Motoring writer seeks help from BX, CX and XM owners

fourwheelsteer · Post by **fourwheelsteer** » 16 Nov 2006, 23:17

I know I'm a newcomer around here so this is going to sound realy cheeky but I hope someone will be able to help. As bxbodger said:

Fourwheelsteer is a published motoring writer......

and I'm on the lookout for material to write about. I've just sent of a piece on the Citroen C6 which I drove 2 months ago. I would like to drive a CX and an XM, I am particularly keen to drive an XM as it appears to be getting some bad press in the C6 reviews (not my review, I hasten to add).

I would also like to do an article on the BX, I've been impressed by my BX but I would like to speak to other owners and perhaps have some experience of other models before I write anything giving full flow to my praise of the model.

I can't promise that you and your cars will end up in a newspaper or magazine but I will do my best. I'm based in Worcestershire so if you're local and think you can help drop me a PM or reply to this post. Thanks for your help.

Robin · Post by **Robin** » 18 Nov 2006, 15:17

Perhaps you could give us a few examples of your work or tell us where we could read some it? Most of us are very protective about our cars and naturally rather cautious. Robin

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 19 Nov 2006, 19:09

Nah, the prob is your choice of cars!

Now if it was the ZX -- you would be really talkin!!

PS dont mention Xantias.. lmho

.

Bananaman · Post by **Bananaman** » 19 Nov 2006, 19:35

This Months Original Tin* magazine will carry a feature on the BX written by myself.
I have also compiled a BX price / buyers guide and several articles about non Cit cars - mostly in the Jaolopy style of penmanship though. - Oh and O have had a couple of articles published in CCC Citronean (about the BX and ZX).

* NB its in the Nov issue - not out just yet.

fourwheelsteer · Post by **fourwheelsteer** » 19 Nov 2006, 23:05

Thanks for the responses. The only published piece so far is this one:

http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=15032

I've sent off a couple of pieces, one for a newspaper and another for a motoring website.

You will also find my comments in this feature at the bottom of the page:

http://motoring.independent.co.uk/road_ ... 941364.ece

I don't blame people for being cautious especially when a newcomer makes a request like I have. I'll try and give you a better idea of the features I want to put together. Thanks for your help.

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 20 Nov 2006, 00:20

ooops double post.

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 20 Nov 2006, 00:21

While you lot are busy writing to car mags, for gawd sake try to get someone to start making SIMPLE ECU free cars again!!

I know how to wind a window down, I can afford road maps, I can see when a tyres soft, but I CANT fix meaningless ECU codes!!

* I think manufactorers programme cars wiv problems from day one anyway!*

I want a new new-ish diesel auto with no ecu..But no one makes one? why? why? why?

PS I also hate personal computers! lol...

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 20 Nov 2006, 00:59

The reason that the ECU has become essential in modern diesels is that a distributor type pump cannot work at the necessary pressure to give clean exhausts. The highest pressures achieved by the distributor type seem to be about 1500 psi which had risen from about 850 psi in the middle 60's to the early 90's - and HDi's are operating in excess of 10,000 psi - which gives better atomisation - and combustion, and greater efficiency and lower pollutants.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 20 Nov 2006, 16:31

The simple matter is that an ECU can control the amount of fueling better than a mechanical system of equal cost.... a mechanical system could do the same but it would be very complicated and very expensive.

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 21 Nov 2006, 00:53

Awww..

So I can't have one then.. *sobs*

I better go talk nicely to my ZX in that case as I don't want it to feel obsolete or not needed. It's going to have to last me for a very long time by the sound of it..

Still.. On the bright side it is a very nice car to drive, and makes my Honda look like a gas guzzler! lol..

ZX ave mpg 40 ish

... Honda ave mpg 23 ish..

(now relegated to weekend social use only)

.

fourwheelsteer · Post by **fourwheelsteer** » 21 Nov 2006, 22:50

My goodness that's shocking consumption from the Accord. My automatic Prelude averaged about 28mpg, 25 was, I think the worst it got for town driving (no worse than the my manual Prelude managed in similar circumstances) and 30-35 was the best possible result on a long motorway run.

Do you wear heavy boots?

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 21 Nov 2006, 22:57

Do you wear heavy boots?

Hows the speeding case going James? We havn't had an update for a while!!

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 27 Nov 2006, 19:19

I think an interesting article might be a comparison between an Efi car and a carby/distributer type.
I've been insulated from the carby system for around 3 years now, ever since I sold my CX C-matic which was a real dream to drive (I used to think) until a couple of weeks back when one of my sons decided to put my old Ford Spectron/Mazda Traveller MPV back into service whilst he gets his BX and Mi16 serviced.
I finished doing the bodywork and fired it up....whoops, forgot the choke. Once started, I began to take off.....should have held the choke out longer....now it's spitting back through the carby.

Eventually, drive off....all good at last.
Following day, in the process of doing work around the body, the key is left on and almost flattens the battery. It gets jump started, taken to the garage and the battery recharged. Son goes out but soon returns; running rough, backfiring etc. A check reveals the points got cooked when the key was left on. Pull out distributor as it felt a bit dead prior to this anyway and discover the centrifugal weights are jammed. Free uo, fit points.........awww, s**t!!! Lost a screw and now the shops are shut.

Find and make up screw to fit and take for a test drive. Goes well (if you remember the choke every time when it's first started)

but now the exhaust is noisy. Seems when it was backfiring, it busted the pipe off just below the flange and blew the guts out of the muffler. A$270 later and it sounds good again. A week later, I have to reset the points as the fibre block had worn down a few thou and reset the timing.
I drive one of my "computerised" Cits daily and have done for about 6 years or so, as a result I think we tend to forget what used to be involved in "general tuning" with the older system. There's a lot who possibly won't agree with me, but I reckon the greatest thing they ever did was ditch the carby and distributor. I might be getting a bit old, but to me, I'd rather have a car I just sit in and turn the key, fit new plugs every couple of years and clean the injectors every 5 than be playing around trying to set the spark to suit the quality of fuel every second time I fill up. Letting the electronics do it for me, suits me right down to the ground.
Anyone else feel like I do about this?

Alan S

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 27 Nov 2006, 20:31

I entirely agree Alan - which I suppose is why we're running a couple of Citroen diesels.

To be honest I enjoy sorting things out and getting them to work nicely - but can't be bothered to keep tinkering just to keep them going.

Mind you - I was always amused by people who had cars with twin SU's who had them professionally serviced - and had to have them re-tuned every coupple of months or so. My single SU cars stayed in tune - as did the twins I had - never understood why people touched the things in the first place!

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 27 Nov 2006, 22:09

That's so right- SU's are great, once set up all an SU ever needs is oil in the dashpot, the occasional new float valve, and maybe new spindle bushes after mega-miles......same with a Stromberg- if it starts playing up you KNOW it's only going to be the two quid diaphragm.

My personal hate are the electronically controlled carbs that appeared in the mid 80's- neither fish nor fowl and full of solenoids and diaphragms, vacuum pull-downs, etc (pierbergs spring to mind....grrr): a nightmare to diagnose faults on and either a simple carb or proper electronically controlled injection is a lot better, but not a combination of the two...!