Wind!

Hi all

And not the human variety!

On my usual dash home tonight on our express way, and the highish winds we have at the moment here in sunny N Wales, I was just passing a car and I heard a light clunk on the side of the car, next minute, a warning, "Side Light Defective"

ARRRGGHHHH.. I'd just lost a COMPLETE in good order passenger side lamp unit!!!

Now I'll have to replace it with a crazed one now... the wind must have caught it as I entered a side wind.....



Regards
citroenxm

I lost one xmas day 2005 going up the M5, drove around for months without one until some kind XM owner (maybe you are reading this) gave me a repaired but perfectly functional one one day, he'd seen mine and felt sorry for me and waited around for me to come back to my car to give it to me.

I was especially careful when refitting, it is possible to partially fit and think the job is done, only to loose it on the motorway.

The first time it happened to me was years back, and luckily the cables stayed connected.

I do have a new spare OS sidelight now.

oh, and aren't XM's a great drive in the wind, nice and low especially if loaded with heavy stuff.

Hm - I noticed the other day that my passenger side sidelamp is loose. Time to check that out I think!

I lost one on a windy night too after having some work done involving slackening some bolts accessed through the sidelight aperture after removal of the sidelight.
I think it was not put back correctly ie the plastic prong not latched on to the headlight frame. Worth checking also that the wire clip securing the two halves of the connector is in place, that way you have a chance of not loosing the unit if it comes out.
R.

thats unlucky mate!!

You got another one spare or you gonna have to buy one in?

David.

All this talk about wind reminds me of an event some years ago unrelated to Citroens, as I hadn't discovered them then.

I was towing a caravan down the newly opened M5 when I noticed the o/s panel flapping about at the front corner. On investigation I found that the screws had dropped out of the aluminium angle that held the corner together. A search in my tool box revealed some suitable screws but when I tried to fit them I found that there was nothing to screw them into as the wood had gone rotten. The prognosis was loss of the side of the van but the first aid box came to my assistance in the form of some elastoplasts, I stuck two of these round the corners and not only did it get me home but they were still on there about two years later!

Always carry some in your toolbox, the adhesive is amazingly strong.

Peter.N.

Hi David,
If your post refers to mine, I had to buy a new one, no spare and no time to source a used one. Problem is when you lay in a few spares, then sure as hell you will never need them or it will be the other side you dont have goes and so forth.Generally end up with a clapped out car and a collection of pristine spares. Such is life!
Robert.

David,

No got a groggy spare one which I have had to bung on to put out the anbigiuos warning message! It will have to do for now..



Regards
citroenxm

Hmmm, that has occurred to me too, I don't think I'll be getting any more bits just coz they are cheap on ebay unless I need them or they are wing mirrors.

Oh, so you get a warning when this happens on an S2 car do you? Nothing in my Presteige both times it happened, except the first time it was banging on the wing because the cable stayed attached
(that was the fastest Ive even been before or since in that car by a long way).