Confessions of a Citroholic

[RichardW]

Apparently if you've got arms like an orangutan, complete with 3 elbows, 2 wrists, and four joints in each finger you can do it without removing the drive shaft and exhaust.... I'll get it on the ramps over the weekend and have a 'look'.

[CitroJim]

Apparently if you've got arms like an orangutan, complete with 3 elbows, 2 wrists, and four joints in each finger you can do it without removing the drive shaft and exhaust....

Somehow it doesn't sound like you Richard!!!

All the very best of luck, I'll be awaiting news of your adventure with great interest

[RichardW]

Much fun was had today.... suffice to say it involved a bit of looking at an ION, a broken T55 bit; a recalcitrant drive shaft, a lot of heat, some welding, a lot of sweating, a 41mm socket stuck on a ball joint, a knackered wheel bearing, a 32mm socket stuck in part of a wheel bearing and a very obstinate circlip!! I'll leave Simon to fill in the details!

[Mandrake]

Nice summary of the day, I've filled in some details over on my own blog.

After the amount of struggling with the ball joint itself, I'd completely forgotten about the two sockets that got stuck on or in something when writing my post!

[RichardW]

Ordered a new T55 bit - 1/2" drive; impact spec. Any bolts that resist that and a 2ft breaker bar are likely few and far between

[Hell Razor5543]

Ordered a new T55 bit - 1/2" drive; impact spec. Any bolts that resist that and a 2ft breaker bar are likely few and far between

Have you got to do the hub on the other side of that Xantia?

[ekjdm14]

My T55 bit is a Halfords Advanced 1/2" & if I ever break that I'll just go and ask for another...

[RichardW]

I fixed the non working head light on the 307 today; appeared to just be a bit of corrosion on the -ve connection to the ballast. Then proceeded to work on getting the bumper off so that I can change the NS headlight which is waterlogged. Persuaded the wing end bolt out, which will free it up enough to get the light out. Then had a go at the other side, but someone has been there before me and the bracket is broken so it should be possible to extract that too if required for full bumper removal. Then I had a look under neath.... The starter is I can see the end of it just with the connections on it. I did feel the two bolts that are 'accessible' from underneath, but they are touch only. The exhaust and the vac reservoir will need to come out for sure... the drive shaft can probably stay in place! Going to have to do it though, as instances of no-crank are getting more common - it did it this morning when it was cold; getting to the stage I am not sure if it will start or not. I was then looking at the exhaust and thought it looks a bit funny at the front...closer inspection shows the flexi section (the one that needs to come off to do the starter!) has completely sheared off at the outlet from the CAT It's not noisy - I have noticed a couple of times a whooshing noise under hard acceleration, but that's it! New section looks to be about £35 on the bay. Can't complain too much - no reason to believe it's not the 10 year / 130k old original!

[CitroJim]

That starter motor job is looking more and more tricky Richard... I hope it's like most jobs on PSA vehicles in that it actually turns out a little easier than it first looks - a bit like removing the HP Pump from a V6 Xantia... It looks impossible but it's not too bad... Tricky but doable...

Still, at least disconnecting the exhaust will not be a waste of time... perfect time to renew that duff section...

[RichardW]

If I have to remove the shaft, then I might as well fit a new wishbone on the OS as the bolts will be accessible. And as the drop link on that side is knocking, I might as well do that as well. And as that will free the strut, I might as well have the strut out to do the top bearing which is noisy. And as the spring is at least 50k old on that side, I might as well put a new spring in. And whilst I've got the box drained, I might as well pull the shaft and put a new wishbone on the NS as well Job escalation???

Le's hope it can be done without taking the shaft out!!!

[CitroJim]

Job escalation???

That's a good term for it Richard A bit like 'mission creep'...

Thing is, it always happens when we do jobs on our cars... You always find something else that you'd might as well/must do whilst you’re at it!

[elma]

Sounds like a new car could be cheaper and easier.
I hope that shaft can stay in place too.

[ekjdm14]

Job escalation???

That's a good term for it Richard A bit like 'mission creep'...

Thing is, it always happens when we do jobs on our cars... You always find something else that you'd might as well/must do whilst you’re at it!

Always the way with older cars, especially when they're in that 100-150k area where a lot of the original stuff that's lasted well starts to either fail or not be worth risking leaving in place if it has to be disturbed anyway. At least if you do the whole lot with decent parts then there's every chance that the next time it needs attention in those areas will be well into the 200-250k zone if the car makes it that far.

[RichardW]

On the list at present...

Starter
Exhaust section
Cam belt
Clean out the DPF
Thermostat
Air filter
Fuel filter
Pollen filter
OSF drop link
NS headlight change

On the not too far in future list
Front wishbone bushes both sides (they look pretty tired, but no play in them yet)
OSF strut top bearing + spring

It is 13 day today - it passed 131313 on the way to work this morning!! And nothing (else) fell off!

It did occur to me that maybe I should get rid of it, and get something else, but even at £3 grand you are just buying into someoneelse's cast offs. £6k might buy something half decent, but that's a lot of wedge vs a few £00 for the bits above (oh, and a fair few hours under neath it!). I can also see why people have cars on PCP / lease so they just pay a monthly fee that doesn't look too frightening. It does if you add it up over 1 or 3 years though!

The car seems fundamentally OK, so I'm prepared to invest a bit into it - I would like to get another 2.5 years / 40k out of it; that would take it to 170k, which is probably the top end for a 1.6 HDi 16V!!

The only blot on the horizon might be the clutch - which AFAIK is the original.... It's a PITA job on the 1.6, and not cheap either if you put a new DMF in. If it went now I would probably do it, but when do you draw the line? Above 150k perhaps it might not be worth the expense and aggro. Xantia HDi was still on its original clutch at 160k so I am not hard on them. C4 went at 90k, so someone else is a bit harder on them IYKWIW!!!

Oh, and one of the power steering pipes looks a bit crusty around the mount on the chassis leg. I'm willing to bet changing that is a) a mare and b) expensive!!

Edit: Boys were watching these guys on the box last night, Do you think I could borrow a couple for the starter job

[Mandrake]

On the list at present...

Starter
Exhaust section
Cam belt
Clean out the DPF
Thermostat
Air filter
Fuel filter

If only it were possible to buy a car that didn't have these annoying and troublesome items, oh, wait!

Pollen filter
OSF drop link
NS headlight change

On the not too far in future list
Front wishbone bushes both sides (they look pretty tired, but no play in them yet)
OSF strut top bearing + spring

Ah, you got me there...

It is 13 day today - it passed 131313 on the way to work this morning!! And nothing (else) fell off!

It did occur to me that maybe I should get rid of it, and get something else, but even at £3 grand you are just buying into someoneelse's cast offs. £6k might buy something half decent, but that's a lot of wedge vs a few £00 for the bits above (oh, and a fair few hours under neath it!). I can also see why people have cars on PCP / lease so they just pay a monthly fee that doesn't look too frightening. It does if you add it up over 1 or 3 years though!

I think car ownership full stop is a bit scary, if you own or run anything even remotely new, which is why I've always bought old cars and done the work mostly myself, or I'd never be able to afford to own and run a car. The Ion is by far the newest car I've ever owned, and that's only because EV's aren't that old yet so there isn't much choice if you want one! A car is just a pit to pour either money or time into!

The car seems fundamentally OK, so I'm prepared to invest a bit into it - I would like to get another 2.5 years / 40k out of it; that would take it to 170k, which is probably the top end for a 1.6 HDi 16V!!

I forgot both your cars were 1.6HDi's, surely they must be on borrowed time at that sort of mileage...?

The only blot on the horizon might be the clutch - which AFAIK is the original.... It's a PITA job on the 1.6, and not cheap either if you put a new DMF in. If it went now I would probably do it, but when do you draw the line? Above 150k perhaps it might not be worth the expense and aggro. Xantia HDi was still on its original clutch at 160k so I am not hard on them. C4 went at 90k, so someone else is a bit harder on them IYKWIW!!!

Amazingly I've never had to deal with a clutch replacement on a car I've owned, despite most of my cars being manuals, and old ones at that! The closest I've come was a highish mileage Honda Accord whose clutch bit alarmingly close to the top of the pedal travel, but I got rid of it before it became and actual problem...

Edit: Boys were watching these guys on the box last night, Do you think I could borrow a couple for the starter job

Something wrong with your link - it won't play.