My non-starting XM has started! Incredible - what a joy! And what is truly incredible is that I was able to fix it myself. Incredible because my knowledge of mechanics and motors was nothing. I love looking at them, I love being in them, but tyre pressure and oil level - that's my limit.

So how did I fix it? Well, the physical work was my own, but the expertise -- that came from here; Club XM Forum. And for that, I can't thank you fellas enough.

My garage said £000s to fix immobiliser and keypad. Advice from the board here told me otherwise. Problem was fuel or electric. Sparks were good. So on to fuel relay-good. Fuel pump –seemed to be good. Fuel rail – no pressure. So changed fuel filter (what a job!!). Still no start – so back to pump. Exchanged it for a Xantia’s (a different pump to the XM’s, but…) – it works! Choking filth came out of the exhaust for a minute or two, but now the engine hums.

Costs: £5 Spark plug spanner. £12 Fuel Filter. £10 pump. A few hours spent, but a world a knowledge gained and a feeling of elation.

The whole sequence of checks and fixes seems simple when written as a series of bullet points. But I was guided through this process expertly and generously – I’m gushing now, I know, but thanks to everyone for talking me through.

The glory of solving one issue does, of course, mean that the next one has room to present itself. And it has done, but that’s for another day.

Today is a moment of triumph – thanks for helping me along.

FAN BLOOMING TASTIC!!

I remember recomending a Xantia pump to you too!!!

Well done, glad it worked, I thought they were similar!



Glad to have your girl going again!



Rgds
citroenxm

Delighted for you

Another one kept away from the scrappers to be adored as it rightly deserves

Best wishes, Colin.P

Nice one Gary, always a good feeling when you manage to resolve a long running and frustrating issue yourself

Glad that the help you got here steered you in the right direction. A lot of people who come here for the first time with an XM problem are quite shocked when they find that the doom and gloom storys peddled by garages etc are actually not all that bad, and in most cases can be sorted with a little work.

Another one back on the road, result

Do stick around, it sounds like you have a few more XM issues (don't we all )

Ciarán

Well done Gary.

I'm sure your experience you kindly outlined above will help someone else in the same predicament. So, not only did you solve you're own problem but you might have solved someone else's as well. How's that for a "double whammy" as our colonial cousins put it.

Cheers

noz

Same place as my shiny black immaculate V6 24 manual with pristine strut tops and intact headlight washer covers

Hi Ciaran

Let me see, Derek and I got XM's with 3 out of 4 requirements (shiny black -tick, 24v - tick, pristine strut tops - tick) which isn't too bad. It's just the manual bit we're struggling with.

Seriously though there are occasinal pristine late 24v's coming up and the auto box is so nice that I'm not bothered about having a manual.

Cheers

Tony

Well done Garry, very satisfying isnt it? We are all going to have to re learn the skills of yesteryear to keep our XMs going. When I started driving in the '50s the average person couldn't afford to take their car to a garage when it went wrong so we all learnt, by default, to repair them ourselves. As nothing made since about 2000 is reapirable on a DIY basis we are fortunate to have such brilliant cars that are not beyond the scope of the enthusiastic amateur to repair.

The only other way you could reliably run a car now is to buy a new one with a five year guarantee and trade it in as soon as the guarantee runs out. Its not just the cost that prevents me taking mine to a garage, it's the inconvenience, while you are taking it, getting a lift back then going to collect it - you can probably have fixed it yourself.

Peter.N.

Hi Mike

2.5's were made to be driven. The only low milers I have come across were all cars. The estates tend to be cloth, usually no aircon and at least 120k plus.
Never seen the spec that you and I are looking for in a single XM. The nearest I got was an estate at WHM's A/C & dark brown leather but it was already sold with a waiting list for any similar ones.
I have reached the stage that I have virtually stopped looking and am going to put black leather, black trim and aircon in those that I have then rotate them so I do not reach starship miles too quickly.

Regards

John

Congratulations Gary.

Isn't it a great feeling when that engine cracks into life!
Especially when the so called expert local garages give nothing more than a sharp intake of breath (and are mentally clocking up how much they can screw you for)!!

Did you get that feeling of relief mixed with euphoria wash over you?