Citroen XM Forum

The starter solenoid itself can take up to 25A (I checked that out a couple of times, when looking at the load on the IGN switch).
If you do have to run a replacement cable from the starter solenoid small terminal, use 2.5mm2 stranded cable.

I've been thinking about why the engine wouldn't start off the cars own battery, when using a jumper wire to the starter solenoid.

Are the glowplugs working?
A 2.1 TD is a very reluctant starter with two glowplugs not working. One plug down makes for a slight delay, two plugs down means lots and lots of cranking, three or four plugs down...forget it.

As a further project for you, due to the starter solenoid current running directly through the Ign switch, they do tend to burn out eventually. Fitting a starter relay to take power directly from the battery, using the Ign switch just for the low current trigger signal is a good idea.
You could fit one next to the starter inhibit relay, as the power passes through that anyway.

Dieselman wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:40 am

xmexclusive wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 10:28 am ~######################

John

I understood the post to be saying that the female plugs for the Criuse control ECU and the Injection double relay, are physically the same and had been swapped over to the incorrect device, with no alteration of wiring in the plugs having taken place.

Am I mistaken?

No, you are correct, The plugs are identical and mounted close together. I can fully accept that if people are pulling plugs to move wires to get to the belts that these got mixed up later.....it is just begging to happen

Not wishing to be discouraging, but unless you have a reasonable handle on electrics, and the appropriate documentation, an XM is going to be a real challenge - nothing wrong with that - but possible to make problems worse, rather than diagnose and cure them. OK, the forum can help, but sometimes access to a good (and interested) auto electrician is pretty much essential.

Have met a lot of owners of old cars over the years who could work wonders with bodywork and mechanicals, but really struggled even with basic auto electrics. A G.P. friend had a 1948 MG, which he lovingly rebuilt, but owned up to being utterly stumped by its very basic lighting circuits. It takes all sorts, but XM electrics is not for the feint-hearted.

The electrics aren't hard what makes it hard is the use of same cable colours but having numbers at each end which fade or rub off or get covered in dirt which makes it all so much harder to work things out. Then common earth's in a harnes ultra sonicly welded together then covered..

Do not worry, I have one visiting (very experienced with XM/Xantia) as soon as lockdown is relaxed.

I do not cut stuff or run power to items/connections unless very specificity told to do so, or if it is the same as my Activa. It is the reason I maybe seem dafter than I am, being not 100% on all things sparky, I like to take it very slow if working from advice on the internet/phone.

https://youtu.be/sZ74Gh2RXbM


Water in, belt covers on, engine mount replaced, hoses and pipes clipped up.......................ran the car up to temp today

Super well done. Great news..

Sounding rather good Alasdair, and a nice clean engine bay - and not a relay in sight!

Great news that is runs well. Sounds a bit gruff with no air box...

The engine bay is in great condition, as it the rest of the car.