Russ's 2.1 SED Auto now in Mandarin

[captainhaddock]

@Beko I've plenty of wheel bolts in fact I have a whole TCT for spares

@ Jim, my Diesel is going to the NCT (national Car Test) on Thursday (tomorrow).
To be fair, I never had any issue with my NCT man.
In Ireland it's not garages but one company that does all the testing by appointment only.
The guy that does my testing I find very strict but fair. He has to be cause everything he does is checked by camera
He can't spend more than 26 minutes now for the test.
But he has a lot of top spec equipment.
It is hard if not impossible to check the hydraulic pipes in those clamps, it is where my CX recently sprung a leak...but I didn't know about those cracks in the tyres, I always assumed that's failure but I believe you when you say it's not.

@ Russ: I don't know what I am doing usually Have 0,00 hours of technical education apart from the welding course I did.
I prefer to send Lizz!!
No cracked windscreen I take it?
All mirrors present, adjustable and not gone black?
Wiper rubbers wiping properly?

[russ92xmsed]

This is getting very in depth!!!

Mirrors are all present and work. Wipers wipe. The only thing that doesn't work and hasn't since getting it is the rear water jet. It's all dead. motor i think. But wiper works. I'm not sure if that at all matters, as a lot of cars haven't got rear wipers. Plus it technically isn't legislation to have a rear windscreen because of small vans ect.
I have got a little star crack in the windscreen. I have got some resin so will try that again. It kind of worked the first time. Doubt it will again however.
When I saw Campbell last, his blue estate had a huge crack right across most of the screen. So mine isn't like that at least....

Beko...

I am taking the car to the place Campbell takes his. He recommended them and as soon as I mentioned I was recommended by another XM owner, they knew him... they guessed without mentioning his name!
So I am hopeful they are good.

Jim...

I can't see anything of the cords ect on the tyres.... again i'll check the brake hoses.
I'll put the car in N and see if I can push it! This is the downside i think of an auto...you really don't know, as you don't need the parking brake for hill starts and when it is parked you have the Pawl.

I will report back if i find anything.

Of to Campbell's tonight to return his filter housing. He did say I could take his manual estate out for a quick blast....this could be fatal!!

[CitroJim]

And a bit more for you Russ

Enjoy the blast in Campbell’s Estate. You'll find a hill-start fun in that

All the best for the NCT tomorrow Jaap Sounds like Ireland have a much better system than we have. Ours can be both unjust as in allowing garages with an interest in the result to conduct tests and for the system to be open to abuse...

My local man keeps his prices low to attract the customers in and then makes a good living from fixing the (genuine) failure points. I was joking about the £20 note but I'm sure some are open to bribery whereas in the case of yours Jaap bribery is all but impossible.

On the rubber bits, I'm going on what my MOT tester told me when asked. You need to differentiate between splits as a result of damage and small cracks due to superficial perishing. Splits will fail, no question but as an example I note the Michelin Energys on my V6 Xantia have quite a lot of superficial perish cracks on the boundary of the tread and the sidewall and they didn't even provoke a comment.

Good thinking on the windscreen. Basically any cracks or chips in the drivers field of vision is a reason for concern and any chip over 10mm I think is a fail. The drivers field of vision is that on the driver's side swept by the wipers. Anything outside that area is subject to less stringent tests but essentially I'm sure none of us here would tolerate a screen bad enough to fail anyway..

Wipers must operate smoothly and cleanly whilst not leaving streaks. Again, none of us would tolerate wipers that could fail.

Headlights have to be quite poor to fail. As long as they don't dazzle and have a discernible high/low bean pattern and the reflector looks reasonable then they'll be OK. Cracks in the headlight glass are not good and can cause an advisory at best and a fail if bad enough..

[CitroJim]

Oh and Russ, rear wiper is not part of the MOT so it can be as dead as a dead thing and still be fine..

Where's the star crack in the screen and how big is it?

[captainhaddock]

See Russ, we're all trying to get that XM of yours MOT'd. Don't want to scare you!
On my TCT spares/donor car there was no mention of the tyres, but that was 2 years ago. It has 4 different brands of tyres. The Michelin Energey saver has cracked badly, I wouldn't use it any more, for sure. Will try and make some pics when at home.
In IRL reversing lights MUST work.
In the Netherlands, your warning lights for Main beam and rear fog lights must work also....as well as the lights to illuminate the dash.
and the windscreen demister....must work also!
If the S1 rear wiper motor is the same as S2 I've got one for you. But first check if it's the motor and not a dodgy wire/earth/fuse/switch or whatever
Is this your first NCT with the XM Russ

[russ92xmsed]

Hi Jim, thanks for the further info. This is great information.

The cracks in the tyres are due to perishing. They aren't splits from damage. We will see what happens with those. I do want to slowly swap to Michelins at some point.

Headlights I think have poor light output due to them basically being old and dirty. The reflector has started to peel a little on the drivers side high beam. They will adjust them if they are out for free. I am hopefully getting some new ons from Matthew, so mine will have to do for now. no cracks in the glass....I won't be surprised if they do get an advisory because of poor light.

Wipers all wipe fine. They were new a year ago. The fun I had adjusting the jets, meant the screen is very clean now!

I thought as much on the rear wiper.

The star cack in the windscreen I will have to measure. It isn't huge and hasn't damaged the glass and caused a big round hole you can't see through. It's two little tiny chips and then it has little cracks out from it. I did try putting in some resin, it worked a bit, but I need to try it again I think.

It is on my side of the screen, but off to the right. I can take a pic to show.

Quite a busy weekend then.... Bit annoying I can't get stuck in now. Quite busy with other things. I have to be carefull not to put work aside and play cars. So I try and keep that to the weekend.




Yeah... The pressure is mounting Jaap. This is turning into a group effort!!! It had better pass then.

[captainhaddock]

Urhggg, she'll pass and mine won't....
Wanna bet....
Don't worry about yr wind screen.
Your tyres could be somewhat worrysome, I don't know.
Not sure if you should get Michelins though, if you don't drive that much. They crack much faster due to softer composites.
Federal tyres I could recommend in yr case. Last long, stay good long, fair comfort too.

[russ92xmsed]

Yes it is my first MOT with the XM Jaap. Hence the nerves.
With the other cars, they get chucked in and what ever happens happens.

The KA kept having new steering racks every year, for the first 3/4 years of having it. It was done under warranty mind you.
Then it passed one year, with only a steering gaiter needing put back on.
Problem is then you have a car with a ticking time bomb and no warranty to cover you for that part you get a bit twitchy and I did think of selling it. Anyway my Sister is now full custodian!!! And guess what I found when I changed the KA oil only a couple of months ago....yep dripping steering rack.
So apart from rust...KA's like to eat their steering racks.

Anyway, with the XM I am just fully aware it is 21 this year....infact the 22 June... And being a bit old, will potentially have more things to go wrong. Just nervous as to what they might find. My absolute biggest fear is the ABS light coming on. It is behaving at the moment.

Interesting on the tyres Jaap. But if you use tyre creams, doesn't that help to stop cracking?

[CitroJim]

Russ and Jaap. I've been typing this whilst you two have been nattering but I'll let it post anyway..

I'm sure both yours will pass with flying colours...

In the Netherlands, your warning lights for Main beam and rear fog lights must work also....as well as the lights to illuminate the dash.
and the windscreen demister....must work also!

That's also now true here Jaap. Just recently introduced to the test. Not sure we yet have the demister requirement though. It'll come.

I don't believe reversing lights are mandatory here either... Yet. However there is a general rule that anything like that fitted is supposed to work. Likewise I don't think front fogs are part of the test but it looks good if they do as you come across as a craing owner...

Another nugget that's not applicable to yours Russ but is to us S2 owners is the high-level brake light - at least 50% of the bulbs in it must work. Same applies I believe to multiple tail lights. If you have two on each side (as the Xantia has) then at least one per side must work.

In truth, the MOT test is not that scary. As long as everything mentioned is in serviceable condition by the standards of a reasonably caring owner then it'll pass no problem at all. We as caring owners are pretty good at knowing what is OK and what isn't really and a lot of things I personally won't tolerate do find acceptability in the eyes of the MOT man. I'm super critical and end up doing a few pre-MOTs for friends throughout the year.

My MOT man fails a lot of cars on silly things that are down to sheer carelessness and poor attention to detail on the part of the owner as well as poor and infrequent servicing in a vain attempt to save money. It costs them in the end.

Many people seem to see the MOT as some kind of annual service and happily pay to renew whatever has worn out since the last one. They're the sort of people who just get in and drive with no idea about doing regular rudimentary checks to keep an eye on things.

A way of driving and car use nobody on here would dream of practising! Imagine leaving an XM with no attention at all between MOTs and the state it would be in It just can't be done...

[russ92xmsed]

I have no third break light, your right there Jim. All lights work. I must check the dash lights ect, but the bulbs were changed very recently. And I haven't seen any ones that don't light up.

If something has failed, then of course it must be fixed. It has to be!...so it kind of is like a service, but I wouldn't dare do nothing from one MOT to another. Escpically on an XM...the thought!

Thanks Jim and Jaap for your help and suggestions. This has been very useful indeed. I feel a little calmer!!