Citroen XM Forum

Duke wrote:All Citroens should have a steering wheel which the centre stays fixed...

Nah, not quite...

All Citroens should have a single spoke steering wheel...

Dieselman wrote:

Dean wrote:the other issue i found with anti sink is they seem to eat spheres a little faster than a sinker when doing low mileage.

D

I hadn't thought about that, but it makes sense, as the spheres are under full pressure all the time, whereas in a sinker they are under no pressure so the membrane sits tight against the steel shell.

I've heard it's a good idea to drop an anti-sink onto its belly if not used for a while to save the spheres...

Single spoke all the way! Then I can see all my switches....

Aha, but when turned the steering wheel controls aren't as easy to use as if they were fixed...

A la C4...



All buttons perfectly reachable and useable be it stereo controls, cruise control, speed limiter, menu buttons, horn etc...

That is true, and fixed hub is a great idea and is reasonably effective. Great for safety too, as your airbag is in the correct position all the time..well what Citroen claimed.... But for older Citroens, single spoke is the one! I know mine is not technically meant to have one, but it would make life easier getting to those switches.

I have fitted single spoke wheels to all the later series one cars that I have ever owned Russ and it makes such an improvement on both aesthetic and practical grounds. If you were interested I have a spare single spoke wheel, but no leather or radio controls unfortunately!! With regards, Matthew T.

Thanks very much for the offer Matthew, but it must have leather and the switches. Interesting that having one really makes a difference. I'll have to keep a beady eye open for one!

[quote="Dean"]The xm does have an illuminated rear ash tray................

I went out and looked. Indeed it does. I haven't sat in the back with the lights on at night for very long time. The ashtray looks lush with its green glow on the chrome. I'd enjoy a long night drive as a passenger, say from Cologne to Zurich, with a copy of the Herald Tribune and a Cohiba. Family life doesn't allow much time for this and my wife refuses to drive the car anyway.
I'll add better sound insulation to my wishlist along with a better gear change.

Richard

The single spoke wheel is a must. It has a little declivity behind the lower part of the spoke that allows a very relaxed single handed steering posture, ideal for small motorway steering corrections: you just lightly hold the wheel with your fingertips and your arm rests on your knee. It's a lovely detail that would never feature in a drawing. Someone was very thoughtful to add this element.

I thoroughly endorse Casalingua's remarks about the single spoke wheel and I hope you manage to find a leather example Russ, although they are rather rare, having been only fitted on the V624v up to 1992 and 12v between 1991-2. The last leather steering wheel that I obtained came via ebay Germany! With regards, Matthew T.