Citroen XM Forum

Hi John,i noted the rp and date reference but due no subsequent documentation concluded citroen simply didn't bother to update.If anyone here with a Mk1 would care to lift the grill and note the shell p/n(on top) this will at least confirm if there are any mounting differences.The Mk1 lights i used to have certainly did not fit my '95 Mk2 directly,as previously posted, the inner grill support lug was positioned differently.
robertm

Having just 'messed around' with some headlights I also confirm the mounting for the grille is different between S1 and S2 lights.

I think that the grille fixing tabs being described are push in rubber or plastic components.
They can be dealt with in two ways.
Treated as consumables and pushed on through then replaced with new.
Pushed fully in or cut off flush so the grille sits tight, they have a small hole through the middle that will take a screw.
In this case use a suitable steel and rubber washer under the screw head to fix the grille.
I have used both methods on XM's.
As I remember the fixing grommets have a Tee shaped head and serations down the body.
They were cheap items orderable from Citroen.
The Citroen workshop manual states that all three types of grille (Mk1, early Mk2 ands late Mk2) are interchangable.
Source of information 1995 and 1998 model year presentations.
Actual wording:
1995 - The new grille can be fitted to an early type vehicle without interchangability condition.
1998 - The new central grille bar is equipped with new chevrons. The new parts can be fitted in place of the early parts. Note: The grille remains unchanged.

Strange about the missmatch comments. I guess the only other documentation to check is the Mk1 mid-production face lift.
But I cannot remember anyone even commenting about a grille/headlamp missmatch between early and late Mk1's.

John

I have taken some pictures of the spare head lamps I have.

So here we have the familiar RHD (series 2) set up with beam deflector plate:





Now the left hand drive Series 2 lamp:







How does the cap thing that sits over the bulb compare to the RHD lamp wit no deflector plate in place?

By the look of it, the glass of the series 2 LHD lamp has more detail on it than the RHD lamp, thus negating the need for the beam deflector plate, as the glass can deflect the beam itself.

That lamp cover is very similar or the same as a later RHD unit. Early RHD units had simpler covers.

Hi Robert,the middle picture of the LHD clearly shows the notch in the reflector where the inner lens locates( removed by manufacture or by previous owner?) and the bulb hood is the same.Impossible from the photographs to tell any differences in the outer lens striations, but the 2 p/n's numbers moulded into the glass will confirm.
robertm

I didn't notice the slot for retaining the deflector plate in place.

I'll take better pictures of them over the weekend to give a better view of the lens. I turned the flash off the camera, and it has shook a little.

I'll be interested to see Phil's comparison.

On driving with them, I noticed a big improvement compared to the RHD lights. The LHD ones weren't wonderful by any means, but much improved.

Well, these lights do not have a deflector plate in them - nor indeed any slots for one. The bulbs retain the caps, but the glass on both RHD and LHD seems pretty similar, so I imagine with a stick on prism beam deflector for UK driving on the outside of the glass, combined with good quality bright bulbs should see an improvement? Difficult to tell but here's a pic:

(positioned upside down?)

If you take the glass off and take a none flash pic we can probably see the difference in reflector. It must be asymmetrical as opposed to the old symmetrical shape.

Hi Robert ,The immediate difference is there is no orientation arrow underneath the E2 symbol(simply a bar) in the main beam region and there certainly appears a lot more glass striations in the dipped beam region. As you note, there appears to be no notches for the inner lens.But all too unclear.The scalloped upper edge indicates it's the correct way up and therefore a L/H unit.I can't make out the p/n on the far right underneath the E2 symbol but appears to be 048800?.The last digit totally unreadable.Can you post the visible p/n's?
robertm