*****************Please Help******************
I have had an N reg Citroen Xantia 1800cc 8v for a little over two years no and without a doubt is the best car I have ever had. But for one minor annoyance, whenever I go over a small pothole, drain, manhole or small dip in the road there is a knock from the passenger side, I am only a DIY mechanic with very limited knowledge about Xantias, I have had the driveshaft and cv joint checked which were both fine but I am still worried as I am due to go on holiday to Scotland soon and would like my mind to be put at rest, I noticed something on your page about the anti roll bar stay rod but wasn't sure if this could be a cause. Also sorry to be a pain sometime I also have a problem engaging the gears usually it ok there is no crunching of the gears.
I would greatly appreciate some help or advice.
Many Thanks
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Adam,
You\'re on the right track with the noise. There are four main sources.
Wishbone inner bushes.
Hub bottom balljoint.
Steering track rod end.
Anti-Roll bar drop links (stay rods).
With car jacked up and firmly supported try and move the roadwheel about in all directions looking and feeling for movement. If you find any then the faulty component will be obvious.
If there is no play anywhere then the problem will be the a/roll drop links. As they are under tension when on the car they never show play.
In any case they would have been my first guess, they are cheap and quite easy to change. Very common annoying issue.
A difficult gearchange could be a sign of a clutch that needs the pedal travel sorting....and/or the usual problem of a Xantia clutch getting towards the end of its life. Is the action a little heavy and stodgy?
M.M
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Adam,
I've recently had both these problems on my M reg 306DT, which is more or less the same car as yours as far as most bits are concerned.
Knocking noise on uneven roads: got two new drop links from GSF car parts for <£20, problem solved.
Stiff gearchange: Possibly clutch getting old, but try these low/no cost solutions first; 1. Grease all the gear linkage parts between the stick and the box, only one of these joints needs to be stiff to cause a difficult gearchange.
2. Change the gearbox oil, i know its sposed to be sealed for life, but i changed mine and it did make a noticable difference.
These problems have both been extensively covered in recent threads, probably more with peugeots as the subject tho, try a search.
Good luck and i hope this is some help to you
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Thats great thanks M.M and Hawsey1982, i will take a look at the anti roll bar. With regards to the gear problems it has been a little stiff since i bought the car back in december 2001 if i get it at the right angle the gears go in as smoothly as anything even though it has been like this for near two years would that still mean the clutch is dying i havent experienced any slipping in the clutch, i have noticed a small linkage near the back of the engine bay where the rubber in it looks slightly perished could that be a cause, sorry to be a pain, im not the wealthiest man on earth and want to avoid spending too much as the holiday is for my daughter.
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I'd be 99% sure your rattle is coming from the drop links. My L Reg Xantia had to have one replaced. They are not desperately expensive - even when fitted by a Citroen Dealer. Biggest difficulty is deciding which side to try first! Mine was passenger side - probably suffers more bumps than driver's!
Not sure about gearchange - could be a few things. Might well be the linkage needing a bit of lubrication - lots of little ball joints way down behind the engine. If you can reach them try a good shot of WD 40. Could be clutch related, though. Bear in mind that Xantia clutches sometimes get progressively heavier as they are close to wearing out and when they do, the cable puts more strain on a plastic clip at the top of the pedal - it then snaps! New clip costs pennies - replacing it costs lots of money or lots of aggro - or both! (Seriously awkward to fit!) Mind you, my Xantia lasted 9 years / 105,000 miles and I never had to replace a clip or a clutch. Even the battery lasted about 8 years 51 weeks!
Graeme
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Grease/WD40 the gear linkage?
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