Citroen XM Forum

The bolt must not have been gripping the pulley tight for some reason. If the pulley is tight the key is unnecessary.

CitroJim wrote:That's an incredible failure I think in all the years I've been dabbling in things mechanical I've never seen a key fail without an underlying cause... Amazing!

And for someone to have seen two Xantias with the problem is doubly so...

The original engine belt went because I broke my own cardinal rule of 'never believe a service history'. As a rule I carry out a timing belt, tensioners/guides/waterpump swap on all cars that I buy even if the history or previous owner says it was done. But on that ocassion I chanced it and the belt interval still a year/10k to go.

I'm sure I read on the Honest John website years ago where he mentioned keyway failure but only on certain XU diesel variants. What bugged me though was not so much the costs but the time involved in swapping over a Xantia engine and transmission. Certainly won't take for granted what online breakers say about their engines. Next time I'll insist on seeing potential spare engine actually running first.

Couldn't agree more for changing a belt on every new obtained car..

The latest 2.1 SD XM Im dooing up, I checked the belt, and to my suprise it was actually very good.. however, I have still gone ahead and in the middle of fitting a new belt and water pump. The tensioner is in great order with ZERO pay in it and no noise in the bearing. The XUD are fantasticly wel built on the tensioners. Im yet to see a 1.9 XUD TD engine fail a tensioner!! Not like these modern Plastic CRAP they make..