My inheritance = My BX

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Kingswell
BXpert
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:43 pm
Location: Malta

My inheritance = My BX

Post by Kingswell »

After searching the web for a couple of months, I have finally found an abundant source of information to help me with my BX which is professional and in english!!. So thank you for creating this site.
This story might seem a bit long but it shows how much I love the BX!

I just thought I'd introduce myself and my car to the forum. Like a couple of other people on this site I inherited my red BX 14TGE from my dad about 2 months ago and I have been slowly restoring it. Unfortunately, it was in quite a state. Lets start with the trunk. It was full of rubbish, bits of the car that have fallen off, plastic sheets, tools, empty water and LHM bottles, bits of paper etc... I cleared it all out. All thats left is a small black tool box and some jumper cables.

The interior is not that good. The driver's seat had a couple of small holes in the upholstery and the plastic backing support was hanging off. The plastic piece on the door pillar is cracked. The glovebox hinges are broken ( now some cable ties are supporting it till i get a new one ). The steering wheel is worn down to the core (sporting a cover until i can get another).
The gear knob was broken. And the entire interior smelt of dust and death and was filled with rubbish.

To fix the interior I put in new seat covers ( black with a grey centre stripe ), a new shiny aftermarket gear knob, I wiped down the dashboard and other plastics with Armour all wipes to make it shine, I vacummed and steam cleaned all the carpets (including the boot), replaced all the window switches, checked the speaker connections, epoxied the broken plastics ( not including the seat back, its still broken under the seat cover), bonded the rear view mirror to the windshield ( it had come off ) and I fixed many more small items such as sun visors.

The engine and running gear have been serviced. Oil change, brake pads, spark plugs, LHM, distributor, a gearbox linkage and a new air filter. There are still some problems though. The radiator needs to be flushed, since the coolant is rust coloured and filled with sediment ( any info on how this is done is appreciated ). There is a small LHM leak near the back of the car just before the spare tire, ( my mechanic said that a certain part needs to arrive ) and I think this is the reason why the front end is staying jacked up in the front when it is parked but the back isn't. Also, I have a manual choke and for some reason I ALWAYS have to pull it out a bit when starting the car after just an hour otherwise the car jerks, loses all power and then cuts out ( to start again I have to pull out the choke and let it idle for two minutes ) could this be a heating problem caused by the sediment in the radiator?

I also put new hupcaps on to brighten up the slighlty dull and dented bodywork ( I might fix the dents and spray them myself, though I m not sure how yet ).

This weekend I am going to flush the radiator, put in new floor mats and possibly clean the engine bay.

I will upload photos on friday.

If you read all of this and think that there is something you could help me with please let me know.
I know that the 14 is not the best car, but I love it anyway and I look forward to giving it a chance to shine again. I am one of the very few people in my Malta that have BX's ( I'm talking under 50 ).

Thanks.
BX 14TGE
Peugeot 106XN
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Best to take the radiator out to flush it with a garden hose - it'll run for ever and you'll probably leave rusty stains on next door's new drive.

Engine - find a suitable hose and run water through it. Re assemble, bleed, run it for a bit and change the water again - then if its reasonably clean - fill with anti-freeze mix.

Best to find the LHM leak at the rear. If you're lucky it will be in the flexible return pipe circuit. You need to check the high pressure pipes - if they are not black plastic coated they can corrode (change over 1990?) - and whatever they are made of - they can chafe on clips (I've had this - pipe dripped even when under full pressure - it was the one from the accumulator to the safety valve)

Unless the leak is major it will not make any difference to which end goes down first. This is of no significance anyway - but if the front stays up for days your struts are probably siezed.

Hot starting may be excessive under-bonnet heat - try leaving the bonnet open and see if there is any improvement.
Kingswell
BXpert
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:43 pm
Location: Malta

Post by Kingswell »

Thanks for the immediate reply. I wasnt planning to remove the radiator to flush it. This is what I was going to do:
Place jerry can under radiator, Remove lower hose from radiator and cap,
run water through it using a garden hose till water runs clear, check for soft hose, put back hose with new clamp, fill with water and radiator flusher, run for 10 mins at a fast idle, drain rad once more and refill with water.
What do you think?

I wasnt planning such a complex cleaning of the engine, do you think it is really needed?

Regarding the hot starting, there is a chicken wire mesh on the underside of my bonnet, is that meant to be there? If not why was it put there? To improve heating performance maybe? Would installing a temp. gauge help?

The suspension does eventually go down. It goes down when I sit in it or if I push it down.
BX 14TGE
Peugeot 106XN
jeremy
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Location: Hampshire UK

Post by jeremy »

Front suspension drops rapidly when you get in the cr means the front struts are siezed.

Your car may originally have had an inslating blanket under the bonnet. Life's too short to chase every theory - try and find what it is before you start dismantling and you may find the problem. It may be excessive temperature - it may be something else. Carburettors are things that few take apart for fun - so look for the easy bit first. Does the thing start better if the bonnet is left open?

All BX radiators are cross flow. Old fashioned ones have a tank top and bottom and sludge collects harmlessly in the bottom tank. Crossflow radiators have the tanks at the ends - and the sludge collects in the bottom tubes, blocking them, and one day it blocks one too many and the car boils. How much flushing your car and radiator needs depends how dirty it is - in some cases the radiator can't be cleared and a new one is the only answer.

A temperature gauge won't make it start any better. TU engines seem tough but some idea of its temperature is always a good idea.
Kingswell
BXpert
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:43 pm
Location: Malta

Post by Kingswell »

Ok, I will try to start the engine when cold, with the bonnet open. If it is the case of excessive under bonnet heat will a vent in the bonnet ( like I saw on this site) be a possible option?

What are my options regarding the seized suspensions? Is it an easy fix?

I was planning to install an aftermarket temp. guage so that I will know when to use to choke, and when not to.

Thanks again. I can't wait till I get it running smoothly.
BX 14TGE
Peugeot 106XN
jeremy
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Location: Hampshire UK

Post by jeremy »

Your complaint is that the car won't start and run properly without choke when its been left for an hour or so. It is possible that this is a vaporisation problem - which can be very difficult to trace. What I'm suggesting is that when you park it up after a run with the engine hot, expecting to start it again in about an hour - you leave the bonnet open. With the bonnet shut the heat will be trapped - with it open it may cool a bit - in which case you know that heat is a factor.
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Philip Chidlow
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Although I can offer NO advice for solving your BX's problems - and having someone as knowledgeable as 'Jeremy' means that's no real issue :lol: , may I just take this opportunity to welcome you to the Club! (And post a pic if you have time!)

Malta, eh? I used to have a 1961 Ford Consul - and I was told Malta was full of cars from that era - is that still true?
• 1992 Citroen BX TZD Turbo Hurricane
• 2006 Xsara Picasso 1.6 16v
tim leech

Post by tim leech »

Welcome to the club, my folks regularly holidayed in Malta and loved it, even talked of would like to live there once. My late father regularly took pictures of the old cars and buses that resided there for me, I imagine that the favourable clilmate would help their preservation!
Last edited by tim leech on Thu Oct 26, 2006 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Way2go
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Post by Way2go »

50 still sounds a high BX population for Malta so it must have been a very popular car there in it's day! :D
1991 BX19GTi Auto
Kingswell
BXpert
Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:43 pm
Location: Malta

Post by Kingswell »

Thank you all for the warm welcome.
I recently visited Ireland and Heathrow and I was amazed at the amoutn of new cars around! In Malta most cars last longer since they have to travel less which is why most cars you would see are older cars. However this trend seems to be changing, everyone is buying city cars now.
The only thing that breaks down when you drive in Malta is the suspension due to the poor road quality, which is why I think the BX with its excellent suspension was a poplular car.
I have not seen many BX's around though, 50 is just my estimate, there could be more. I think that there is some sort of collecter though, since recently I saw a beautiful Red GTi, which I believe was a 19, with everything full restored. I saw it whilst turning on a roundabout and was so distracted that I ended up taking the wrong road. It was that car that inspired my project.
I will upload some pics tomorrow, so you'll get to see what I have to work with.
I will look into the heating problem, it happened again today.

What should I do about the front struts?

Oh and by the way, yes the weather is very nice ( right now we have some very hot weather ), but this does ruin the bodywork and interiors of cars.

I'll start uploading some photos of the Buses and cars I see if anyone would like to see them.
BX 14TGE
Peugeot 106XN
OwenS
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Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 7:36 pm
Location: Abergavenny, South Wales.

Post by OwenS »

Welcome to the club! I too run a 14TGE, a great car..although mine is in need of some work too!! :lol:
2007 Sportka
Kingswell
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Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:43 pm
Location: Malta

Post by Kingswell »

Thanks Owen, I do like my TGE, its very comfortable when it works, but a bigger engine would be nice one day. Have you had the problem with the manual choke that I have by any chance?

Regarding the front struts, I think I am going to try the Citaerobics and if that doesn't work I will try the process described in the DIY section of the the home page involving removing the hoses.
BX 14TGE
Peugeot 106XN
OwenS
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Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 7:36 pm
Location: Abergavenny, South Wales.

Post by OwenS »

As far as I can remember I haven't had the choke problem as badly as your TGE seems too. When i start it after being left for a while I tend to have the accelerator fully depressed and then release as soon as it fires. Also at the last service I ran carb cleaner through which may or may not have helped.
2007 Sportka
Kingswell
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Posts: 100
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:43 pm
Location: Malta

Post by Kingswell »

I was actually thinking about trying a carb cleaner after I flush my radiator this weekend and I have to try the strut "miracle cure" some time also.
Busy weekend.
I just saw a picture of your TGE and WOW, that is impressive. I wish my bodywork looked like that, did you do it yourself?
BX 14TGE
Peugeot 106XN
OwenS
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Posts: 216
Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 7:36 pm
Location: Abergavenny, South Wales.

Post by OwenS »

Thanks!! Mine had lead quite a sheltered life and been pretty well cared for, garaged etc by previous owners; probably why its suvived so well...although its definatly far from perfect..that pic was a result of LOTS of cleaning and clever photography :lol:
2007 Sportka
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