Citroen XM Forum

"Knows how to use the parking brake"

You'd think I would by now but twice now I have came back and found I have cleverly pressed the clutch and the R/H parking brake button!

Luckily I live in Cambridgeshire so hills are just a memory from my Geordie homelands. Furthest the XM has escaped is half a parking space at B&Q.

Anybody else this thick?

If your left knee is nearly touching your chin, you know you've got the correct left-hand pedal!

It is possible for the parking brake to relese grip on the disks as the pads and disks cool down, so it may be that you have depressed the brake, just not enough.

Seriously, who trusts a Citroen handbrake?! My very first 2CV rolled off my girlfriend's driveway on the very first day of ownership. From that point, every car I own gets left in Park or first/reverse gear. To be honest, I often don't bother with the XM's handbrake when parking up anyway.

The parking brake is very powerfull, more so than most cars, because it is foot operated...but by using the front disks there is an issue with the pads and disks contracting as they cool, so reducing the pressure ont he friction material.

XM do roll away, my first one did twice. First time it just crept out of the parking bay at work, next time it went off properly down my drive and across the road into the neighbours drive.

Always apply it well.

This hand/foot brake will be something completely different for me. I'm glad that read information about it now so I can prevent any bad surprises in future. But to be honest nine times out of ten using gear when l leaving car unattended.

The XM parking brake is capable of achieving the kind of braking force that some cars obtain from their foot/service brakes, if rolling brake testers are anything to go by, and several centres I have used have made just that comment.
Just don't tell anyone that they can do that other thing, though . . .

My XM is an automatic. When parking the car I always leave it in "P". I rarely bother to apply the parking brake.
BTW, has anyone experienced and dealt with cracks in the AT gear selector knob?

Should I spend 10,000 yen on a new shifter?

Hi Jan

The plastic heads are known to split with age.
It has been mentioned a few times on the XM forums with people seeking replacements.
Do not remember a definitive reason for the cracking.
A point to consider if you order one from Citroen is that it may have sat on a factory or dealer store shelf for 15 years.

John

A point to consider if you order one from Citroen is that it may have sat on a factory or dealer store shelf for 15 years.

Yes, right. Plastics deteriorate of course. Perhaps I should just leave it until it falls apart and that could take a long time