CX Will not crank over

[johnmowcop]

Help anyone?

The car. 1987 CX 25 GTI Auto.I do not use the car all the time but it is kept in good condition. It is my "posh going out" motor.

The problem. It started to happen last week, this is the description. Got top friends house to pick them up to go for a meal. Turned the engine off to wait for them. All of us in the car ready to go, turned the key to start and - nothing. The headlights, and gear shift position indicator lights stayed lit, the speedo dash lights, along with the heater fan, went out and stopped respectively when the key was turned to start. Tried to get it to turn over maybe ten - fifteen turns of the key, still no engine cranking.

Decided to park it at the roadside while we went out in friends car. Came back three hours later, tried to get it to crank over, still nothing. Two days later I arranged to meet the RAC man at the car. Tried the key again first attempt = nothing doing, second attempt it started as normal. The RAC man said seems like starter solenoid.

Decided to take the car to fairly local Citroen independent mechanic who services and MOT's it for me. Drove there no problem. Left it with him, I phoned him the next day to explain the problem. He agreed that it was starter solenoid or starter. He called me when he had finished the repair to tell me it was ready and to advise me he had located a recon starter/solenoid and fitted them. I have no problem with him doing this, he knows I would prefer this type of repair.

Picked the car up this evening, started up no problem. Got home, stopped the car, after about three minutes tried to start it again and the same as previously happened happened again. Turn the key, nothing. In desperation I just kept turning teh key and holding inn thstart position, after about twenty to twenty five tries it started up.

Any one got any suggestions please.

JohnT

[Hell Razor5543]

I wonder if the battery leads could be at fault. The Xantia does have this, in that as they age the cables increase in resistance.

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 3&start=30

[sandybx]

CX,s can suffer from ignition switch contacts problems, similar to the faults you are having.

[johnmowcop]

I wonder if the battery leads could be at fault. The Xantia does have this, in that as they age the cables increase in resistance.

No I do not think it is the battery connection, that is why I made a point of mentioning the fact that the lights stayed on when I tried to start. Had the battery connection been th eproblem the lights would have gone off.

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 3&start=30

[johnmowcop]

CX,s can suffer from ignition switch contacts problems, similar to the faults you are having.

Not heard of this problem, which does not mean much really. What is the cure, new switch or clean contacts, can the switch be dismantled?

[Peter.N.]

I will second the ignition switch, my CX25 DTR Turbo Safari suffered with this although it was only intermittent.

Peter

[xantia_v6]

Being an auto, there is also a starter inhibit switch on the transmission (or selector), which could also be the culprit.

[wurlycorner]

Simplest way to rule out the ignition switch (and circuit) is....
Put the ignition on, make sure the car is in neutral, open the bonnet and go to the positive battery lead.
At the battery end of the lead, you'll see the main chunky cable and also a thinner wire with a red in-line connector.
Unplug the connector, grab the engine side of that and touch it on the battery positive terminal.
Voila!
Starter will crank and once you've got over the initial shock/jump back, you'll be adept enough at holding it on long enough to turn the engine over until it fires.

One of my CXs has needed this treatment for years. (Should have seen the face of one of my mates when they were sat in the passenger seat one day, I disappeared under the bonnet and the car suddenly started with no-one in the drivers side)

[johnmowcop]

Original Post Here: http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 85#p469885
Anyone any idea where I can get an ignition switch from, either new or second hand for the CX GTI 25 Auto.

Thanks', Hopefully
JohnT

[sandybx]

Dear John,
Looking through recent editions of the Citroenian mag John I can only come up with one name I am affraid and that is Stan Platts. He is a CX specialist of some 30 years His number is 01274 683848 after 6pm on weekends
Or you could try Brodies the SM specialists
I hope this helps John
Vince,

[Old-Guy]

Failing a new ignition switch (you'll be really lucky), why not by-pass the burnt-out set of 'start' contacts in ignition switch with a relay in a similar manner to the Xantia ignition switch mod., and operate the relay with a push-button concealed under the dash? If you take the power for the push-button from a convenient ignition-on circuit, security isn't compromised - in fact it would be enhanced.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Help anyone?

The car. 1987 CX 25 GTI Auto.I do not use the car all the time but it is kept in good condition. It is my "posh going out" motor....

A bit of an oul thread resurrection but stumbled across this and realised that this is the CX I bought from "johnmowcop" in October 2017.

There were a succession of interesting electrical problems after I took it on - I went through three batteries, three alternators (the first had given up charging, the second reconditioned one needed another recondition, and the third, a Valeo, still works today) and a starter motor. Don't mention starter motors - the only one that fits is a Mitsubishi type with internal reduction gear, and there are almost none to be had in Britain. When my local specialist and I each tracked one down independently, we bought both of them. The specialist beat me to it and fitted his first, so mine is a jealously-guarded spare.

The ignition key snapped last year, so I ended up changing the entire barrel - actually turned out to be a straightforward DIY job - and the "new" key is still intact. I really should cut a spare key....

Then there was the auto gearbox rebuild and the head gasket replacement, but that's all coolant under the bridge.

It all works properly now, with a big 74Ah Exide battery. I changed all the exterior lighting to LEDs to reduce the demand on aged wiring.

....apart from an intermittent LHM leak that is the very devil to trace because it doesn't do it all the time and when it does, there's a spot under the front subframe rather than a puddle.

Next job is to take the glovebox off and replace the control transistor for the heater blower fan.