Johndouglas

Scotchloks are usually blue and they are a means of connecting an additional wire into a curcuit without cutting the original wire. They will have a folded over tab on them. Prise open the tab and the Scotchlok will open. You can then use a small screwdriver to pull out the blade. With the blade out, the Scotchlok can be removed. The insulation on the original wires will be cut so it's maybe best to wrap tape round. The two sockets are called 12N - that's the one that looks after the road lights. The other is 12S. It carries power for a second battery and a fridge.

Having fitted tow bars to my vehicles over a lot of years, I've noticed that while the bars have become much easier to fit, the electrics have increased in difficulty. I fitted a towbar to a 2.1 Xantia in 1998 and that was a fairly easy fitment. The tapped holes were already there in the chassis. You shouldn't have much of a problem removing it. I would suggest giving all the nuts and bolts a good quirt of Plusgas. You won't need to remove the rear bumper. As the electrics are pre-multiplex, the seven core cables will be simply Scotchlok'd on to the rear lights. Care will be needed in disconnecting so as to avoid shorts. If your bar is fitted with 12S as well, that also will need isolating.

The service light shouldn't be on. My C5 hasn't been back to the dealer since the end of it's first year. When I service it every 10000 miles, I reset the digits and the light stays off. Maybe the service light doesn't come on because the car never reaches it's 'service due' mileage.

Right! I think this is it! On the centre seat belt there's a black plastic rivet which stops the belt closing too much. What's happened is the rivet has shot through the plastic plate in the top of the seat and when the seat is lifted the rivet won't come back through the slot. I prised out the slot from the seat back, pulled out the seat belt and refixed the slot plate with a self-tapper screw.

Before your first start of the day, get under the bonnet and squeeze the primer bulb until it becomes solid. Then have a go at starting. If it goes, the indications are that you have air leaking into the system. You won't necessarily see fuel leaking out. Check all the joints, including the banjos. Copper washers have been known to allow air in.

But not with Citroen HID's. They require no adjustment either by owner or dealer for temporary driving in Europe. Although they don't dazzle to the left, if you want to re-register your car in France, you would still need to find local replacement lights.

I would get a pressure test done on the cooling system. It could be that you have a leaking head gasket. On the other hand maybe you radiator is blocked with sludge. Remove it and reverse flush it out with a hose. Where is the rust on the engine? If it's around the joint between the block and the head, that might just confirm that the gasket is leaking. Rust on the inner wings might just be surface rust, but check them for severe body corrosion.

Are your light HID? I have them on my C5 and they have a flat beam, they don't need beam benders, they don't dazzle French drivers but they won't pass the Controle Technique.

There are two types of release mechanisms used on these cars. One has a push type where an independent clutch bearing is fitted around the input shaft and is pushed into the pressure plate. The other sort is a pull mechanism where the release bearing is part of the pressure plate. This sort is usually fitted on turbo diesels.

I disagree! There are four different headlamp assemblies listed. A left and a right for UK vehicles and a left and right for Euro vehicles. Headlamp bulbs are universal. They fit either assembly. When I'm in France I often buy Carrefaure's own brand of H7 because they are cheaper than UK. Merliauds go for the French headlights on ebay. They will solve your problem.

Trying to work out what a C5 headlamp has to do with a Berlingo

Probably your wheel arch trims are held the same way as the door protection strips are. Plastic pegs clip into the trim, then push into holes in the door or wheel arch. Unfortunately over time the plastic plugs harden and easily break so new ones are needed. A dealer will have them. However I replaced my door trim using silicone sealer squirted behind the trim so that it sqeezed into the holes in the body. It's stayed fixed for a long time.

All the insurance companies 'try it on'. They give a low quote to attract your custom, then load it the following year. Just before my renewal is due I get a few quotes from other insurers who offer a similar cover package for my needs. (In my case I want fully comprehensive cover for European driving for at least 90 days in the year). Having got some quotes, I await my renewal notice. If I consider it too high, I ring them, tell them of the quote I've got and ask them if they would like to match it. ---- It usually works!

Ah - then in that case, I would go to a French car breaker and buy two suitable headlamps and change them over. If you look at your existing headlight lens you should see a Circle with E4 in the centre. Above the circle will be an arrow. If the arrow is double pointed the light can be converted. If the arrow points to the right, then the light is designed for UK only. Presumable any breaker lights you buy in France will be arrowed to the left.

Unless the car is going to stay in Europe indefinately why not do what everyone else does and use beam benders.

I think your dealer is being lazy. You have a warranty; you have a fault. It's the dealers job to look into it and correct it. A juddering clutch could be any of several problems. Oil or grease could have leaked onto the linings. A spring could have fractured in the pressure plate. An engine or gearbox mounting could be faulty. Maybe you should try another dealer.

Our Xsara had a rattle when going over road humps - so my daughter told me. After spending time under the car I couldn't find anything amiss. I cut a piece of foam rubber and wedged it between the fuel pipe and the floor. I don't know whether it has stopped the rattle but I haven't heard any complaints recently.

I would be looking to replace rather than stick over. I can't remember the Xantia moulding now but I would have thought something like this one would replace the original. Some trimming might be necessary:- http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/175mm-x-35mm-trmc8-57-p.asp

Start with the obvious - make sure the jets are clear. Poke a fine needle in the hole. Just a thought - mine didn't work this morning because the jets were frozen :lol:

I bought a Xantia new in 1998 and within 18 months the insert around the bumpers were beginning to deteriorate. Don't know whether anything here will work:- http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/chrome-trims-31-c.asp

Been there; done that - when I had my Xantia estate. It's the seat belt on the back seat that's done it unfortunately I can't remember what I did.

They pull off - but - turn the handle so that you can use two broad screwdrivers on the spindle end, one on either side. Apply equal pressure on both sides and the handle will fly of the splined shaft. The plastic breaks very easily. What has happened to the stay? They don't usually come adrift.

The Xantia estate has grooves set into the roof. At the four ends there are covers which pull up allowing the roof bars to be fitted into the ends of the grooves. I also moved on from a BX estate to a Xantia estate and the bars which I used on the BX estate were no good on the Xantia. The pair I eventually bought were Citroens own make.

I ran a 2.1 Xantia from new in 1998 until I sold it on in 2005. In my opinion the 2.1 engine was better than my present 2.0 HDi. I changed the cambelt every 50K although according to Citroen the 1992 engines should be done at 48K; the '93 to 98K at 72K and the last of them at 80K or every 10 years. And as they always say, engines run in adverse conditions should be changed at approximately half those mileages.

If it's of any help here's a diagram of what you should see:- http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i53/Johndug/P1020142.jpg