Simon's new Xantia V6 and Leaf blog

[myglaren]

Don't forget that CarpArtsForLess are actually ECP!

[white exec]

Simon, I think Mister Auto UK might be up and running again.
Not getting an error message if I put something in the basket, but I don't have an a/c there to test properly (I use M.A. ES).

[white exec]

Update...

Had a phone conversation with Mister Auto UK yesterday.
They confirm that they are still "not able" to supply to UK addresses, because of "unresolved Brexit issues".

Also confirmed that many items which are shown 'in stock' are in stock, not in the UK, but in their distribution centre in France.

They're obviously (like many suppliers) operating a just-in-time operation. This seems to allow stock items to reach me in Spain reasonably quickly (typically 3-4 working days), but they explained current export-import charges and customs issues are not allowing them to do this for UK.

Mister Auto are a subsidiary of Stellantis.

[Michel]

Update...

Had a phone conversation with Mister Auto UK yesterday.
They confirm that they are still "not able" to supply to UK addresses, because of "unresolved Brexit issues".

Brexshit, the gift that keeps on taking. Wonderful

[white exec]

It does indeed. Today, to get a hardback book dispatched to us from Amazon UK, we've been asked to supply Amazon - and their couriers - with our Passport and Identity Card numbers, in order to meet 'customs requirements'. If Amazon can't crack a single, simple book delivery, it's no surprise that others are just giving up.

[Mandrake]

I forgot to post an update about the Autodoc order - it did arrive but it took about 2 1/2 weeks. It came well packaged in a huge cardboard box with lots of brown paper padding, inside was the suspension arm in a plastic bag and the wiper blades I'd ordered for the Leaf.

The wiper blades have gone on the Leaf but I've not had time to do anything about the suspension arm apart from inspect it - it looks to be in good condition and reasonable quality - can't tell it apart from the QH arm to be honest, they all seem to be made to identical specs.

I'm not exactly sure when I'm going to get it fitted as weekends have been so busy lately - it's a fairly big job for me and I'm only marginally equipped with heavy enough tools to do the job, I will also need to measure and possibly re-adjust the wheel alignment afterwards which means finding all the bits for and reassembling my home made laser wheel tracking system and finding a nice piece of flat ground to use it on! (Driveway is far too lumpy with poorly laid slabs and a big curved drain area, so nothing is flat or smooth)

As I want to take it for its MOT towards the end of July I'd like to get it done before then of course. I'm not aware of any other possible fail points for the car (apart from ever encroaching body rust ) so it would be nice to get this done as I have been warned about it on previous MOT's even though the tester couldn't pin down the exact location of the clonk!

[Mandrake]

It does indeed. Today, to get a hardback book dispatched to us from Amazon UK, we've been asked to supply Amazon - and their couriers - with our Passport and Identity Card numbers, in order to meet 'customs requirements'. If Amazon can't crack a single, simple book delivery, it's no surprise that others are just giving up.

It's all part of the plan to move you over to digital books Chris.

[Zelandeth]

Like my order from Austria being held up for nearly a month as the courier required "my VAT number" for customs purposes.

Eventually managed to get through to them that I hadn't the foggiest what they were on about and that I wasn't a VAT registered business.

Since then they've stopped shipping to the UK. Anywhere else worldwide...but not to the UK!

Turned out to be the wrong part to top it all off!

[Michel]

As I want to take it for its MOT towards the end of July I'd like to get it done before then of course. I'm not aware of any other possible fail points for the car (apart from ever encroaching body rust ) so it would be nice to get this done as I have been warned about it on previous MOT's even though the tester couldn't pin down the exact location of the clonk!

Could the clonk be the front bush on the arm Simon? I recall Jim has a mystery clonk for years on his (now Zel’s) Activa. It was the front bush on the suspension arm. Wasn’t possible to replicate it with a long bar and leverage. Came to light when he replaced something else.

It’s not that big a job, when James and me did one, it was more filthy and grotty than difficult.

[Mandrake]

As I want to take it for its MOT towards the end of July I'd like to get it done before then of course. I'm not aware of any other possible fail points for the car (apart from ever encroaching body rust ) so it would be nice to get this done as I have been warned about it on previous MOT's even though the tester couldn't pin down the exact location of the clonk!

Could the clonk be the front bush on the arm Simon? I recall Jim has a mystery clonk for years on his (now Zel’s) Activa. It was the front bush on the suspension arm. Wasn’t possible to replicate it with a long bar and leverage. Came to light when he replaced something else.

It’s not that big a job, when James and me did one, it was more filthy and grotty than difficult.

I'm hoping it is the front bush on the arm because nearly everything else that could clonk has been changed over the years with no effect on it. And while the rear bush is quite worn it doesn't look bad enough to clonk.

The clonk has been there since I bought the car in 2014 but it has got a lot worse in the last few years, especially considering it doesn't do many miles since I've had an EV, so if it is the bush the rubber must be fully detached by now.

[Mandrake]

A follow up on the oil/filter change on the Xantia.

Since I've had the car I've always used 5w-40 and usually Castrol Magnatec. Like my previous Xantia V6 I had I've always felt the hydraulic lifters were a bit noisy often only intermittently, (see my recent video) and I've long suspected that clattering hydraulic lifters which are not properly inflated with oil pressure can lead to enough mechanical noise being propagated through the engine block to falsely trigger the knock sensor, which would cause the engine ECU to reduce the ignition advance and lose power.

With both cars I've had issues where some days the engine just isn't performing right - especially when it is first started, or after a long drive where it has got really hot.

This time I decided to go for a slightly thicker oil and used Shell Helix 10W-40 HX7 SS. I'm pleased to report that ever since I went to the thicker oil the hydraulic lifters have been nice and quiet with no obvious "tick tick tick" from one or two of them that it used to sometimes have especially when cold.

Furthermore the intermittent "sag" in performance that it used to exhibit in certain circumstances seems to be gone as well. It's performing pretty consistently well now, certainly for a 23 year old engine.

So I'm now thinking that while the thinner oil was probably fine when the engine was new, a combination of an overly sensitive knock sensor design and normal wear and tear especially in the hydraulic lifters with age means that the thin oil allows the lifters to be too noisy and start interfering with the knock sensor. (Also a deflated lifter will affect the timing and opening duration of the attached valve, which will have some direct effect on performance as well)

So I'm going to stick with 10w-40 from now on in the Xantia...

[white exec]

Exact same periodically clattery tappets on our Toyota D4D, when using 10W30.
Being decidedly warm here, it has run since 2005 without clatter on 20W50 all year, which is still a grade ok'd by Toyota.
Gets changed every 10,000km (6k miles).

[Mandrake]

Disaster!

On the way to work this morning in the Leaf and a few miles in I noticed a nasty noise that sounds like a failed driveshaft joint.

While coasting or slowing with regen braking (which applies reverse torque on the driveshaft) there is a moderately loud continuous ratchet clicking noise, which goes silent when accelerating forwards.

As I mentioned in Neil's thread recently my car has always been doing the infamous driveshaft "click" where it clicks slightly on initial acceleration and clicks again during braking. This is a very common issue on Leaf's supposedly caused by improper application of grease on the stub axle spline and insufficient stub axle nut torque from the factory. (The original figure was only 125Nm, the revised figure is 185Nm)

Only a few weeks ago I had both stub axles partially out, greased the splines, refitted them and torqued them up to the new 185Nm, to no avail as the click remained.

I can't see how anything I did could have prompted this failure which is very sudden and only happened this morning. I can't see any kind of spline related failure that would cause a continuous ratcheting sound with the torque in one direction, that to me seems like it must be a failed inner or outer CV joint. The noise is also there going straight ahead and doesn't seem to change much with steering suggesting an inner joint?

I've taken the Xantia to work while I consider my options which include (a) run to Nissan and probably get charged a fortune (b) see if my local indy will do it even though they don't really do EV's or (c) try to diagnose and fix it myself. While I could probably do a driveshaft swap myself I just don't have the spare time to do it at the moment and every day driving with petrol is going to cost me a fortune.

Personally I think a driveshaft joint failure - if that's what it is, is unacceptable after 4 years and 35k miles. I've only had one CV joint failure in 30 years of driving and that was on an 18 year old high mileage GS which had been in a shunt...

Sigh.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Disaster!

On the way to work this morning in the Leaf and a few miles in I noticed a nasty noise that sounds like a failed driveshaft joint.

Personally I think a driveshaft joint failure - if that's what it is, is unacceptable after 4 years and 35k miles. I've only had one CV joint failure in 30 years of driving and that was on an 18 year old high mileage GS which had been in a shunt...

Possible warranty-covered Simon? Nightmare enough dropping it off at Nissan to diagnose with the compulsory wallet-emptying as you step through the door, before they concede whether it is warranty work or not.

If its just a normal running gear problem hopefully it can be sorted out. Not a wheel bearing thing?

I am guessing you wont be able to resist attempting the diagnosis yourself, but on some occasions it can be hard to reproduce and observe the appropriate noises with the weight off the wheels.

REgards Neil

[Mandrake]

It's outside the three year whole car warranty so it wont be covered by warranty as far as I know, as the 8 year high voltage warranty covers battery and drive electronics, possibly motor but wouldn't cover driveshafts.

Yes it could be difficult to diagnose with the weight off the wheels - although the noise is obvious, while driving I can't positively identify which side the noise is coming from and haven't had a chance to drive it in reverse yet to see if it makes the noise under power in reverse. (I suspect it will)

Maybe a garage could put it on the brake testing machine with a little bit of load on the driveshafts to help identify from outside the car which side the noise is coming from.

I've dropped an email to my local indy garage to see if they're willing to have a look despite it being an EV - they did do the suspension arm replacement and wheel alignment on the Ion after I ran that into the curb that time...

I've been looking online trying to find a source for the driveshaft and have found it difficult to find - the only one I could find was around £400.

Autodoc list joints but not an entire shaft assembly and Mr Auto (who won't deliver here anyway) can no longer search based on my license plate ??!