alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Wife came in last night around 5.30pm, announced that the Xantia was not starting very well, if at all.

I suspected battery, but no, on checking this morning, I find the fuel filter has leaked from the drain, and gummed the starter solid with diesel and crap.

So......starter motor change.

Well, for a kick off, Citroen can't use bolts, they have to use a MIXTURE of bolts, screws, hexsocket-headed bolts and Torx headed screws/bolts.

So my FIRST job was to go out and spend £13 on a set of hex head 3/8" drive "sockets".

Then, to get at the starter motor, the air filter and it's housing have to come off, then the intercooler hose and then the air filter housing bracket.

Good to go? Nope, loads of pipework and wiring loom in the way, every bit screwed or bracketed to at least two other bits. NONE of it can be completely released.

Finally got so I could get to the starter motor wiring.....you have to have wrists that are 2" thick and bend in 4 different planes, whilst holding sundry bits of loom, still connected, and pipes, still connected, out of the way. Your forearm and wrist are hard up against various bits and by this time, filthy and covered in bruises.

Finally, the wiring comes off, the three bolts can be undone and then withdrawn, and the starter motor turned, twised and pulled until it finally comes out of it's position, it can then be manoevred out of the engine bay. More turning twisting and pulling, avoiding holing the radiator at the same time.

So, two hours after starting, off I go to the motor factor. Luckily, the lad is home from uni, so I borrow his car. First factor hasn't got one. Second tells me he can get one...........tomorrow.

Third has one, BUT it only has eleven teeth on the pinion, whereas mine has 12. I ask if it will fit, as I'm a little unsure, but am assured that yes, it will, so off I go home, £62 lighter.

Two more hours and it's all back in place. I spin the engine over, and guess what? It's not meshing.

So...........two more hours and the b@stard is back off and ready to go back tomorrow, since it's stupid sunday and all shops, factorsd etc are now formly SHUT. THEN I have to source another that DOES have the right number of teeth.

And meanwhile, I can't get the fuel filter to STP p*ssing diesel all over the front of the engine

Oh, and it rained on me while I was doing it all. Twice

I am NEVER doing another job on this Xantia, apart from bulb changes etc. And to that I swear. My fekkin back is KILLING me leant over the rotten car for hours on end. Off to get pissed.

Rant over

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

You did all that, and never thought to call me so I could hrelp out?... after all the help you've given me

You plum

dpb

Nationwide autocentre for my xsara starter motor

Realised might have aproblem after about the 3rd aa callout ( well i might as well - id paid after all )

M444GY

iTrader: (72)

i hate any french car as they are shi7 pain to work on and french

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Zut alors....

Hmmm, never had the misfortune to run a French car. So far !

The old dear bought a Peugeot back in the 80's that was a bad of **nk.

Sorry to hear you are wet again....

Good luck for tomorrow.

dunx

Jamz3k

french PAH try Italian. Friday Night, Worst weather i've seen in ages and YES the window winds itself own then jams itself OPEN!

THis is me and my mates attempt at fixing it Saturday Morning to be fair the fitment was better that the original window.

M444GY

iTrader: (72)

fair play to your mate beeing able to sleep in that position , he must be from the school of chuck norris

Simon K

I recently had a 306 cabriolet which I rebuilt. Being 38 I thought I needed a project, as I used to love using the spanners when was I 20. Realised very quickly that at 38 I dont have the patiences I used to have, my body doesnt flex like it used too and my back cant take being at a 45' degree angle :-)

Also, I realised pretty early in my project, that French cars are absolute tinny, peices of ****, and has no sense when it comes to the design / location of parts, bolts and access.

I now use a mobile mechanic, who charges me £25 an hour, and does it all for me :-) I know realise my enjoyment comes from supervising the guy and watching what he does, telling him I could do it, but dont feel like it :-)

Happy days :-)

SBK

Myles

iTrader: (40)

Amen to that. I had a Clio 16v, loved the car but it didnt like being worked on. Getting to the oil filter was, lets say, a challenge. Also, I went to Trax 2000(thats how long ago it was) and the alternator decided to give up on the way back. The front end had to just about come off.

Never again. (oh ****, I forgot the wife has a 206)

urban

iTrader: (1)

French cars are bags of shyte

I remember years ago needing a new started motor on a 1.9 205GTI
Bumper off, radiator out etc

I also remember 1 particular very wet night getting a puncture and discovering the fact that the spare wheel is under the car.
I sold that car after that

Leslie

I know just how you feel Alcazar. I had an ID19 once. Very advanced design and extremely comfortable. The design however was such that it was a cow to work on. Changing the front disc pads was a major job which involved hours of taking things apart.

I flogged the car in the end!

Les

austinwrx

had a bx once, which actually was a fantastic car.......... but all the wiring is grey.

just a tiny dab of colour on here and there to give you a hint as to what it might be.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Hi guys

<<<

Wizzbang

This is not only a French car thing as I had to change the water pump on my Passat a couple of months back......had to take the whole bumper/grill assembly off, which also meant the indicators, then the air con condenser, then the radiator, then the viscous fan, then...., then...., then....etc


Took me nearly 5 hours from start to finish to change a £30 part !!!

dpb

Its presumably the satisfaction of a job well done

Simon K

Any job that saves you being ripped off by the local "Mmmmmmmmm thats going to expensive" garage, is satisfy. My local garage / BMW dealer never fix anything, they just replace random parts in an attempt to solve issues.

SBK

Frazzly

If it makes you all feel better ive just replaced a downpipe/cat etc on a corsa.
Surprisingly all the bolts at manifold came off fine.

Everything went well untill I popped the centre section off and it sprung down giving me a black eye and a manly big cut right through my eyebrow

lol. Just aswell it wasn;t raining too... Oh hold on. It was

dpb

Im sure a replaced a started motor twenty years ago , capri i think - loadsa space

fro the xsara i just got a quote from an independent , **** going to main dealer

i dont think iv dented sales much

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Update:

So.........not able to get a starter with the correct 12 teeth, so the old one gets stripped, cleaned out and replaced. It works, after a fashion screams every third start, refuses every fourth. At least she's mobile again, so gets me off the hook, she won't mention the cost of the Scoob rebuild, or that it's gonna take an age...........in order to keep costs down

Tomorow the starter I had to ORDER arrives, it will get fitted, so, starter off, new one on, so this will be my THIRD FULL time of doing this job, old one off/new one on

What's the bet it p*sses down?

I swear, if it gives trouble after this............. Anyone ever seen a Xantia burn??????????

hodgy0_2

they probably used to work at PCWORLD

Simon K

I had to replace the turbo on my pajero last month. Took me an hour to strip down the exhaust side and get the old one off. Installed the new one, to only find that the accuator wasnt set correctly and the car was over boosting, aka around 33psi ! :-)

However, the accuator arm is on the side closest to the engine, so I couldnt get to it, and I had to remove the turbo. I had to do this 3 times, to eventually tune the turbo to the right pressure ! My hands were cut to ribbons, I'd lost 2 stone in body weight due to sweating so much, but I did it !! :-) Saved me fortunes !

Next week Ive got to service my M3. Plugs, coolant, brake fluid, etc etc, even measure the clearance in the valves / shims. I cant say Im looking forward to it as normally you fix one thing and break another.

SBK

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yep, you KNOW you live in a sh*thole when even the internet censors it's name

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

OK, so this morning I got the new starter, removed the old one and began fitting the new.

It was in place, when I realised they had changed the terminals: both nuts now have captive washers, and the smaller one is now raised on a sort of "S" shaped bracket away from the solenoid body.

Loosened both off, and removed the nuts, then began fitting the wiring in place.

The bigger nut, now 12mm instead of 13mm, went on OK, although it's laborious to tighten as you have about 1/16 of a turn.

Got it tightened, fitted the smaller one, which, due to it's captive washer, is now impossible to tighten with your fingers, so away I went with the 8mm socket, again less than 1/8 turn.

As I got it tight, (one finger, not overtight, it felt odd, and on inspection, the "S" shaped bracket has transferred too much torque to the original terminal, it's pulled it free

So............off it comes again all wiring etc, and it's now in the kitchen, after having been tested to see the solenoid still worked, with the terminal being glued with Araldite.

So this will make FOUR times..........
Fekkin car, fekkin starter, fekkin useless British workmanship..........unless, of course, the starter is ............FRENCH!

dunx

iTrader: (3)

No, but I have seen one that came to work, hit a speed bump and punched the front nearside suspension ram clean through the bonnet.....

dunx