Heaven knows I'm miserable now

[docchevron]

As the title (kindly provided by Stephen Morrisey, fine young man) suggests, I'm rather depressed with my TD!
Done the pads and the n/s side light that hasn't worked for ages repaired itself!!
Lowered the front ride height, can see why it varies now, the clamp round the roll bar doesn't actually clamp! So now it's lower most of the time but still variable.
Changed the hp pump again (just to make sure) but the steering, its still crap. No difference at all.
Got dad to wiggle the steering while I was under the heap and the racks knocking like b*s*ard. We reckon the big bearing in the bottom of the pinion has died. Wouldn't surprise me, its original to the car and has done over 400000miles. was going to set fire to the car and call it a day but I've calmed down now and figured I'd best perservere since the MOT's monday and I still rather like the old girl.
Will change the pinion and ram tomorrow. If that doesn't sort it there will be a TD forsale on here that needs steering work...

The rest of the cars great. 2year old engine, new struts, alloys, 4 new tyres etc...... just dont go round corners....

Cheers
Chris G

[tom]

Yeah, life's a bitch Chris. Fancy having a BX with only one serious fault. Showoff!
Hope it isn't too difficult and You will have checked the droplinks so I'd go with your diagnosis.

[docchevron]

Yeah, droplinks are fine, I'd be pi**ed if they weren't. They are only 9 months old!!

It's far from the only serious defect the car has but it's the one the mot man will frown heavily upon.

My 16v has more faults and yet ironically it's proving to be more reliable!!!
Go figure!
Cheers
Chris G

[Kitch]

Mine went through the MOT with no PAS.

But it does make it a pig to drive

[tim leech]

Ive never had a Bx that hasnt at least one fault!

[docchevron]

I reckon mine has at least 37,812 faults!
I've just xhanged the pinion and ram. It was perfect for about 30mins, now its crap again.
I'll fire it in tomorrow morning for MOT and see what it fails on. If it's alot then I may scrap the bu**er.

Kitch, your car passed mot without PAS??? Sounds like I should take my car to your testing station, I use the same guys as Bristol 2cv's and Adrian (or gladys as we all know him........cos he can be a right GLADYS) will (if he's in a bad mood (most of the time)) find any excuse to fail a car. You know the sort of thing, not using the correct mop on your polisher leaving circular marks around the door handles etc! At least if it passes there I know the cars ok.

We'll see waht happens I guess.
Cheers
Chris G

[docchevron]

Mine went through the MOT with no PAS.

Mine didnt!! They had it on "power steering system excessively tight [2.2.D.1e]",
and "exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine [7.4.b.2]"
The emissions result was K=4.48 over 6 runs.

Will be attending to that directly. I'll change the flow valve and hope that cures it, cant think of anything else to change!!!
Oddly enough the steering felt fantastic all the way home, best its been in years!
Oh well, more beer and sleep! Things always look better in the morning
Cheers
Chris G

[ed4ferrets]

Nudge ... Urgent update needed

[adamskibx]

Why do we smile at cars we'd rather kick in the headlamp? Have you checked the hardy link ( the rubbery/metal disk at the bottom of the steering columb. My old St Tropez felt very odd and then failed the MOT on this. After this was fixed it was ok again.

[docchevron]

Why do we smile at cars we'd rather kick in the headlamp?

I see I'm not alone in my liking of the suicidally depressing music of the smiths!!! .
I think in the end, it was a duff flow valve (FDV). I changed the ram, pinion, pressure reg, accum sphere and in the end the FDV. It seems ok at the mo.
I got the mot on friday. The tester still said it felt stiff and didn't want to write (now printed) the ticket, but after Mannie and Darren from Bristol 2cv's argued the toss with the tester he begrudgingly passed it.
So I'm back in the Diesel and dont have to worry about it for another 12 months (or till it packs up again!).

The rubber joint is new (ish, 18months old, genuine cit bit).

I'm fairly certain, if it stays as is that the FDV wasn't doing its job and the only reason it felt a bit part time after changing it was air in the system.

The only way I could get it through the emissions test was to change the injectors (It's a 2 YEAR OLD ENGINE!!! ), turn the boost down on the turbo (it runs a CX 2.5 GTI Turbo blower) and shut the max revs down.
So, until next year.......
SWMBO's XR2 is in for MOT on monday, only done 1100miles since the last one so shouldn't be too bad, as soon as its ticketed it'll be on Ebay since I bought her a 205cj.
Then the following week the 16v's in for mot so I may be depressed again then!!!
Cheers
Chris G

[Jaba]

Your tester seems very picky. My policy has always been NEVER use a tester who fails a car without a plausible justification.
For example my testing station found a failed brake light last time. He just told me about it and left me to change it. Not within the rules I know but a sensible, common sense interpretation.

I have also read posts where a BX has been failed on worn rear arm bearings. I know of no way you can actually test this apart from the visual angle of the wheels to vertical. Once again I would not use a tester who new the BX so well that he would fail it on that. It is not exactly dangerous to have these bearings in a bad state for a couple of years. In fact they start rusting out after about 4 years use if they are not fully packed with grease.

I actually had a failure there this year. Front brake imbalance. I just put new pads on - he did the brake test again - pass with no extra retest charge.

[ken newbold]

I have also read posts where a BX has been failed on worn rear arm bearings. I know of no way you can actually test this

Try checking them with the pressure off, especially the n/s ones, they will rub through the hydraulic pipes.

[docchevron]

Your tester seems very picky.

He is greek! Think he was having an off week/year!
They hate their boss and eachother so they are all always in a bad mood!

The 16v's in next week and "the greek" is doing the tests again then so he'll probably fail it for being black!
We'll see. Either way, I was having a race with my mate yesterday, he was in his CX Turbo 1 and I was in the TD. Ok, I couldn't lose him but he didn't get passed and the steering felt fine to me!
Cheers
Chris G