TurboCT prebuy

[ekaftan]

I made a very lowball offer for a 97 or 98 green TurboCT yesterday. I offered around 2/3rds of their asking price and I think I'll get a call monday to go pick it up. Its my first time near one, and would like to poll your collective knowledge on what specifics to that engine I should check. I already have one Xantia and have had another two, just never a CT...

Thanks.

[CitroJim]

Is that an Activa or a Turbo CT Estate you're soon to get Ekaftan?

In the engine department (same one as in the Activa) there is very little to say really, they're bombproof in virtually all respects. They're a strong engine in a relatively low state of tune as they're tuned for torque rather than all-out HP and thus the turbo boost is not huge.

Check the cooling system is in top order as they do run hot. Check it has not been fiddled with and manual boost controllers fitted and so on. Check the K light goes out as soon as the engine starts. If it lingers for a few seconds, you have a fault code stored in the engine ECU.

If the cooling rad looks a bit sad, budget to replace it. They really do need the cooling system to be in top order. Do also check the fans as they do work hard in a Turbo CT.

On a test drive, check the engine is very low-down torquey. Don't worry about a bit of turbo lag but once you press the pedal well down it should fairly fly off. Remember it's running near-diesel gear ratios and is therefore laid back. The engine should pull like a train and not hesitate except perhaps for the well-known little hesitation at 2700 rpm. They all do that.

Check the gear selection is nice and crisp. gear Change Cables wear and in a MK1 they're expensive and difficult to replace. Ditto the clutch, which is hydraulic. The ML5 gearbox is otherwise well bombproof.

The car will be hydractive so give the suspension a good check and check it switches properly between hard and soft modes.

Otherwise, all normal Xantia checks apply such as strut tops and heater matrix and so on.

If it's a Turbo CT Estate, check the front door hinges as in estates they have a habit of falling off where the welds give out on the hinges where they join the A pillar. An easy repair. Also check the tailgate. They're notorious for leaking (again, an easy fix) and letting water into the cargo area and possibly leading to rust. Check under the back seats for damp and also check in the rear door shuts on the sill seam for rust. Estates do see to go there a bit.

Check the windscreen scuttle panel is well bonded and not allowing water into the front passenger footwell. Slide your hand under the carpet to check. Again, an easy fix but the interior needs to be stripped to dry it out.

If it has leather seats, check all the seat electrics work but don't be surprised if the seat heaters have packed up. they don't last long.

Anything more specific you want to know, come back.

A Turbo CT will be a very nice, if not particularly economical, gentlemans GT.

[ekaftan]

It's a car you most likely don't get. Not an Activa and not an Estate. Its like a Turbo-VSX (leather seats but not electric, same interior as my 95 VSX but with beige carpet and glass sunroof)

I have only started the engine and checked the gearbox and clutch at low speed, and they all seem fine. All lights go off as soon as the engine starts.

Its a bit missfiry at low revs, but the car has been sitting in a car salesman lot for 4 months so it must neex a good italian tuneup. The one previous owner started trying to sell the car for around US$8000 and I offered less than four. This weekend its on the paper for US$5600 (a low price for a CT down here. I just sold my 95 VSX for US$3600)

I will check the hydractive monday, if they call. It leaks LHM like crazy, but nothing for me to worry about. Been there, fixed all of it in previous Xantias.

I am only really worried about the engine and gearbox. It would me my first manual and first Turbo...

Thanks

[CitroJim]

That'll be a nice car

Its a bit missfiry at low revs, but the car has been sitting in a car salesman lot for 4 months so it must neex a good italian tuneup.

No worries on that. They're not the smoothest of idlers at the best of times! I find mine (had two Activas now) both play up like that if they have stood around for some time and a good blast normall results in normal running!

Where is the LHM leaking from?

[ekaftan]

Where is the LHM leaking from?

From what I could see, both the front hydractive unit and the pressure regulator are soaked in dark LHM. Also, both hoses going to the front strut tops are weeping. It has leaked around half the tank in 4 months, so maybe its just a normal half a liter a month leak

It looks like all hoses, strut tops and spheres are original, so I am budgeting for a full replacement of those and some hydraflush.

[ekaftan]

That'll be a nice car

Just got the call... up the offer US$100 and the cars mine.

I'm picking it up on monday to get a friend to look it over, and if he does not find anything that I did not already know, I am buying it

[CitroJim]

Brilliant Ekaftan I think the only Turbo CT we had in the UK was the Estate version although they were full VSX/Exclusive trim.

Hope it all turns out well

No Hydraulic Citroen should consume that much LHM in a month In fact LHM consumption should be zero, more or less. Activas seem to use a bit, mainly from slopping it out of the reservoir due to G forces brought about through enthusiastic cornering

The front hydractive electrovalve is often seen to be damp with LHM and is normally just a weep from the leakage return and nothing to get overly anxious about.

The PR leak will either be a damaged sphere seal where the sphere seal has been wrongly installed at some time and has become cut or weeping from the rigid hydraulic pipe unions going into the PR body. Replace the seals and all should be well.

[XantiaMan]

. Check it has not been fiddled with and manual boost controllers fitted and so on.

Nothing wrong with manual boost controllers if fitted properly

[CitroJim]

Nothing wrong with manual boost controllers if fitted properly

Indeed, none at all providing the last three words in your last post have been strictly adhered to

I was trying to say beware if unskilled fiddlers and tweakers have been at work in the past. You know what I was trying to say

[XantiaMan]

Nothing wrong with manual boost controllers if fitted properly

Indeed, none at all providing the last three words in your last post have been strictly adhered to

I was trying to say beware if unskilled fiddlers and tweakers have been at work in the past. You know what I was trying to say

Yes i do

[ekaftan]

TragaTurbo (1997 Xantia TurboCT, orga 7050) is parked downstairs. I bought it today. A huge leap of faith and lots of years of buying old cars, as I drove it away the lot with the ABS light on, STOP and LHM pressure lights flickering, a flat battery, stiff suspension, draggy brakes, vapor coming out of the vents, no brake lights, no turn indicators and a coded radio with no code.

I drove it to a friends house and we spent half an hour 'fixing it'. A new battery and a liter of LHM fixed the ABS light. Draggy brakes have started to let go slowly and the suspension is also starting to self heal (car was abandoned in a lot months ago). Indicators work after replacing the fuse and draining what seemed like a pint of water from a front light.

A US$10 liquimoly stop-leak fixed the vapor. its now just a small watery odor. I may make it to the summer where I can fix it properly. Radio code was written on the manual.

So far, less than US$150 spent and the car is usable and booooooooooy does it give me a smile every time I put down the right foot.

Its now down to replacing the front strut tops, both are way past shot and both gaiters are hanging down, and fixing the brake lights (pedal does not click and has been messed up, cables hanging and chaffed)

Only bad news is that the speedo is intermitent. Maybe I get lucky and the cable is just loose.

Many thanks for the prebuy help... I bought it anyway