1990 Citroen BX 19TZI 5-Speed : help/info needed!

[Citroenroen]

Hello,
Nice to be part of this group.
Can you tell me what the TZI designation means?

Does this model BX have a water temperature gauge ?
(I have not yet seen this car in person)

What should I worry about as far as maintenance goes / and WHAT are the trouble areas to be concerned about on this 35 year old car with 213091 km showing ?

All information is greatly appreciated !

[panky]

Hi and welcome
19 TZI is 1.9 litre petrol engine TZ - highest trim level: four electric windows and mirrors, velour upholstery, front fog lights, remote controlled central locking and fuel injection.
Maintenance wise - the hydropneumatic suspension needs a good checking over, are there any bad leaks? does the suspension rise and fall smoothly with the hydraulic pump clicking every at least every thirty seconds once normal ride height is reached. Check for rust especially where the door check straps attach to the door pillar. Generally what you would check on any old car.
Maintenance wise there are no real surprises with conventional engines and running gear (suspension excepted) with service parts readily available, well they are in the UK.
I'm no expert but have done a few jobs on my GT (pushing 200,000 miles on the clock and still going strong) without any real issues. Hope this helps

[Citroenroen]

Hello Panky ! Thank you for your reply.
This BX has "jerky" suspension when the BX goes up to high .It doesn't rise smoothly : (it doesn't fall smoothly. What could be causing this strange behavior ?
(My CX rises and falls smoothly )
I am in Los Angeles and the BX is in Seattle ( for sale on Bring a Trailer) : I have never seen a BX in person, so any guidance is greatly appreciated . ( Is anything similar to my 1988 CX? )
Here is the link to the BX and the jerky video ("1990 Citroen Squat) is included https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-citroen-bx/
Can you take a look at the pictures of the BX 19 to see what you notice ?
The rear quarter window is cracked and needs replacing : will I be able to find one ?

[David]

It looks overall like a tidy car. That engine wasn’t sold in the UK, but it should be similar to the GTi here. Im not familiar with the petrol engines.

It only has a passenger electric mirror, which is common for many BXs.

The only potential issues that I’ve noticed are:
It’s got oil leaks, which could be a rocker or sump gasket, or oil seals. They’re not major jobs.

The octopus looks to have a crack near the LHM tank. It could be a trick of the camera & nothing to worry about, but it is a dirty job if it needs replacing. It looks to have been replaced at some point though as it doesn’t have its original clips. Just bare it in mind. It might last a long while before it needs replacing, but it might need doing sooner. ‘The octopus’ are the return hydraulic lines, but you’re probably familiar with them if you’ve already got a CX

The spare tyre looks original, so I’d get it replaced as it’s a potential hazard if used.

There looks to be a tiny bit of rust starting on the front sills, on the jacking points, again it doesn’t look serious, but I’d get it looked at if I bought it.

The jerking suspension could be sticky front struts. It could be an indication that they’re starting to fail, but they could last a long while before they need any attention. They can be rebuilt, but you’d have to look elsewhere on the forum for information about them as I’ve never done it myself.

Overall I wouldn’t be put off from buying the car, but just be prepared for some things to need attention sooner or later.

Hope that helps.

[panky]

Yes a really nice looking car and the ride shouldn't be affected too much by the hesitant rise and fall on full travel. It may be that they are a little sticky through lack of use and a flush and bit of 'Citrobics' will, hopefully, improve matters.

[Citroenroen]

Thank you for your astute observations , David:
I can't pick out the oil leaks in any of the "little" pictures provided , but I believe your eyes are better than mine .
Where did you notice the oil leaks ?

The octopus hose is always suspect, isn't it ? Are new octopus hose replacements available ?
Regarding the suspension: the former owner said he believes the suspension has teflon coated wear surfaces that are worn out .

I also hadn't noticed the corrosion on the front jacking points : Do mud flaps prevent that ?

As an owner of these cars, you noticed the exterior mirrors ! Thanks ! I hadn't .

Hope to hear from you soon !

[Citroenroen]

Panky,
where are the fog lights located ?

[panky]

Alas the car doesn't have them. I guess different markets had their own specifications for the models sold there. The spec I quoted was from an article I found on the net, I assume it was for UK cars.

[Tim Leech]

It looks overall like a tidy car. That engine wasn’t sold in the UK, but it should be similar to the GTi here. Im not familiar with the petrol engines.

Hi David

That engine was sold here, I owned one! Its a slightly detuned 1.9GTi, and they normally had a catalyst attached