Got my BX

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:44 pm

I went and got the BX today, BRILLIANT CAR but there are a few problems which I hope you can help me with.

Firstly, and this is the biggest problem: the turbo does not work. There's a cloud of blue smoke that comes out of the car when I floor it, or give it lots of power, but the car feels lifeless as there's no turbo kicking in.

Secondly, and this may not be a problem at all but the suspension feels firmer than I expected, it was also clicking once every few seconds earlier when I stopped for fuel, but then seemingly went back to normal doing it every 30 seconds-ish.

Priority is the turbo. I did think that the car might be low on oil, so I stopped, left the car to cool for about 10 mins and then checked the levels but they seem ok.

Does anyone have any ideas?

BX Bandit · Post by **BX Bandit** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:34 pm

Do you have the Cav/rotodiesel/lucas pump or the Bosch? If it's the Lucas, it's probably the fuel boost diaghram. During boost, extra fuel is needed to power the engine. The amount of extra fuel is proportional to the boost and is controlled by a rubber diaghram. When this perishes, there is no way of adding the extra fuel. Look on the front side of the pump and there are two cylindrical devices. The lower one has a pipe connecting to the intercooler. I *believe* a leakage here represents diaghram failure.

It could also be a leak in the pressure side of the turbo manifolding. Listen for a hissing and check all jubilee clips - make sure they are nice and tight.

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:39 pm

My car unfortunately has the Lucas pump, but to me it looks like there's more fuel being delivered for the turbo, but it's not being burnt off and comes out the exhaust as blue smoke.

How much could this be to fix? I liked the seller but if this is a big job I might ask for some money back. He tells me he didn't notice, strange as it sounds I believe him.

Thoughts on the suspension? I suspect this is normal, but I'm not sure.

BX Bandit · Post by **BX Bandit** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:03 pm

Blue smoke means oil is being burnt! It could be a 'blown' turbo but tbh I don't know the true and full symptoms, other than that when they do blow they use oil uber quick!

Best wait for Doc's input cos he knows stuff!

Regarding tick time I have no idea why it would vary. Harder suspension is either
1) old/tired spheres
2) harder spheres fitted for that 'sporty' ride
3) you were dreaming of magic carpets floating calmly over Morocco and got bitterly disappointed in the real world!

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:45 pm

Tourist wrote:to me it looks like there's more fuel being delivered for the turbo, but it's not being burnt off and comes out the exhaust as blue smoke.

You need to do some reading up about fault finding. Blue, as Bandit has mentioned, is oil being burned. Specifically, it's oil being burned in the cylinder, so either worn valve guides or piston rings. Excess fuel appears as heavy black smoke.

One likely candidate for a lack of fuelling for the turbo boost is the detector pipe. This comes off the front of the intercooler and connects to the injection pump. If this is split or loose, then you get no additional fuelling.

It's not inconceivable that the turbo has siezed, but it would be the first time I've heard of that happening. Try this test. Undo the turbo-to-intercooler hose, place it on top of the intercooler inlet port and hold a piece of paper up in front of it. Now rev the engine reasonably hard. The turbo hose should blow a massive amount of air, as noted by the paper being blown up/away. Note... do NOT test this with your hand, or by standing in front of the hose, as anything ejected from the turbo will cause you serious harm.

Do you have airflow?

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:02 pm

BX Bandit wrote:3) you were dreaming of magic carpets floating calmly over Morocco and got bitterly disappointed in the real world!

LOL maybe

but I'm by no means disappointed with the ride. It's great!

Thanks David Rutherford, if I have time tomorrow I will try this test.

The BX is a great car, very pleased with it

If anyone has any more thoughts that haven't already been said please post them, there's no harm in having too many ideas floating about

maxgreenwood · Post by **maxgreenwood** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:25 pm

i had this with my car when i got it.. also a lucas/roto pump setup. i checked the pipe David mentioned and thaat was blowing air out when engine revved. A local diesel specialist who do recon pumps etc said it might be the over-fuel diapraghm which senses the air from that pipe - it was, they changed it, pretty reasonable price, and turbo power was all mine

I thought it was like a rocket compared to its weirdly geared 1.7 n/a estate incarnation.

BX Bandit · Post by **BX Bandit** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:04 pm

/\ That's the one Max - the 'dutch cap' I mean. Mine failed as well, but I didn't have the blue smoke as mentioned, which as David points is cause for concern!

Aerodynamica · Post by **Aerodynamica** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:02 am

Secondly, and this may not be a problem at all but the suspension feels firmer than I expected, it was also clicking once every few seconds earlier when I stopped for fuel, but then seemingly went back to normal doing it every 30 seconds-ish.

I'm not as clued up on the TD to answer the turbo queries but perhaps the hydraulic ones.

- I forget what BX you got but if it's a BX TXD or TZD then those models had firmer suspension than any other BX model (including the GTi and 16V) in terms of damping at least. The damper used in the spheres of the standard TD was higher rated than all previous BX types.

Make sure the spheres are all fully gassed and that the accumulator sphere is similarly so.

You don't say what the circumstances of the changing tick rate of the regulator is but certainly, if the car was just engine idling, the tick rate of 30 sec per tick is OK. If the increased rate you mention occurred shortly after getting into the car then again this is possibly OK as the automatic suspension height correcting will activate after you get in and this can result in the regulator making several successive clicks. But only for a short duration - it ought to return to the 30 seconds or so after this - does it do that? and does the car have power steering?

BX Bandit · Post by **BX Bandit** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:49 am

TD has increased damping than the 16v? You sure? If it's based on the central bore then the 16v is higher damped. If based on the 'washer' dampers then I don't honestly know but the 16v is definitely a firmer ride!!!

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:10 am

Aerodynamica wrote:it ought to return to the 30 seconds or so after this - does it do that? and does the car have power steering?

Yes it did, and I had just gotten out the car to put air in the tyre, this could be why?

My car does have power steering although it doesn't seem to do all that much, the steering is still quite heavy atleast compared to my ZX.

Aerodynamica · Post by **Aerodynamica** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:20 pm

TD has increased damping than the 16v? You sure? If it's based on the central bore then the 16v is higher damped. If based on the 'washer' dampers then I don't honestly know but the 16v is definitely a firmer ride!!!

-

my mistake, it has firmer damping than all the other saloons save for the 16V

- in all honesty I was referring to the GSF guide only and it just lists the center hole size - I just thought it was interesting that the TD had the smallest center hole front and rear to every model including the GTi but of course there is no mention of the actual damper disks, the center hole really there to regulate how early the disks kick in. Maybe the heavier diesel engine is specced with firmer initial damping?

Yes it did, and I had just gotten out the car to put air in the tyre, this could be why?

Ah, that's kinda the opposite of what I'd expect - getting out shouldn't change the tick rate since the regulator is not made to connect to the suspension and the accumulator does no work. It could only really happen if there is a sudden pressure drop due to demand from a hydraulic device such as the suspension corrector or brakes etc. On a PAS BX the steering shouldn't make any changes to the regulator tick rate AFAIK.

Maybe carry out some of the old Citaerobics - moving the suspension fully through its various heights to try to ensure there's no trapped air in there.

BX Bandit · Post by **BX Bandit** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:48 pm

The Gti and TD have the same spec spheres and are firmer just to give that 'sporty' ride feel. As I understand it the central bore allows the flow of LHM under low suspension velocity movement (i.e. sweeping undulations in the road) and the damper discs open with more rapid fluid movement when driving over things like potholes. The larger the hole, the lesser the resistance to fluid movement and so softer ride (which is just a long winded way of saying what you said

windbag that I am

)

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:11 pm

So, correspondingly if I wanted a more cosseting, 'comfortable' ride in my GTi auto, I could fit spheres from a TGS for example?

maxgreenwood · Post by **maxgreenwood** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:33 pm

i've got normal saloon fronts on my TD estate, they are softer. When my struts / height corrector linkage are behaving themselves they're great... shortly due for overhaul and probable strut swap. (they're intermittently sticky)