Sunday is a car fixing day

[Anonymous]

After doing nearly 1000 miles in the bx this week i am going to give it some love on sunday and sort a few things out that i have noticed whilst running it.

I want to make sure im using my time wisely so I thought id get some advise before I start.

To do:

Change the oil, I have read that 20/50 is the best?

Change the thermostat, change coolant flush and check connections on the fan. Its ok whilst driving sits under 90 degrees but when in traffic it gets hot and i dont think the fan is cutting in

I would love to change the LMH fluid, is there a easy to do guide?

Look at the speedo cable because its stoped working and the noise is driving me crazy

Check why it squeeks at the back

Oh and lastly, does anyone know why sometimes (only when its just started) my first press on the brakes the peddle sort of bouncies and i can hear a relay clicking?


Sorry for the million questions

Any help would be really great

Cheers

Adie

[Jezziebx16v]

hello mate,

Squeeking at the rear is probably the rear arm bearings.

The "relay clicking" as you put it is the accumulator sphere i would think. It sits at the front of the engine at the bottom, under the inlet manifold ( £25 for a new one)

And for the oil i'd go for semi or fully synthetic (mine has 5/40 IIRC)

Thats all i can help with really, good luck with it.


Jez

[Anonymous]

thanks for the advice Jez.

I was hopping it wasnt the bearing arm but hey.....

will go for that oil

cheers

adie

[Anonymous]

I would love to change the LMH fluid, is there a easy to do guide?

Adie

Adie, i hope you understand my english but here is the way we do it:

Empty the green cannister for the LHM under the hood, clean the filters inside it and fill it with new LHM.

Then more important, every brake calliper has a small screw for bleeding the brakes. (in dutch it is "nippel" but that's a complete different english word )
Remove one of the wheels, ask somebody to get in the car and put his/her foot on the brake. Loosen the screw (be gentle, they have a habbit of breaking due to rust) put on the screw a small tube that fits and the other side in an empty bottle. While pushing the brake you will notice that the yellow/brownish LHM will be replaced by new green stuff.
When it's green, tighten the screw and put the wheel back on.
Do this at all 4 callipers and your LHM is new and refreshed. After this has been done, be sure the LHM under the hood has the correct level.

I did this together with my brother, took us about 1 hour, and the difference is noticable

Then the squeeking noise as mentioned earlier i also believe these are your rear bearings. Easy to be seen....put the bx in highest position and if the back wheels are standing like this: /-\ it's not good.

Then the relay clicking: Has your valver have abs? if so maybe the abs unit is the problem?

Succes,

Marc

[RobC]

if your engine's in good nick go for 5 or 10 w / 40. if it's burning a bit of oil due to the common valve stem seals being shot then go 15 or 20w / 50 - anything thinner and you'll be driving round in clouds of blue smoke!

[Anonymous]

Marc thats a great help, many thanks

changing the fluid is just like bleeding the brakes then, great doesnt sound too bad. I thought you might have to bleed the suspension as well.

I take it all this is without starting the car? if I put it in high mode will it stay up? its just getting the rear wheels off when its down might be a problem.

Thanks for your help

Oh and yes its got abs sorry should have said, come to metion it a braked hard the other day and the wheel locked up. I didnt even think about it

I bet the abs unit is to blame

[Anonymous]

hmm about bleeding the breaks and starting the car i'm not really sure anymore, but i think the engine has to run.....

guys some help? did this over a year ago

[Anonymous]

hmm about bleeding the breaks and starting the car i'm not really sure anymore, but i think the engine has to run.....

guys some help? did this over a year ago

strange quoting myself but i called my brother and the engine has to run Adie!

the hydraulic pump has to work

[AlanS]

The car has to be running to operate the hydraulic pump. Also, be sure to get a load on the rear wheels whilst doing it. I set the suspension on high, then place an axle stand under the car. Remove the jack and reposition it under the rear suspension arm and pump it up until it "just" takes the weight off the axle stand. Leave the axle stand in as a safety precaution and bleed the brake then.
Use only a single hex socket to loosen the bleeding nipples or you may round them off. If possible, put a few drops of WD or Penetrene around the thread of the bleed nipple at least the night before, and/or apply heat before trying to loosen as they have a habit of rusting in and snapping off.


Alan S

[Toddman]

Hi Adie
I would also check the front struts you can put the car on high setting and slide the gaiter up on the strut to clean any rust/dirt off and lube the ram and I put a smear of grease round the bit where the inner part goes into th eouter then pull th egaiter back down and do some citroen calenetics by raising an dlowering the suspension a few times.

Suspension is self bleeding the brakes are not but an easy job to do but I suspect the above posts will guide you through.

The early grey/brown BX Haynes is rathe rusefull ifi not always accurate LOL!

Good luck

Cheers
Luke

[MoRtYMer]

My car sometimes when i brake lightly its starts to do that (i hear ticking and the brake pedal jumps very lightly). I don't know that does that, but one time, on a good road, i've braked and the brakes done that, so the abs was "unbraking" the car, like when the wheels lock but they didn't, so i had to brake more so the car stopped...

I only like to add something to the bleeding of the rear brakes, you could use another technique that i think is safer.

To bleed the rear brakes you need pressure on the rear suspension, so you can "fool" the system by putting the car on the highest position, and raise the 2 wheels off the ground, that way when you press the brake pedal, the lhm will go directly to the brakes, and then you could bleed them.