It is never pleasing to hear a sound on your automobile that you don’t know where it comes from. You may be thinking what to do when you find a reversing gear noise that continues on your Citroen Xantia? Any gearbox trouble can be important, but before making sure, it is better to do a few checks. Our team has created this content page to support you solve it. First, we will see what the sources and the different gearbox noises can be on Citroen Xantia, and second, what are the solutions available to you.reverse-gear-noise-citroen-xantia

Classical reverse Citroen Xantia noises and some tips to look after your gearbox

Why does the reversing of my Citroen Xantia make a different noise from my other speeds?

De facto, adding all gears, bearings and pinions into a gearbox is a difficult action. The sound induced by the reversing of your Citroen Xantia is logical. It can be explained in a fairly simple way. Indeed, the gears used for conventional speeds (1st to 5th or 6th) are so-called “helical” gears (oblique gears) . The use of such a pinion makes the noise caused by the gears less strong than with spur gears employed for the reverse gear.

Tips to limit wear on your clutch and gearbox

  • Don’t give a big boost:
    Indeed, if you kick the throttle hard when you are in reverse or when you put the automobile in the revs, you risk to burn your clutch or gnawing at the gearbox pinions.

  • Never reverse while the automobile is in motion or vice versa:
    Reversing the direction of operation of the gearbox during operation is a very bad practice. Indeed, the pressure you will put in on the gears will be monumental and you will produce a premature wear and tear of the gears. You can even break the gears of your gearbox at speed by doing so. It will therefore be completely typical if you experience a reverse noise on your Citroen Xantia if you shift gear under these conditions.

Different Citroen Xantia reversing noises and their origins

Finally in this section, we will move on to what you are probably most excited about in this page, to find out about the origin of reversing noise on Citroen Xantia. Here are the 3 typical noises you may be victim of.

I perceive a grinding noise when starting in reverse gear

If you hear a grinding noise when you start in reverse with your Citroen Xantia, it may be the engine mounts that are tired. Certainly, when the engine is in reverse gear, due to the pinions we saw above the vibrations generated by the gearbox are higher and it is therefore plausible that due to their wear the silentblocks no longer absorb the engine vibrations well. In this situation, do not hesitate to check out this paper for more info about strut mount noises on Citroen Xantia.

An increased reverse knocking noise on Citroen XantiaX

If you are subject to a knocking noise when you are in reverse with your Citroen Xantia and this noise tends to increase as you gain speed. It is plausible that you are going through a serious trouble that needs to be fixed quickly before wrecking your entire gearbox. Indeed, an intensifying rattling noise means that the gears are damaged. If they are, debris will propagate to the rest of the box and damage other gears before long. Take your automobile to your mechanic quickly or check out this content about gearbox noise on Citroen Xantia for more information.

I hear a noise when I go in reverse

Experiencing a noise when you shift into reverse is normal and related to the gears and sprockets used in the gearbox. If, on the other hand, you have the feeling that your Citroen Xantia reverse gear makes more noise than before, it is plausible that filings have been created and are moving around in it. It is therefore time to empty the box.