AUTOCAR w/e 16 August 1980 With thanks To Richard Needham What to look for

Body and Trim

YOU WILL FIND a fair spread of second-hand CXs in the British market, ranging from high-mileage examples of 1975 vintage, to some of the first resold Reflex/Athena models. It follows that there will be an equally wide spread of condition. Early cars will be rusting in several places if they have not been looked after. Special points to study are the tops (1) and bottoms (2) of the doors, where paint can be removed by the widespread door-fitting and sagging (3) problems of early cars; the front edge of the rear wings (4); and especially the detachable rear spats (5) which take a pounding from thrown-up gravel. Front wheel mudflaps, where fitted, cut down the gravel "spray" and save the aft of the car from its worst effects. The smooth front end (6) of the CX seems to offer a larger area than most for stone-chip damage. The front wheel arches and wings on the other hand are notably rust free. A particular rust spot to look for in Estate CXs occurs at the lower edge of the tailgate. In general, rust problems and interior paint finish have been less frequent since 1979 when a new paint shop was commissioned at Aulnay. Current cars have anti-gravel primer beneath, and a clear-lacquer finishing coat. Up to 1978, CX paint finish tended to be worse than average for the 2-litre-class, so don't regard poor-looking paint with undue suspicion.
It is well worth looking out for body damage on used CXs. The curved front wings (7) are good at collecting glancing blows, and the long wheelbase has caught out many a driver entering a narrow gateway, so check the rear doors and wings (8) with extra care. Bumper contact is less of a problem, though if they have been thumped the rear bumpers (9) can be tricky to realign perfectly. Internally, the worst problem is one of splitting door trims (10) — so have a push-check in case it's not obvious.
On a more serious note, the longerons of the CX semi-chassis (11) tend to buckle in any major front-end thump, and such crinkles are well worth looking for. The car will almost certainly not run straight if such damage exists.

Mechanical

The innocent always fear the seeming complication of the CX high-pressure hydraulic system, though in fact it is not that involved. A single reservoir, high-pressure pump and accumulator serve the needs of power steering, suspension and brakes.
A worthwhile bonus is that unlike conventional springs and dampers, those in the CX never wear or sag. When hydraulic system trouble does occur, it is usually the result of fluid contamination. Check, therefore, that the LHM fluid in the main reservoir (12) is a clean green. Any sign of dirt must be treated with suspicion. Watch also for fluid weeping from system joints. Another known CX trouble is radiator leakage, so regard low coolant level (13) as a possible warning.
All the CX engines and transmissions are noted for their durability with the possible exception of the clutch (14) in hard-driven examples — watch for any suggestion of slippage or late take-up. The gearchange was never one of the best, and apparently slow synchromesh is not a sign of trouble. The drive shafts and constant velocity joints so often a source of trouble in front-driven cars, are exceptionally tough in the CX and have a long service life. The brakes are light in operation and have a very short pedal travel. Some Citroen drivers seem to spend their lives treating them harshly and it is worth checking the condition of the four brake discs (15). Remember that in Citroen tradition, the parking brake acts on the front wheels.
Hard-driven CXs place a heavy load on the front suspension, and a critical point is the lower ball-joint (16) which must be checked for wear. The lower front suspension arms (17) may also be bent by "kerbing". The result is uneven tyre wear — a good check point. Bent arms also make the front end of the car appear to jump slightly sideways when it is driven over a hump. More serious derangement of the steering geometry is obvious from any need to apply effort to the steering (with its powered self-centring) to hold the car straight.
The special versions of the CX pose few extra problems. The diesel engines are reckoned to be even stronger and longer-lived than the petrol units. The Bosch fuel-injection system used in the higher-performance versions has a good reputation, except for some troubles caused by road dirt fouling the terminals of the large relay under the left headlamp (18). The C-Matic semi-automatic transmission is much simpler than a full automatic and has a good, service reputation. On the electrical equipment side, there are few consistent faults. Headlamp reflectors in older cars are often dulled (19) by the long-term effects of condensation inside the lens. Another visibility problem may be caused by yellowing of the lower corners of the windscreen (20) resulting from separation of the laminations - all CXs have laminated screens. So far, there have been no recall campaigns on the CX.
In theory. the lower-powered CXs run 185-14 in. tyres at the front and 175-14 in. at the back, an awkward mix. However, the CX GTi and Prestige as well as the estates have 185s all-round, so there can be little objection to standardizing on the larger size.
Bear in mind that Citroen stalwartly refuse to approve the use of anything but Michelin tyres.
As in all front-driven cars, the front tyres wear much quicker than the rears — at least twice as fast — but the average wear rate is good, with an easy 25,000 miles obtainable from a set if the fronts and rears are switched half-way.
It (almost) goes without saying that the CX is an unusual car to drive. to the point where someone trying one for the first time might assume there is something wrong with the steering and brakes. Some drivers grow to love the CX and feel awkward in anything else: others never come to terms with it. Make sure you can feel the former attitude coming on before you commit yourself.