The Citroën Love Affair............

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 07 Nov 2010, 18:57

Driving an A Class on a daily basis I know why I like hydro Citroens!

As soon as they rise up you know why they're special.

Steve.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 07 Nov 2010, 21:15

steelcityuk wrote:Driving an A Class on a daily basis I know why I like hydro Citroëns!

Steve.

After today ive another great reason why Hydraulic Citroens are the only thing to drive!

While i was driving the Seat today, i hit a slight pothole, a huge bang followed and the car dropped on one side with a scrubbing noise. The top of the spring has snapped off, meaning the spring is no longer sitting on the strut top spring seat, the spring has gone past that and is now supported by the top of the wheel arch. Great!

Post by **Peter.N.** » 07 Nov 2010, 21:30

Quite a common problem now I'm told.

Post by **myglaren** » 07 Nov 2010, 21:30

Far too common on modern tin spiral suspension.
My eldest son's Golf broke two in short order, on on a flat road

Other sons 306 broke one, daughter's SAAB brike one, her 106 broke one.Guy at work, his Vectra (only 2 years old) broke both front springs as he drove away on night, car just crashed to it's knees.
Followed a Mondeo yesterday that had a suspicious list to the right.
Girl lives next door to my wife has had six on her Ka(k)!

Only one I've had was on an R14. Wondered why the steering was so reluctant to turn right, until it's first MOT

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 07 Nov 2010, 21:41

It is very common, some cars more so than others. We had a Fiat Stilo for a very short time (don't ask!), which had to go in for a recall to have cups fitted to catch the spirings 'when' they go

Springs on Ford Kaks are a common failure, even rear ones. Vws do seem very prone to them, ive seen a few Passats sat on their knees.

I saw a guy a few months back trying to jack up his BMW 3 series on the road side. The front tyre was flat, but the car was sat on the floor, being supported by the sill and front bumper, with the mudflaps tucked tight under the car. Obviously the spring had snapped and went through the tyre, i dont think he had much luck jacking it, never mind change the wheel. I can't imagine what would happen if your doing motorways speeds and one goes in that fashion.

It was a bit odd, as i drove off in the Seat this morning and came to the speed bumps along the top of our road, i thought to myself to go slow as the car had been standing, incase a spring goes. Then, later today one did. Unbelievable.

Springs are a poor and basic idea. When is everyone going to catch on, you need to be running on fluid, not bits of bent metal!

Post by **myglaren** » 07 Nov 2010, 21:59

Citroenmad wrote: Springs are a poor and basic idea. When is everyone going to catch on, you need to be running on fluid, not bits of bent metal!

The French governement should insist that Citroen make ONLY hydraulically suspended vehicles.
All the rest can stick to their bits of tin if they like, until they see the light

Post by **CitroJim** » 08 Nov 2010, 06:46

myglaren wrote: The French governement should insist that Citroën make ONLY hydraulically suspended vehicles.
All the rest can stick to their bits of tin if they like, until they see the light

hear! hear!

ashy90 · Post by **ashy90** » 08 Nov 2010, 16:33

Ahhem. Xantia strut tops anyone

Chris570 · Post by **Chris570** » 08 Nov 2010, 16:35

we'd prefer not to swear on this forum.

think of the good times, if you have a citroen diesel the pleasure of driving right past fuel stations with a smile on your face.

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 09 Nov 2010, 12:06

A Classes are notorious for breaking their springs or the cast alloy cups they sit in. However it has to be the most practical car I've ever owned, even when the SED is back on the road I think I'll keep it.

The thoughts of springs going into tyres at high speeds makes me shudder, another step backwards from the old days of large shaped steel cups that prevented this. Maybe it will take a few court cases to change things back?

Steve.

andy5 · Post by **andy5** » 11 Nov 2010, 18:20

Something that is happening to me from reading here and the BXClub forum, and seeing that some of you have half a dozen cars, is that I'm pining slightly and feeling guilty about a BX I got rid of.

I've had this Xantia for 7 years, and one BX for 9 years before it, and another BX before that. Nearly 200k miles in the 2nd BX; close to 400k between the 3 of them.

I've no idea what the real mileage was on that second one; the bloke who sold it to me had presumably clocked it back to the 50,000 shown, and the engine in it then was a turbo with a non-turbo head, as discovered when it blew the head gasket in Germany (with the outside air temp minus 14!).

Later I had it written off bought it back and fixed for just over £100, so even though it had had a new engine and associated stuff, it didn't owe me any money at all.

It had lost its 5th gear for the last year or more (I got a spare gearbox but didn't fit it), there was an oil leak slowly affecting the driveway, the turbo seemed to be losing its effect towards the end, seemingly all going downhill together, but it still spent 2 years on the drive with me occasionally wondering about getting it going again and on biodiesel or straight veg oil, before I bit the bullet and had a scrappie come and fetch it while I was away from home.