Project Strangeangel's Shite-tastic Shenanigans 12/12 NEW MOTOR - ACHIEVED.

[RobT]

I've 'liked' the fact you made it home, not the shagged alternator bit.

[strangeangel]

I once had to cut the alternator belt off on a BX, after the alternator seized. Amazing how far you can drive one with no charging!

 

Yes, quite proud of the fact that we didn't FTP

[barrett]

My one gave out as I approached Croydon. Spent a day in London, back to the car at about 10pm and drove home, dropped some friends off in central Brighton - headlamps fading at this point - then back to mine. As I got to the end of my road it died, I rolled back into a parking space and walked the last few feet to my door. That's why Citroens are great, they only let you down when you're within walking distance from home...

 

I found that getting the right alternator was teh biggest challenge (there were several different types used) and it's an utter bastard of a job to change involving removing at least one engine mount and winching the whole engine backwards, but my mechanic did it in an afternoon with no complaints

[dollywobbler]

Thankfully, alternator change is easier on the non-turbo. Still a swine in a sweary sort of 'WHY DID THEY PUT IT THERE?' kind of a French way, but there are worse jobs.

[strangeangel]

I found that getting the right alternator was teh biggest challenge (there were several different types used) 

 

Ah, I'd just wanged the reg number into a couple of parts websites, e.g.

 

http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/alternator/citroen-bx-break-xb-1-9-d-71hp_v27699_g4.html

 

So I'd best get the old one off for a look before I starting ordering stuff then.

[strangeangel]

This actually wasn't such a bad job, the worst bit was waggling it past the LHM pipes on the way out once it had been unbolted. It has been briefly admitted to the house for identification purposes, and it's successor duly ordered

 

 

[strangeangel]

The new alternator arrived, packed like this and lying at the bottom of the box:

 

 

And, lo, it was knackered.

 

 

I asked for another one to be sent, but could it please be packed properly this time?

 

 

GENIUS. Miraculously, this one survived at the hands of Smashy McSmashface The Courier and was duly fitted.

 

So charging has been restored, but I still had to play the will-it-won't-it-rise game for 10 minutes or so. I did disconnect one of the big LHM pipes from the reservoir because it was in the way, but I was careful not to lose any. Then again, maybe it wasn't best pleased about being left on axle stands for a week? Who knows. It's working again, which is the main thing!

[UltraWomble]

Vera ( my first BX) used to knacker alternators for fun - eventually the "fault" was tracked down to a small diesel drip which over time kippered the alternator.

[Eddie Honda]

this one survived at the hands of Smashy McSmashface The Courier

 

Bolk + Mister Auto = YODEL?

 

Thank fuck they use An Post here.

[strangeangel]

Bolk + Mister Auto = YODEL?

 

Thank fuck they use An Post here.

 

Dunno if they use Yodel as well, but these were delivered by Parcel Force.

[Zelandeth]

Bolk.  Oh dear.  Keep the paperwork so when it fails after a week you can get a replacement or refund...

[strangeangel]

Bolk.  Oh dear.  Keep the paperwork so when it fails after a week you can get a replacement or refund...

 

That bad, eh? Well, it was cheap... Oh well, if it does cark it rest assured I will post an update.

[Eddie Honda]

Dunno if they use Yodel as well, but these were delivered by Parcel Farce.

 

FTFY

[Zelandeth]

Last time I heard of someone buying one, they went through three without getting any luck, eventually they gave up and asked for a refund.  Fitted a secondhand unit in the end as I recall.

 

Was the original unit salvageable or had it suffered a major mechanical failure?

[strangeangel]

Was the original unit salvageable or had it suffered a major mechanical failure?

 

No idea. It stopped charging the battery, as per the post further up this thread.

[Zelandeth]

Sorry, didn't spot that because I'm an idiot!  Given your warning light was on it's harder to say what actually failed.  If the light doesn't come on *and* you've got no charging (assuming the bulb is okay) it often turns out to be nothing more complex than a stuffed set of brushes, which in my experience at least are usually easy enough to change.

 

Do these suffer the same tendency to kill alternators by dripping LHM from the hydraulic pump into it over time as the Xantias?  Been forever since I was anywhere near a BX.

[strangeangel]

Do these suffer the same tendency to kill alternators by dripping LHM from the hydraulic pump into it over time as the Xantias?  Been forever since I was anywhere near a BX.

 

It didn't seem particularly oily when I removed it... there's a picture further back in the thread; it's covered in the usual diesel/road filth but that's about it. I'll certainly have another look under the bonnet at some point this weekend, though.

[dollywobbler]

Pump is at the other end of the engine to the alternator on these happily. Finding a set of brushes for the old alternator isn't a bad shout. At least you'll then have a good spare sitting on the shelf.

[strangeangel]

Pump is at the other end of the engine to the alternator on these happily. Finding a set of brushes for the old alternator isn't a bad shout. At least you'll then have a good spare sitting on the shelf.

 

They didn't send a return label for the broken one, so I could probably cannibalise the brushes from that (if they're still intact).

[strangeangel]

On 10/27/2017 at 9:52 AM, strangeangel said:

They didn't send a return label for the broken one, so I could probably cannibalise the brushes from that (if they're still intact).

 

And today was the day to try this. First off I took the old brushes out of the original alternator:

 

 

Not the best then. I pulled the ones out of the 1st (knackered) Bolk alternator, but they were totally different so I've stashed them away as spares for the one that's on the car now. The rest went in the scrap.

 

They're cheap enough on eBay, though, so I've ordered a replacement and now, as dollywobbler suggested, I can have a good spare waiting on the shelf!

 

In the meantime I have another problem, albeit easily fixed. This fell off on the way home from the football last week:

 

 

OH WELL, ITS ONLY MONEY INNIT?

[strangeangel]

That bad, eh? Well, it was cheap... Oh well, if it does cark it rest assured I will post an update.

 

It's carked it, after a full TWO WEEKS in service. Hey Bolk, your alternators suck balls.

 

The original is now back on the car, with the new brushes/regulator thing, and all seems well again.

 

Shitty email fired off to Mister Auto, refund sought.

[strangeangel]

The original is now back on the car, with the new brushes/regulator thing, and all seems well again.

 

Spoke too soon, didn't I? The battery light came on on the way back from the shops this evening. It is charging, but only producing 12.7V, so as bad as they looked the brushes clearly weren't the problem with the original alternator after all.

 

So it's time to order a(nother) new one, but obviously I don't want to buy another turd akin to Bolk's offerings. Any recommendations for a reputable brand please?

[dollywobbler]

Spoke too soon, didn't I? The battery light came on on the way back from the shops this evening. It is charging, but only producing 12.7V, so as bad as they looked the brushes clearly weren't the problem with the original alternator after all.

 

So it's time to order a(nother) new one, but obviously I don't want to buy another turd akin to Bolk's offerings. Any recommendations for a reputable brand please?

 

The recon alternator on the Lexus came from this lot: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Schmitz-Rotary

 

Now, they may not have the right one on the shelf, but the alternator came with a full read out of its performance, suggesting they have all the gear. So, if they don't have the right one, perhaps they could identify the fault? 

[beko1987]

"hi. My world famous magazine producing mate said you would be just the chaps to help me. My friend said that if you fix my alternator free of charge he will give you free advertising in 5 magazines for a year... He loves the one he got from you, as do his publishing company owning colleagues. Thanks, I'll post it over bye "

[strangeangel]

OK, here's a question for you... does the estate bootlid fit a hatchback BX? Or even the window? Cheers.

[dollywobbler]

OK, here's a question for you... does the estate bootlid fit a hatchback BX? Or even the window? Cheers.

 

No. Sorry.

[strangeangel]

No. Sorry.

 

Cheers for that. Not a problem for our car, but bad news for a potential rescue that might have been in the offing

[barrett]

I'm pretty sure I have a spare hatchback boot lid which you can have FOC if it helps save another BX.

 

and if it's that blue na diesel on ebay I'd like sloppy seconds please

[dollywobbler]

Aye, shouldn't be too hard to find another tailgate. Not as easy as a few years back perhaps, but I imagine there are a few hatches floating around.

[BorniteIdentity]

 

As chief executive of the Citroën department, I wonder if this is of interest?  Maybe it's already been spoken of or spoken for - if so, apologies.