Workshop
		Suspension
		Upper Suspension arm Upper ball joint Lower Suspension arm Lower Suspension arm bushings Drive shafts
		General
		Clicking door lock mechanism ABS problem Heater matrix (picture only) Hand brake adjustment

Introduction

The idea with the 'Workshop' section is primarily to share my experiences with other CX enthusiasts. Through the years the number of repairs and work I've done on my cars are simply too numerous to all be mentioned here. Those I've included are the ones that I think others might be interested in and might help a few souls on their way. When writing the instructions I've intentionally skipped some details which I think is obvious. Such as, remove the wheel, open the bonnet. If there's something you think is missing why not send me an e-mail. In best case I've done it and can add it to the Workshop page. -Getting ready for business- Doing maintenance on a CX can require an arsenal of tools, some not commonly associated with car repairs. Another factor affecting your work is the workspace. Try by all means to get a garage with plenty of clear space around the car. When I'm working with my car I usually jack up the car on four stands using two jacks at a time. This makes the car stand steady and provides easy access. Apart from the normal tools such as a socket wrench set, screwdrivers, spanners etc. I've found it very convenient to have the following "tools" at hand: -hexagonal sockets -A small and a large sledge hammer -Tire irons -A long thick walled steel pipe(water pipe) 3cm by 150cm -Welding set -Patience I will explain why later on... After the purchase of my CX Reflex first thing on the list was to get a new clutch in there. Conveniently enough my parents went on a trip to France and bought a me new Valeo clutch there. Back in Sweden with a new clutch, Haynes and Revue Technique Automobile manuals we were ready for business. By that time I thought that looking under the bonnet on my reflex was like looking at an ocean of hoses, relays, cables, pipes and other unidentifiable objects (My opinion changed slightly when I saw a Turbo II!). Well anyway, no matter how much I read the manual the fact remained - I had to take the whole engine out to change clutch*. To get the engine out took us almost two days. The most time consuming bit is that you have to disassemble the front suspension. Here's a few tips on how to do this...

Front Suspension - Disassembling

If there's something on the CX you are likely to work with it is the front suspension. There are several reasons for taking it apart: Change upper or lower ball joints Change gaiters (rubber bellows) Change any other part on the driveshafts Change clutch (take the engine out) Change upper suspension arm bearings Change lower suspension arm Change wheel bearings or just for the joy of it This might sound like an awful lot of reasons to take the suspension apart but mind you that some of these parts have an almost infinite lifetime.

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Lower Suspension arm

The lower arm is fairly easy to remove when you know the trick. If it's been recently taken apart before it's even easier. If it's the first time you take the suspension apart the conical joints can/will require some amount of violence. -Jack up the front of the car and put it on two stands(one would also do but since it's a Citroën the suspension will sink after a few hours and might make it less stable). -Disconnect the cable for the brakepad warning light. -Loosen the nut securing the lower balljoint. Don't remove it, just unscrew it until the edge of the nut is in level with the edge of the tap. This will protect the threads on the tap while you're working with the sledge hammer. -I'd suggest that you support the outer part of the brakedisk (NOT the edge of the disk itself) with a jack. Then use a small sledge hammer to loosen the lower suspension arm. Don't be afraid of hitting it too hard. As long as you hit the arm itself you're safe. Using a steel rod 20-25cm long and hold the short end of it firmly on top of the lower arm as close as possible to the joint and then hit the the other end... hard. Mind your fingers! This will give you a better "hitting angle" and hence more force. In some cases the arm just won't come loose - do not despair. What you need then is a good separator to pull the arm off the cone. Apply a fair amount of force on the bond with the separator and the hit the outer end of the suspension arm with a small sledgehammer. This is actually the method I would prefer, but if you don't have a separator you can always start with the method described above. If worst comes to worst you might have to add heat in order to separate the arm from the joint. -Remove the plastic cover in the frame that covers the pivot bolt nut . Use a socket with extension to hold the bolt still from the other end. Unscrew the nut. -Remove the little plastic cap that covers a threaded hole in the head of the pivot bolt. You can then insert a screw there to withdraw the pivot bolt.

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Upper Suspension arm

To remove the upper arm you first need to loosen the antiroll bar link joint. If this hasn't been touched for many years it can give you a bit of a headache. There are several ways of detaching it. Some use separators some use hammers. If you're , like me, not lucky enough and in posses of such tool you can use a long water pipe together with a small sledge hammer. This operation requires the help of an assistant though. 1 First use a steelbrush to remove dust and rust. 2 If you want you can now disconnect the suspension pushrod by removing the retaining pin that holds it. With time this pin has a tendency to become one with the suspension arm. If it breaks off (which happens) just use some other pin the same size and a hammer to push it out with. You can also use a drill to clear the hole with. 3 Using a ring spanner, loosen the nut securing the antirollbar joint. Unscrew the nut until it's in level with the edge of the tap. 4 Now use a long metal bar(waterpipe or equivalent). Place it between the inner wall of the front crossmember and the nut. Push the bar so that it presses the nut backwards. If the joint won't come loose just by this pressure, have an assistant hitting the arm with the sledge hammer. Force and patience are key in this method. Heating the conical joint with a welding torch can further improve chances of getting it apart. Be cautious though not burn the rubber gaiter on the antiroll bar linkage joint. 5 Removing the upper arm pivot bolt is quite straight forward it's just such pain reaching those nuts. Especially when removing the right hand arm. Not to mention getting it back there again. I recommend loosen the lower balljoint and driveshaft before attempting to loosen the upper one. This gives easier access when undoing the nut that holds the upper joint. But as with so many other things here in life, it's a matter of taste.

Upper balljoint

To replace the upper balljoint you first have to remove the upper suspension arm, see Upper Suspension arm section. Some people might tell you that it's impossible to remove this joint without using a hydraulic press. Well I've proven the opposite using the good old sledge hammer. Yes it is easier with hydraulics, almost like cheating, but it is possible to do it without one. What you need is a piece of heavy duty steel tube with an inner diameter of 51mm+ about 15 to 25 cm long (not that important). To be continued...

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Drive Shafts

For some reason my CX's seem to eat gaiters (rubber bellows) for breakfast. I've changed them about four times on the Reflex. This is a task that you are very likely to face so be prepared. First you need to get hold of a 35mm socket to loosen the centre (hub) nut. For some reason 35mm seems to be an odd size and pretty hard to find. Until I found one I used a 36mm socket, which is much more common, with a piece of sheet metal folded around the edge wich reduced it to a snug fit. I really recommend you finding a 35mm socket though, it's a lot better. 1 Loosen the centre nut. This nut is very tight. Make sure your car is standing steady on stands before attempting to loosen the nut. If you feel like it you can do this before jacking the car up with the wheels still on (probably the better option). 2 Disconnect the brakepad warning light cable. 3 Detach the lower suspension arm from the lower balljoint. 4 Follow the Haynes manual! :-) 5 If you're removing the right hand drive shaft you have to loosen the intermediate bearing. It is held in place by to screws with eccentric heads (like you and me). Loosen the two nuts from beneath the car and prepare to get bruised and dirty. It sometimes bond with the mount and can be hard to remove. Try to heat it gently and give it a few blows to crack the bond. Be careful not to hit it too hard then you really will have trouble getting it out. When pulling the left hand sidew shaft out of the differential you can use tyre irons (or equivalent) between the diff. housing and the CV joint to put pressure on it. You will need to use your muscels here. In best case the drive shaft pops out. If not, hmm try again, harder. Get assistance. With the shaft out the inner gaiters are easy to change but the outer ones can present some resistance. Here the tyre irons can come in handy together with a sturdy vice. The rest is up to you to invent. I use different methods every time. It would have been nice if I had some pictures when I do this just to show the expression on my face. The F words echoes in the garage. With new original gaters from Citroen you get a pair of nylon rings. Don't throw them away (as I did first time). They are there for a reason. Force them over the bellow so they sit in second and third fold. This prolongs the life of the bellow.

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Lower suspension arm bushings (fluidbloc)

Usually you don't have to worry about these at all. They last for quite some time and when they do get worn it's not that big issue. Often you might not even know they are worn. The MOT guy wont bother either. They are there for a reason though and that is to act as a shock absorbing joint between the lower suspension arm and the subframe holding the arm in a firm grip. And they do a hell of a good job. You can easily check the bushings for wear by jacking up the car, apply the handbreak and then trying to turn the front wheels by hand alternate clockwise/anticlockwise. (of course you can't turn the wheel that much. If you can, apply the handbreak a bit tighter) If the bushings are worn the wheel moves slightly(1-2 cm), especially the lower part of it. Of course the upper arm can be worn as well but that is less common. If unsure, have an assistant do the rotating while you look from beneath (remember to secure the car). Having diagnosed the lower bushings as worn out you decide to change them. If you ask a citroen workshop they'll probably tell you it's one heck of a job. Don't let them frighten you. It's a piece of cake (compared to other things on the CX that is). How to do it First of all, if the bushings are worn on one side of the car they are most likely to be worn out on the other side too. It will pay off doing both sides in one go. Removing the lower suspension arm is quite straight forward. Jack up the car fairly high and support it on both front axelstands so that both front wheels hover high up in the air. Note: before you start with the nitty gritty, remove the wheel only on that side you will be working on. Leave the other wheel on. This will make sense soon. Undo the nut securing lower suspension arm to the lower balljoint. Read more about that in the section Front suspension>Lower suspension arm. When you've separated the arm from the balljoint, to make work and life a bit easier, lift the wheel on the other side (the one you left on) up with a high lifting jack. Voila! Thanks to the antirollbar you also lift the suspension on the other side. This takes the steering knuckle out of your way.[look at picture (72K)] Note: If you can't lift wheel on the other side or the whole car lifts with it, you should consider setting the height lever in the lowest position. With the arm out, clean it with a steel brush and place it in a vice. [picture (32K)] When the bushings are worn it is easy to pull the centre pieces out with pliers. [picture (29K)] The quickest way of getting the outer piece out from the arm is using a hacksaw to make a slot so that you can compress it and pull it out. The different stages are described with pictures below. - Make a slot in the rim [picture] - Make a slot in the outer tube [picture] Note: to do this you have to route the sawblade through the arm. - Compress and pull out [picture] Note: No, I'm not sponsored by Bahco :-) - Remove rust and smoothen the inside of the arm using a grinding stone [picture] Note: the clever way of sucking filings with the hoover. - Apply grease inside the arm and pull the new bushing in using the arm pivot bolt [picture] Note the washer and nut on the vice that I use as spacers when fitting the new fluidbloc's. - Use a tube as spacer to pull the second bushing in the last bit [picture] Note: this is to ensure that the inner pieces are flush against each other. If they're not you will have problem refitting the arm in the car. A lot of force is then required to get the spacer washes in place [picture] - To read more about lower arm bushes please pay a visit to Knut Steinnes pages. He has a somewhat different solution but with the same result. Take me there...

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My ABS Experience

The ABS system on the CX seems to live a life of it's own. On my CX T2 the warning lamp has been on since I got the car. I've had the car for about a year now and I haven't really bothered about the lamp. I've simply got used to it. A few weeks ago (June) knowing that the MOT is soon due I decided to deal with it. The symptom has showed as the lamp coming on after 1 - 5 minutes of driving and then staying on for the rest of the journey. I knew there was a chance of reparing the system since I had tested that it actually did work during those first minutes before the lamp came on. There seem to be many CX drivers out there suffering from similar symptoms. I also knew that a common problem is that the cables to the wheel sensors wear off. So my initial action was to check all four of the sensors. They were allright. All showing a resistance around 900 - 1000?[ohm]. I then cleaned the connectors, both to the sensor control block and related relays. The relays are also know to cause some trouble but they seemed OK. Still the light came on. Aargh! Then I got the wiring diagram and check precedures sent to me (Thanks Rob!!). With that in my hand I started the fault checking. After some work I found that one of the sensors was connected to earth via it's housing. I jacked the car up and pulled the wheel off. Then I made a plastic shim (or gasked) from an old milk container to insulate the sensor from the spindle and screw. Guess what... it worked! I guess the proper way would have been to replace the sensor but I had tested the sensor and knew it worked as it should.

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more to come...

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