CITROEN XM Internet Reference page 168

Air-conditioning 110 Air Conditioning
combination will have on the life of this seal. And last The new refrigerants are only a stopgap they will
be superseded later at more expense.
Drain tube for condensor
Yes there is a drain tube for the air con condenser.
It is under the middle of the car, you need to put the car on ramps to find it.
When you do, stick a piece of wire up it to clear it, but don't have your eye looking at it when you do it!!!
It's roughly level with the middle of the car and just to the left of the exhaust looking from the inside of the
car and forward under the dashboard.
Air conditioning again!
You also asked if anyone had any work done on am a/c system. Well, last year my a/c failed. The
symptom was that the temp. did not drop and the compressor clutch would not engage. It was at this
time that I met Mr. Pierre L'Allier (our Club Treasurer) who lives quite close by and who offered to help.
Anyway, it fumed out that the a/c condenser had corroded. This is the device that is located behind the
radiator and is basically a heat exchanger. Any moisture entering the a/c system converts the coolant to
a corrosive acid and it starts eating the condenser from within. Replacement is the only solution.
Citroen's price was about £800. VAT. But I would have to purchase a conversion kit as the refrigerant
was R12, which is now obsolete (environmentally unfriendly) for another £300. The further problem,
explained by a refrigeration engineer friend, was that you must never use parts that have been exposed
to the atmosphere. So scrapyards are taboo for a/c components.
I eventually located a company Staines way that sold standard sized condensers. I bought one
approximately the same size, removed the fixing brackets from tile old condenser, pop-rivetted them to
the new condenser, filed some part off the housing in the car and fitted to the car. I also had to purchase
two new pipes as the terminal connections were not in exactly the same place. This system has been in
operation since early last year without any problems. I will say that it is impossible to complete these
repairs without the help and understanding of a knowledgeable refrigeration engineer. It is not a job for
the fainthearted.
(Thanks to John Michigan)
Air conditioning problems - one solution
If you remember, my air-conditioning system iced up after about an hour and there was no air flow. I took
your advice and had the freon topped and checked for leaks. All appeared well but the system still iced
up so took to using the system by manually selecting air-con on and off.
Went to France at the beginning of August and rang the Citroen garage in Angouleme. They ran the
diagnostic over it and replaced the following parts:
Motoreduct Part No. P00006447tj4
Adapteur P00006445P9
RESI. 1/41,8 KOHMS PACR25218
Since then the system has worked perfectly. I do not know what the replaced parts were as my French
is not that good. However, I gather a valve motor was replaced. My XM has done 80,000 kms and goes
well.
(Thanks to Nick Dunsford and the CCC)
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