Citroen XM Forum

Hello, i'm new here and I thought I'd make a thread about the car I am renovating with my friend.

He got it for free in 2023 from an old man up in the north, almost 300km from here. It had been sitting for a couple of years due to not starting anymore.

It is very rust free for having done 366000km, due to being a German import and living where they don't salt the roads.
But it is a bit rough everywhere..

The last owner thought it was the injection pump that was faulty so he had fiddled with it so it was even more broken..
And it is the Lucas Epic pump..

My friend came up with a known good engine and pump + ecu from a Xantia without immo. Last summer I transfered the pump and harness from the donor, and did the timing belt etc..

But it still didn't start, first I thought it was the immobilizer somehow acting up. But it had fuel to the injectors. A couple of weeks later i checked the compression, 5 bar if the tester read correctly. Well, it also sounds like it has low compression and it doesn't react to ether

So now it is most probably getting the other engine anyway ..

PS:
I'm really into Citroëns, and the XM is best looking car ever IMHO.
Never owned one myself yet, only C5s, Xantias and BXs

But after doing the timing on the 2.1 I think I want a 2.0 petrol even though I love diesels. This engine can not be fun to do the belt on in a Xantia!

It looks like a nice car and I hope you will get it going again!

citroenguy wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 14, 2025 2:30 pm

But it still didn't start, first I thought it was the immobilizer somehow acting up. But it had fuel to the injectors. A couple of weeks later i checked the compression, 5 bar if the tester read correctly. Well, it also sounds like it has low compression and it doesn't react to ether

If the compression is low on all cylinders, then the valve timing has probably slipped a few teeth, and maybe fixed by just refitting the timing belt correctly.

I could only check the compression on cylinder 3 as it has the most accessible glow plug.
Checked timing today and it was spot on.
Rockers/cam followers are not broken.
Our best guess right now is extremely stuck rings or something else..

Well we got some work done at least. Second pic is of engine going in

I would agree with Xantia_v6 that if the compression is that low across all cylinders the timing is probably out, but maybe the engine has been badly overheated and all the rings have lost temper, or you just happened to pick a cylinder with a blown head-gasket to No2 cylinder.

Timing belts on 2.1 are easy enough, you just have to jack the engine up and down a few times to access all the bolts.

The 2.1 tend to run and run, so it would be worth re checking the engine you have removed.

Today it finally started after much work!

We also cleaned the subframe and various parts while the engine was out.
Also changed the steering rack boots by taking the rack sideways upward. The right rack boot is one of the worst designs on a XM/Xantia/BX, but it was easier with the rack out of the car.

Will be interesting if i could find any fault on the old engine

PS:
I would say it is the most annoying Citroën timingbelt i've done, and i'm a mechanic (haven't done any V6's yet though)
Upper timing cover is a faff, and the engine mount + tensioner design isn't great.
When you finally get to the belt it is easy

I can't remember my Xantia 1.9TD being as difficult, or a 2.0HDI 110

Some pictures:
Last one is after i took it in to thaw