103 Auto Box Auto and manual gearboxes
Citroen XM Internet Reference Version 1.0 155
3/3/99
week or two ago and found him very honest in his approach to the problems of early XMs (and more
recent ones for that matter!). The latest versions, he says, have overcome most of the difficulties we
owners of '89 to '91 models have to cope with. In the December 1993 issue of the Citroenian, Andy
Burnett confirms just how much better the later XMs are. Philip Wells advises all owners of early XMs to
throw away the multi connect earthing points behind the headlamps and use new ring terminals bolted
firmly to a good clean earth, using the existing stud. Again, Andy advises us to do the same. If you go to
see Philip Wells at Keston, don't be put off by the horse manure and the horse boxes. Just aim for the
familiar red and white chevron and Philip will be ready to help with one, two, three or multi-horse
problems!
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Draining the Automatic Gearbox
I 'chickened out' on this task. Talking to Philip Wells about it, he said that thei; main problem is getting
the maximum of the old oil out. The handbook recommends changing the oil at 48,000 miles, but I
understand from Philip via a main Citroen dealership that Citroen now recommend that the oil should be
changed more frequently, presumably to ensure greater dilution of the remnant of old oil remaining. As
you may know the gearbox is a ZF unit, and is used on a number of other cars. Alfa Romeo use it in the
164, for example, and the handbook recommends that you change the gearbox fluid with the engine
running! Sounds a bit messy to me and I assume it is done to remove as much oil as possible. In view
of the fact that the oil performs a lubricating as well as a hydraulic function, this sounds a drastic way of
doing the job. The method suggested by one automatic gearbox specialist is to disconnect one of the oil
cooler connection pipes and run the engine while feeding new oil into the gearbox. This is a bit messy,
Philip tells me - he tried it on GDP - and requires a careful check to ensure that the correct level is finally
arrived at. It also wastes some oil. But again, GDP is running very well since its transfusion. If any
owners have changed the oil in the ZF box themselves, I would like to hear from them, please.
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