CitroJim's Citroens

[captainhaddock]

they are getting better and better

[CitroJim]

they are getting better and better

When you start from such a low place it's not hard to get better is it?

The cruise ECU is fixed Three new transistors and a zener did the trick...

But, the XM felt really funny today and in a roundabout way I may have found out the reason for the tyre funnies too...

Basically I couldn't understand why the gearbox was reluctant to change into top and when cruise was engaged it was kicking down at the least excuse to maintain speed Performance seemed OK if you booted it

Got home from a run of about four miles and got out and smelt something incredibly hot That was the front wheels! Brakes were binding badly it seemed. Tested them after the car had been standing a bit and they were released perfectly. Started up and then they applied themselves - hard

Seasoned XM owners will know exactly what it was Ten minutes later after removing the scuttle and attacking the dosuer bell-crank with WD40, some spray grease and an adjustment all was fine. The bell-crank was stiff on its pivot and was holding the brakes on. It was out of adjustment too...

I'm wondering if the intense heat resulting from this (I noted the wheel with the affected tyre seemed much warmer than the other one) caused the tyre to play up. Whatever it was, the tyre remains good still...

The car is livelier now the brakes are no longer binding and it's such a joy to have cruise working. Just goes to show though that a big engine can mask brake binding...

[russ92xmsed]

Been there Jim, as you well know. I think heat does cause problems with valve linkage. The worst I had was the brakes jamming on and the car not wanting to go into 4th and almost immediately changing back to third. And the squealing was the final straw!

It really is worth checking it now and again to keep it all free and moving.

[CitroJim]

It really is worth checking it now and again to keep it all free and moving.

Indeed it is Russ. I'll be making it a regular service item from now on...

Just noticed I've let the MOT lapse on the Xantia V6

Even though the car is resting for the summer I still want to keep her fully roadworthy so on Saturday I must check her over ready for an MOT in the week... How time flies. Seems like a month ago it was last MOT'd...

[captainhaddock]

Wow Jim, I thought that issue only occurred when leaving the car idle for long periods of time but it seems that isn't the case. So I will need to make a service item of it as well.
To take off that scuttle you need to take off the corner parts as well or am I wrong here.
I am glad you found out in time, it seems!

[Dieselman]

I'm pretty sensitive to binding brakes and always make a note of how freely a car rolls at low speed. The best way to check this in an auto is to knock it into neutral when coming to rest and see how it feels when it glides to a stop.

[russ92xmsed]

Mmmmm ....Good tip. Must try it. I'm not totally convinced mine are free and easy.

[CitroJim]

Or with an automatic Russ, knock it into P and feel it gently roll a little until the park pawl engages. If the brakes are well released you will be able to feel it rock to and fro for a bit...

I had a good day all-round yesterday. I'm part-time now and work four days a week with Wednesdays off. Quite a lot of cooking was done. I baked a cake, knocked up some dough and got it proving ready for what was to come later. Also harvested some rhubarb from the garden, cooked that and made a pint of custard. All from scratch... I don't do ready-meals of any sort...

The dough was for pizza bases. The girls came round for the evening and we had a real laugh making the pizzas and all of us agreed they knock spots off the commercial ones, all of them. I think we've had our last Dominoes

I love my Wednesdays off and I really love cooking too. It's something I can do with very little drain on my energy and I find it's quite therapeutic

[normantilbury]

Hi All,
I had a similar problem my car is in daily use one morning when i came to the end of our road i tried to stop and the pedal wouldn't apply the brakes the first time so trying again (as you do when panicking) and it stopped, Carrying on to work they seemed ok but the car didn't seem to want to go! joining the motorway it was very reluctent to change up into 4th gear i go everywhere in cruise control it would drop down constantly, when i got to work there was a smell of burning as Jim said the wheels were extremely hot so rang my friendly citroen engineer who came and freed off the offending pivot in the scuttle.now when at traffic lights i put the car in neutral and watch for it rolling in either direction to check for movment.

Regards,
Norman.

[russ92xmsed]

It's a little sod this pivot isn't it! It should certainly be a service item. I grease mine every 6 months or so. Been fine since doing that.

I will try the rolling test. In neutral I think it does roll back.

Jim..your method, is that on an incline, or on a level?