Commiserations and sympathies please gentlemen, the head gasket on my 2.1td has just lost the plot

Colin.P

Hi Colin
I know how you feel!!Mine went on my 2.1TD in April. It had always used a little water,but nothing alarming.I do quite a high mileage on the continent where a dodgy head gasket would be found out very quickly.It went quite unexpectedly one morning,it was running a bit hot on the M25,when I got to my brothers I noticed wisps of steam coming from beneath the bonnet.I let it cool down and then managed to get back home some 12 miles away.I then thought I'd pop to Tescos...big mistake!!It is only 2 miles away and I only just got there-it virtually emptied the system in that short space of time.I had steam coming out the filler cap,dip stick hole and a fog coming out the exhaust that would have graced any Norwegian Fjord!!!
It was the end of the line for mine-it wasn't a particularly good example...an Ebay purchase.I got almost 20,000 miles out of it with minimal expenditure so it wasn't a total disaster.Mine went from start to finish in about 40 miles,how long did yours take?I then bought a 2.5TD off Ebay with FSH and A/C for less than my K-reg 2.1,but the description of it was very poor-it didn't even mention the history!
Hope you get yours repaired...or maybe go for a 2.5!!!Sorry Peter!
Regards Rob

Thanks for the support Rob, I let my wife borrow it this evening, I was driving home from work when she called my mobile - imagine my delight when she said that the xm was running a little rough and was creating its own fog bank . Luckily, she was only five minutes from our house so I didn't have far to drive it home.
I'll certainly get it fixed, will try to locate and replace the rattly tappet\s, replace the timing belt and also the water pump while I'm at it as it's basically a very nice car. Until this evening, there was no sign of the gasket blowing so it pretty much went immediately , hopefully it'll last another 11 years before it goes again.

Cheers Colin.P

Hi Colin

Sorry to here your tale of woe, its the thing I have dreaded with all mine and they have all gone eventually. When there were plenty of XM's about, I just got another one, but you cant do that now. Mine went the beginning of last year, no one local would touch it and it was about £1,000 from Citroen so I set about doing it myself, not easy but worth it. I have done about 30k since then and the water level doesn't move! I also now have a couple of noisey hydraulic tappets which shut up when you rev it but soon start clattering again after the revs have dropped. If you are going to have a bash and want any info just ask.

Best to get a 'repair' gasket from Citroen, there expensive but look as though they will last forever.

Peter.N.

I'm not unregestered I am a real person!

Hey, guys (and girls, of course, if appropriate)

Are we sure this XM Head Gasket thing isn't caused by some pernicious computer borne virus ??? OFf to Wales yesterday, nice run, lovely day. About half way through the day, experienced a 30 second odd loss of power. (Hoping for clogged fuel filter). Out this morning, into the traffic and very shortly temp gauge well over the usual 90, to about 110. Lift lid and ominous tell tale stains on expansion bottle. (I always take off the spill pipe precisely so I can see if it's shed anything). As I write this, I'm letting it cool down pending further investigation. I think it must be Colin's fault for mentioning the topic on the forum !!!!!!!!!!!

Mike. (Depressed !!)

Hi all

I have a CRACKING series one unit, 2.1 12v in an SEi car. 133k stonking good starter

I can leave it 3 weeks, and it will still start first time.

Problem: BOTH sill have vanished at the rear!!

2nd Problem: £180 or so EACH from citroen. Only source I can find

Id REALLY love to get it done. Its too good to break!!

Any ideas??

MAY sell the unit for a damm good price!


Any hints
Regards
citroenxm

Sorry to hear your news Mike, I'm sure it's not a pc virus - it's just Sod's law, think about summat orrible and it's bound to happen - that's how it went for me I've just ordered the top end rebuild gasket set, almost the equivalent of £240 !! hope it's cheaper in the uk. On a happier note, I've found an internet supplier of new hydraulic tappets that sells a set of 12 for only £50 plus postage

Good luck fixing your xm, Colin.P

Hi, Citroen XM and Colin.

With regard to the sills, have you considered -- if you can find one acceptably close -- removing them from a vehicle being scrapped for other reasons ?

Colin, I've a horrible feeling you're going to tell me you're not joking about the cost of the Citroen gasket set ????????? I shall have no hesitation in using aftermarket, if available. Partly because it will be sustantially cheaper, I hope and also, there's plainly something not quite right about this top end set up on the 2.1. I ask myself is the Citroen gasket part of the solution, or part of the problem ? I think I've had about four previous 2.1s and on two of them the gasket went. My present car has only done 130k, with a good history, no overheating, no arduous towing and fastidious maintenance of the anti freeze situation. I just can't see a less likely candidate to pop the gasket. (No doubt Peter will point to the fact it's an auto and I live in a city !!) One thing I strongly suggest you add to your shopping list is a set of head bolts. I know they say you can re use them if the length is OK, but given it's a sod of a job, I wouldn't take any chances. Oh well ---- off for the tools.


Mike.

Sorry Mike but I wasn't joking abouy the price of the gaskets BUT... I'm living in Norway where the cost of anything and everything is inflated On the plus side, for this I'll get all the gaskets etc required to completely overhaul the top end including exhaust\turbo gaskets. Still an outragous price though - could theoretically buy a good complete xm on ebay for that kind of money...

Cheers Colin.P

Hi Onthecut.

Yea removed some from a scrapper, but ther were bad too!! AND , they are doubled skinned in the sill, so as well as the outer joins to cut away, theres an inner join to cut too.

Most S1's cars have gone in this place, and at the moment theres no S2 cars to mawl yet..

Regards
citroenxm

Hi. CitroenXM.

Just on my afternoon break from mauling with my 2.1 head !! If it's of any interest, there is a S1 2.0 petrol sat on my neighbour's drive with, as far as I know, excellent sills. Effectively, as I recall, only had two owners, one of whom was my mother. genuine 51k. Neighbour bought it, sat on it and it's been nowhere for about two years or so. I think he'd like to see it go, but, understandably doesn't want to just give it away. Any interest and I'll have a good poke at it for you.

Mike.

I have never seen a rusty XM!

Peter.N.

Hello Peter.

I'm a bit bemused by this issue I keep seeing mentioned, of XMs being galvanised. I've certainly had to deal with corrosion by a front jacking point and on my last estate, the rear arch was coming through by the sill. I've presently got a '95 SX and thats got creeping rust on the front wing, behind the mudflap. Obviously Citroenxm has issues with his sills. I seem to recall reading that some panels were treated on one side; I don't recall that the shell was galvanised altogether. I agree you don't see visible wrecks, but I certainly don't think they're immune from the dreaded tin worm, mores the pity. One area where I think they are appallingly finished is the quality of protection on items like the spare wheel cradle, front and rear subframes and genuine towbars. Such a shame when overall they're such nice machines.

Mike.

Hi Mike

I'm on my forth 2.1 td estate and have seen no rust in any bar the one I have now, but thats not body rust, the the metal of the spare wheel carrier has rusted away although the frame is still OK and holds the wheel with no problem. I had put this down to a lot of winter driving on salted roads. The only time I have seen rust is when a panel has been replaced and the welding has burnt off the galvanising. But to be fair, this one at ten years is the oldest one I have had, so maybe the galvanising gives up at about this time? I will probably find it has collapsed into a heap when I go out tommorow!

Peter.N.