This is a continuation of the adventures of my CX Familiale I accidentally bought last week.
I got as far as firing up the engine at the weekend. It runs but sounds like misfiring. It is also very low on power. It has barely enough power to move on the flat ground.
The alternator makes horrible grinding noise and the belt is also slipping. Would it be possible for the alternator being so heavy to turn it takes all the power to turn that?

There is a hydraulic leak somewhere; it looks it could be left side where the pipes go to the back. There was no spray of fluid coming out when I ran it so it looks like it is a return line leak. The front raises quickly but the rear suspension does not raise at all and there are no brakes. The power steering seems to work.

Regarding the model and modifications. Where should I start? I think it is '77 model, that particular colour was only available in '77 model year. However, following parts seem to come from a later model I guess from '81 - engine (or at least the fuel injection), gearbox, dash board instruments (no charge gauge, has charge light, has oil level gauge), air vents, windscreen wiper (sprays from the wiper assy), centre console,

The rust might be terminal. Both lower windscreen corners, sills, floor are the main concerns. The doors and front guards are rusty but they can be replaced. It might be bad now but I would think it looked great re-sprayed in the same Gris Perle colour as my Prestige - I must be mad event thinking about it, but my alternative CX wagon is a '82 Familiale that needs a front cut... do I really need a CX wagon is another question.

I still don't have photos - the rust may spread through the internet.

kimmo

i would have thought that any CX engine would be barely enough to motor a CX let alone a wagton

I'd be looking at the fuel filter before you start chasing engine problems. Brakes are easy ... the accumulators will probably be dead ... so the brakes will be full of nitrogen. Bleed the brakes so you can move it around safely. The LHM level is probably really low if the rear doesn't lift... Either that or the height corrector is a little seized, try moving the lever around a bit (it hasn't been moved with a forklift bending the linkages under the car ?).

If it's distinctly running on two cylinders, check the coils ........ Um, is it a twin coil ignition or the earlier system ??

As for rust ... we have plenty of cars to chop repair sections from for you

seeya,
Shane L.

Yeah, I hope it is something simple, the car is in the paddock at the moment and I'd like to move it nearer the house.

Kimmo some of us southerners (Mexicans) are living vicarously through EBay purchasers like yourself. Sorely tempted by the earlier White wagon also in Brisbane which I think another AFr may have bought.

But a return flight to Brisbane, buying off digital images on Ebay and a flatbed or trailer from Brisbane to Melbourne (and convincing SWMBO) of the merits all went into the too hard basket.

Attachments load very easily here. Look forward to pix and good luck!

The white one would have been good, but I did not go for it because it was an automatic. Later I visited the seller to see another dismantled CX Wagon he has - but I won't say more about that (I keep it secret and hope to buy it from him when he is more desperate to get rid of it).

No- the engine should have enough power to easily overcome the belt once it's started. Considering the belt is slipping, that should pretty much take the naff- but spinning- alternator out of the picture. Is there anything else on that belt, or can you remove it without consequence?

Does the grinding sound like a rumbling, say bad bearings, or is it a metal-to-metal sound, like the rotor is scraping the stator?

I think the grinding sound was actually the starter motor that did not disengage properly. That seem to have cured when I put a better battery in, or was it just a co-incidense !?
I put a new fuel filter in and replaced a slightly split fuel hose. I also checked there is a good flow coming from the fuel pump.
The latest trial did not show signs of misfiring anymore but it did not rev at all. there is this hollow sound coming from the air file - like it is sucking air but not firing (bit hard to describe). there was also what I think traces of unburned fuel down on the grass behind exhaust pipe. I unplugged the cold start injector and that did not change anything.
I am sure it run much better on Saturday when I first started it. On Saturday it was really misfiring for first few minutes but then came alive suddenly. Maybe I need to drain the fuel tank next in case it is just old petrol, or water in the petrol - we had some heavy rainfall couple of weeks ago.
To be continued, I guess...

change the plugs or find the ones that aren't firing and pull the lead off and hold it so it earths onto the head near the plug and that may cure the build up on the plugs

sometimes this saves pulling the plugs out which may not want to play the game

If that's the case, make sure the ignition switch isn't sticking in the 'start' position. I had something simular happen to me when i went to visit friends- the car started OK, and ran without incident until it came time to park. Then I got this horrendous grinding sound when I moved the shift lever to 'neutral', it went away in 'reverse', then noisy again in 'park'. After collecting my wits, I noticed that the ignition switch hadn't fully returned to 'ignition' once I started the car and released the key.

A better battery prolly didn't fix the problem, but the replacement was a good idea anyway. It'll make diagnosing the fuel and ignition systems easier.

Hi Kimmo,

certainly they are strange symptoms. Given the description I would be checking exhaust and air-cleaner for serious blockages. Failing that the dizzie isn't allowing the motor to rev out .... something is preventing anything other than idling.

A leaky cold start injector shouldn't stop it revving, but will make it run rich. You will need to unplug and block off it's fuel line to stop it dribbling if it's leaky

Back to basics it's an early model with rotor button, dizzie cap, electronic pickups etc..... clean & check and let us know what you find!

seeya,
Shane L.

dizzie and the rotor looked good and I've removed and plugged the HT leads back from both ends.

I will get that air-cleaner out next time I'm tinkering. Maybe the bottom of the air-cleaner box is rusted out

No work done on the car since yestrday. I have got couple of photos though (hope the links work)

The engine. Notice the toothed water pump belt. Is this typical for the earlier engines? My '80 Pallas and '81 Prestige have different type.

[img:center]http://www.flickr.com/photos/33011873@N08/5118506283/[/img]

The top of the engine. The fuel injection rail is different from the one I have on the '81 Prestige. Would it be from different year. (the plastic fuel filter is temporary, before anybody gets worried).
[img:center]http://www.flickr.com/photos/33011873@N08/5118507713/[/img]

Water has found its way out from bottom of the windscreen.
[img:center]http://www.flickr.com/photos/33011873@N08/5118508645/[/img]

We can see where the hydraulics oil leak is. See the oil on the grass. I added engine oil in the hydraulic system that was empty because I did not want to waste hydraulic oil on this. If I ever get this one back on the road I need to flush the system couple of times (I would have done it anyway).

[img:center]http://www.flickr.com/photos/33011873@N08/5118509599/[/img]

sorry the images did not work and it does not let me edit the post.

I seem to have more luck editing with my mobile than with the restricted office network

I would have thought it better to use ATF, rather than engine oil.
ATF is more like hydraulic oil.

For leaky CXs I usually use shell tellus 46 that is cheap and is actually a hydraulic oil (for tractors etc) but this one leaked so much my I run out and used anything I found in the garage.

Good to see you're getting along with the wagon well. Had I'd known it was a 5 speed, things may have been a little different....

I got mine running properly - I was amazed at what a carby clean can do for a car that hadn't seen asphalt for a couple of years. Talk about a mechanic in a can!

I was bouncing down the street in it yesterday - driving a CX on flat spheres is like being in a jumping castle.

With any luck it'll be ready for roadworthy next week. I still don't know why I bought a wagon, but oh well.