1992 BX 19TZI AUTO:SUSPENSION INOPERATIVE!

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PannyM
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1992 BX 19TZI AUTO:SUSPENSION INOPERATIVE!

Post by PannyM »

Dear BXrs

I bought this just before Xmas & left it with Evans Halshaw Cardiff a Citroen main dealer for an MOT.

It failed on a CV gaiter some bulbs & a tyre that had been incorrectly fitted onto the rim!

I gave them the go ahead to carry out the repairs & to also look at a squeeling belt & insecure bonnet to pass the MOT.

Yesterday I was told the suspension was defective it wouldn't rise or fall! All 5 spheres & a belt needed replacing to rectify this!

Does this sound plausible? Could it be something else?

Its been three weeks could the bad weather & being undriven have caused such a breakdown?

I bought the car for £200 & they're quote for the work is £580 inc VAT!

Appreciate your advice.
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ken newbold
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Post by ken newbold »

Tell them where to get off :evil:

New belt maybe. 5 spheres will be good if they're free. Sphere's will not stop the suspension from lifting.
Were the spheres OK before?

You need to be careful how you handle this but for my money they are trying to steal from you. Get the car away from there!
They think it's all over, it is now!
PannyM
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1992 BX TZI AUTO:SUSPENSION INOPERATIVE!

Post by PannyM »

Hi Ken

Thanks for such a speedy reply appreciated.
Yes the car was going up & down fine when I left it.
Sounded like a scam to me too!

Thanks again.

Panny
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Post by RxBX »

Hi PannyM,
As already stated by Ken / \ .

PannyM wrote: Its been three weeks could the bad weather & being un-driven have caused such a breakdown?
Appreciate your advice.
I very much doubt the weather or it being stood a little while has anything to do with it :!:
Its sounds like they don't know what there doing, as even if the Sphere's where completely flat (with no nitrogen in them) which would then mean the spheres would be full of LHM albeit the ride would be as if you were on a skate-board !
But the cars suspension should still rise (when the engine is running and the suspension lever/setting is not set on the lowest setting).

Providing:-
a) There's enough LHM in the tank.
b) The HP pump is not faulty and the drive belt is correctly tensioned.
c) There's no air-lock between the the feed pipe from the LHM tank and the inlet connection to the HP pump.
d) The air-bleed screw on the pressure regulator is nipped up and that the small ball-bearing is in-stitu.
I've known of persons to have completely remove the air-bleed screw when doing hydraulic work and unknowingly loose this little ball bearing and then wonder why the car won't lift after doing the repair's to the car :roll: (The bleed screw only requires releasing 1 to 1-1/2 turns max.)

Also as Ken has mentioned were the spheres/ride okay before you took it in and more so I take it that was the car working in a raised/normal ride height position when you actually drove your car into the main Citroen dealer !

It sounds like you need to get your BX away from these idiots without them doing any work to it and get it to a good indy who knows what there doing !
BTW is this one of the main Citroen dealers participating in the free MOT OFFER as already mentioned in THIS thread :lol:
Last edited by RxBX on Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Tim Leech
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Post by Tim Leech »

Get the car away from them as mentioned, NEVER take your car to a Citroen main dealer these days unless its for parts! Instead find a friendly local garage or even better a citroen specialist who knows what they are doing.

I would get down there asap, and play hell with the service manager!

Bearing in mind 5 new spheres from GSF shouldnt cost more than £130!
Lots of Motors, mostly semi broken....
PannyM
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1992 BX TZI AUTO:SUSPENSION INOPERATIVE!

Post by PannyM »

Hello RxBx

Appreciate your detailed response.
It does look like incompetence doesn't it?!

The suspension was OK on normal height and enough LHM was present
with the marker in between the two lines.

I responded to a half-price offer running at the time & not the free one.
My main reason was the squeeling belt it was driving me crazy!

Thought a Citroen main dealer would know what was up!
Guess I've lived & learnt a useful lesson!

Thanks guys ... I'll collect my BX!

Panny
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ken newbold
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Post by ken newbold »

I'm afraid I disagree with RxBx on this one. I think they know exactly what they are doing :evil:

Take someone with you who knows something about the car, a 12mm spanner and a new belt for the LHM pump.

I think you'll find with a new belt and the 12mm pressure release screw tightened back up, everything will be as it was.

Your friendly RAC or AA man might be of some help.
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Post by maxgreenwood »

shocking!

They need to explain to you why the car has developed defective suspesion whilst in their care

sounds like the belt to me or they've lost that little ball bearing behind the hydraulic pressure release screw. My belt was about a fiver and pretty easy to fit.

Call a friendly independent Citroen specialist for 2 minutes of their advice.
a quick search on Yell.com brings up these guys.. website sounds friendly.

trained mechanics with 50 yrs Citroen experience sounds good too :? .. The fact they're still working on oily cars when they're probably pushing 70 just goes to show how rewarding Citroen maintainance can be!



http://sitebuilder.yell.com/sb/show.do? ... 8015000030
'92 16TXS (m), Dark metallic green, 74k
'90 16TZS (m), White, 86k
'89 19TRS auto, Olympic Blue, 133k
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Aerodynamica
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Post by Aerodynamica »

maxgreenwood wrote:shocking!

They need to explain to you why the car has developed defective suspesion whilst in their care

sounds like the belt to me or they've lost that little ball bearing behind the hydraulic pressure release screw. My belt was about a fiver and pretty easy to fit.

Call a friendly independent Citroen specialist for 2 minutes of their advice.
a quick search on Yell.com brings up these guys.. website sounds friendly.

trained mechanics with 50 yrs Citroen experience sounds good too :? .. The fact they're still working on oily cars when they're probably pushing 70 just goes to show how rewarding Citroen maintainance can be!



http://sitebuilder.yell.com/sb/show.do? ... 8015000030
I agree here - this occurred in their care and you have no obligation to pay for them to repair this particular fault.

Furthermore, we'll all agree here that new spheres has nothing to do with the car's ability to lift itself up.

If they were doing any work on the hydraulic system that resulted in the car not lifting then the must have carried out unauthorised work (unless someone can enlighten me as to how any of the mentioned MOT tasks would require touching the hydraulic system!)

As an aside, I heard that a car can still pass an MOT with flat spheres.
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Way2go
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Post by Way2go »

Aerodynamica wrote:
As an aside, I heard that a car can still pass an MOT with flat spheres.
Mmmh, not sure about that as a conventionally sprung car can fail on shock absorbers. :?

On a BX, totally flat spheres means no shock absorbtion. :wink:
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Post by Linegeist »

Confirmed. Flat spheres = MOT failure ... there was actually an MOT bulletin about it because non-cit-trained mechanics hadn't a clue what to look for.

Of course this doesn't mean that Joe mechanic, confronted with an alien craft like an Oleopneumatic Citroen, won't just blanch, cross his fingers and pass it. I've had this several times when I've put a Cit in for a 'pre-MOT' and it's passed on defective suspension items I already knew about.

Nevertheless, Flat spheres = failure (except in Toytown :lol: )
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Post by citronut »

Greame wrote
"unless someone can enlighten me as to how any of the mentioned MOT tasks would require touching the hydraulic system!"

as they did a CV gaitor they have probaly left the regulator bleed vale open,

and yes flat cornner spheres are a fail, as the MOT tester can fail a car with no travle to the suspension,

regards malcolm
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mat_fenwick
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Post by mat_fenwick »

I've got to say I've never touched the bleed screw when changing a CV boot - just undo the driveshaft nut, pop out the ball joint and track rod end, pull the hub assembly to one side and slide out the driveshaft. (And then hastily clear up the gearbox oil I've forgotten to drain!)
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citronut
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Post by citronut »

i always put car on high, jack it up, then depresureise to split the lower swivle/suspension,

regards malcolm
curent ride
K reg BX 17TD TZD est
also own
K reg D special

no longer have
H reg CX saffari 2.5 TRI (now gone to Malaysia)
R reg xantia 1.9TD est (gone to meet its maker)
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jonathan_dyane
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Post by jonathan_dyane »

citronut wrote:i always put car on high, jack it up, then depresureise to split the lower swivle/suspension,

regards malcolm
I usually just put the suspension on low once it's jacked up, saves fumbling for the bolt on the PR.
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