Hi guys
One question for all you diesel wiz kids out there. I have a J reg (91) Citroen AX Turbo diesel 1.4, which has done 140K miles. It just passed its MOT with no problems at all. I should add body work is kind of crap (I presume when the thickness of the French metal used is two millimetres this is expected) , but engine, from what I see is good. I don?t know what it is about this car, I mean it doesn?t go fast, it is very uncomfortable to drive (the seat and the pedals) and there is as much drivers entertainment as my push chair had, non-the less somehow it has the sex appeal, which for a diesel is an achievement, and I have taken a liking of it and would like to keep it as long as its reasonable. So the question is this, how long would this car last under reasonable use and abuse, and whether its worth spending the money to keep it going? For example it need a new cam belt (first one changed at 70K), it will need exhaust shortly, it leaks oil, it needs to have one of the drive shafts replaced, and also possibly the injectors. But I am not sure if I do all those how many more miles I get out of it. I have had it for six month and so far the only things that have gone wrong were a cut off solenoid on the injector pump which meant that the engine was not shutting off and once the immobiliser decided I was a thief and would not let me start for two days. So what you think? How long do you give it? Shall I resuscitate it or let it die gracefully? Oh and another thing, how do I know if I need to change the injectors? Is there a test or something for it? Cheers, and take care.
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AX 1.4 is AFAIK normally aspirated and not TD. The 1.4 engine is not as good as the XUD units fitted to most other Citroens, and has a reputation for being a bit fragile. 140k is pretty good going, but there's no reason it shouldn't see the other side of 200k if you keep changing the oil and, just as importantly, the coolant. The oil leak might be a worry, as it could be the head gasket - removing the head may reveal untold problems necessitating a new head, which will be more than the car's worth!
Worn injectors will start to give poor starting, poor performance, poor MPG, and poor emissions. A new set will be around £120, so you need a good reason (eg failed MOT) to want to change them.
Richard
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Richard, thanks for the info. Most signs of bad injectors that you say are there. The car always starts the first time, but when it starts you have a feeling only two cylinders are working as the engine rattles about like a crazy horse. As for the MPG, I think this models should do about 60mph, however the best I get out of full tank is about 400-450 miles (in city) which is about 40 MPG (in city). However it does not smoke , or at least I not enough to see it. Sometimes huge puffs of smoke come out (if I accelerate hard) which I believe is normal for diesel cars due to build up of heavy smoke in the exhaust. I wouldn\'t mind spending £200 if I new it would go for another two or three years, however I am not sure. I should confess I hammer the car around and show no consideration for the fact that it\'s diesel, but the reason I like it, is that so far it has taken everything I throw at it, including doing 90mph racing a Corvette (of course once the Corvette decided he had enough fun, he pressed his foot down and disappeared in two seconds). I was thinking to find a broken down AX with low mileage (like a write-off, or something like that) and use it for spares for this, but wasn\'t sure if that was such a good idea. Anyway, thanks a lot for your tips. Amin
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Amin,
I can't give you any technical advice, but I understand your sentimental attachment to the car. I had a much loved Alfasud Sprint up till a couple of months ago, it was a lovley car. However, SWMBO decreed that it had to go, so I reluctantly sold it.
I have to say that once it was gone, I essentially forgot it. OK, from time to time I remember the good drives, but what I'm saying is, sentiment doesn't last long. I can honestly say that sometimes I can go without thinking about it for, oh at least an hour. :) :)
Seriously, let it go.
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I wouldn't say you should *definitely* scrap it, but I would be inclined to do so (although I am rather too sentimental about my own car).
Anyway, I think the question you should ask yourself is not, is this car economically viable, but - is this the best car I can get for the money I'm prepared to spend on it. If it is, then you should keep it. If not, either reduce the money you're willing to spend, and ask again, or chuck it.
Even in its current state, it shouldn't be too hard to shift it for £300 ish - after all, it's a small diesel, not THAT old and quite popular in certain sections of the community.
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