[samson1886]

rfbu, i just wanted to scope around for the time being.....
not too sure for upcoming years yet....

but it does cross my mind...hahaha....
'96 for 22k??? hmm.... dunno...high?

i guess we must spare 5k at least if get one xantia....
1 sphere, approx. rm300.
sotong, approx. rm 700 - 800.
other misc.. rm 1k - 2k??

Btw... some one mentioned before that regas sphere won't last long. is
that true?

[wallacelee]

For the 95 Xantia, i think your biggest worry and concern is the autobox.
That would render the car undrivable.

For the rest, stuff like sotong, hydraulic pump, regulator, spheres,
brake valve, strut, strut mounting can be changed rather easily and once
changed to new or good used they last quite a while....in fact a long
time...and they dont really disturb much.

Why do i say it is the autobox?

Well, the car is 10 years old and i am assuming it has covered quite a
distance...say 200,000km. Once your car has prob with the autobox,
chances are

1. you get a used unit from chopshop , change it and live with the 3
month or 6 month guarantee whichever the shops gives. of course , you
will have to pray it will last for say more than 150,000km....to make
your money worth. cost fo this is about RM1200 to RM2000 just for the box
alone.

2. you send your existing box for the overhaul job. so far, i am still
waiting reply and response from those who have actually done it and
can "assure" me it will last for another 200,000km. So far, in my
record,they last not more than 2 years and nothing more than 80,000kms.
Also a lot of cases where by those so called self proclaimed autobox
experts screwing up the gearboxes big time. Was told this is due to the
poor quality of the repair kit, which costs almost Rm1000. this job costs
about RM3000.

3. change to manual. a wee bit more work to do and also to drive. cost
also about the same as 2 depending on the parts etc etc.


just for your record, i have a 95 Xantia for almost a year now and it has
never given me any problems untill now the autobox is starting to give
way.

spehres were regassed, mounting was good, hydraulic pump also never kacau.

[wallacelee]

for your record, the highest mileage i have seen from a Xantia's autobox
is 300,000km. it would interesting to know anybody else have done a
better job?

[wallacelee]

Thatjames,

Try to get a Xantia owner or better get a mechanic to view the car. You
may have to pay him something but that is another matter. it will save
you a lot of trouble. you dont have to break the bank account to own the
Xantia.

Assuming you get a car in a reasonable condition, good body, good
interior, below are some of the stuff which i think you should know.

Engine and gearbox - separate story; refer above.

Spheres - Yes, they are costly, but most of the time they can be refilled
with the exception of the front spheres. Let's assume for the worse,
change all 6 to new...about RM2400

Brake disc and pads - these are wear n tear items and in myopinion, they
are cheap. Front discs can be bought for about RM120 for local made discs
and pads are just about rm120. they are just like any other cars out
there, probably cheaper.

Rear suspension. Nothing much to go wrong here, but i would recommned you
to remove and regrease the arms. If you see your rear wheels like / \
then most proolly your arm bearings are shot and prepare about rm600-
rm700 for new bearings and labour.

Front End. Assuming you are fussy and have money to spend, then change
ALL the lower arm bush, trailling arms, both ball joints, anti roll bar
bush to NEW. cost about Rm2000 - ALL NEW PARTS.

Sotong is yes about RM1000.

Strut is expensive but very rarely they give problem, and used ones are
available as well. not a big item to worry about.

Mounting for the strut is about Rm1100 BRAND NEW.

Hydraulic pump is about RM 3000 new but they rarely give probs and used
ones are about Rm400-Rm500 and there are a lot of good ones on the market.

Alternator - normal wear n tear item, about Rm400 for a good used recond.

Hydraulic pressure regulator - very seldom give probs about Rm400 used.

Hydraulic tank and filter - last prolly a lifetime

Brake valve - rarely give prob and about Rm800 new.

engine is tough, long lasting and should you have engine failure or
anything, better for you to buy a complete halfcut.

radiator - not sure how much but used ones are going for about RM400
which is a bit expensive because a brand new radiator for a BMW E36 BERA
band is less than RM600.


i would say your biggest worry should be the autobox and the chasis
condition.. prices mentioned are approxmately only and pls dont screw me
if the prices are not the same.




if this sounds a bit complicated, have a good look at the car, check the
engine oil level, ATF colour and level, coolant colour and level. start
it up, and take a good test drive. It SHOULD BE QUIET, gearbox shifts
SMOOTHLY, and no weird noises coming out from the front suspension and
while you brake.

good luck.

[thatjames]

Apek, I get a little wary about mileage since dealers have been known to tweak the meters a
little. Samson, 96' for RM22K is a little high. So far I have seen three ads for 96' cars going below
RM18K. Thanks for the detailed pointers, Wallace! It was great help for the hunt. I'm paying extra
attention to the gearbox. This weekend, I tested 4 Xantias:

1. Owner. 96' CKD interior was in great condition and owner had replaced all spheres and sotong
for RM3K last year at Directional and the test-drive was magic carpet, as far as I was concerned.
Owner is a quirky guy who enjoyed tinkering with the car. The result, this Xantia has more
chevrons logos I have ever seen on a car! However, in his over-enthusiasm, the guy had
decided to screw black rubber lining to cover the silver metal on the trims and bumpers. These
will have to be replaced. Also, I noticed a bottle of coolant in the boot. Owner admitted he "may"
have a overheating problem. Fans' second speed kicked in just 2 mins after starting the car. I was
seriously considering this car because I rationalised that I would not have to worry about the
suspension for awhile. But I'm not sure how bad the overheating problem might be, or if it has
caused any serious damage. Asking RM15500.

2. Dealer. '94 CBU with 170K on the meter. Interior was in bad shape - loose parts, peeling, etc.
Suspension was a little hard. RM14800.

3. Dealer. '96 CKD with 150K mileage drives well with comfortable suspension. However, there
was a weird "tak-a-tak-a-tak-a-tak-a-tak" noise coming out from the engine. There was a bit of
smoke - might be some oil leakage somewhere. Also, there was some major noises coming from
the wheels on bumpy roads. Looks like the bushes or linkages might be shot. Asking RM17000.

4. Owner. '96 CKD in really tragic shape on the inside. Ride was not as comfortable as car 1 and
3. Owner tells me he has yet to top-up LHM which leads me to believe that there might be a leak
on this one. Heater has been bypassed. Noticed hints of a previous accident. Owner wants
RM15800.

In all 4 vehicles, I notice a rapid click-click sound repeating in 5-sec intervals. Either all cars have
a high-pressure leak or I'm not hearing what I'm supposed to. In any case, I did not negotiate any
prices since I doubt if I'd be taking anyone of these. Also, I'm beginning to wonder if an all-round
good condition unit is even available. Thanks for your help, guys!

[wallacelee]

Car number 1 sounds good. Maybe you can go further by taking a mechanic to
check out further on the overheating condition. It may just be a minor
leak somewhere or worse you may require a top overhaul if it is an
internal leak. Check the engine oil colour when COLD.

the screw black rubber lining to cover the silver metal is UGLY, but can
be sorted out without much hassle.

is the car gold coloured owned by an elderly chinaman? Wilayah plate? 1
OWNER?

[thatjames]

Hahhah, yes, yes, it's the elderly chinaman but he's the second owner. I'm thinking the
overheating might be a problem that could be solved more economically than the suspension.

As for the black rubber lining, I think this guy must have really liked the car. Whenever someone
gave him a Chevron logo, he stuck it on the car. So he's got it all over. The plastic triangles at the
rear windows have logos. He managed to get a small disc with chevrons on it (I think it's
probably from some wheel cap) and he stuck it on the steering wheel. He's even got one stuck on
the front grille and this is the one I've been thinking about.

His Xantia is supposedly '96 but the bonnet looks like a pre-'94 version - the chevrons are on
the bonnet and not on the front grille. On the front grille, Uncle's gone and stuck a plastic wheel
cap thingy. He tells me that the original logo is under the disc, i.e. on the front grille. I believe
that most Xantia have the chevrons on the grille, or on the bonnet, but never in both places. This
leads me to believe that the bonnet might have been changed before.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think people hardly changed bonnets unless the car has been in a
really bad accident, no?

[wallacelee]

ok, the car sounds familiar but from what you had described, those extras
that he put on is a real turn off. sticker here and there. loooks real ah
beng xantia.

you can look at the registration card and also numberplate (if never
changed) to check if it is a 94 or 95.

Your assumption on the bonnet changing is true but not for the Xantia.

Most of the bonet are changed because the the older strut broke and
puncture thru the bonnet, creating a dent. The only way to repair this
properly is to change the entire bonnet. I have seen many Xantia's with
the bonnet changed.

Once dented, it is really difficult to repair the bonnet porperly with
normal panel beating, as time ages, the particular part will warp and
look ugly.

There are plenty of Xantias around, and there are a lot of sellers who
wana sell desperately, Xantia is a buyer's market so just take your time.

why dont you consider a newer car as well?

[tongyc]

From what wallace describe, it can cost more than 10k to fix up a used Xantia.

1. spheres - 2400
2. sotong - 1000
3. strut mounting - 2200 (2 x 1100)
4. hydraulic pump - 3000
5. misc. - 2000 to 3000

That's a real turn off.

[xantia2899]

Citroen Xantia:

Purchase price: RM17,000.00
Repair: RM10,000.00

Satisfation (if you don't get a lemon): Lifetime

Proton Gen-2:

Purchase price: RM56,000.00
Repair: Depends (1st yr under warranty, later kena keluar money)

Satisfaction: Able to make frens with Proton service centre.

Izit really a turn-off?