Vince's XM...213k and slowing....

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 17 Oct 2009, 19:04

great to speak to you today Vince! Pleased you were able to get a new return pipe off the shelf and yes, you can bet the other one won't be far behind

Still, not a difficult job to change them

Ummm, yellow fogs

(in a Homer Simpson voice) I LIKE. Goes well with the blue colour of the car. Did you see my comments on yellow headlamps in my blog. I'll have to see if yellow H1 bulbs are available for the headlamps.

I believe all instrument bulbs are the same in MK1s but may be different in MK2s. 286 rings a bell..

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 17 Oct 2009, 21:25

I dont see why not, there are many jap cars that run around with them, and 4x4's for that matter.

Jim Yellow H1's are available overseas with Polarg H1's being a favourite choice for some. Problem is they are very hard to find imported....or at least they used to be. From the states they work out too expensive and are in danger of being damaged in transit on the way over.

By all means, if someone can find some then i will be up for buying some

The yellow fogs at night look even better...ive just been out

Again the camera doesnt do it justice, i have my dip beam on and it looks like the main beam is on

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 17 Oct 2009, 21:38

I really can't see the point - you'll only get picked up by a really anal
sad plod the first trip out in the dark - I'm sure they're illegal and jap car
lads aren't usually a very sound benchmark/indicator! Anyhow, the standard
foglights "glow" to the edges of the hedgerow (were you out in the sticks)
will be diminished yet still further in yellow and yet an irritation to oncoming
cars in the pitchdark.

I had genuine pukka yellow beams on imported LHD GS and Cx's and they
were dangerously woeful. Urban myth or not but the story goes that French
cars used them during the war to indicate to the Resistance they weren't
German - a somewhat redundant need now.

Andrew

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 17 Oct 2009, 21:55

I may have helped me here if I'd read Jim's latest blog entry!

I still stand by my dislike of these confounded lights blinding everyone
- I NEVER use mine and the only time they're switched on is by the MOT man.

Andrew

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 17 Oct 2009, 22:04

Andrew to clear up any misunderstandings from anyone....i dont intend to drive with my foglamps on as a novelty thing.....I too only use them if it is foggy or if i am in the country with no street lighting and therefore poor visibility of the sides of the road.

They can look good on for photo purposes but other than that they are very bright for other incoming road users

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 17 Oct 2009, 22:10

Right you are Vince - I'll stop being a grumpy old git and let you get on with it!
Sorry 'bout that! A real pet hate of mine are these lights running permanently
which always signify oncoming idiots who seem to have the idea it looks great
having the car lit up like a bloody Xmas tree blinding oncoming cars to veer
into the verge or worse, them! They must be going sooooo fast and need to
see extra distance ahead and/or have crap eyesight.

Andrew

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 17 Oct 2009, 22:38

I think i qualify for the crap eyesight

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 18 Oct 2009, 16:29

Oh well...another small job learnt on the Xantia front.....

Totally unexpectedly yesterday the N/S/F strut return hose started leaking LHM at a decent pace.

A quick call to Jim confirmed what it was called plus the fact that GSF stocked them (Ive never sold one so didnt know

) A quick trip to my local GSF (10 mins away) and a new OE return pipe was secured.

This morning i entered virgin territory for me and fitted it on. Success was achieved in a mere 25 minutes from jacking the car up and the LHM leak has now stopped 8)

The only tip i would offer is to do the job with the suspension on high and the car jacked up and supported on the front.

I thought that i would do it on low as that way less LHM would flow out? Either way it was a little short of space but the job was done

Rear ABS sensor and dashlights next

davetherave · Unread post by **davetherave** » 18 Oct 2009, 16:47

Nice one vince, and you said you dont do mechanics!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 18 Oct 2009, 17:03

Well done Vince! Excellent stuff

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 18 Oct 2009, 19:29

davetherave wrote:Nice one vince, and you said you dont do mechanics!

Ha ha....its funny how a shortage of cash gets you to pick up your toolbox.

With me its not the case that i cant necessarily do mechanical work but moreso that i prefer someone else to and me pay for the pleasure of the results

Well that and a healthy lack of Xantia DIY experience

The biggest job i ventured into and succesfully completed in respectable time was changing the front coil springs on my old 96 Passat. Legs off, springs out, new springs and dampers back in job done

I cant say that i enjoyed it much but needs must when moths empty your wallet

Moving on somewhat...... i decided tonight to swap my wheels fronts to backs as the front tyres are fairly well worn. To my horror / joy i found my OSR brake backplate hanging by just one bolt having rusted off the other ones

It ended up joyous as it got me onto getting my old duff ABS sensor out of the rear holder ready for a new one to go in.

They are a bit of a struggle getting the old ones out arent they

But brute force always wins.

After disturbing Jim with a quick call whilst he was cooking his tea

and armed with a dismal set of tools for the job.....some blunt wire strippers (they "had" a good cutter at the end of them) a pair of pliers, a flat bladed screwdriver and a 10mm spanner, i managed to hack the old one out of its place using the pliers to destroy it and the screwdriver as a chisel with the pliers doubling up as a hammer to get the steel casing out of its place.

Ive cut the wire from the old one and tied it into place ready to thread some string up and get the new one into place. I will take my time with it throughout the week, that way i wont try to rush it and bodge it somehow

After fitting the new sensor do you need a code reseter to turn off the light or does it go out on its own?

I will do everything else it needs piece by piece including removing and cleaning up the rear height corrector (if it doesnt look too hard) and entrust the rear hydractive valve to Jim's expertise to get it riding right again.

Oh well back to the grindstone tomorrow.....

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 18 Oct 2009, 21:43

vince wrote:After fitting the new sensor do you need a code reseter to turn off the light or does it go out on its own?

Normally the light will not illuminate but the fault may still lurk in the ECU.

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 18 Oct 2009, 22:55

Thanks guys...the only reason im concerned about the light is because i have my MOT due at the end of November

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 01 Nov 2009, 09:49

Well another day, another little job to get done

My son (3.5yrs old) said yesterday "Daddy, the oil is coming out again"...oh no its not, oh yes it is etc........and he was right

LHM again.....

After getting underneath and phoning Jim to ID what the pipe was / size etc, the Pinion return hose is the culprit. The funny thing is the hose looks imaculate from the outside, but what looks like has happened is underneath the metal clip where the rubber hose joins the metal one at the rack end a tiny split has developed....hence the LHM.

New hose has been sourced aswell as some new clips, and today i just need to pick up some copper pipe or a hose connector for the work to begin

There is a nice area to splice just behind the subframe, plenty room to get a good clean join made, so soon be back up and running

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 01 Nov 2009, 10:02

Wow! What a stunning looking Xantia, those pictures are excellent. Liking the yellow fogs too 8)