with it. So it now is filed in a big double ring binder. But the invoice tells you performance figures but not anything about what they did. I. Think it was pump tweaks.

The only other air leak source could be the pipes on the sender unit. I don't think the black plastic cap that covers it has ever been removed. It's pristine. But I will do electrics next. Glad you concur Chris.