European Rescue....or Not!

[Little&Large]

Hi all
Just popped on to delete my Golf from the signature.The cam belt snapped 600 miles from home in France!!!!!!!A word of warning with these European Rescue passages-the blurb promises you the earth and my lot refused to return me and my car to the UK!!!They apparently have a figure of £1000 and if the UK market value is less than that then thats it.As a lot of XM's aren't,don't expect to get it back to the UK unless of course you have just popped over for diesel.70p/a litre at the moment!
So no car!First thing this morning I started the XM which has sat since the end of August-it started reasonably well and idled(previous fuel pump problem still apparently solved),and I booked in in for its MOT not really expecting it to pass...which I am amazed to say it did!
I need to change the oil and filter,it doesn't look to have a conventional plug that you can fix the socket onto but an almost flush plug with a hexagonal aperture-is this the one?
Peter-I saw 3 XM saloons and 1 estate only this trip...again all belting past at warp factor 9!
Regards Rob

[Gav]

another word of warning about foreign travel with our cars... if its over 10 years old the breakdown groups will not touch it abroad. Fortunately I have not yet had to experience this lack of service but i do realise whenever i do jump the channel that i will be on my own despite having full breakdown cover in the UK.

of course in france the chances are the first person to walk past a broken down xm will tell you about a friendly local citroen garage. (i have not yet worked out if this says more about french engineering or about the friendly culture!)

[Peter.N.]

Thanks for the warning. I have always extended my AA cover for the continent but fortunately have never had to use it, but I will enquire next time I go. My XM will be 10 next year!

Rob - I expect the XM estate you saw was the one that the chap on the forum exported!

Peter.N.

[Little&Large]

Hello
I am sure all companies have different policies but mine was with Direct Line who own/use Green Flag.My Golf was a 1993 on a K,they have a maximum age of 15 years because they wouldn't cover the Isetta which is 47 years old!They were efficient in attending but the problem was returning the car to England.I was around 500 miles into France so maybe if I had been closer the recovery costs would have been less.Anyway it is something to be aware of.Does anyone know the size of the hexagonal key to remove the sump plug as all mine don't fit!!!Any tips on changing the oil and filter?I presume the filter just screws off...although it looks to have been on there a long time!!!!!!
I know most of you are whizzes doing most of your work yourselves but it may be viable to have a day out in France and let them work on your XM there.The garage my Golf went to charge 50 Euros per hour,they seem quite honest as they quoted me 50 Euros to diagose the problem with the Golf but only charged me 36(40 minutes).The garage I went to seemed to know what he was doing as well.You can fill up on Petrol,buy 5 litres of semi synthetic oil for around £5,injector cleaner is about £2 in the supermarkets as well.Of course if you live North of Watford it might not be so attractive a proposition!!!
A bientot
Rob