1996 Citroen Xantia SX from UK and Ireland - Comments

The heater blower motor had seized, however this was known when purchasing the car. This however is a very common fault for Xantias and is down to the transistors dying.

Air-con compressor had developed a knocking noise and therefore the compressor was replaced with a HDI one, the air con doesn't work which was also known when buying, without the compressor the car won't move.

Intermittent ABS sensor fault, this is also a common problem and is down to dirt getting trapped, easily replaced and cheap to.

Unlike some people that post I know exactly what the car is I'm buying, I'm 20 and do like to do a little research.

The hydraulics worried me and wondered if it would be a big expense, however it turned out that its not actually that complicated and if anything goes wrong, parts seem to be fairly cheap, the car was riding to high and after a bit of research found out how to lower the car at home (height adjusters get seized, some grease helps to prevent) the car can kill and therefore needs to be supported with axel stands.

Glowplugs were done, but this is obviously something expected after 100,000 miles, they were done on my 97 1.9d ZX, but were much easier, this job tuned out to be such a pain, but saved a fortune by doing it at home.

I absoulutely love citroens and especially love Xantias now and will certainly be buying another next year (i do 40,000 a year so I change every year) but I will buy a Mk2 and a much newer one, I was in a rush and for £850 got a very good deal. The car hasn't cost me that much at all, I know have free weekends which I missed while having the ZX (which I rate highly too).

Citroens run brilliantly if you know what your buying, mpg is brill as usual and the XUD is just brilliant.

Well sadly I have handed over the Xantia to my Brother In Law just over 3 months ago now due to a Company Fiesta, I want the Xantia back!

The car is still running brilliantly, come Sunday I am showing him how to do a 5k service consisting of an oil change and filter, fuel and air filter change all for about £20.

I had the cambelt and water pump replaced in early February (before I was told about the Company Car) for under £150 by a Citroen Specalist, please people stop going to the dealers and being ripped off.

I also decided to change the spheres (before being told about the company car : () which me and my mate replaced both fronts and rears including the Accumulator sphere. Never replaced spheres before and was amazed at how quick and easy it was to do the fronts, no more than 5 minutes each!!! How much longer what it be to change the shock absorbers on a normal car and at how much, £25 a sphere! The rears however were trickier and certainly took a bit longer, however if we had a certain tool at hand it would have saved a fair bit of time, but again not too bad a job and no excuse to pay for a garage to do - again don't go to the dealer and get ripped off!!!

The Accumulator sphere was a bit of a bugger to get off so asked the garage to replace it at the same time as the belt and pump with no charge.

The car is a couple of months before its MOT so my BIL has decided to investigate the ABS sensor fault before hand.

I'm still gutted I'm not driving this car as it was brilliant and would have been quite proud to (even with turning 21). It has still not cost anything.

A cambelt and waterpump is something you should have replaced on a new 2nd hand purchase on a car so I don't consider this as an expense because the car is (carp!), regarding the spheres - the ride was beginning to turn hard, but would have been OK for another 6 months however I was starting to get bored with the car never requiring any work so decided to replace them for really something to do and at less than £100 - all sorted!!! AND NO NEED FOR A DEALER!!!

Car went in for its MOT and failed on a couple things at an unspecalist garage.

My BIL took the car to our local speciialist

Hole in the exhaust - new exhaust was £65 and was fitted for free.

A rear arm bush was replaced, the part being about a £1, however it's a time consuming job which makes it fairly expensive to have done.

Headlight adjustment.

All done for £205 inc the MOT - now that is value.

In regard to the ABS sensor, the light hasn't appeared for quite some time now so my BIL decided to return the unused sensor back, the car passed with no issue regarding to the warning light (which never came on during it).

Again, avoid going to the dealers.

I don't own a Xantia (yet) but have had lots of BX experience and have worked on Xantias before, the heat plug change is easy if as the old saying goes you have the right tools. The problem people seem to have is with the first heat plug (cylinder 1) as it is behind part of the cooling system, you can buy for about a fiver a long thin double ended spanner called a heat plug spanner, it really does make the job a doddle.

I have just recently been givin my mums zantia I'm only 20 and don't no a lot about citoens. the accumulator sphere is leaking at the front just curios as to if you no how to change one? regards john.