It's here! My 1987 19TRS Auto.

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:50 am

I've got one of those lights too - does the same thing, flashes once on indication.

Sounds as though you had a fun Sunday! I would park it next to another BX and compare all your unions. It's possible that the return from the doseur is also shagged if it's the same age. It also shares some of the routing of the octopus. Also for really good access, take out the steering rack - that's never been mentioned in any guide but it was only when I had mine out ( an hours work?) that I realised how much easier it could have been re pipes, especially access to front height corrector.

Don't give up. The important thing is stamina when dealing with leaky inaccessible spagetti. As well advertised I spent most of this winter dealing with BX hydraulics and sometimes I just walked away and had a cuppa to cool down. It's worth it when it's all sorted.

rayfenwick · Post by **rayfenwick** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 9:49 am

mat_fenwick wrote:Trailer indicator tell tale. Mine has one in the very same place, and (for some reason) several cars I've driven with them flash once when you turn the indicators on. Much prefer a light to an annoying buzzer when you do a lot of towing!

Ah, that makes sense - it does have a double socket towbar fitted (albeit a battered one with bent socket plate - another thing to fix...) Thanks for that.

rayfenwick · Post by **rayfenwick** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:24 am

toddao wrote:I've got one of those lights too - does the same thing, flashes once on indication.

A positive ID from you and Mat is good enough to stop me pondering.

toddao wrote: Sounds as though you had a fun Sunday!

Oh yes, Graham was enjoying it so much he couldn't stop swearing

toddao wrote:I would park it next to another BX and compare all your unions. It's possible that the return from the doseur is also shagged if it's the same age. It also shares some of the routing of the octopus.

The only way I'm going to get a look at another BX is at Wetherby, though there's increasing doubt that my BX will be ready, but I'll do my best. It would certainly help!

toddao wrote:Also for really good access, take out the steering rack - that's never been 'mentioned in any guide but it was only when I had mine out ( an hours work?) that I realised how much easier it could have been re pipes, especially access to front height corrector.

I can see Graham being overjoyed at the thought of pulling yet more oily leaky shite (his words) out of the car, but it's certainly worth bearing in mind.

toddao wrote: Don't give up. The important thing is stamina when dealing with leaky inaccessible spagetti. As well advertised I spent most of this winter dealing with BX hydraulics and sometimes I just walked away and had a cuppa to cool down. It's worth it when it's all sorted.

Sound advice. Going to put the kettle on.

rayfenwick · Post by **rayfenwick** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 11:26 pm

It's really taking the p!ss now...all over the drive AGAIN

Look what's happened to the still-in-the-wrapper-when-I-bought-it octopus:

I'm guessing it has failed like this due to a build up of pressure somewhere there shouldn't be any - which in turn means we've got a pipe wrong somewhere. Trouble is, the only instructions I can find are in Japanese, and we've no idea if all the pipes we used as a guide were in the right places to start with - certainly some were disconnected (or had blown off...) and at least one pipe seems missing altogether (there's only one clear plastic pipe coming back to the LHM tank, and no sign of the other at all).

I keep telling myself it's only a bloody pipe, and the rest of the car is well worth the trouble, but today was extremely dispiriting for us both - after buying and fitting a new octopus we're worse off than when we started - the car is now completely immovable.

We've followed the diagram and the old piping as best as we can, but it seems something is wrong somewhere, and we've no clue where. Graham is used to cars, but welding/exhaust/balljoints is much more his forte than obscure identical rubber pipes that p!ss mineral oil all over him, and I can't really get under the car to have a look as I can't guarantee I could get out again (such is my condition at the moment...), and besides I'm more the wires and theory side of things.

So.. can anyone offer some help? Can anyone point me to an explanation for what's happened, and where our missing pipe might be? Can anyone point me to an idiots guide to octopus changing? Will anyone be coming close this way who fancies doing an octopus replacement in return for little financial reward but a damn good cup of tea and a bacon sandwich? Has anyone got an octopus for sale? Or failing that a match and a jerrycan of unleaded.....

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:57 pm

I'm in no way a hydraulics expert, but I wonder if a seal has failed in a strut perhaps, and instead of the octopus seeing a small dribble of LHM (that is designed to leak past the seal for lubrication) it is seeing full system pressure? I can't see (but I'm willing to be corrected) how simply transposing a few pipes could cause failure like that.

I assume the octopus felt OK (flexible) before installation, and that it hadn't been sat it its packaging in full sunlight for the last 20 years?

If it cheers you up in the slightest, there is a small package winging its way to Hull now - that should be a simple job to fit...

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:29 pm

Sorry to hear about your trials.

The octopus is still available from Citroen as 'oil back harness' part no.
96 030 258

Was that a Citroen part or pattern? I wonder why it split rather than just blowing off?

I can't offer any insights as I just copied all the previous unions when I replaced mine.

There isn't any easy guide as far as I know apart from comparison with another BX I think. Don't loose faith - green fountains are dispiriting I know!

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:42 pm

Aren't there 2 different types of main octopus depending upon the RP number on your car? Was it the correct one?

Never heard of system pressure blowing a hole in it, i wonder if anyone else has experience something similar, that must be really really annoying tbh.

Hopefully the more skilled on here can give you the help & advice you need to get this sorted.

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:23 pm

There's only one type main octopus for all models ( excepting 4WD), early, late, power steering or not - as the one pictured by Ray, then there's the small octopus with less limbs and less likely to fail but for some odd reason more €€s than the main one.

rayfenwick · Post by **rayfenwick** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:46 pm

mat_fenwick wrote:I'm in no way a hydraulics expert, but I wonder if a seal has failed in a strut perhaps, and instead of the octopus seeing a small dribble of LHM (that is designed to leak past the seal for lubrication) it is seeing full system pressure? I can't see (but I'm willing to be corrected) how simply transposing a few pipes could cause failure like that.

Me either. I don't know about knackered strut though - the car drove superbly back from Richard's, with supple, smooth suspension that went up and down like a dream when asked. It stayed up for ages as well when the engine was off.

I did think transposing LHM return and vent from a strut could do it, but I can't see there being that much pressure.

mat_fenwick wrote:I assume the octopus felt OK (flexible) before installation, and that it hadn't been sat it its packaging in full sunlight for the last 20 years?

It looked in great condition. I don't think Phil Chidlow had had it long and I've no reason to suspect the octopus itself was in any way not suitable. It was supple, absolutely new in the packet, and AFAICT genuine Citroen (feel free to comment Phil).

mat_fenwick wrote:If it cheers you up in the slightest, there is a small package winging its way to Hull now - that should be a simple job to fit...

That would be great. I've not even looked at the BX today. I've busied myself with my CX Prestige, to put the BX problems in perspective.

rayfenwick · Post by **rayfenwick** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:52 pm

toddao wrote:Sorry to hear about your trials.

The octopus is still available from Citroën as 'oil back harness' part no.
96 030 258

Thans for the number, Todd. I'm going to need it.

toddao wrote:Was that a Citroën part or pattern? I wonder why it split rather than just blowing off?

I'm sure it was genuine, wasn't it Phil?

toddao wrote:I can't offer any insights as I just copied all the previous unions when I replaced mine.

We tried that. It failed. Literally in this case...

toddao wrote:There isn't any easy guide as far as I know apart from comparison with another BX I think. Don't loose faith - green fountains are dispiriting I know!

Terribly, so I've spent the day with a CX with several litres of water under the carpet, some rust holes, and an engine that won't turn over from the key even if it had a working distributor... Much more fun

Thanks for all the encouragement guys, It does help.

Dollywobbler · Post by **Dollywobbler** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:05 pm

The Green Tiger had a new strut put on after she started blowing off her return pipes. No detriment felt in ride quality then either. In fact, new strut made no difference to the feel of the car at all - did stop the returns blowing off though thankfully.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:14 pm

In answer to your question, Ray, yes the Octopus was bought from Citroen about a year before I got it AFAIK, and it seemed fine. The label/packaging showed no untoward signs of sun exposure or abuse. I have another here, but heck, Citroen (as they still supply them) would be your best bet.

Besides, I don't feel like parting with my last one. There's an element of sod's law...

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:04 am

As Dollywobbler says the problem could still be the struts. Are the returns zip tied? (they shouldn't be)

Disconnect the front strut returns pipes where they attach at the pipe ends and run the car, there should be next to no fluid coming out of them. Any flow from either shows strut seal failure.

If fluid comes out of the metal pipes when open then that is probably back flow from the rear struts indicating a failure there.

Post by **docchevron** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:22 am

hard to tell from the piccy really, but it looks more like a bad bit of forming in the body, looks a bit bubbly just beneath the surface where its split?

sdelasal · Post by **sdelasal** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:03 am

I would think it was a tear caused by nicking/stressing the area during installation - maybe it got caught on something as it was being tugged into place - or it's a manufacturing defect - is the material very thin in that torn area compared to elsewhere?

As for plumbin instructions - there are some here in a labelled picture http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/sus ... ension.php
.