Hello All,
I downloaded the excellent self help file that peter n compiled followed the very clear info and found the fault that has the ABS lit constantly,the rear n/side sensor showed open circuit at the ecu plug.
I jacked up the rear of the car and found the connector plug easily accessible lying on the top corner of the rear subframe,checking it at the plug it was still o/c I cut the wire nearer and nearer to the sensor and there was nothing wrong with the wires the sensor was stuffed.
I managed to remove the sensor in lots of pieces and now require a new rear Bendix sensor.
Where is the best place to get one,also do the xantia sensors fit with any sort of bodge I notice the xantia ones look similar and are quite reasonably priced,unlike the ones for the xm.
May I say thanks to peter n and any others who contributed to the self help file it makes the job a lot easier.
Gary

Gary, the Xantia sensors are different from XM's - they are compatible with Teves ABS (which has green relay next to the fusebox inside the engine bay - S2 XMs), but are rotated 90 degrees and slightly bigger than original ones. For Bendix ABS i think that second hand is reasonable - brand new in citroen dealer costs >300 eur (in my local shop there is "discount" until december - only 200eur)

Thanks for that Sharo I checked with my local motor factor and they quoted me £99
but that was for the front they said if I got them the Citroen part number from a dealer they might be able to get me a rear one,but I ain't paying silly money like that for an abs sensor.
I might try and track down a front sensor from a breaker but it would have to be the front and be modified to use at the back,as I think most of the rear ones disintegrate on removal.
Thanks again, Gary

Does anyone know ...........talking of the Bendix system as fitted to the mk1 Xms and early mk2 cars, is the front abs sensor the same diameter as the rear one?
I have measured the rear abs sensor and it is 18mm diameter.
If the front sensors are 18mm and long enough they should fit the rear with modification.
Gary

Hi Gary.

I had to buy a new rear sensor from my local factor, £170.00 and it is the same as the front except the cable is much longer. The sensors are both 18mm Dia and 40mm long. The rears are very difficult to remove, I had to drill mine out! After removing the hub and bearing of course!
Bob.

Edit! Maybe mistaken Gary, I had real trouble with my sensors last year! I had to buy a front sensor from my local Citroen stealers for £248.00 in April but if I remember right I managed to repair the cable and get it going again only for the rear to still give me trouble and to get through MOT renewed that too. It is the new front one I have still here Part # 96161385. But I am sure the front and rears are similar except for length of cable. Sorry if I've missled you.
Bob.

Hi Gary

Not been able to find much else that used the Bendix system.
Citroen gave up on Bendix in 1996.
Robert Smart tried with alternative sensors (BMW), looked very hopefull but it failed to give a system reliable enough to get his car a MOT. This was in NI and it passed the static test but was failed for the light coming on while the tester road tested the car.
I now ream out the rear sensor holes to 19mm almost to full depth and use silicone sealer when fitting replacement rear sensors. Means that they can be recovered easily.
Around 1991 Citroen/Bendix redesigned the XM Bendix ABS. Amongst the changes the front sensors had the coil resistance doubled. Most bits are compatible but there are some that are not between the versions. Spare bits are therefore best sourced from similar age cars.

John

it seems the citroen steelers are apptly named .

Not only the 'stealers' Gary! The breakers are on the band wagon too! I'm trying to source two strut tops and they want as much as Citroen nearly, and very soon Citroen won't be supplying any more! I just learned that one of the strut tops is no longer available, and the other side will have a small batch available early next year.
I am going to great lengths to keep mine on the road but it is getting a bit painfull in the pocket!

Bob.

That's not good news about the strut tops,they are a real problem to the future of these cars we get so much enjoyment from.The more resourceful us Xm owners can be keeps our cars going but something like the strut tops requires another level entirely.
All I can do with the abs sensor is as I have already said,try and find a breaking xm with the same system as mine on, get a front one and cobble it to do the rear.
The mot is next May so I can get on with some other jobs.
I have the heater fan sitting next to me, I bought some transistors of good old eBay so I will be pulling that apart just as soon as I have had a butchers at the relevant self help file,thanks to this excellent website and all who make it possible.
Next big job on the list is a fresh cam belt kit ,I will get that before the vat goes up!
You have to be good with the old spanners to run these cars,but the rewards in driving pleasure make it all worth it.
Thanks for the valuable information John without such I could be wasting money and time getting sensors off the wrong car.
Er that sounds scary "road testing" in all the years I have took my cars for mot never has one been road tested, driven a few yard from the road to the ramp but nothing more than that.
is that something that happens in Ireland ?
Also how do you ream the hole out to 19mm ,buy a 19mm reamer?
Forever thankful
Gary

Hi Gary

The NI (Northern Island) MOT is different to the rest of the UK hence the road test.
To ream out I just bought blacksmiths drill bits. An 18mm one to clean the holes out and a 19mm one to enlarge the holes in the Alloy of the rear struts.


John

Nice one John I will do the same before I refit my rear sensor,whenever that may be?
Gary

Hello all,
Just driving home and I had the thought ! ding!
Thinking outside the box, can this be done.....
Lift an abs ecu from a xantia and graft it into your xm,replace all the incredibly expensive Xm sensors with the typically cheap Xantia sensors.
I imagine the ecu will need obviously a 12v feed then inputs from each sensor,what other inputs does the ecu need.
whatever inputs the abs ecu needs ,they are all already present feeding the Xm stock item.
Your inputs most welcome,
Gary

I have retained a couple of Teves sets including wiring from scrap cars.
Intend to replace the Bendix ABS on those cars that are long term.
Took the easy route of a system that is already fitted to most of my XM's.
See no reason why your option should not work just needs researching carefully.

John

Xantia's hydraulic ABS block is different than these in XM. Also Teves block in S2 XM is different from Bendix - Teves is 4 channel and Bendix -3 ch, it has one channel for both rear brakes.
This means that if you want to replace Bendix with Teves, you should add another pipe for rear brakes.

Both rear sensors went o/c on the white estate, I couldn't find any reasonably priced new ones, I managed to get a couple of secondhand ones, one which came out of the hub easily, the other didn't, so I changed the complete arm - depends which you have most of - time or money.

Peter