Crap Gearchange

Hi all, anyone else notice that the gearchange on our xm's are very agricultural compared to most other cars ? driving my wife's car the gears just snick into place positively and without fuss but with both my xm's I have to wait for the gears to drop in - especially when changing down, changing up is crap too...

Moan over, have a good weekend all

Colin.P

I thought so when I bought this, my first manual XM. However now I find it just right. Must've improved with age

with my 2.5 i had always found the opposite. one of the smoothest boxes i've driven with no effort required and positive positioning.

it has been well bedded in by now of course.

Perhaps the linkages need replacement (except of the rubber bits, I mean) -common at least in V6s afaik-.

cheers
G

I agree with Colin. Sometimes it refuses to find reverse and you have to put it into fifth before sliding it down. Changing up from 2nd to 3rd is also a bit notchy sometimes. It's perfectly easy to live with but if there was a qucik - or even a long - fix, I'd love to hear.

Jamie

I agre with Colin, I have had five and they have all been pretty well the same. Just one of the penalties you pay for driving the most comfortable car around. I am prepared to forgive it that. If you want a nice gear change, buy a BMW or even a Mondeo, but I am sure you will miss the XM!

It does depend to a degree how the car has been driven in the past, I had one with nearly 300k on it and the gearchange was excellent (for an XM) the one I have now I bought at only about 115k and it has crunched when engaging second in the cold, since I had it, but it hasn't got any worse in nearly 60k. That indicates to me that an earlier owner had thrashed it.

Peter.N.

This post has been edited by Peter.N. on December 03, 2007 06:56 pm

Hi

Your answers are all there, the 2.5td's are cable operated, hence the smoother action, were as the 2.1's are linkages ah la Xantia style.

Why does everyone accuse crap changes on gearboxes!! Its not the boxes, but the linkages!

The 2.1 td manual I've just had has for an XM a nice gear change to be honest, its certainly better then my 24v gearchange, so I guess it really is quality of linkage bars fitted!

Regards
citroenxm

Ah, but... I've got new linkages on my current xm but the gearshift is just as crap as it always was ! on my old BE3 gearbox the linkages were adjustable for length whereas the new linkages for my current ME5T 'box are not, the adjustment helped only a little though but still a step backwards to my mind (bloody costcutting). Anyone got rebuild and part number diagrams for the ME5T boxes ? perhaps it's still possible to obtain new synchromesh parts. I have info for rebuilding the BE3 boxes if anyone wants them

Colin.P

I half agree. At times my 2.1 is the clunkiest crunchy thing around, at others it seems nice and smooth.
Even my Xantia very occasionly does the clunk from 2nd to 3rd, and its not used.

The 2.0i is nice most of the time, but even it suffers from the difficulty engaging reverse sometimes. Interestingly, the linkage on that car failed completely one day on the previous owner, and it had to be recovered. It was then changed for a linkage from a '98 S2, and he said that it was slightly worse since that.

SWMBO often complains about the S2 gears, and I said that perhaps I'd get round to adjusting the linkage, or changing the box oil. Would either of these things make any real difference though?

For the record, I had a Mondeo a couple of years ago, and for all their faults, the gearchange is admittably rather nice!

Ciarán

I think, like the ride, its got a lot to do with you blood sugar level

Peter.N.

anyone had a read of this tech guide....

http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/transm...ransmission.php

see the gearbox section - appilies mainly to the older XM 5-speed box, but who knows, maybe the later ones have some similar potential adjustment.

I've thought 4-5th on mine might need an adjust as it stalls in the gate going to 5th sometimes, same dropping to second, but is much better once the box is warmed up, so never got round to it inthe past 5 years and it's no worse.

regards
Dave

Hi All

As I do not drive anything other than an XM I always though the Crap Gearchanging was down to me rather than the gearbox. I must admit the gearchanging on the Autos can be a touch smoother.

Regards

XMexc

Hi Dave

this looks like it applies to the MET 5 (or so) gearbox that went itnot the 2.1td and PRV V6s. Just the same I've read elsewhere for those.

I also notice the gearchange in my V6 gets better when engine has warmed up. It seems we have an old Italian supercar in the heart!! However change-down nevers gets as fast as you'd like to slow down for turn-in when driving fast. At those moments u really curse the gearbox!

cheers
George

Back in the days when I drove manual cars I always double-declutched when changing down, force of habit from my time with crash gearboxes. Although not necessary with synchromesh it does save wear and tear on the cones. I think if I had a notchy change I'd do it when changing up as well, without the throttle blip in the middle.

Derek

Hi Derek

Yes me to, although it was only 1st gear that wasn't synchro on mine. It took me sometime to get used to the fact that you didnt have to double declutch. The synchro is very durable on most modern gearboxes - if you are prepared to wait, to many people slam them into gear without waiting for the speeds to synchronise which shortens their life considerably.

Peter.N.