Picking up another XM

[andmcit]

Is the clutch on it's way out!?

Andrew

[Citroenesque]

No apparently. It had a new clutch fitted at Citroen - along with (I was told by the owner) nearly a grand's worth of exhaust (??) - about three and a half years ago (and under 30k miles). I'm sure the car's not perfect and there are some issues that are bound to surface, but it would appear this is an opportunity too good to pass up.

[Citroenesque]

Well, just returned from a 700 or so mile trip back home at 31.1 mpg (most of it on fast autoroutes doing about 79 and )if truth be told) even a little quicker on the UK motorways..). The XM made it, with only one fly in the ointment: sticky clutch cable. Need a few things sorted but by and large a NICE XM! Full report later with pic(s).

One other thing: the owner put a new battery in and now the radio doesn't work. He mucked around trying to put in the code, (which I have) but can't get it to work: ERR CODE comes up.

Any ideas?

Now I have to decide: Green one or Red one... there's only one way to find out: FIGHT!

[Peter.N.]

Very nice, comes from Devon, don't remember seeing it down here.

[robert_e_smart]

Good stuff Phil,

I look forward to hearing how you got on.

[Citroenesque]

Rather upsettingly, I came home to my green Exclusive. And well, despite the better provenance and indeed the fact it's actually on the face of it a better bet the red car doesn't have the 'turn back to look at it while walking away' X factor. I loved driving it and I thought it did remarkably well. There are no real issues with it - certainly nothing that would need to cause undue concern - and the interior is VERY good. The history is all there and the car pulls like a train. No: Head says KEEP IT. But: Heart says: Keep your sexy green one and FIND THE RED XM A GOOD HOME. I hate to do this in a way as it suggests I've cynically exploited the generosity of others. But - it is important to recognise - this car was worth zilch, sitting in the Alps with no prospect of returning to the UK before the tax/MOT ran out and I did in fact leave it a couple of days after phoning around to see if anyone else wanted it... (apart from the fact it was in the CCC magazine too), so as I have brought it back to the UK, I feel I might actually have saved it from an otherwise bleak future. But enough of salving my conscious!

If anyone's interested I'm only after enough to cover what it cost me to collect/cover/insure/fuel (£347) plus what I think I need to sort a couple of jobbies out on the green XM. So any offers around the £500 mark? It's taxed until the end of April and MOT'd until 23rd April, but all indications are that it's a good 'un and shouldn't need anything doing. The car's done 132k miles. There's a pretty comprehensive SH, the body is in EXCELLENT shape, the tyres are very good Nokian all-weather jobbies, just about everything (apart from the radio) works as it should (although the boot lock's a bit reluctant to follow the lead of the central locking) and there are some extras such as a Haynes manual, some XM literature, a bike rack/tow bar with electrics and a spare battery - important for alpine use. Oh, and the air con works. Niggles: ABS light stayed on for the first bit of the trip but has since gone out. Turning the ignition off and on again cured it, so it seemed. The driver's electric mirror is a bit temperamental: but once set I didn't need to do it again! The accumulator clicks a little too frequently, so might need regassing. One of the wheels feels a little out of balance at 119-126 kmph. Things to do: lubricate the clutch cable and consider a cam belt change (I had my green XM's done - including aux belt and an oil/filter change for £170 cash locally) soon.

On the BIG UPSIDE: Recent new cluch. Recent OE exhaust fitted by Citroen. £££s. Excellent tyres with more tread than reasonable to expect, and recent new windscreen.

BUT what is important is that I can assure the owners that this car HAS gone to a good home. Please let me know if you want to take advantage of this spectacular car.

[Citroenesque]

I forgot to mention: If there are no takers on here or the other forums I've posted on, then it's eBay, with a proportion of the proceeds going to Cancer Research UK. 8)

[robert_e_smart]

Good luck with the sale Phil,

I have too many cars and its a TCT, so not for me. Pity, it would be a great car with a 2.1 TD engine in it.

[Citroenesque]

Well I assume if there's no-one here, it'll find a buyer elsewhere. 31 mpg over 700 miles of hard driving is pretty good for a big petrol car so it isn't ridiculous for someone to contemplate!

[Peter.N.]

Not as good as 50+ though