Everyone getting new daily rides, me too :D

[jtbo]

It is 1997 Citroën ZX 1.9 Turbo Diesel, ~246 000km on clock, it is not queen, but it is girl anyway. It needs new headlamps that I got already, also some joint make clank sound at bumps, also it is bit dirty, engine leaks bit oil over itself and brake discs need perhaps replacing.

I don't like FWD cars at all, I think it is quite ugly too, but I bought it just to get from A to B with some delays if not without problems

Bit of surprise it has been really, steering wheel does not act weird like it has done in all other FWD cars I have driven, also there is quite strong feel from road at steering wheel, which is quite rare for car that is this 'new'.
It is lot more quiet than my 240 or 360, seats are much like 360 seats.

Sure it still misses the thing that is present with for example in 360, but I guess that for year or two it should be my transportation to work.

Of course after 360 is on road, I will use it everytime I can, but for longer trips ZX should be better in ride comfort, noise, economy, space.

It requires just bit more of boost

[SteveP]

I nearly bought one of these, even down to the same colour

But I decided not to as it turned out to be a bit more than what I wanted to pay for a daily runner and diesel prices made it almost not worth running one compared to an economical petrol car, which eventually turned up....

Still, it was quiet and torquey enough - should be fine for a daily driver and you wont be tempted at all to modify it (ok maybe a bit more boost!)

[jtbo]

More boost then requires larger IC, but then need more air to engine, oh but turbo is getting small better replace that too, well you get idea
Must try to get used to it first, it would need bit more of torque as I have lot of cargo.

It has annoying clank in every bump, must check at weekend, maybe arb link or lower balljoint at front.

I did calculate that compared to 240 I will save around 50 in fuel each month, compared to 360 that is near 200 each month.

Here prices are:
Diesel around 1.36/litre
Petrol around 1.5/litre

I drive 60 000 in a year, sometimes even more, small differences start to count when driving more

[pistonpen paultje]

No LPG(gas) pumps over there yet? LPG is the cheapest over here...My 343 and amazone drive on LPG, and the 360 will, in a short notice.

[jtbo]

No LPG(gas) pumps over there yet? LPG is the cheapest over here...My 343 and amazone drive on LPG, and the 360 will, in a short notice.

Only one and that is in sothern Finland, used by buses, don't know about price, but I doubt it being any cheaper really, our government is not perhaps best in such stuff, EU did force them to remove diesel tax from electric cars which they had to pay several years for example.

I did replace headlamps as old ones were dimmed and one was even broken. Then I located place to connect boost gauge, but I need still to locate hole from firewall for hose of boost gauge to pass trough.

While I took one hose off from intercooler I did noticed it was tad oily inside, do I have turbo problem or is it because of EGR? I haven't yet even checked if car has EGR, but I think it could have.



One headlamp is Depo and another is TYC if I recall correctly, Depo seem to be quite weak, must measure voltage from lamp tomorrow too, but maybe I must ask for replacement for that.

[jtbo]

Found holes for boost gauge hose to pass trough and connected it, max boost is 0.9bar, spikes at 1bar, was bit surprised that it needed almost 3000rpm to get past 0.5bar mark.

I did modify air intake a bit, also disconnected EGR valve, now car pulls much better on part throttle at lower rpm range, turbo lag disappeared completely, when I push loud pedal now boost rises almost instantly to level turbo can produce at given throttle and rpm.
Result is that at 2000rpm there is 0.5bar boost and at 2800rpm there is 0.9, when before there was 0.5bar.

Overtaking is quite easy as power is right under pedal now, not with 1 second or more delay.

Still need to build more permanent solution to air intake as used socks are perhaps not most optimal solution

Voltages are from battery 14.50V which is bit high, imo. At headlamp bulbs it is almost 1 Volt less, but near equal in both of them, DEPO headlamp just is bit weaker, however it seem to illuminate better as high beam is directed bit more upwards than in TYC where it is shooting to same spot than low beam is, which makes bright area to middle of road right front of car and not to side of road at distance where light is needed.

[MJ]

Still need to build more permanent solution to air intake as used socks are perhaps not most optimal solution

Great, just great

[jtbo]

I made small clip from how boost gets up now
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7sCEsC5p270

Heater fan seemed to be tad weak, found this when I did examine filter:
http://jtbo.pp.fi/images/ZX/DSC_1120.JPG (image is rather large)

It would need good wash and central locking needs to be fixed, also some worn joint at front needs to be fixed, but other than that it starts to be ready for winter.

This car has 4 wheel steering, it really is different in corners because of that, makes driving lot less boring than normally FWD would be. Also steering is better than any other FWD car I have driven, can't help thinking what kind of car this would be with RWD setup, would make big grin to face at every corner

[jtbo]

42MPG, even I have made sure boost gauge works (by hitting 1bar mark) almost in every acceleration, lot of overtaking and certainly not trying to get low fuel consumption. Quite impressive, imo.

[SteveP]

Ideal for a daily beater with that kind of economy!

[jtbo]

Ideal for a daily beater with that kind of economy!

Indeed it is and if one drives bit less aggressive style it should be capable of doing 48-49MPG

This one has Lucas fuel pump, but these cars are made with Bosch pump too, with Bosch pump one could drive with straight veggie oil and I believe that is interesting point if one happens to live in UK, too bad in here it is not any cheaper than diesel and also one should pay extra tax over it.

I did remove extra spots from 240 and plan to install them into this one, however I will need strong support bracket to install them as I can't install them into bumper, it is thin plastic toy part in this car, not proper metal inside.

Oh yes, someone had driven to my 240 when it stood in a city for few days, no any marks visible, but still there was note left with contact information, very nice behavior, I must call and thank her from note, of course fact that it was girl has nothing to do with matter

[SteveP]

Yeah, that was a popular thing to do recently running on SVO, but recently the price has rocketed so it's pretty much not worthwhile anymore!

[jtbo]

Seems to be that it is used oil after processing which is only interest then.

I'm try to drive now very gently and see what kind of effect it will have to fuel consumption. I do tend to drive always by planning ahead so I don't need to use brakes very often, so it can be bit less gain than I have thought but we will see that in 700km or so.

[Chris_C]

Get friendly with your local cafe/chip shop Jani A mate of mine runs his landy on old veggie, is currently mixing ~50/50, but gets the veggie for free

[jtbo]

Get friendly with your local cafe/chip shop Jani A mate of mine runs his landy on old veggie, is currently mixing ~50/50, but gets the veggie for free

There is not much of local near me, 30km to closest place

But Lucas pump is not handling veggie oil too well, they say better to get Bosch pump or not to use it at all.

If my driving would be more local, then I would consider Bosch pump, but now it is all over country so it would be diesel refueling mostly anyway.

Boot is surprisingly large in this one when one learns how to pack stuff. Managed to squeeze everything to boot and even luggage cover curtain did fit to close properly. It took few moments to find how to pack it so and there is no free space at boot even for baseball