A good sign????

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alan s
RIP 2010
Posts: 2542
Joined: 26 Jan 2001, 15:53
Location: Australia
My Cars:
x 6

A good sign????

Post by alan s »

I just noticed that we have reached a milestone on this (Citroen) forum; 500 posts which is over a period of around 17 months.
Now as there were 2.5 million BX's alone sold, and looking at that as a ratio of problems it comes out at .02% of all BX's having problems.
Now when we allow for Xantias, Xsaras, ZX, XM, Saxos as well as a variety of other miscellaneous models the problems with Citroens must be so small as to be almost unnoticeable on a percentage basis <img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle> <img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle> we may even be talking as low as .002%. Or am I starting to sound like a Politician when trying to sell something nobody believes?<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
I'll take my tongue out of cheek now. <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
In all seriousness though, it would be interesting to know on a percentage basis, how many other breeds have lasted as long and given such reliable service over the same period of time if given the amount of use and abuse some of these Cits have; I speak as one who looks at driving them for around a half a million kilometres before embarking on major restoration and was told recently of an XM in Europe it's claimed has covered 2.2 million klms.<img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>
Alan S
Edited by - alans on 27 May 2002 01:54:23
Jon

Post by Jon »

Its a good sign alright Alan! 500 posts on Citroen is a bit of a milestone.<img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>
Whats interesting is the vehicles and problems that people post about, Xantia, BX, some XM and a bit of ZX make up the vast majority.
When I thought about this I realised that for 2cv, AX etc, they are simple cars and most people had them sussed a long time ago. Most postings on the forum are of a fairly complex nature, quite often involving some fairly difficult problems, or else big jobs that DIY'ers are going to attempt themselves such as dash removal to do say a Matrix, or some weird hydraulic problem on a Xantia. We are usually indebted to Dave Burns in such cases.
Whats odd is the lack of postings on the Renault forum,I must admit that I don't know a great deal about them myself so have not really answered any questions, but there must be some Renault enthusiasts out there?. I'm thinking as Renaults are a bit more mainstream than Citroens in many ways this may have a lot to do with it. Having said that, their newer models are not only a bit "off the wall" and technically advanced, but have sold extremely well.
Jon Wood
IT Supervisor
GSF t/as Andyspares
alan s
RIP 2010
Posts: 2542
Joined: 26 Jan 2001, 15:53
Location: Australia
My Cars:
x 6

Post by alan s »

Jon,
I think you've hit the nail on the head with Renault. Regardless of how complicated they may get, the mentality of too many repairers is that because a car has a certain brand stuck on it, that it must be complicated or it must be mainstream. A typical example is here in Australia where they would sell 10 or more Peugeots to one Citroen yet talk to a mechanic working on a 405 (as I did recently) and you get such stupid statements as "I'll work on Peugeots but I wouldn't touch Citroens; too b....y complicated" and wanted to argue that they were all basically poured out of the one tap. "It's like saying Toyota & Nissan are the same just 'coz they're Jap" was his response.
I also think that Citroen owners are often on the receiving end of some well intentioned but misguided "advice" as regards what causes the perceived unreliability of Citroens. Over the 18 years I've owned Citroens I've found most problems are caused through lack of maintenence and shoddy repairs.
I think the constant air of mystery which has been created by the repair industry worldwide which evolved back in the days when Citroens came with such unconventional things as disc brakes and 4 wheel independent suspension has been turned into an industry in its own right by opportunists worldwide and as more people have discovered how really "normal" a Citroen is and how due to the misconception of being quirky, how cheap they are to buy & service by comparison to many other makes, that these forums are breaking that stranglehold that the "comlicated theorists" have had on them.
Let's face it; how many repairers would be brave enough to try some of the fairy stories on Renault owners that they've pulled on Citroen owners over the years? <img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>
If they were honest, they would be telling the truth about what some of the Japanese stuff is like to work on. As an example, I'm presently replacing the water pump on my Ford badged Mazda mini bus.
I have spent around 5 hours so far removing; seats, handbrake, centre console, wiring, radiator, fan shroud, distributor, bolts to manifold, crankshaft pulley, fan bearing mounting plate, wheel, inner guard, protector plates, alternator, by pass hoses, flanges, EGR system, rubber panels down the sides of the radiator, cam belt cover and cam belt & tensioner assembly plus probably about another dozen incidental items I've forgotten. Now do I know what I'm doing? Yep!! I sure do because this is the third pump in 130,000 klms. and I have a detailed diagram which spells out what has to be done to replace it. Now I don't presume to be the quickest repairer in the World but by my reckoning, the average repairer would take 8 hours to complete this exercise.......and nobody would say a word<img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
Makes you wonder, doesn't it<img src=icon_smile_question.gif border=0 align=middle>
Alan S
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