Confessions of a Citroholic

[RichardW]

Managed to hobble both cars at the weekend, one deliberately, one less so

Saturday's effort:

Got the front off the 3008 to have a look at the headlamp washer pump. Wasn't too bad in the end, once I found and released the clips along the top. Got most of the bolts out without too much drama, so it should go back on. Got volts on the terminals, so pretty sure the pump is U/S. I thought this was expensive, till I saw the price being bandied about for a replacement vac pump for Simon's Ion ! Thought I was onto a winner as I found some that were <£20, but on closer inspection they were very similar but had different connector on the top. Eventually found a genuine for £40 so not too bad - seems there aren't any aftermarket versions of this pump.

Still need to replace the wheel bearing, I might strip the hub off whilst it's in the drive and get one ordered up.

Sunday's effort:

Seems I have forgotten how to drive, and I clipped the kerb going down the hill out of our town in the C4, and burst the NSR tyre. Oops. At least it has a spare, but I made a right meal of getting it out, I was fighting with it under the car to release the winch cable, seems if you keep winding there is more cable that will allow you to do it behind the car..... So, off to find a new pair of rear tyres now. It's not so bad, as they were quite well worn anyway, and I would probably have replaced with all seasons before the winter.

[RichardW]

Oh, and the much vaunted TPS 'safety' system failed to tell us we had a puncture although it did get upset immediately we put the spare on!!

[Mandrake]

Seems I have forgotten how to drive, and I clipped the kerb going down the hill out of our town in the C4, and burst the NSR tyre. Oops.

I think it happens to us all when we get to a certain age... I went for over 20 years driving without the slightest bump or mishap whatsoever, then in the last few years I've reversed (gently fortunately) into a barrier pole at Asda, (small dent in the rear right quarter on the Xantia) clipped the curb turning into our street a couple of times, curbing the rims slightly (both cars - to be fair it does stick out on an angle and is hard to avoid if there is a car coming the other way out of the side road) driven over a traffic island in the dark and rain, (Ion) driven directly over my lowered down parking bollard near work (resulting in a puncture in the rear left tyre - also Ion) etc...and that's only the mishaps I can remember off the top of my head.

At some point I think we just have to give up coveting our clean driving records and admit we're fallible no matter how hard we try.

At least it has a spare, but I made a right meal of getting it out, I was fighting with it under the car to release the winch cable, seems if you keep winding there is more cable that will allow you to do it behind the car..... So, off to find a new pair of rear tyres now. It's not so bad, as they were quite well worn anyway, and I would probably have replaced with all seasons before the winter.

Well worn ? Where's the tread ?

Oh, and the much vaunted TPS 'safety' system failed to tell us we had a puncture although it did get upset immediately we put the spare on!!

I wonder how often the TPS system "samples" the tyre pressure ? I suspect it only transmits pressure infrequently, say once every 5 minutes or longer. Designed to detect gradual pressure loss due to inattentive drivers who don't check their tyres. If it transmitted continuously the battery life of the sensors would be atrocious and measured in hours instead of months or years.

Unless the puncture was fortuitously timed to be just before the next "sampling" of the pressure, you're unlikely to get a warning before you've already noticed the tyre is deflated and pulled over...

[RichardW]

The C4 has the modern system which doesn't measure the tyre pressures at all, but rather uses a difference in rotational speed to indicate that a tyre has gone flat. Although it reported an error with the spare on rather than a puncture, so who knows how it works! The 3008 has the earlier system with the actual valves - still works at nearly 7 years old, as it flagged a soft front tyre after it hadn't been used recently - and it picked up the proper puncture I got a while back as soon as it happened.

[Hell Razor5543]

I had a similar system on the Skoda Octavia company car. Although it did not tell me WHICH tyre had the puncture, it did let me know there WAS a puncture.

[RichardW]

New washer pump fitted - I tested it before I put the bumper back on, having just refitted the short splitter hose (which has elbows on the end) onto the pump outlet. Routed the ends over a bucket and switched on - which resulted in the high pressure from the pump throwing the splitter tubes around in an arc and liberally washing the inside, front, and roof of the garage!! With the bumper back on it was apparent that the orientation of the pump was not optimum - found it was possible to get it rotated just by unclipping the drivers end of the bumper, pretty sure the job would be possible by just removing the driver's side side wing liner, and unbolting . clipping the end of the bumper and then pulling it back, which would save a good bit of hassle! Still got to replace the wheel bearing....

[RichardW]

Learnt something yesterday! Looking at my Sister's bike rack as one brake light dim and the other not working. Covers off, and find red 21/5 bulbs, of which no spares lying about. I'll fit a white one to test, but no matter how I tried it wouldn't go in. Comparing it showed the pins in the same axial position. Confused... Eventually I looked end on to find the pins are not at 180 Deg, more like only 150. Ah!! I never knew that, stops you fitting white ones by accident I guess. None in Halfords...managed to fix the dim one however by putting the bulb in the right way up god knows how long it's been wrong!! Offset pins don't protect against idiocy!

Got to put her car (C4 pic 1.6 HDi DVC) on the computer on Sun. DPF warning is randomly coming on....

[CitroJim]

Offset pins don't protect against idiocy!

I know I found out what an idiot I was when I could not fathom why a white indicator bulb would not substitute for an orange coloured one for test purposes...

Like yours Richard, the pins looked more or less the same

[RichardW]

C4 went for its first MOT, which it promptly failed I had been monitoring the front pads and new they were nearly done - but I had only been looking at the nearside. I happened to glance at the offside at the weekend - to see that the outer pad was almost gone. Ooops.... so I wasn't surprised when they pulled it up. Advisory on the rear pads and discs - these were only fitted a year ago by the testing garage, they look fine to me, will need to keep an eye on any feedback from them... This is not my usual place as now not working at site where I was taking them - a local Fast Fit type place, I might need to find somewhere else. Not even a mention of the noisy front drop link, which has feelable play in it! Going to get a set of Meyle HD ones to stick on it, they did well on our last one, and the OE ones seem rubbish, as the OS has already been replaced, and the NS needs doing, it's only done 25k!

[RichardW]

A 3 part day...

Morning

We had a squeal from the C4, I thought it was the front pads, but the squeal was still there yesterday despite the new pads, and it sounded more rear, so I had the pads out. All the pads were tight, but the outside pad on the OS was solid - took me 15 mins to persuade it out. This pad was noticeably thinner than the others, so it's clearly been sticking. A good clean up and a light copper slip, and they were floating nicely.

Early afternoon

A short ride out with Dillon - he's not yet 12, but he's not that far off being faster than me - he can pedal really fast, so can get away from me on short climbs - but he can't hold it yet, and my 'superior' weight means I am still faster down hill. It won't be long though

Later in the afternoon


Finally got around to starting on the wheel bearing on the 3008. Only been putting it off for about 9 months....
Hub is off, I will tackle the bearing in the next couple of days. Was a challenge to get the hub out - the driveshaft was a bit sticky in the hub, you can see in the pic it's a bit rusty - every time I tried to push the shaft out, the damn bottom ball joint jumped back in, and every time I re-split it, the shaft was stuck again!! In the end, I jammed the splitter in the ball joint to stop it closing it up whilst I got the shaft moving and then I got it disengaged enough to get it out without losing any gear oil.

[CitroJim]

I'm pleased I'm not the only one who posts Strava stuff on here Richard An excellent ride you had there and an ideal warm-up for the wheel bearing job

Was a challenge to get the hub out - the driveshaft was a bit sticky in the hub, you can see in the pic it's a bit rusty - every time I tried to push the shaft out, the damn bottom ball joint jumped back in, and every time I re-split it, the shaft was stuck again!! In the end, I jammed the splitter in the ball joint to stop it closing it up whilst I got the shaft moving and then I got it disengaged enough to get it out without losing any gear oil.

I know your pain so well I seem to recall it was especially common on 205s...

Now to press out the old bearings... I trust you have a meaty hydraulic press for that....

[RichardW]

New bearing fitted - today is a Bank Holiday in the Glasgow area, so I was off. We were going to go out, but it was miserable and rainy (and is not beautifully clear typical!) so I cracked on with the bearing. No press here, Jim - I've got one of those threaded pullers, they do work, but you get a work out in the process, no need for a cycle ride today! You can't get enough torque to break it loose, but they let go if you wind the tension on, and then support the hub and belt the end of the puller with a suitable hammer. This one was tiiiiight though! Just driving out the hub required a big hammer, and then a lot of persuasion before the bearing started moving. In the process however, I noticed that I had split the cover on the bottom ball joint. I pondered just fitting a new cover, but it has done 80k, it's on the NS, fitting a new one involves removing the hub, I don't need the car at present, and a new one is only £12 made it a no brainer to change it. In fact I had considered getting one in last week, as I have often found them to be have play when removed on this set up. Struggling initially to get the socket on (these need a deep 41mm socket) I wondered if I had wrecked the socket when I used in combination with an old cut off ball joint to remove the one on Simon's Xantia, but then realised it was the end of the thread that was fouling on the socket. A few moments with Mr A grinder, and it was no longer in the way Wouldn't shift to start with, but a short discussion with Mr B Lamp and it relented New one on the way, so I can finish reassembly when it comes.

No more squealing from the C4 today!

[lexi]

Looks like you had a work out on your knees Richard. It has always been thus.

[CitroJim]

Richard, good work Indeed that was a heck of a workout to do do the bearing!

[RichardW]

Ah silence... All back together, now quiet, ABS still in order. Dislodged the shaft a bit and about an egg cup full of oil dribbled out, not going to worry about that, fingers crossed the seal doesn't leak now. Still got to change the oil and refit the under tray, tomorrow maybe, as it's tipping down here today!