Citroën XM Barn Find - Last Big Real Citroën ? 

First the Visa, now this! You're ticking off all the good ones!

I had one for 10 years.. the Prv V6 24v engine is fine if its had the ceramic modification to the heads and its fairly easy to tell. The rocker gear is in gold colour and the original which wears away are in steel grey.. the 200bhp performance is very true ..

Citroen really were the best at luxury and class! What a fantastic find

Xantia are also great cars with alot of similariities, and luckily there are some critical parts being remade that have been missing for awhile. Great to drive.

back when Citroen made weird and interesting cars. Loved that screen boot up animation. the one that told you your door was open in case you forgot about it

I'm sure loads of people will have told you, or you just know by now, but the tiny, possibly annoying fan noise, near the roof light, is a tiny fan that draws in cabin air over a sensor for cabin tempurature. I can't remember, but the car may still start with the red PIN light flashing, but it may not, you'd have thought someone would have put it in 'Valet/ Garage mode' where no code is necessary after all this time. The code, 4 numbers, is usually written on a little card in the grey car documnets pack hidden under dashboard in a little cubby. The radio code should be in the as well, drivers aslo tend to scribble it in other areas too, in case it gets lost.

What a fantastic XM and good luck reviving it! The special number in the door shut is called ORGA number. There are several decoders on the internet to look it up. According to it’s ORGA this XM is built on February 1st 1991.

I've had 19 XM's, I'm not sure how that happened, mainly V6's. Everyone loves the original dashboard, which makes people like the early cars, but, you really need to overlook it, as the later cars are much nicer, '97 to the end. The build & materials are all better then the early cars, even the seats are more comfortable & they tend not to smeel like the earlier cars can do. I've had one of the early 24v's, as shown here, which could blow up or catch fire, they also needed a wiring change under the bonnet to avoid this. Mine was H564GDP, a burgundy press car from 1990, it was lovely & pretty nippy, but could also just stop when you were driving, hilarious going around a roundabout!! If you can, get a 99/ 00 V6 24v, that's been looked after with low miles & you'll have a nice time; if you want an even better hydropneumatic experience, by a C6, they're amazing, but cost even more to look after.

I also have a Citroen Xm V6 24v y3 beautiful car! I hope there will be another driving video.

I'm enjoying your Citroën and wish you best of luck. I owned two Volvos with the PRV engine and never had any problems with the PRVs other than being a bit on the thirsty side (could have more to do with the driver's foot). We kept the Volvo wagon the longest, drove it the hardest, and racked up 180,000 miles trouble free. I heard about the cam early on and used only synthetic lube, changed frequently, and kept my fingers crossed.

I have at least six Citroën and among them three XM, two with V6 and one CT Turbo. I do wish you the best of luck waking up this one - it will be enjoyable. Godt tur med vognen!!

This is lovely

Nice! As a kid in Townsville, Australia, someone donated the English "Car" magazine to my school library every month. Because of that I grew up reading about cars like this. They seemed amazing yet also poor value compared to the Ford and GM sedans that were most common here at the time. Of course, in time I came to question my earlier evaluation of the relative merits of these different design concepts :-).

If you have any questions please ask me. I know most of the weaknesses of this engine/car. Recently changed the headgaskets on one.

Awesome. I learned to drive in a Bx and remember my instructor salivating at an XM the first day we saw one.😊

WOW!! What a beauty... I had a Xantia years ago.. But always wanted an XM. ... and still do want one . but they are very few and far between now..

I only had 4 cars in my life. 1 BX 14E and 3 XM’s. My present one is a dark green metallic ‘96 Turbo CT but with the old single spoke steering wheel, the early nose grille and extra aerodynamic Seduction wheelcaps. So not totally original but as far as I am it’s the perfect mix. The XM is much better then it’s reputation. Very few rust problems and on the later cars the only electronic problems tend to come from the luxury gadgets. The important electronics, like the suspension system, however tend to be bombproof.

The last big real Citroën? For me that’s the C6…

Have owned two XM over the years - a manual, fully loaded Gen 1 with full leather and all the toys and a poverty spec Gen 2 auto. Both 2.1 TD. I only regret selling the Gen 1 because it was like driving a limo.

What an interesting find, this is the first XM I've seen for years.

Good chase scene with an xm in the film “ ronin”.

I love Citroens from those days. It is such a shame the current model range is so ordinary.

Last real big Citroen is the C6. I'd love an XM but keeping it on the road is a full time job.

I have just taken over my father's 94 ct turbo 2litre, which he has had for 20+ years . I've just done a major clean on it, spending 2 days just to peel off the paint protecting film. It still starts immediately from cold or hot and the suspension is up pretty quickly.The leather and interior is immaculate apart from a couple of small cracks here and there.I was going to sell it but now I'm having second thoughts.

Again a great project !Although it’s not yours! Amazing that the electronics are in such good shape! Looking forward to the next video!

You probably know but the factory code is 1111. If someone have changed it, which is very likely, it won't work but you can give it a try. This code is stored on the engine ECU and if are not able to find it you will have to find another ECU.

Niiice! This is going to be very interesting. Amazing cars.

I had been hoping to review an XM recently but the owner ended up.selling the car as it had spent more time in the garage than on the road. These really are complex cars and as he didn't have a local Citroen specialist he lost faith in the car. Hopefully I will some day still get to try one out for myself.

The prices for the V6 XM here in the UK have gone through the roof, they went through the dirt cheap phase relatively recently (around 10ish years ago), but shot right back up again, so even if it was a complete shed, it'd still be worth buying (so long as it's cheap!) just to flip after a good wash and polish like this one got, but of course, running and driving makes it more valuable for sure... :)

Always had a soft spot for these cars. Super comfy in the back.

The fan noise above you is the climate control fan puling air around a temp sensor to get the cab temp.

If my memory serves me right the fan in the ceiling next to the dome light is for the interior temperature sensor for the climate control system. The bearing of said fan will also sound awful cause water gets in it through the base of the antenna. All of this is if this car is anything like a Peugeot 406.

Hi, you do as you wish we will live with everything, no problem. Always very interesting projects. A mate of mine had an XM, When he took it for MOT the mechanic had never seen one and was clueless, so he passed it as he did not know what was right and what was wrong because it drove there and the brakes worked.. Many thanks from UK.

luxury motor,, that armrest is so needless being electric,,but fabulous

I have owned a Citroen XM V6 "Exclusive". It was a amazing car, the 4 speed automatic is like butter in the shifting, the suspension is like floating on clouds and the engine was amazing. The one i hade was over 340 000km and the engine and everything was in what i can say "mint" condition. Alot of owners had to replace bits of the steel thorugh time (it is a french car) but the condition was good and i have never had a engine that had that many miles and still puled strong and always started "happy". I had 1 of 11 in whole of Sweden in the specification i had. It had alot of funny electrical functions and weird stuff. It is now sold, but i can see that it passed swedish car inspection with flying colours and is still on the road! I have never seen another one like that one, and the chanses of that is almost impossible i would believe. (I couldent keep it as i have no garage and these cars need alot of love, espacially the "7 point" hydralic suspension. But a citroen lover got it and restored it even more, so i am really happy it got a nice home). Great content as always! So fun with all the diffrent cars you bring on the channel, Saab, Citroen, Lada, Lancia and more. It shows that you want to learn more and like the new challenges :). Have a nice weekend!

Overhead, the noise is coming from a tiny fan that draws ambient cabin air over a temperature sensor for the automatic climate control. My Nissan Z had the same design. A loud radio fixes a myriad of annoyances.

I never knew these were so advanced for their time! Very cool, will be great to follow, hopefully it’s worth saving!

Agree these look awesome. So futuristic even today. They go dirt cheap here in Australia. Not many about but no one really wants them. Looking at comments below their day is very near where they are more appreciated. Hope you get it going.

Fabulous. I have had a couple of c5's in my time. My favourite was a mk1 2.2 exclusive. So wish I had kept it. Great videos, well done.

Beautiful body styling on the XM. Really attractive car.

I have the same and had it fully restored by Q&K Citroën Classics in Poland. Most important: - Change fuel lines!!! - Change electric wires (insulation falls apart) and relais.

Gauges showing stuff like oil temp have an habit of generating unnecessary worries. While Idiot lights make people just drive without any worries. No lights flashing.. pedal to the metal. 😄😄

Don´t worry about the engine. The V6´s in the XM had all the "Volvo errors" fixed. There were a few problems but those engines was fixed under warranty or otherwise wouldn´t last long. A good thing is that you hear the fuel pump. That means that both the pump and also the ignition module/amplifier (on the battery tray) is ok. The ignition module is BTW the same as on Volvo 940. Also you have good function on the engine related relays in front of the "computer box" behind the right headlamp. What I´m trying to say is that by hearing the fuel pump, it´s a good chance it is a runner. Well... Then there is the matter of the starter. -Guess what just started to act up on mine. Yep. The starter. It´s a bit fiddly but not impossible. You find it under the front exhaust manifold. Also don´t worry about the play in the steering. The Diravi is expected to do that with no pressure. What you do need to worry about is the electrics. or really not to worry, but you have to know this. The electrical systems is actually really good with much more reliable components than later XM´s. But what they DID do wrong on cars from 89-92 is the ground connections. Look behind the headlamps. If you see white plastic connectors to the body it´s the bad ones. And sitting for twenty years, this one might have not been fixed. It´s a simple fix. Just remove the white connectors and install ring terminals. It´s self-explanatory when you see it. One thing that have driven early owners mad is the Hydractive system acting up and getting stuck on hard suspension. Don´t worry about that either. If you share a video about any hydractive problems, look for my commenting. I have a rather complete "database" in my head about it. Of course, before doing any troubleshooting, all spheres must be verified. There are six for suspension and two accumulators. Good luck! And take it slow. Don´t look at it as a "BX++". It´s more like working on a supercar. Exotic stuff and many many things you can do very wrong. But do it right and it will be fun to work with. And remember that they are surprisingly well built and reliable. I wouldn´t be surprised att all if it had a simple fault and then - after a big service - would be totally reliable. Oh, just remembered an important thing. Check the return hose from the pressure regulator to the LHM-reservoir. When it goes it pumps a lot of LHM on hot exhaust. Don´t ask how I know...

Wonderful! Peak France.

Id like to tell you one thing... This car can turn amazing if you try to make it look a little more like a delorean . Its an amazing desing and if you cut a little the pointy front it can look pretty sporty

nice project/ looking forward to this one

I grew up in Citroen family since a little kid with 2CVs, BXs etc. My first own car was Peugeot 406 with that code thingy on left hand side of the steering column that was on secret flap down compartment...you felt a bit of a James Bond or Jason Statham in Transporter to dial in that code and your friends would ask wtf is that haha

Don’t forget a lot of this cars interior was also a Peugeot 605 .

wow!

"we have a button and some wires left over. What shall we do? " "Is that arm rest manually raised and lowered.....................................? "

There was a service setting for the keypad immobiliser so the owner wouldn't have to give the garage their code. This was generally 1111. Hopefully when it was parked it was put into service mode. Upndown did do a video on how to disable the keypad immobiliser on the Tractiva.

The zantia also had that security code system .

Wow, what a car!!

I test-drove a XM when I first came to Australia almost twenty years ago. I quite liked it but the seller basically said I should not buy it because it was not reliable. That is a strangest seller ever. I was also interested of couple of XMs I saw at the garage in England where I got my Xantia maintained but the mechanic told me to keep the Xantia. 😂

Great video

You are sort of correct with cam and oilway issues but those I believe are only issues with Volvos and DeLoreans (they used Volvo based engines). Volvo also redesigned those oilways on the later cars (I have no idea what was the model). These late PRVs are like tanks IMHO but they still have their own issues. Early 3.0 PRVs suffered from piston slap when the engine is cold and that was solved with longer piston skirts. ZPJ4 (24v) is really known for failing lifters and they were upgraded from OGRA 5446 onwards so it might or might not have newer ceramic lifter fitted. If you want I can try do dig more info of the lifters, pistons etc.

A couple of years ago a mint XM came up for sale here near me in Perth, Australia. They were never sold here so this one was a personal import from the UK. It was cheap too. However I don't have the mechanical knowledge for such a complicated car and without that it would be a nightmare to look after properly so I let the opportunity go sadly as I have always loved XMs and it was such a stroke of luck even to find one here let alone in such good condition and for such a good price.

I had a 12V and it was awesome...here in Padborg it would cross the speed bumps with more than 80 km/h.

Super spændende, jeg håbede bilen ville ende hos dig. Glæder mig til at følge med.

Lovely cars, but they broke so easily. I used to work at a dealer but all we saw were XM's breaking all the time!

Citroen like a box of chocolates you never know what flavour you’re going to get next, by the great prophet Forrest Gump

Nice rare car, don't forget to check there isn't a mouse nest in the air filter intake Seppo.

Fantastic, cant wait to hear that V6 running. Maybe you should also change the timing belt before starting.

Hele vejen rundt en mega fed bil.. Men jeg skruer kun selv i mine biler. Og derfor vil jeg aldrig eje sådan en😂😂 Men 100p en af kongerne i citroen 👌

i had a 1990 2.0 liter xm 80.000km got it for spares in 1999, had engine on bench started to turn over engine by hand timing belt snapped

Another Citroën! 😅 i see a pattern here and I like it 😊

That’s the rarest 3.0 24v

Wow - vildt at se bilen komme i live igen. Det var min farfars gamle vogn. Får selv snart en af hans gamle 2cv’er, som jeg skal prøve at sætte i stand efter 12 år stillestående! Han har jo ca 25 gamle 2cver derude, dog i meget varierende stand. Havde været vildt sjovt at se dig prøve at få liv i en!

I need myself some sweet, sweet XM-loooove

1st series XMs have the best look. I had a 1990 V6 Si (with cloth interior) and while it was a nice car when it was running well, it was plagued with all sorts of problems from noisy camshafts, regular hydraulic leaks, electrical glitches. It got written off when a car ran into the back of me and tore the bumper off. Even though it was repairable, the insurance company deemed it uneconomical to repair as that's what they're like. and I got a 2.0SEi which was automatic, then for it's third gearbox change I had it converted to manual. The funny thing with the air con on the SEi model is it's NOT running when the light is ON. RHD models don't have DIRAVI which is a shame - I was expecting it as I had a CX 25 GTi Turbo 2 before the XM which was a much nicer car. I've only ever seen one 24v XM - it was the same dark blue metallic as my V6 Si and the owner was on the same ferry from Le Harve to Portsmouth and told me to park it in the ferry on the lorry deck as that has a flat floor. The ferry port never even mentioned I needed to do that. Once we got off the ferry at Portsmouth, we raced each other up the M275.

You have my attention.

that really was a surprise. an XM? with working electrics??

hey jeg er nød til at skrive på dansk denne gang 😀 først vil jeg sige, flot XM 😀 kører selv i min nr 3 XM. har haft haft en 2,1td fra 1990, som var bygget om til diesel fra en 2,0i benzin og synet og godkendt med det. og en 3,0v6 aut. fra 1993, den jeg kører i til dagligt er en y4 (serie 2) 2,5 td fra 1999 en af 2 indreg. i DK. den du har der er en y3 (serie 1) ses tydeligt på det panel under vinduesvisker, det er "lige" hvor det på y4 har en helt anden form. koden på tastaturet er typisk 1111. og er til startspærre. det er den/var den på min. er ikke 100% om det også er det på y3, men det mener jeg. den kan dog kobles fra, når bilen er startet kan man pille stikket på undersiden af tastaturet. fun fact. det er den eneste bilmodel jeg har mødt hvor der er varme i ALLE sæder, for OG bagsæder 😁 har faktisk en XM mere til at stå, også en 2,5td fra 1997, med 120xxx km på uret, dog med tyske papirer. gad virkelig godt se den og de andre citroéner i virkeligheden deler gerne den smule viden jeg har 😀

I want one! Beautifull car!

If the engine is toast, I know where there is an abandoned XM V6 on Als.

There is a small fan above your head It has probably got dust in it

How do you manage to find all those cool cars i Danmark? Crazy

Oooh yes, splendid. Hope its a runner with that easily compromised engine.... Too bad it isn't yours to keep. Or luckily as it would stress your wallet seriously with running costs....

Y'know. Your stealing Hubnut's dinner money :-D

I'd comment but I'm drooling all over the keyboard

The C6 is bigger actually.

Its an old car so you can see which numbers have been pressed.... the shiny/dirty ones.

Mopeds...

The C6 also fits the profile though!