Citroen XM Forum

Eddie nuff wrote:None of them stupid bloody humans to ruin the day before it's started.

Indeed yes. I must admit I love this time of day for just that reason.

Already this morning I've done the admin on the FCF, caught up with the posts, made my packed lunch for work today and now on this forum... I find at work too that without the masses and bosses about early I get so much more done...

normantilbury wrote:Jim, Don't open the oven door to look at the parkin or it will sink. leave it until its ready then take it out.

That was my mistake last time Norman. This one I resolutely left the door shut but slightly overcooked it. Robyn thoroughly approved of it though, which is more than she did with my brownies Her and her partner are brownie connoisseurs and judge them very severely. She pulled mine to bits. It was like being up before Paul Hollywood on the Great British Bake Off

I pulled an ML5 gearbox apart last evening I only intended to clean it ready for stripping but got carried away whist listening to Any Questions? and before I knew it I was looking at a pile of bits

The ML5 is a true thing of engineering beauty; the gearbox equivalent of the ES9 engine. I can see why they give little trouble as they're built of granite and over-engineered.

They come apart very easily - a bit like an MA 'box. The essential difference there is the ML5 is not made of soft cheese and was designed with rather more thought.

There is a good reason why I stripped this 'box. It may be revealed in due course...

ML5 box? Ma Box? Is this from a Mazda then? if it's properly engineered I mean?

The ML5 is certainly a PSA box, used on the Xantia and 406 2.1, 2.0 HDI and (manual) ES9 V6. It is also fitted to my XM ES9 V6.

I was gong to ask too Jim, ML5 where's that from.....will one go in an XM and sewn onto a 2.1?!

xantia_v6 wrote:The ML5 is certainly a PSA box, used on the Xantia and 406 2.1, 2.0 HDI and (manual) ES9 V6. It is also fitted to my XM ES9 V6.

AHHHHH.....so could potentially go onto a 2.1 then......

russ92xmsed wrote: AHHHHH.....so could potentially go onto a 2.1 then......

Possibly but not an XM 2.1 Russ as that has an MG 'box with a cable clutch. The ML5 has a hydraulic clutch.

Who said Mazda? You're right. The project is all part of an ongoing feasibility study into replacing the old Wankel in an RX-8 with an ES9 engine. The ML5 was dismantled to see if the bellhousing from it could be used to mount either a Ford Type-9 or Rover LT77 gearbox as the RX-8 is rear wheel drive and therefore cannot be used with an ML5 'box sadly.

Yesterday we did much exploratory work with a complete ES9 and the bellhousing attached and it looks like the ES9 is going to be a very tight fit in the Mazda engine bay...

Today we gave Robyn's little 207 a badly needed service. The oil had been in there for nearly 20,000 miles and it was in an awful state. The plugs were so worn the gaps could have accommodated a double-decker bus but apart from that it was not too bad. These 20,000 mile services seem far too distant to me.

Robyn had a few instances of the engine cutting out on approach to roundabouts and so on. We had the Lexia (Pug Planet) onto it and re-initialised the engine ECU to recalibrate the auto-adaptives which mainly sets up the correct idle and overrun fuel cut-off. I'm hoping that fixed it as Robyn finds it a little scary at times and tomorrow she's off to Oxford for a University interview at Brooks. She's looking to do a nursing degree.

I've decided, after yet another drive of it yesterday, to keep the XM..

CitroJim wrote:

russ92xmsed wrote:

I've decided, after yet another drive of it yesterday, to keep the XM..

I don't use all my cars regularly, but can't see the point of getting rid of any as the values are now rising so offsetting any costs.

Dieselman wrote:I don't use all my cars regularly, but can't see the point of getting rid of any as the values are now rising so offsetting any costs.

That's a good point...

How do you ensure they remain healthy during periods of disuse Will?

citroenxm wrote:

CitroJim wrote:

russ92xmsed wrote:

I've decided, after yet another drive of it yesterday, to keep the XM..

You seem pleased Paul...