Hi all
Following Noz's recent pleas, I've decided to ask/mention a couple of minor things I'm curious about on my newly acquired XM. Still loving the car although I'm now in a panic as I've put it on a restricted mileage for insurance and have done 10% of that figure in 5 days!!
Anyway, issues are:
1) The boot light doesn't work. I got a new bulb and installed it and... it still doesn't work. I'm fairly sure the left display module doesn't say boot open either when it is so I suspect the switch/button is faulty. Herein lies the problem - I can't find the switch/button that the tailgate catches and releases. There's a plastic flappy hinge thing by the boot latch. There's also two spring loaded plastic fittings either side of the gas struts. And, there's some sort of shallow rubber bung on the right side of the base of the tailgate itself. Any ideas as to where to start - it's like a coal hole in the boot at night!
2) The car goes up and down to its extremities but the lever does not go all the way back and forth. Normal position's okay but by the time it's in the intermediate section the car raises to full height. Similarly, when putting into low, it reaches that height when the lever get's just half way back from normal. It feels very, very stiff when the lever goes as far as it does and I don't fancy forcing it. I'm happy to live with it as it is but wondered whether anyone had experienced anything similar.
3) I've noticed a low level buzzing which appears to be coming out of the left-most airvent on the dash. I initially thought it to be a leaf or something in the vent but it carried on when I switched the aircon totally off. Then, yesterday it dawned on me that it quietens dramatically when accelerating gently but gets a little louder when braking, going over particularly bumpy roads and putting the steering on full lock. Could it be hydro related and if so is it anything to worry about? It doesn't sound intrusive (unless you have no music on when it can become a tad irritating) and the fluid level appears fine. It's not a stereo speaker by the way if anyone thought that.
Thanks in advance,
carliterature
Full Version Boot Light, Height Lever & Buzzing!
Hi,
The boot light switch is operated by the "plastic flappy hinge thing".
Not sure I could say anything useful about the rest of the enquieries, except maybe that my height lever seems te react in the same way. The difference between intermediate and high at the wheel is about 1cm I think. I don't think it's anything you should worry about.
You should get under the car (axle stands!) and clean and grease the rod and connections for the lever, because it should operate quite smoothly.
Cheers,
Niek
The boot light switch is operated by the "plastic flappy hinge thing".
Not sure I could say anything useful about the rest of the enquieries, except maybe that my height lever seems te react in the same way. The difference between intermediate and high at the wheel is about 1cm I think. I don't think it's anything you should worry about.
You should get under the car (axle stands!) and clean and grease the rod and connections for the lever, because it should operate quite smoothly.
Cheers,
Niek
Hi carliterature,
You make me sound like a down and out on his last legs but thanks for your post, much appreciated. Now lets see if I can come up with the goods or was I just 'flying a kite' as our friends across the pond are prone to say.
1) As Niek says the flappy thingy holds the switch which controls the light. However, the microswitch underneath the flap has a tendency to become dislodged. Remove the flappy thingy and look underneath. Check continuity from switch to lamp holder whilst out in your hand.
2) I have same problem with one of my 2.5TD's. I've never looked for the problem before but I'll have a go now that you ask and post back here what I find.
3) Whilst it sounds like its coming from the vent sitting in the drivers seat its almost certainly the little fan inside the centre light. Its there to draw a cabin air sample over the temperature sensor which in turn controls the heater. remove the light cover, remove the fan, squirt with WD40 or similar, replace ensuring foam isloates the fan from the light fitting. Any direct touching transmits the vibrations from the fan to the casing and radiates sound to the cab - very annoying.
Hope thats a starter for 10.
Cheers
noz
You make me sound like a down and out on his last legs but thanks for your post, much appreciated. Now lets see if I can come up with the goods or was I just 'flying a kite' as our friends across the pond are prone to say.
1) As Niek says the flappy thingy holds the switch which controls the light. However, the microswitch underneath the flap has a tendency to become dislodged. Remove the flappy thingy and look underneath. Check continuity from switch to lamp holder whilst out in your hand.
2) I have same problem with one of my 2.5TD's. I've never looked for the problem before but I'll have a go now that you ask and post back here what I find.
3) Whilst it sounds like its coming from the vent sitting in the drivers seat its almost certainly the little fan inside the centre light. Its there to draw a cabin air sample over the temperature sensor which in turn controls the heater. remove the light cover, remove the fan, squirt with WD40 or similar, replace ensuring foam isloates the fan from the light fitting. Any direct touching transmits the vibrations from the fan to the casing and radiates sound to the cab - very annoying.
Hope thats a starter for 10.
Cheers
noz
| QUOTE (noz @ Jun 8 2005, 21:51 PM) |
| You make me sound like a down and out on his last legs but thanks for your post, much appreciated. ow lets see if I can come up with the goods or was I just 'flying a kite' as our friends across the pond are prone to say. 1) As Niek says the flappy thingy holds the switch which controls the light. However, the microswitch underneath the flap has a tendency to become dislodged. Remove the flappy thingy and look underneath. Check continuity from switch to lamp holder whilst out in your hand. 2) I have same problem with one of my 2.5TD's. I've never looked for the problem before but I'll have a go now that you ask and post back here what I find. 3) Whilst it sounds like its coming from the vent sitting in the drivers seat its almost certainly the little fan inside the centre light. Its there to draw a cabin air sample over the temperature sensor which in turn controls the heater. remove the light cover, remove the fan, squirt with WD40 or similar, replace ensuring foam isloates the fan from the light fitting. Any direct touching transmits the vibrations from the fan to the casing and radiates sound to the cab - very annoying. Hope thats a starter for 10. Cheers noz |
You make me sound like a down and out on his last legs but thanks for your post, much appreciated.
No problems - I'm just really grateful I found the website before an XM purchase rather than after potentially buying a lemon!
1) As Niek says the flappy thingy holds the switch which controls the light. However, the microswitch underneath the flap has a tendency to become dislodged. Remove the flappy thingy and look underneath. Check continuity from switch to lamp holder whilst out in your hand.
Okay - I'll look at this over the weekend. Presumably I need to remove the plastic trim panel from the boot side of the boot sill do I? What will the microswitch look like (should it be there still)?
2) I have same problem with one of my 2.5TD's. I've never looked for the problem before but I'll have a go now that you ask and post back here what I find.
Okay, great. I've been told that you can remove the trim panel around the height lever and relocate the pin you actually hold. However, I don't see how this alone would help it reach each extremity. I'm certainly not going to be too concerned whilst it goes up and down fine.
3) Whilst it sounds like its coming from the vent sitting in the drivers seat its almost certainly the little fan inside the centre light. Its there to draw a cabin air sample over the temperature sensor which in turn controls the heater. remove the light cover, remove the fan, squirt with WD40 or similar, replace ensuring foam isloates the fan from the light fitting. Any direct touching transmits the vibrations from the fan to the casing and radiates sound to the cab - very annoying
Ahh! I wondered where it sampled the air. My wife's Galaxy has, like many other cars, a vent hole near the aircon controls themselves. Right, this job sounds simple enough - presumably prize away/unscrew the top unit as appropriate then? Again, I'll leave until the weekend and then get back to confirm all's well. Guess it's just my imagination regarding the link to the hydraulics then!!
Just thought of "very minor grumble" 4) on my car - the nearside rear tail light is very slightly loose and as a result sits at a slight angle. The top of it sits 6-8mm away from home at the top, meaning the body-coloured bit across it doesn't marry neatly with the section on the talgate. You can push it back into place but it doesn't sit there. I've not even tried to look at this yet but I suppose there's something I can adjust from the inside of the boot, after removing the bulb holder?
Thanks again to both of you so far
carliterature
carliterature,
1) If you push down the flap thingy and look inside the hole to the right you'll see a brass spring tab. On the flap itself there should be another tab. When the flap closes the 2 tabs touch and make the circuit. If its a problem with the switch then its likely the tabs are bent or disconnected or something.
2) Yes the trim panel is easily removed and it does expose the lever mechanism at this point. However, its usually well greased and not prone to rust becxause its inside the car. Its certaily an easy check but I would say unlikely to be the cause. Its more likely to be the pushrod mechanism underneath the car particularly the first joint at the bottom of the lever handle.
3)The light fitting lens just prises off to reveal 4 fixing screws, on in each corner.
4) The tail lights are held in by 2 long screws each. Theres a little carpeted panel which is removed to gain access for changing lamps. Through this access you can get to the nuts. The screwed studs moulded into the light fitting are unffeasibly long so you'll need a 10mm deep socket or a 10mm spanner and a lot of patience to get the nut off. This is worth fixing because its the source of a wet carpet in the boot.
Cheers
noz
1) If you push down the flap thingy and look inside the hole to the right you'll see a brass spring tab. On the flap itself there should be another tab. When the flap closes the 2 tabs touch and make the circuit. If its a problem with the switch then its likely the tabs are bent or disconnected or something.
2) Yes the trim panel is easily removed and it does expose the lever mechanism at this point. However, its usually well greased and not prone to rust becxause its inside the car. Its certaily an easy check but I would say unlikely to be the cause. Its more likely to be the pushrod mechanism underneath the car particularly the first joint at the bottom of the lever handle.
3)The light fitting lens just prises off to reveal 4 fixing screws, on in each corner.
4) The tail lights are held in by 2 long screws each. Theres a little carpeted panel which is removed to gain access for changing lamps. Through this access you can get to the nuts. The screwed studs moulded into the light fitting are unffeasibly long so you'll need a 10mm deep socket or a 10mm spanner and a lot of patience to get the nut off. This is worth fixing because its the source of a wet carpet in the boot.
Cheers
noz
Hi all
I have had the noise problem from the little fan in the internal light, in fact I too thought it came from the dash tweeters. Paul Johnson soon put me right. Is this a standard feature of all old XM's or is it particular to cars that have been subject to heavy smoking as I discovered mine had been. When I took the sensor out I found that it had accumalated a large amount of dust and debris, the same as computer fans suck in muck from the air. I cleaned the sensor out using compressed air (aerosol can from Maplins for air brushing electronic components in my case). Then I lubricated it with WD40. If you just spray with WD40 the wet muck still sticks to the fan and it will clog up again fairly quickly.
I thought that the boot light in an estate is operated by a mercury tilt switch clipped to the drivers side of the hatch back door. Not sure about a car will have a look but I cannot recall seeing any switches under the plastic thingy.
Nearly bid for a 96P VSX 2.5 TD with sick ECU on ebay for spares that went for just over £500 today. Was very tempted but the lack of space other than the drive to cut it up restrained me.
Regards
xmexc
I have had the noise problem from the little fan in the internal light, in fact I too thought it came from the dash tweeters. Paul Johnson soon put me right. Is this a standard feature of all old XM's or is it particular to cars that have been subject to heavy smoking as I discovered mine had been. When I took the sensor out I found that it had accumalated a large amount of dust and debris, the same as computer fans suck in muck from the air. I cleaned the sensor out using compressed air (aerosol can from Maplins for air brushing electronic components in my case). Then I lubricated it with WD40. If you just spray with WD40 the wet muck still sticks to the fan and it will clog up again fairly quickly.
I thought that the boot light in an estate is operated by a mercury tilt switch clipped to the drivers side of the hatch back door. Not sure about a car will have a look but I cannot recall seeing any switches under the plastic thingy.
Nearly bid for a 96P VSX 2.5 TD with sick ECU on ebay for spares that went for just over £500 today. Was very tempted but the lack of space other than the drive to cut it up restrained me.
Regards
xmexc
Sorry I assumed hatchback rather than estate. carliterature can you confirm?
The switch isn't so easy to see but if you get a torch and push the flap down, its definitely there.
I was watching the 2.5TD too but if I'd turned up with yet another XM I think I'd be sleeping in it cos the house door locks would have been changed.
cheers
noz
The switch isn't so easy to see but if you get a torch and push the flap down, its definitely there.
I was watching the 2.5TD too but if I'd turned up with yet another XM I think I'd be sleeping in it cos the house door locks would have been changed.
cheers
noz
Yes, it's a hatch.
I've looked at the flap and can see stuck out (about 5mm) from the right side of the flap (underneath) is a small bit of brass. In the hole by the latch is a curled up bit of brass - I can't tell if they touch so it'll be a job for the weekend...
I did however have a go at the buzzy fan. Removed the light cover to find the screws holding the fixing on were 6-pointed star screws! Finally got hold of one and removed it. The fan was caked in 6 years of dust so I blew it off with compressed air - no end flew out. I then sprayed WD40 into it. Imeediately there was no vibration or noise. I left the car for about an hour and then went back out... only to find the bloody thing's buzzing again! Definitely not as loud but still audible without the CD/radio on. I suspect that the fan unit comes apart somewhat but I couldn't figure out how and didn't want to break it. Does it come to bits for getting the fan right out?
Cheers
carliterature
I've looked at the flap and can see stuck out (about 5mm) from the right side of the flap (underneath) is a small bit of brass. In the hole by the latch is a curled up bit of brass - I can't tell if they touch so it'll be a job for the weekend...
I did however have a go at the buzzy fan. Removed the light cover to find the screws holding the fixing on were 6-pointed star screws! Finally got hold of one and removed it. The fan was caked in 6 years of dust so I blew it off with compressed air - no end flew out. I then sprayed WD40 into it. Imeediately there was no vibration or noise. I left the car for about an hour and then went back out... only to find the bloody thing's buzzing again! Definitely not as loud but still audible without the CD/radio on. I suspect that the fan unit comes apart somewhat but I couldn't figure out how and didn't want to break it. Does it come to bits for getting the fan right out?
Cheers
carliterature
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