Citroën BX 14 purchase advice, finally recognition

Holdership free or not. The Citroën BX 14 consumes as much as a hybrid, weighs almost nothing and it is exemplary reliable. And hydraulics are more beautiful than a set of batteries.

De Citroën BX, the 1400 cc version

The hood of such a BX can be just as easily made of plastic as it is of steel. Under that hood it looks pretty well-arranged. The spring bulbs are green and can - not even at the main price - be replaced, even by an experienced Do-It-Yourselfer. So with some reservations. Lots of reputation damage to the Citroën BX was caused by unknowingly fumbling and overdue maintenance and is therefore unjustified. With a properly functioning hydraulic system, a BX is still a fantastic comfortable automobile, with the Citroën BX 14, mainly due to its low weight, is just still a very lively car.

The hydraulic fluid container is at the front left and has level bars

Behind the radiator is a bolt with which the hydraulic system can be bled. That knowledge has already brought a few BX buyers a profit, because the hydraulic system after a short "Pssscht!" did his work in an exemplary way. The hydraulic spring / brake system needs its care. If that is not done for a long time, it will take revenge. The then necessary recovery requires quite a lot of tinkering with thin guides that absolutely must not leak.

And although BX garage owners do not yet count A2 viewing locations, the number of hours can still tick. To prevent stagnation in the system, it makes sense to have the hydraulic fluid replaced (or have it replaced) and to have your BX 'gymed' regularly, once to put the hydraulic in all positions. From raised knee-high to the tiger sneak position. The Citroën BX 14 was not equipped with power steering. This saves on pipework, minimizes disruptions and keeps the poor muscled.

Carburetor or injection

Straight under that hood is at the Citroën BX 14 a four-cylinder 1360 cc with a Solex carburetor or a monopoint injection (1990-1991, not for the home market). The older engines with a camshaft driven by a chain are tilted, so with the flap cover on the bulkhead side. There are models with a hydraulic and a mechanical chain tensioner. Switched from chain to timing belt in 1986-1987. All injection engines, with those so-called TU engines, have a timing belt. And it really needs to be replaced on time

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The PSA TU motors (from 1986) are the upright motors and they are clean because they have a Lambda sensor

That addition also saves again in the strange tube condition of the Pulsair system. This adds oxygen to the exhaust gases, so that the last unburned gas residues burn better afterwards. The system was one of the last convulsions from PSA to end injection under Lambda. Also handy: replacing a headlight or flashing light goes with a Citroën BX 14 still in the old-fashioned way. In a few minutes. Another thing about the headlights: the glue connection between glass and reflector can be released. With the lamp in place, the glass fortunately sticks. Not when removing the headlight unit. And shards don't always bring happiness.

• Maintenance: Do yourself a favor and outsource that. Just like the repairs. The specialists usually charge friendly hourly rates.
• The maintenance friendliness: Not as bad as in the horror stories about it. To do for people with experience. With a lift and some special tools. And with not too thick, stiff fingers. Trained tubifex would be handy.
• The weak points: overdue maintenance. Rust. The left front screen is an endangered species. The vacuum advance of the ignition. For cars with a long standstill history, assume that the brake mechanism must be made normal (stuck sliders). The return lines of the LHM can be outdated. At the TU blocks, the head gasket (visible) sometimes starts to leak. The connection of the tank opening has become very scarce due to rust.
• The component provision: Now good to reasonable. But the times when there were wear and maintenance parts for BXsen in every French supermarket were gone.
• The part prices: Not too bad. A lot of things are still popping up on the Internet, but also through regular trade Citroën BX 14 parts just nicely priced. NOS still roams around.
• The reliability: Almost 100% with a well-maintained item.
• The market situation: They are still there: BXsen for a few hundred euros. Let them stand or hug them. The purchase of a nice, well-maintained copy is better. You must be able to succeed between € 1.500-2.500. Recently a real ZGAN went. BX away for € 3.100.