Citroen CX

carchaeologist

Now i know theres a good few citroen heads on here,so i have a few questions for ye!!
A few weeks ago i was at a friends place and had a look at his CX ,i had never paid much attention to these cars before,except for the mad suspension:Dbut i was quite impressed by this one and its strange but interesting interior!!
So:
1 What are the major faults with these cars?
2 Are they easy to work on?
3 Is the suspension expensive to fix,is it very complicated,hard to get parts for and the like?
4 Are panels hard to come by,and trim etc?
5 Where are the rustspots?
6 Are they as good on the road as iv been told they are?
7 Which version/engine type is the best?
8 The one i was looking at was an auto, whats the bugbears with these gearboxes?Are manuals better?
Ta in advance lads!!:D

mike65

Rust and electronics, they can be a bastard to work on, the engines and transmission are packed in and access is very tight.

Most suspension problems are down to worn or leaking spheres they can be recharged and renewed. The pipe work is the most problematic area - if any needs replacing its lots of work - if somethign other than LHM has been used the whole lot would be damaged cos the seals will be compromised.

Potential rusty bits are anywhere you car to look esp beware of inside arches, the bulkheads, rear door, bottom of doors, under plastic trim (is it Mk1 or Mk2?).

I'm sure those who have actually owned one will be able to fill in more details.

http://www.cxclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?sid=ea54976ddcb1084c062b4f40a0f11ef4

Mike.

Lyre61

Had a CX Estate with the 3 rows of seats, great car to drive very comfy. As with all old cars there is a stage that it is better to walk away . The CX engines were reliable and compared to most Citroens easy enough to work on. The diesels usually go on forever. Manual is best but the C matic versions are nice but an aquired taste. They rust in all the usual places, door bottoms, sills, boot lid. The hydraulics systems on Citroen are fairly tough, problems occur due to lack of undertanding. The spheres do go flat over a period of time yet they are easy to replace, if they are not you are driving a car with no suspension and that causes damage. On the SM it can lead to breaking the front member. The car should rise quickly once started and the pump which clicks should shut off once the car is up, coming on again every few mins. If it keeps clicking you gotta do a bit of work Brakes should be sharp but not jerky.
All in all they were a good car, loads of room for everyone and with the estate you can fit in everything including the kitchen sink.
They are now starting to become rare especially good ones and prices are starting to increase steadly. There are two series of them, early ones had crome bumpers and the second series had big rubber ones. The interior was changed completely. Personally I prefered the series one

carchaeologist

The one i saw was a series one,from pictures iv seen they do look much better than the later cars,it also had Cmatic transmission as you call it,whats the story with that,is it a sort of semi auto?The change pattern seemed a little unusual.

Lyre61

Its Citroen take on an auto box, 3 speed but you drive it like a manual just no clutch. The series one were a bit more old school Citroen. The big spere on the dash is an air vent, the speedo and rev counters rotate (Drum Shaped) while the needle stays still. All the std controls are set into the dash around the steering wheel so you can reach them without taking your hands off the wheel. The boot on the saloon is a bit awkward to use, but hey its a Citroen. If you look up the C6 and top gear on you tube they have a bit on the CX at the start of the report.

carchaeologist

Lyre61 wrote: »

Its Citroen take on an auto box, 3 speed but you drive it like a manual just no clutch. The series one were a bit more old school Citroen. The big spere on the dash is an air vent, the speedo and rev counters rotate (Drum Shaped) while the needle stays still. All the std controls are set into the dash around the steering wheel so you can reach them without taking your hands off the wheel. The boot on the saloon is a bit awkward to use, but hey its a Citroen. If you look up the C6 and top gear on you tube they have a bit on the CX at the start of the report.

Sound as, will do, i bought a haynes manual in upton for the CX today to see how the car is put together.Quirky is too simple a word!!:D

carchaeologist

[SIZE=+2]Citroen CX Buyers Guide[/SIZE]





[SIZE=-1]Above: A steel-bumpered 1981 CX Pallas[/SIZE]
The Citroen CX was introduced with much fanfare at the August 1974 Paris Motor Show. Its shape inspired by the SM and GS, the aerodynamic and futuristic CX had a tough act to follow: the venerable Citroen DS. The CX was the last car to be entirely designed in-house, before Peugeot bought the company in 1975 and started taking the company mainstream. Although it's introduction didn't shake up the motoring world like the 1955 unveiling of the DS, the CX was futuristic and idiosyncratic enough to distinguish it as a Citroen. The European Automotive Press was impressed enough to award the CX "Car of the Year." The handling, ride, and styling quickly made it the car of choice for business executives and politicians. Citroen further expanded that market niche by introducing the extended wheelbase CX Prestige in 1975. Due to its large size by European standards and healthy thirst for fuel, the CX was also offered in several diesel versions including the DTR Turbo 2, the quickest production diesel in the world: top speed of 120 mph and 0-60 mph in 10.1 seconds.

The choice of CXs falls into two distinct categories: Series I (1975 - 1985) and Series II (1985 - 1991). The Series I cars were imported into the USA by several gray market importers including Trend Imports and Jareb Hydraulics in California. To ease EPA compliance, almost all of the imported Series I CXs were of the diesel variety. The Series II cars were imported by either CINA (Citroen Importers of North America) from Georgia or CX Automotive from New Jersey. Both of these importers opted to bring in the fuel-injected 2.5L CXs. These were easier to comply than the carburated gas version and made it unnecessary to import the less popular (for the USA market) diesel CXs.
It is estimated that there were slightly under 1,000 CXs sold in the USA. Probably at least half of those are still on the road and most of those are the later Series II cars. There are benefits and drawbacks on both Series cars and these should be considered carefully before buying. To help on an exchange basis. I would therefor suggest you avoid any cars with suspect transmissions unless it can be bought for a very attractive price.
Hydraulics:
1. Check that the hydraulic fluid is the correct LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Minerale - a clearish green in color) as required. If the hydraulic fluid is reddish or brownish in color, it may be contaminated with Dextron II or worse: brake fluid. In either case, the hydraulic system needs to be flushed immediately. If it can be verified that the hydraulics are contaminated with brake fluid (or another non-mineral-based fluid), the car should probably be avoided unless it can be purchased dirt cheap.
2. Check the suspension: Idle the car in normal
suspension height. Push down on the front and rear bumpers. If there is no give in the suspension, the spheres (shocks) need to be replaced. Be aware that you won't get the same floating ride from the GTi and Turbo CXs as a DS, or even an SM. The ride was made noticably stiffer to handle cornering and might feel a little harsh to a DS or SM driver.
3. Check the hydraulic recycling time: With the car idling in the normal suspension height, the hydraulic pump should activate every 30 seconds or more. The pump makes a short burping sound when it activates. If this sound is continuous or occurs every few seconds, there is either an internal leak in the hydraulics or the pressure regulator and/or accumulator needs to be replaced.
4. The steering is virtually troublefree. Almost all CXs sold in the USA have the self-centring Vari-Power-Assisted steering as first introduced on the Citroen SM. Heavy steering at slow speeds is not necessarily a steering problem but more likely a flat main accumulator.
Brakes:
1. The CX has a voracious appetite for front brake pads. Fortunately they are easy to change and relatively affordable. However, if there has been a lackadaisical attitude in replacing the pads, ie change them when they grind, there is a good chance the front brake rotors will be scored and in need of replacing.
2. Later cars with ABS are wonderful to drive but can develop related electrical problems, although usually of a minor nature (ie flashing ABS light on dash).
Body:
If you are planning to reside your CX on the East Coast or in the "Rust" belt, opt for a Series II CX over a pre-1981 model. The early cars had virtually zilch in the way of rustproofing whereas later cars had state-of-the-art rust protection. Post-1981 cars were also redesigned in critical areas to inhibit rust and were painted with a much superior finish. If you are interested in a early CX, inspect the car carefully for any signs of rust. Cars with rusty body panels can be fixed but unless you have deep pockets of cash or a degree in metal working avoid any car with rust in the floorboards or frame.
On pre-1981 CXs:
1. Inspect the inside of the wheelarches carefully. Mud tends to get trapped there and the fenders will rust from the inside out.
2. The drain holes in the bottom of the doors will
frequently plug causing rust to start there. Carefully inspect the bottom of each door.
3. Check around the bottom of the windshield. Again, water gets trapped there and they tend to rust from the inside out.
4. Check underneath the car especially the frame rails which are frequently damaged due to incorrect jacking.
On All Cars:
1. Check for rust in the hood and trunk area, especially around the lower rear edge of the trunk where water frequently collects.
On All Wagons:
1. Check the tailgate for rust. Replacing one will be costly as there are very few used body panels available for the CX in the USA and new ones are pricey.
2. Check where the tailgate hinges are mounted to the body. Serious rust can set in there.
Miscellaneous:
1. If the car has European headlamps, check the
silvering for rust. To either replace or repair them would cost $225+ each.
2. The electrical system is a weak point on the Series II cars. Electrical glitches are not uncommon but, unless they hamper driving, are better left alone. It is a rare Series II CX that doesn't have a jumpy temperature guage or oil-level guage, or intermittently flashing dash warning light. Un-fortunately, some of these problems are wiring related (difficult to trace and expensive to fix) or caused by a faulty computer (the CX GTi Turbo with ABS has four separate computers).
Note: to check the following four items, raise the wheels off the ground (one side at a time - as if you were changing a flat).
3. Check the front wheel bearings. Spin the front wheels and listen for any excessive bearing noise. Also, grab and shake the front wheels thereby checking for any play in the bearing. The bearings are $150.00 each plus installation and seem to last about 60-80,000 miles.
4. Check the CV joints. Apply the parking brake. Using a visegrip clamped to the axle, move the axle and check for play in the CV joints.
5. Check the triax for play. As per #3, grab the wheel and carefully watch for play at the triax (at the end of the axle by the transmission).
6. Check the rear suspension arm bearings as these cannot be greased. If any water gets by the seals, the bearings will quickly deteriorate and wear into the aluminum arms. Check for creaks as the suspension moves up and down. Also look at the rear tire wear and if the rear wheel camber is correct (they should be perfectly vertical). Excessive arm bearing wear can also be found by grabbing the rear wheel and shaking it.

mike65

The early cars had virtually zilch in the way of rustproofing whereas later cars had state-of-the-art rust protection. Post-1981 cars were also redesigned in critical areas to inhibit rust and were painted with a much superior finish.

An optimistic assessment methinks. They all rust.

Mike.

Lyre61

yeah..but they rust with style

carchaeologist

Seems they have a seperate chassis/subframe,i didnt know that,and the way the speedo drum moves but not the dial is class!!:cool:

unkel

carchaeologist wrote: »

the way the speedo drum moves but not the dial is class!!:cool:

It's typical Citroen alright

Iirc (from decades back), the GS have similar rotating drums. For anyone unfamiliar with these, think one-armed bandit machines:

carchaeologist

Good analogy!!:D

ambro25

unkel wrote: »

For anyone unfamiliar with these, think one-armed bandit machines

...but leant sideways

My Dad had 4 (maybe 5, can't remember): 3 (or 4) were Turbo D, one was GTI Turbo.

I had one myself for a short while in the early 90s (Mk1 GTI Turbo as well). Note that the Mk1 GTI Turbo already did away with the rotating drum speed. Mad machine, used to try and see how fast I could make Reims - Paris on A4 m'way in France (I used to commute weekly), still have a radar photo stashed somewhere, showing 231 kp/h

For what it's worth, never had any issues with any of ours - but then they were bought new, or were still 'relatively fresh' way back when... It's now about 17 to 18 years on. The spheres were already known as their Achille's heel back then, I guess of course they still will be now.

DbIMKA

Hi,

I'm probably in a wrong topic, I apologize! I'm desperately looking for suspension arms and some other suspension parts for my 1981 2.4 Diesel Citroen CX. Could you please advice me where to look for to order the parts over the internet with international delivery, please?

I'd appreciate your help very much!
Thanks!

VWPowered

not really a CX fan but i sooo want this.. actually need to get off my butt and ask if its for sale first

richardsheil

DbIMKA wrote: »

Hi,

I'm probably in a wrong topic, I apologize! I'm desperately looking for suspension arms and some other suspension parts for my 1981 2.4 Diesel Citroen CX. Could you please advice me where to look for to order the parts over the internet with international delivery, please?

I'd appreciate your help very much!
Thanks!

Try


http://www.citroen-andre.com/

brodie.co.uk

chevronics.co.uk

probably citroen andre is best / best value

Richard

PanhardPL

A very good source for CX stuff, is a firm called Classic Citroen Parts and the contact there is John Greaves classic.citroen@btinternet.com, tel no. 0044 113 2585791.
I got an item from him recently and he was very reasonable to deal with.

hugh4066

I'm thinking of selling my CX. It's a late 1989 model with only 80,000 miles and really is in excellent shape. It has its NCT until 2010. There are only two minor rust spots: around the sunroof and one pinhole spot on the bonnet.
If interested, you can send me a pm and i'll send photos and details.

Motormouth

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160269692951&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=160265401914&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget&_trksid=p284.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%252BIA%26itu%3DIA%252BUCI%26otn%3D4%26ps%3D41