Why doesn't anyone know my A8A engine :(

TB2 · Post by **TB2** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:48 pm

Hello folks,

As I had finished all my work on the car I wanted to go through the necessary paperwork to make it roadworthy. In Switzerland, we need the "MKF" (comparable to the Brittish MOT) and an "Abgastest" (to make sure the cars emission values are fine). Unfortunately, I got this car without an "Abgaswartungsdokument" which is that piece of paper on which the test results for the Abgastest are written on. To get an Abgaswartungsdokument, I simply need to contact the car manufacturer, which in my case is Citroen.

No Problem! I rung up Citroen and asked him for that document. "It takes only five minutes". He's asking me for the engine code, and I'm telling him that it's A8A. "Never heard of that!". The only turbo diesel engine they know of is the AJZ. He'll need to call the importer in Geneva he says. They're really busy so he couldn't do it today.
I sent him the registration via email as he requested and it was 8 in the morning. As I had to leave for work in the afternoon I called him again around noon to ask for the status. He says: "Oh, so you already sent that mail? I'll forward it". Oh perfect! And that was last thursday.

In the meantime I did some research. First: According to the hungarian BX DIY page, the AJZ turbo diesel engine has 78 BHP. My A8A turbo diesel has 90 BHP. Second: All BX turbo diesels I have found on autoscout for sale have 90 BHP. Ergo, all these engine must have an A8A engine (supposed BX DIY is right about the 78 BHP). I admit I never ever heard of a BX with an 78 BHP turbo diesel engine, so it could just be that the BX DIY page is wrong about this.

So I rang up Citroen again today as I had still no answer from that guy who was supposed to check for the right emission values. Of course they're still very busy and there's no way for him to be available says another guy, so I'm asking him, what this is about. First he denies any further discussion because that other guy is already "working on it", but as I persist, he tells me again, that there's no A8A known to him, and that there's nothing on the list. Also, he even told me that there is no engine known to Citroen Switzerland with 1769 ccm! They only have 1.9l engine he says. Then how come all the BX TDs I know have 90 BHP and a 1769 engine?

This is so frustrating! I need to get that damn document ASAP as we're going on a vacation with our new BX. Of course, I know that there's not much to answer to this post, but I just had to blow some steam...

Damn these dealers

Could it be that the A8A and AJZ engines both have 90PS and are pretty much exactly the same, just from different years or something like that?

Regards,
Carl

mountainmanUK · Post by **mountainmanUK** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:02 pm

Try telling him that it's an XUD 7TE/L if it's a 1769cc Turbo..... (same as mine)

TB2 · Post by **TB2** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:33 pm

I tried calling 3 more garages in my vicinity to try if I can get any useful information out of them, but I didn't accomplish anything. Tried talking of a XUD7TE/L but that wouldn't change anything. Next, I'll try getting one of my French speaking co-workers to call the guys in Geneva.

It's weird anyways, that the car doesn't have this document yet, and the sticker which is supposed to be sticking inside the rear side window is missing, too. Maybe the people who imported the car never got an Abgaswartungsdokumet for it...

Maybe I don't even have to do the test

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:24 am

Just spotted your post - I'm sure I've got idents for all variants of the 1.7 turbodiesel engines in my Revue Technique. If I can find anything I'll let you know.

TB2 · Post by **TB2** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:04 am

Thanks!

Last week I tried calling the importer in geneva directly, but that guy told me that he can't give me any information and that I had to go to a garage. I had already phoned like 5 garages before, but I tried again at a nearby garage and they told me to bring the car along. For whatever reason. They all say that. Don't they believe me what I say?

Anyways, I went there last week and he called the importer himself. At that time, all lines were busy of course and he demanded a callback from Citroen. That was Last Thursday. He made a copy of the registration and of the ORGA number but still, he called me a few hours later to ask me "when the car was built or first registrered". I had to explain to him that with the orga number he can figure that out by himself. Apart from that, it's written on the registration...
I'll call him again today and ask for an update...

Apart from that guy, I was in contact with Citroen Zurich, the 2nd main branch in Switzerland. It was the guy I sent my registration via mail and yesterday I got an answer: He wasn't able to find anything and the importer couldn't tell him the values. I shall ring up the importer myself.

Sure. So he can tell me that I need to go to a garage...

If that Citroen guy I brought the car to can't figure out the values, I'll just drive without that damn document. If nobody can give me one, it's not my fault anymore... I guess that that was how this car went through MFK (MOT) in the first place. Because normally you can't get MOT'd without that document, but it still has MOT until next year. So I'll probably go on without it...