BX break in

[Phil Peters]

Hi all,

This is my first post on the forum, although I've been 'lurking' on here for a little while now.

Sadly my 1992 BX19 TGD "Maurice" was broken into last night while visiting friends in Bristol. The thief smashed the fixed rear glass on the driver's side and then reached in and unlocked the car by pulling up the lock 'stalk'.



Has anyone got any recommendations on where to source a new piece of glass? And is this something that can be fitted as a DIY job or is it best left to a professional?

Following the break in, I'm now considering replacing the lock stalks with modified ones that would sit flush with the top of the door trim when the car is locked to hopefully deter any more would-be thieves. If anyone has a set of four in grey or sale please drop me a PM.

It also struck me that if the lock stalks were flush with the top of the door trim, I'd need another way to unlock the car from the inside as it wouldn't be possible to pull the stalk up manually. I could plip the central locking but this would also set the alarm at the same time; not ideal. I wondered if there was a suitable OEM switch that I could fit in place of one of the blanks near the handbrake which could be wired into the central locking module as a master lock and unlock switch, a bit like on the modern Citroen C2. All suggestions welcomed.

Cheers,

Phil

[docchevron]

welcome, and sorry to hear of your break in, where abouts in bristol was this?
More over, are you still in Bristol?
It's a fairly stratforward DIY job, and glazing is held in stock by several people here in Brizzle, and I would assume all over the country.
I could sort you a replacement if you're still about this part of the world?
Haven't ever considered door lockstalks before, but it would be easy enough to have a trigger button mounted wherever you want it to fire the CL really..

[Mothman]

Hi Phil,

first of all welcome to the club but so sorry to hear of your news. I hope the bastards didnt nick anything.
I may have a piece of glass, got to check the spares, ile get back to you on this.If someone else has a quarter light, take them up on it.
Cant help on the lock stalks, think you will have a problem with this but if you come up with an interesting and successful plan would be interested.
My only real comment re this would be to get a good and obvious steering wheel lock, i have one for all of my fleet and to be honest, dont lock them much in order to reduce the damage. None of them are locked at the moment but immobilised with an attachment to the steering wheel.

Andy

[Tim Leech]

Bastards!

They are a fiddly job but can be done at home, Ive recently done both on mine when I changed the doors.

[mds141]

Sorry to hear about the break in. I'd remove the stalks and in their place install some nicely machined ones, that is razor sharp ones!!

[Paul296]

Really sorry to hear about your break in Phil and welcome to the forum: no need to lurk, we're all lovely!

I have a couple of those quarter-light windows if you get stuck, although they're an absolute pig to get in and out (unless there's a special 'knack' that I haven't discovered?! )

[Vanny]

Looks like you've had an incredibly thoughtful burglar. Smashing the smallest window, and thus the easiest to cover over. And choosing the window rather than peeling the door or punching the lock out.

I wouldn't over think the break in, the BX is a very easy target these days. The only real deterant is not to leave anything in the car, regardless of what value it might have. To deter someone stealing the whole car i also wrap a rather large chain around the steering wheel and tuck the ends under the seat. The alarm and immobiliser probably wont put a would be thief off if there is something they can grab quickly.

Oh, and don't forget to park next to a better target if you can. Another 80's car with a laptop on the back seat is ideal!

[Mickey taker]

Better still NEVER park in or around Bristol (over large scummy cities are available )

[mat_fenwick]

Welcome along! Probably the neatest solution would be to use an extra rear electric window switch in the centre console, with one direction for lock, and the other for unlock. The central locking module is under the console anyway so easy to splice into.

Connect one of the common terminals on the switch to earth as the central locking module requires a negative trigger. Then press the switch in one direction and connect one of the terminals which becomes earthed to terminal 5 on the locking module. That's your unlocking sorted. If you want locking from the same switch, press it in the other direction and repeat the process connecting one of the other terminals to terminal 7 on the locking module.

I think you'd need to cut down the door pins yourself, but probably won't do much to deter a thief I'm tempted to do the mod myself though, as I think it would look rather neat.

[Phil Peters]

welcome, and sorry to hear of your break in, where abouts in bristol was this?

Thanks docchevron. I'm based in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. We were down in Bristol for the weekend visiting friends in the Westbury area. Our friends have lived there for several years now and were as surprised as we were that it had happened on their street.

[Phil Peters]

Probably the neatest solution would be to use an extra rear electric window switch in the centre console, with one direction for lock, and the other for unlock. The central locking module is under the console anyway so easy to splice into.

Hi mat_fenwick,

Excellent, this sounds exactly the sort of thing I was aiming for. Thanks for the heads up on the location of the central locking module too, good to know. The rear electric window switch you mentioned, is that part number 95495141?

I think you'd need to cut down the door pins yourself, but probably won't do much to deter a thief I'm tempted to do the mod myself though, as I think it would look rather neat.

I'm on the case trying to source a spare set of these in grey so I can have a go at cutting them down while keeping the originals just in case. I think these are part number 96092909TR? My local Citroen dealer failed to source these today (along with the door quarter glass) when I called in.

Cheers,

Phil

[Dollywobbler]

Ah. Not the only BXer we have in the Leamington area. That part of Warwickshire seems a bit of a hot bed of Citroen activity.

[MartyB]

Sorry to hear that Phil. Evil fu**ers.
Dont think i've yet spotted you tootling around Leamington - shall look out for you!

Martin

[mat_fenwick]

95495141 is correct for the switch, but not certain on the door pins. It would be worth posting a Wanted advert on the forum for the glass, switch and pins as someone may have a spares car you can have parts from. I have the other side window glass spare


This thread
might be useful for further information/photos regarding the central locking module.

[Phil Peters]

Dont think i've yet spotted you tootling around Leamington - shall look out for you!

Likewise Martin! I spotted a nice looking white BX last week just off Willes Road in Leam, wasn't you was it?