Citroen XM Forum

And another big LOL from me...

Priceless

My black one is being a pain, boot is not opening again, and a new refinement of cruelty, the rear os door was stuck, so I gave it a big pull and the handle came out on the right side as well as the left. So a quick think, off to the tool cabinet for the rubber hammer (every fetish catered for here), a sharp tap on the right hand side at a 45 degree angle and lo, in it went again.

The door wasn't opening because the lock remained engaged partially despite opening the door with the central locking - the thingummy inside gets stuck down a little from the top. I suspect central locking ishooes with the boot and this.

Charles M wrote:My black one is being a pain, boot is not opening again, and a new refinement of cruelty, the rear os door was stuck.

That sounds just like my xm. The boot sometimes a bit temperamental and doesn't want to unlock, usually at asda when I have a trolley full of shopping and the rear o/s door never unlocks with the central locking so I have to unlock it from inside. I think it could be down to bad earthing or a dodgy solenoid.

Guys, what I found to be the problem when my boot decided not to open the night before we went away on holiday was a gummed up mechanism in the tailgate. I got in through the boot and took off the tailgate panel. cleaned up the mechanism best I could and liberally sprayed it with wd40 type stuff....climbed back out and hey presto it sprang back to life again. worked it a few times unlock and lock etc and its only done it once since....did the same inside the boot number and its been fine

very occasionally it wont open on the central locking, but if I lock the car and unlock it a few times it rejoins the party

Another potential reason is the central locking motor not moving the full distance to move the locking pawl out of the way to enable the tailgate to open..

Observe the motion of the motor with the tailgate trim removed...

Central locking looks fine, a nice vigorous action - it's the mechanism of levers etc within which I think is the heart of the issue. All metal linkages are corroded, and the plastic handle is fine - it's simply not enough movement up to the top. Given how much rust there is here, what is the consensus of the collective - the structural bits I am going to kurust and prime, but the linkages etc I think need a good clean and grease. (I am quite proud that I have got this all out without breaking anything, using a sledgehammer, decapitating myself etc - I am just a bit wet from hanging my leg out in the current gale).

Researching further, I have kurusted the lot, and will use teflon spray grease to lubricate and protect going forward. It's clearly very exposed in places to corrosion - as can be seen from the photo the upper right metal bit is almost completely rusted through.

That's unusual. I wonder if the window seal has been leaking.

I think water is getting in somehow - there has been a decent amount of moisture in the boot, which I have had to use the dehumidifier to clear - trying to get the boot open to remove it was the problem.

Having cleaned and sorted it, but not yet re-fitted it, I'm inclined to believe the central locking may be at fault as it is not disengaging the lock when the car is open.