1.4 PREVIEW SUDDENLY STARTED SMOKING - ANY IDEAS?

slimlavud · Post by **slimlavud** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:52 am

I just bought a 1988 1.4 Preview petrol, basic car - no elec windows, no central locking. no power steering. The car has a full Citroen service history, a genuine 90,000 miles and was always used gently in Norfolk and Suffolk. I drove back from Suffolk and after 50 miles noticed some blue smoke after idling. A few miles around London and it now smokes quite badly, a cloud of blue smoke after sitting idling, and generally a light haze of blue smoke when under power. Not particularly bad after changing down and raising the vacuum on the overrun so maybe not valve guide oil seals?
Has a new radiator, does not use water or overheat, generally runs quite well after from a regular stumble at idle which I partially cured by speeding up the idle and adjusting the idle mixture screw. Anyone got any ideas please?

JayW · Post by **JayW** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:14 am

Obviously, if it's blue it's definitely oil. Valve seals would tend to go progressively.

Given that the smoke increases after idling you'd have to give some consideration to an oil-to-bore leak from the HG. Or a busted ring, check for ticking and do a compression test.

richardd1652 · Post by **richardd1652** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:53 pm

Does it smoke more when its warmed up to "normal" temperature or when its cold?
When i had my time in the wilderness away from Citroens i ran all sorts of different stuff including several Fords.They were renowned for hardened valve stem seals and chucking clouds of crap out,but this usually got better as the engine warmed up in my experience.If it gets more smoky as it warms up i tend to agree it may be piston ring/bore related.As the advert says 80% of engine wear is at start up?well maybe but it is also said that an engine that does a lot of tootling round short trips has a harder life than one that sits on a motorway all day .The reason being that the motorway engine is at a constant rev and with the engine at a designed running temperature .Ive had cars with 200k plus and the engines are spot on but on the other hand a car with 50k only used to go to Shopping 5 minutes down the road be worn out.So yes i would do a compression check and see whats happening.
Richard.

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:17 am

Just though I would throw this in

1988 1.4 Preview petrol if my memory serves me right that was the 1.4 model that still required lead fuel /additive and could not run on unleaded?

If thats the one I think it is then running it on unleaded has caused VSR, valve seat recession. Incidentally thats probably the reason the 1.4 was never sold in New Zealand because the fuel octane sold was to low.

VSR would show as weakening valves and oil burn.

JayW · Post by **JayW** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:21 am

I think the important thing here is that it's been very sudden in developing the fault which would tent to rule out (or make unlikely) some faults, particularly "wear" related ones.

slimlavud · Post by **slimlavud** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:13 am

JayW wrote:I think the important thing here is that it's been very sudden in developing the fault which would tent to rule out (or make unlikely) some faults, particularly "wear" related ones.

Thanks all, yes, I feel it is more likely to be a head gasket fault, will do a compression check this coming weekend, if I have bad compression, it will have to go in the bin! I can't really see myself finding the time to change the head gasket and at what the car cost, I shall put it down to experience - not bad, one bad car out of about 300 bangers over the last 16 years! Hmmh, banger car ownership coincides with having children - funny that...

electrokid · Post by **electrokid** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 9:41 am

What colour is the exhaust just inside the tailpipe ?

Is the oil level correct ? (Too much could cause spillover.)

slimlavud · Post by **slimlavud** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 11:02 am

electrokid wrote:What colour is the exhaust just inside the tailpipe ?

Is the oil level correct ? (Too much could cause spillover.)

The exhaust is, as you would expect, oily and black. The oil level is correct. 38 years of running old and new cars and motorcycles etc, and many years as an engineer and writer writing about cars has made me sanguine and resigned to not always getting it right but am interested in any BX-common/specific faults in this area - not general ones.

Stinkwheel · Post by **Stinkwheel** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:25 pm

well if worst comes to worst and you do decide to opt out of the car if its a problem job (which on a TU engine the head gasket isnt, at all. im thinking maybe a couple of hours all in. (ignoring the time to have head skimmed)

Having said that if you scrap or break the car please let us know/offer parts here as 14 engine BX's have some bits that are now tricky to find and model specific.

richardd1652 · Post by **richardd1652** » Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:56 pm

Its far too good a car to just scrap judging by the pictures the previous vendor sent me.Yes it does have a few rust issues here and there but not life threatening.Im sure the engine can be sorted or replaced rather than just scrapped.I know not everyone wants the absolute base models but i for one would rather have one than the fancy 16v,s etc.
Richard.

slimlavud · Post by **slimlavud** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:45 am

Thanks all, yes, I bought this one precisely as i did not want any complications - fuel injection, 16 valves, diesel, even electric windows or central locking! I will do a compression test and then if that proves the head gasket OK (as far as it can) I will fit new valve stem seals. I would rather use the best available, ditto the cam cover gasket - where is the best place to get them please? Not Payen, FAI etc obviously, are they very expensive from a PSA dealer?

Post by **Defender110** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 12:08 am

Complications a diesel?

They're all but bomproof mate!

slimlavud · Post by **slimlavud** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:38 am

Defender110 wrote:Complications a diesel?

They're all but bomproof mate!

Thanks Kevan
I would agree with you but somehow (probably because of a tight budget), I have had some terrible small (and large) diesels. Blowing head gaskets, heavy smoking etc. Citroen CXs, Volvo 6 cylinder diesels etc. Would love a good Bx diesel more than anything but with expensive teenage kids and a London mortgage that has not been paid for 6 months, I think I cannot afford a good one!
Cheers
Simon

B-Hive · Post by **B-Hive** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:40 pm

hi

Sounds like bore/ring wear to me. A bottle of "stop smoke" usually last about 50 miles!!!

Low milage is never a guarantee of engine condition, and in fact quite the opposite is true for older cars with low milage. In as much as 90,000miles equates to about 4000 miles a year which means lots of short trips. Most engine wear happens from start up...especially from dead cold. So additional starts and milage in a car's given day are relatively low stress/low wear. I'm thinking this 90,000 miles would relate to about 200,000 plus.

Sorry, hope I'm wrong.

Plus it also depends enormously on how the car has been driven...sympathetically.. ignorantly..or out-right abused..

Lots of factors/variables.

A basic 14 is a great model IMO, so just adapt, adjust..and look at your BX as a future classic...I do!!! and that helps me enormously..

richardd1652 · Post by **richardd1652** » Sun Sep 12, 2010 11:47 pm

I dont think it will be stem seals being honest.Ive never had them just let go like that.Theve always started a bit smokey then gradually got worse and worse.Im inclined to agree with the bore/rings idea.A ring can just go and score the bore hence the sudden smoke.Has a compression test been done yet? I wouldnt be running it just in case more damage is done .Richard.