Since the rear number plate was pointed out as being slightly wonky, it's been bugging me a lot. Using the little squares that form the reflective pattern of the back panel I realigned the number plate. It required very, very minimal filing of the number plate holes, about .25mm to the top of one and the bottom of the other, and it's now straight again. This was then undone by the fact that the plate is slightly warped on the driver's side and casts a bit more shadow at the corner, making it look wonky again.
The exhaust either needs rotating or the hanger bending slightly to get the alignment improved on that, neither of which are jobs I wanted to do today. I can't remember whether or not the exhaust was wonky when I got the car, but since I've had it off and back on again it's entirely possible it wasn't and I've just refitted it slightly off. It's not difficult to sort, I imagine. The rear hanger can be got to even with the car on low, just fiddly.
I would say the hanger on the EXHAUST BOX just needs bending down slightly which should tilt it up, you may need to loosen the clamp holding it to the centre cross box to allow this.
Had a look at this and while I've not had chance to actually fiddle about with it, seems I've actually just put the backbox on rotated a little too far around. I'll loosen the clamp, rotate the box around, and tighten it back up again, should sort it.
Try not to bend the hanger too much as this is a notorious rust spot it may break off unless you have already attended to this area, the hanger is only held to the boot floor with a couple of tack welds.
90 BX Tzd turbo 294k SORN undergoing major surgery
90 BX Tzd turbo estate 46k awaiting surgery
65 Peugeot Boxer Van the new workhorse
52 Toyota Rav4 180k Bulletproof Jap reliability
I have been waiting for something, anything, to happen to report. Honestly, it's as boringly reliable as the car it replaced. There's cosmetic jobs I haven't done because I simply haven't had time to get into them. The Princess has been a little demanding of late and that's been nibbling into the savings and the free time so the BX has mostly just been getting driven and washed and nothing else.
I only have one minor grumble which is an occasional reluctance to start when I've not used the car for a couple of days. It always does start, but it's like the glowplugs aren't quite doing their job so you need to crank a little longer than usual, and sometimes you'll get a puff of grey-ish smoke out the exhaust. After this one reluctant start, it goes back to starting perfectly normally with no smoke, and if you use the car every day it doesn't do it at all. I've been doing a lot of short runs as well, which isn't ideal for a diesel, so I'll get it down the A19 or something and blow the cobwebs out a bit, that should help.
I am after a lower steering column shroud panel, after having mine apart and back together a few times, it's starting getting quite creaky which isn't helped by the historic crack it has from someone overtightening it in the past.
Oh, there was one more thing! The blowers are crap. Even set to max power, the air they push out barely reaches the steering wheel. This is something I learned in the recent very hot weather. The blowers are fine for clearing the windscreen etc. they're just appalling for providing any amount of actual ventilation to the people in the car.
With a cold start on a diesel BX, let the glowplug light go out, wait 5 seconds and then turn the key, it could be they need changing, easy and cheaply done.
The blower sounds like your not getting full power as they are powerful, I think you need to maybe look at the track on "track" as may need cleaning
There is a modification you can make to the panel behind the three knobs that trips a relay Citroen never used but fitted into the wiring harness which when tripped sends 12v straight to the blower motor for maximum air
'02 Clio Dynamique 1.2 16v - 92K - Sold
'09 Yamaha YBR 125 - 1100 miles
'93 Bx 17 TZD Turbo - 240K - The Aubergine
That's the one Panky! As for the risk of it shortening the blower motor life I very rarely use it at maximum but you can hear the relay click on then turn it back till it clicks off, then you're at standard max air as if you'd never done the mod.It's just nice to get a bit more air flow if the windows are steamed up.
'02 Clio Dynamique 1.2 16v - 92K - Sold
'09 Yamaha YBR 125 - 1100 miles
'93 Bx 17 TZD Turbo - 240K - The Aubergine
I suspect the suggestion that the tracks on mine need cleaning is probably the root cause, the last couple of times I've used the car, without moving the blower dial the output strength has been quite variable and even, at one point, reached my face. Useful options available thanks to the information above, so thank you for the input there, it is appreciated.
The puff of smoke on first start up was cured with Tim's suggestion of the 5 second wait after the glow plug light goes off, which is good, because I couldn't find anything else physically amiss and it's saved me the hassle of changing the glowplugs. I don't know if the 1.7 has one really annoying plug to change like the 1.9 does, but I suspect it will, so it's nice not to have to do that job just yet.
Otherwise, all systems normal. Getting a bit tired of people pulling out on me on roundabouts and had one very near miss recently so the air horns have been getting quite a work out. Some days I feel like I should just hit the horn when approaching a roundabout and keep it on until I've exited, just to save time really.
I brought a long thin walled 10mm socket just for this job
90 BX Tzd turbo 294k SORN undergoing major surgery
90 BX Tzd turbo estate 46k awaiting surgery
65 Peugeot Boxer Van the new workhorse
52 Toyota Rav4 180k Bulletproof Jap reliability
