James' BX

Post by **Tim Leech** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 12:17 am

CitroXim wrote:
Roverman wrote:Oh dear, my 16TRS has done the same thing this morning and has left a pool of LHM on th drive
Don't worry Tim, it's just marking it's territory

That's one good thing about the Xantia; no octopus!

The problem is Jim that was the only Citroen I have without "issues"

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 3:45 am

Tourist wrote:

Pretty sure it's the octopus ... there's nothing I can do so I'm just trying to save some of the LHM.

The mot runs out later this month

That's the wrong side of the car for a pool from the Octopus unless the ground slopes that way.
Security valve is that side for a return pipe and of course there are high pressure pipes to it and the steering ram there.

The octopus characteristically mainly leaks when the engine is off and the car is settling. That's a lot of LHM, are you sure that the strut hasn't failed and you're blowing it out of it's leak-off pipes?

CitroXim · Post by **CitroXim** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:32 pm

red_dwarfers wrote: Phew. I wrote all that without mentioning the word X@n*1a.....Damn.

Welcome to the BXC Kev

Now how about getting yourself a nice BX then?

I see you've carefully not said what you drive! Your secret is safe with Tim and I

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:03 pm

Way2go wrote:
Tourist wrote:

Pretty sure it's the octopus ... there's nothing I can do so I'm just trying to save some of the LHM.

The mot runs out later this month
That's the wrong side of the car for a pool from the Octopus unless the ground slopes that way.
Security valve is that side for a return pipe and of course there are high pressure pipes to it and the steering ram there.

The octopus characteristically mainly leaks when the engine is off and the car is settling. That's a lot of LHM, are you sure that the strut hasn't failed and you're blowing it out of it's leak-off pipes?

The road is sloped towards the camera (down) ... the car had a replacement front strut (previous owner) not so long ago so I suppose it could be that. Pretty sure it's not high pressure.

Looking under the car itself the LHM is dripping from the middle of the car which I suppose could mean it's coming from the drivers side and gathering in the middle ... that would make sense seeing as it's on a slight slope.

I'd say I've lost about half a bottle but it's ok now with no pressure, I left it with the suspension on low.

RxBX · Post by **RxBX** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:33 pm

Tourist wrote:I'd say I've lost about half a bottle but it's ok now with no pressure, I left it with the suspension on low.

James !
If this is a Suspension Strut return/vent pipe which has split, by lowering the car on to the lowest setting will only make matters worse by exerting the most strain onto these pipes as they will be at the maximum bending conditions !

I therefore recommend you take a look at the two rubber pipes from each strut leg which connects via a rubber block and then across to the inner wing to a bracket which carries two steel connection pipes which the pipes attach to !
But BEFORE you inspect/investigate please read this forum TOPIC thoroughly/100% and decipher so as you know what to look for and hopefully report back.

If its the Suspension return/vent pipe there's one currently onE-Bay For Sale !

If all looks okay then move onto to the other mentioned possibility (Octopus) but I hope not !
All the best and I hope this may be of help.

Post by **docchevron** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:19 am

CitroXim wrote: I see you've carefully not said what you drive! Your secret is safe with Tim and I

Not quite!

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 2:59 am

RxBX wrote: If its the Suspension return/vent pipe there's one currently onE-Bay For Sale !

At £7.80 bidding start (inc postage), thats an expensive recommendation! It doesn't say it's a Citroen original either.

GSF is less and usually from stock:

BX FRONT STRUT RETURN PIPE-COPY
N43400 RETURN PIPE £6.30

So minus BXClub discount of 10% = £5.67
+VAT = £6.66

More likely to be the octopus though, as he suspects, as the leal is from drivers side central area.

GSF do these too but it is a dirty 3 hour job under the car for someone who knows what he is doing.

BX WITH PAS OCTOPUS RETURN PIPE
N43406 RETURN PIPE £39.10

RxBX · Post by **RxBX** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:32 am

Way2go wrote:At £7.80 bidding start (inc postage), thats an expensive recommendation! It doesn't say it's a Citroen original either.

If no one else bid on the item and you got it for £7.79 (Total price) that's only £1.13 more

I personally do not find that as over the odds, what value do you put on your time ?
Also if your nearest GSF factors is say 30 miles away one way (its 5 miles for me), how much would the petrol/diesel fuel costs be ?
Put that into the equation I'd guess your recommendation probably may cost more at the end of the day !
Also GSF do not always use O/E suppliers for parts as I found out recently with some lower wishbones bushes for an XM, one week they had some in (Not O/E, inferior quality) the next week they had some O/E type in, but both the same price, all you get told is "We get what ever we can from any supplier, its a case of pot luck" .

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:44 am

Just had a quick look but I wanna borrow some axle stands.

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:30 pm

Had a go today but the wheel nuts are done up so tightly that I can't get them undone. It seems like they will round off before they come undone ... maybe. I don't have anything other than WD40 and this didn't work.

On the positive side the LHM that's not on the road is nice and green.

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:51 pm

Dont borrow axle stands buy them, £5 each is hardly going to break the bank, and so far i have never had to retire a set!

On the wheel nut front, go to ATS/KwikFit and ask them to undo them with a rattle gun for a cash donation for the biscuit tin.

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:49 am

Will probably be selling this car before Christmas -- watch this space. Better in the hands of someone who's BX obsessed/can afford to run it. Just need to get an mot/fix leak.

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Sat Oct 10, 2009 12:33 am

Note car will be fixed and have new mot before sale.

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:03 pm

you realise any other 20+ year old car will cause just as many problems? And that new cars are a lot more expensive to run?

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:36 pm

I don't want to own a BX anymore and I'm not replacing it with anything that's either 20+ years old, or a new car ...