My 1993 XM 2.1 SD Auto L322 VCV

[robert_e_smart]

Track rod ends are cheap, same as saxo and 106 for your car. I'd change them for all they cost. Mot testers like new parts too!

[Aerodynamica]

Will dø but the inners are a pure bastard to work on...

[robert_e_smart]

Why do you need to touch them?

[Aerodynamica]

Bit of play in them I reckon

[Aerodynamica]

Right, the track rods do have a bit of play but not excessive it seems as the XM has now passed the MOT!

The main fail point this morning was the rust hole and an advisory on the LHM leak but luckily the welder was having a quiet spell and so could get the car done this afternoon - it is welded and done.

The LHM leak from the PAS ram was only an advisory apparently because the source of the leak couldn't be traced - this sound right? Not that I'm complaining..

The welder commented on how well preserved it was. So that's ideal, I can now crack on with sorting out the bent wheel and the rattly front suspension (anti roll bar links? - if so why wasn't it an MOT issue?) and various little issues.

[robert_e_smart]

Told you so! Congrats.

[Aerodynamica]

Thanks Robert, now onto the bent rim issue..

[Aerodynamica]

XM behaving still but abs warning up again and its very wet, always when it's cold and wet.. At least it waited till after the MOT! Also have water leaks at booth front doors where the seal is damaged.

[Dieselman]

That will be the connections, then.

[Aerodynamica]

Today's jobs:
fit the two new anti roll bar links, clean and underseal the sills and jacking points, repair the centre heater control dial, check the front ball joints etc for the 'knocking'.

Well, with the front wheels off for the anti roll bar links, the latter task was checked and indeed, the inner steering joints are slack. This is a job I do not fancy but since I still have an LHM oozing around the PAS ram then I suppose the steering rack is going to have to come out to do all of these tasks together. The play in the joints wasn't enough for the MOT to fail but it's enough to annoy me at times where it gives knocking through the steering wheel at low speed pot holes.

Anti roll bar links - you'd think this would be easy? it was on the Xantia - I did it with the wheels still on but that would be because I was supplied the right parts! The supplier of the new links got it wrong and it transformed a 45 min job into a 2 hour slog. You see the links I got looked right and were certainly the right length. One of the two new ones was different to the other in detail but the length was the same seat to seat. It was the upper mounting that was different on both new ones to the old items where the seat boss has a flat at either side making it a 17mm 'straight' whereas the new items simply had fully round bosses. It meant the upper fixing wouldn't locate as it was too big to fit in the 17mm housing under the mounting point of the strut. I simply ground the round boss at both sides until it had two flats - one each side of the boss. Then I came to the other new link and found that although the seat -to - seat length measured exactly right, the boss on the end was shorter and wouldn't allow the grinding for the flats so I ended up refitting the old link to one side (thankfully it is in good condition - I had to cut the other one off!) so I'll be back to the supplier for an exchange ASAP. Shame really as I've had good service from them in the past. Just a mistake this time.

cleaned up mild surface dirt from the inner sills and fully undersealed the sills and jacking points. I've been wanting to do this for ages.

Removed the front mud flaps! these were causing a mass of muck to build up behind them and I think they were the cause of the bit of rust needing work for the MOT. they're off and the horrid 'tide mark' washed off and I think it looks better without them. The rears remain though.

I removed the hefty tow bar a few weeks back and am happier with the rear end look. The exhaust no longer rattles! Unfortunately, there is a small square notch in the centre of the lowest black trim of the rear bumper so at some point I'll replace this.

I fitted the missing chrome inserts to the side mouldings of the front wings. Overdue task.

The broken heater distribution dial was removed, as was the temperature dial and the broken plastic boss was repaired with araldite. I made a replacement flat spring for inside it using a sphere damper disk cut into a strip. Giving the araldite extended setting time before it is fitted though.

For fun I changed the dot matrix messages to German.

Question: the owner's manual states that when the ignition switch is turned to 'M' position, the list of warning lamps is tested, I find that several of the listed yellow lamps do not test on my car.
Specifically the washer level, engine check and hydractive. Only red lights come on with mine.

I know the washer level one works because it has lit up before when the level was low.. not certain the engine 'K' light would light on mine as it's a diesel but I understand the hydractive lamp is meant to light up and flash which mine never does although the hydractive certainly does work.

Do I need a reset on the ECU? Faulty sensor? The throttle sensor seems to be very sensitive in 'normal' mode going by the long wave radio test.

Anyway, still going well at present.