To post a topic related to air conditioning, specifically cleaning the evaporator.
There is a lot of work involved in removing it, but it is the only way to clean the evaporator properly and keep the air conditioner running at full capacity.

In principle, every air conditioner on the XM is in this condition, because not all of them have an air conditioner filter, and also heating, the air circulation is weaker because the air from the fan always first goes through the air conditioner evaporator and then to the heating radiator. Until I find the original air conditioner filter for the XM, I installed a filter for the hood used in the kitchen, a P-605 filter can be used, but it needs to be modified a little.

And here you can see how clogged the condenser is with dust, leaves ..

In the end, this is what it all looks like, I'm sorry I didn't find a new air conditioner evaporator to install, I couldn't find one on offer anywhere, but it will still cool properly.

 

vor 17 Minuten schrieb gasa:

I installed a filter for the hood used in the kitchen, a P-605 filter can be used, but it needs to be modified a little.

do you have a picture of it?

Сервисирао сам и вентилатор, замењене су четке и очишћене од прашине, цурио је радијатор па сам и њега заменио.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't take a picture, just buy a filter for the aspirator and use some thin wire to fasten it nicely over the fan's protective grille, it prevents dust and leaves from entering very well.

12 hours ago, gasa said:

In principle, every air conditioner on the XM is in this condition, because not all of them have an air conditioner filter, and also heating, the air circulation is weaker because the air from the fan always first goes through the air conditioner evaporator and then to the heating radiator. [...]

Yes, every XM's evaporator core I looked at is at least partially clogged up by debris. This is a breeding ground for bacteria and funghi and also decreases aircon performance. It may be possible to try cleaning it by removing the fan motor and heater core. So that you can blow compressed air from the heater core side and suck up the dirt from the fan side. For now, this is just an idea in my head I've yet to try.

For getting access to the evaporator, I prefer pulling the whole dashboard and steering column as one unit. 
The second picture is just a mockup of the evaporator back inside the car for illustrational purposes. 

 

My filtering solution consists of glueing a stainless wire mesh onto the intake and sandwiching a fleece filter like the ones for bathroom fans between the wire mesh and the original plastic grille.
I first installed this setup in my personal car back in 2020, and it turned out working very well and also is very low maintenance. Cleaning of the filter is only neccessary every few years, unlike paper filters which ought to be replaced on a more regular schedule.

 

 

The only and proper way to clean the condenser is like this, to take everything apart and wash it, there is dust, leaves have been sitting there for years and everything is stuck together, they could not be cleaned with just air.
That's how I solved the filter for now, with a filter for the kitchen extractor fan, I have used such a system on the BX for many years, it keeps dust and dirt off very well, I put a new filter in once a year.

Some XM models have original air conditioning filters, until I find the original filter box, this is how the air purification will work.

Bearbeitet (17. Februar 20251 J. von gasa)

how long did it take to remove the dashboard?

...the control panel is removed in 2 hour,without any hurry.

On 2/17/2025 at 10:36 AM, gasa said:

The only and proper way to clean the condenser is like this, to take everything apart and wash it, there is dust, leaves have been sitting there for years and everything is stuck together, they could not be cleaned with just air.

I'm sorry, but that's not true. You can clean it with compressed air and a powerful vacuum cleaner without removing the dashboard. I tried it myself and checked with a camera. Yes, I installed the correct pollen filter afterward.

Are you happy to share some pictures of the results of your cleaning efforts?

Even with the evaporators out of the HVAC box, and soaking them in AC cleaner, I found it quite an ordeal the clean them completely of all the accumulated dirt.

I believe cleaning with only air, without soaking in cleaner to loosen the dirt, to be next to impossible.

3 hours ago, ausy said:

[...] I installed the correct pollen filter afterward.

I am curious about what is to be considered the correct pollen filter for the Citroen XM.

14 hours ago, schwinge said:

Are you happy to share some pictures of the results of your cleaning efforts?

Even with the evaporators out of the HVAC box, and soaking them in AC cleaner, I found it quite an ordeal the clean them completely of all the accumulated dirt.

I believe cleaning with only air, without soaking in cleaner to loosen the dirt, to be next to impossible.

I am curious about what is to be considered the correct pollen filter for the Citroen XM.

Hi swinge,

I am literate in German language, but I wrote it in English because Gasa ain't.

Es kommt ganz darauf an, wie verschmutzt der Verdampfer ist. Mein XM steht in der Garage und der Verdampfer war nicht komplett verstopft, sondern hauptsächlich im unteren Bereich, bis zu 30 % der Fläche.

Ich habe nicht viele Fotos gemacht, aber die kurze Vorgehensweise ist im XM-IG beschrieben. Das Handschuhfach und der Beifahrerairbag wurden ausgebaut, der Lüfter wurde ebenfalls entfernt. 

Ich habe dünne, flexible Silikonschläuche verwendet, um einen Druck von über 8 bar aufrechtzuerhalten und bin so mit Druckluft und Staubsauger überall hingekommen. Mit einer Endoskopkamera mit Lampe konnte ich sehen, wo ich blase und absaugen musste, und war mit dem Ergebnis zufrieden.

Von der Lüfterseite zum Verdampfer geblasen und gleichzeitig abgesaugt. Luft durch alle Lüftungskanäle im Innenraum, und gleichzeitig am Ventilator angesaugt und umgekehrt. 

Der richtige Pollenfilter für den Citroën XM? Warum die Ironie?😶

Ich habe einen richtigen Pollenfilter eingebaut, keinen speziellen XM-Filter, aber auch keinen Schwamm oder Ähnliches.

 

Die Methode, das Armaturenbrett auszubauen und den Verdampfer zu reinigen, ist erstklassig, aber realistisch betrachtet ist sie nur für die 10 % der XM-Fahrer möglich,

die über eine mechanische Ausbildung oder Erfahrung verfügen, und auch nur für diejenigen von ihnen, die die Zeit und eine Garage für die Arbeit haben.

Kind regards

Paul