Citroen DS question

Blue850

My mechanic has been asked to look at a DS that has been in a garage for the last 7 years with a view to getting it going again. He wants to know what are major problems on them . He hasn't gone to see it yet, so I have no idea what year or spec it is or if its seized etc.

mike65

Strewth where to start!? First check the chassis is'nt a rot box I'd say!
DS20 Prefecture should be able to help you with this.

Meanwhile here's a quick starter for you
http://www.citroen-ca.com/DSguide.html

http://www.citroen-restoration.co.uk/ds/index.php

Mike.

ds20prefecture

Blue850 wrote:

My mechanic has been asked to look at a DS that has been in a garage for the last 7 years with a view to getting it going again. He wants to know what are major problems on them . He hasn't gone to see it yet, so I have no idea what year or spec it is or if its seized etc.

They're pretty robust, engine wise. I doubt that he'll have much trouble if the car was driven into the garage 7 years ago. If the car is in Dublin I'd be happy to lend a hand.

He'll need to bring a fresh battery, plugs (Ngk bp6hs or equivalent), a long reach plug spanner, leads, petrol, a bit of diesel and about 5 litres of LHM (assuming the car was made since 1967). If the car was made before then, he'll need to mix 5 litres of brakefluid & 20% castor oil. It is really important that he doesn't get the fluids wrong. LHM cars have all their hydraulic components painted green, otherwise they're painted black.

He should drain the tank, or alternatively run a hose from a jerry can to the fuel pump to get it going. The fuel in the tank will be varnish at this stage. There might be an inline fuel filter before the carb - if so, remove it as it might be full of varnish too. He should also remove the plugs and put a cap ful of diesel into each cylinder a day or so before starting. This will work like a penetrating oil and stop the pistons scoring the liners when it's started.

He'll probably need to drain the rad and refill with water. Theres a valve with a tube to do this.

Check the hydraulic fluid reservoir (big green/black tank with lots of hoses in the engine bay) for fluid. Check under & around the car for greenish hydraulic fluid - if there's lots the chances are that you will need your 5 litres of LHM.
Check that all the hydraulic bits are there - the car at least should have 4 suspension spheres, 1 accumulator sphere (under the fuel pump), a brake accumulator sphere, a high pressure pump and the brake calipers. There may also be a hydraulic shift block, clutch reengagement control, accelerated idle control, centrifugal regulator and clutch slave cylinder if the car is a semi-auto. If any of these are missing - don't try to start the car. It's dangerous.

Fit the battery and give it a turn. Semi auto cars start by turning the ignition key and then moving the gear lever to the left. Manual cars just start on the key. On most you can turn the engine over in the engine bay using a button on the bottom of the battery mounted starter relay. This is a block with electrical connectors on the positive terminal of the battery. press the button and you connect the starter and it's solenoid directly to the positive terminal.

If the starter doesn't turn, hit it a whack with something long and heavy. The starter motor is located under the exhaust manifold. If that doesn't work, most DSs except 5 speed manuals can be turned over on the crank. Don't try to push start it without hydraulic pressure. You've no brakes, gearchange or suspension, so it'll kill the car or you. Remove the front number plate and remove the rubber plug. Behind this is a long bar with a 19mm hex end on one site and a smaller hex end on the other.Put the small end through the hole where the plug was and guide it through the radiator shroud. It should slot into a cup and you'll need to slot it home (fairly hard in some cases). Use the handle on the other end of the rod to turn the engine. Mind your thumb - the backlash can be wicked and has broken a lot of thumbs.

Assuming the car won't start or starts but won't idle or run, do the following:
Change the plugs and the leads. Rub a bit of emery paper on the contacts in the distributor cap. The distributor will be either a Ducellier or an SEV Marchal. The Ducellier are easy to get points for, the SEV not so easy. Check the points gap with a feeler guage for adequate clearance.
It might be worthwhile using some of that cold start stuff in the carb, if only to clean it out a bit.

If you do get it running, DON'T DRIVE IT YET. Let the system pressurise. You'll hear hissing and you'll see the car begin to rise. Check around for hydraulic leaks but be really careful - the pressure is about 2600psi in the pipes, a hairline crack will create a fine "blade" of hydraulic fluid that will (and has) cut through flesh. Assuming no leaks, let it keep going until you hear an audible "Click!". This means the system is pressurised. After a bit (30 seconds to a minute), you'll hear the pump kick in again and "Click" after about 5 seconds if everything is normal. If it's cutting in more frequently, but without external leaks components like the steering rack, spheres, etc will need to be overhauled. If it cuts in for a longer duration than 5 seconds, the chances are you have a high pressure leak somewhere. If, when you start it, the car rises quickly and the cycle time is frequent and brief, the accumulator sphere will need to be replaced. If you can't get good deflection on the suspension by leaning on a corner the suspension spheres will need to be replaced. You can still drive the car like this, but it won't be very nice.

Assuming all is well, you'll need to bleed the brakes before going anywhere. I only know where these things are on a semi auto, but there are two bleed nipples with 9mm fittings. Fit some long clear hose (4.5mm windscreen tubing is good) over these and put the other end in the hydraulic reservoir. With the car running, open the front nipple on the centrifugal regulator (RHS of the car) and have an assistant press the brakes. Keep pressed until you see green fluid flow without bubbles through the line. Repeat on the only bleed nipple on the LHS which is located on the accelerated idle control on the carb. No need to bother too much with the rear brakes at this point - they'll need to be bled, but they do sod all work anyway.

Check that the handbrake calipers are not seized shut on the discs or you'll be going nowhere.

Once that's done, check the clutch and gearchange action. All OK? Then drive and enjoy!

RoundyMooney

Also... come back and let us know. I love seeing these godesses on the road...

Blue850

ds20prefecture, you are a scholar and a gentleman, many thanks , will pass on info