Hi, Can anyone tell me which diesel ZX's have catalytic convertors fitted?
I am thinking of buying but am wary of cats, didn't think diesels had them fitted, any advice appreciated.
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I'm pretty sure that no of these cars were fitted with a cat, my (1993)1.9D and (1996)1.9TD certainly didn't have them and therefore I presume none of the earlier ones did either. My Haynes for the ZX Diesel makes no mention of them either.
Lee.
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Thanks for your comments Lee.
Have you had any problems with your ZX's?
Colin
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Hi Colin,
I did over a quarter of a million miles between the two and loved driving them both. It's a fair testament to them that neither let me down even once throughout the intergalactic mileage I put on them, although to be fair I was quite careful with the servicing.
IIRC, the biggest job I had was on the TD which needed a new radiator at around 125,000 something like £250+
If it wasn't for a flood in our village in 2000, I'd still be driving the TD. I've mentioned in another thread that I'm looking to replace my current Xantia, and to be honest there's nothing I've test driven from the alternatives (Clio, Punto, Xsara, Fabia, Polo, Ibiza, C3 and 206) that comes close to the driving pleasure I got from the ZX.
If you're thinking of buying one, find a decent one and you'll never look back! If you search this site, you'll find the XUD engine has been covered many times in the past, there might be some useful information to uncover.
Regards,
Lee
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Hi Lee,
Thanks for your comments on ZX ownership. I am looking for one at the moment, like you say just need to find one that has been well looked after.
Regards, Colin
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Don't know about Citroens but Ford fitted catalysts in some countries(eg. Germany) as a selling point even tho' they were not legally required.
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According to my Xsara Haynes manual, some XUD engines were fitted with unregulated catalytic convertors, so don't suffer with the problems that cars with 3 way catalytic convertors can.
Ben
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All diesel cats upto now are unregulated.They are oxidizing(two-way not three-way)cats.The NOX is controlled by an EGR valve.
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Old Timer - I'm glad I found you.
The ZX range changed in 1996. Citroen changed the models from their names of Reflex, Avantage, Aura, Furio and Volcane and simplified the line up to model names Leader and SX.
I bought to my knowledge the first ZX Turbo D SX Estate imported in Britain.(They were for December delivery and I got mine in November after an almighty row with Citroen UK). I still own the car now.
These 'run-out' diesel models designated SX and Leader will have catalytic convertors. With the fitting of cat convertors, Power outputs dropped slightly from 70 bhp to 68 bhp for the non-turbo diesel and from 92bhp to 90 bhp for the Turbo D. The Turbo was revised from a T3 size to a smaller T25 for less lag. Torque outputs remained the same as before. These models also had Exhaust Gas Recirculation fitted which you may have seen reference to in the workshop manual.
If you are in the market for one, the non-turbo model with the cat can be identified by looking under the bonnet. The non-cat version had a plastic 'plenum chamber' connecting to the inlet manifold, whereas the cat version has a metal one. The Turbo D is less easy to identify visually, but, as above, it is P-reg and after with the model name SX or Leader, you can be fairly rest assured that it has a cat.
As an ownership proposition, my Turbo D is lovely to drive. It hasn't been without problem but it is driven quite intensively.
If you drive around town solely, by the 1.9D. If you like your driving with a bit more pep and regularly go on motorways, your only choice in my eyes is the Turbo D.
Be careful of the factory fitted alarm system arrangement on these SX and Leader models. It cannot be switched off or manually over-ridden like earlier PSA factory fitted car alarms. If it goes wrong,they are notoriously difficult to disconnect as they are an integral part of the wiring loom. Auto-electricians won't touch them and Citroen dealers want to charge a fortune to disconnect them. From memory, the Leader model didn't have the alarm but a Turbo was available I think from R reg onwards.
I hope this helps. They are a nice car and as they are older, you don't have to rely on Citroen Dealerships out there to service them. There are plenty of Diesel Specialists and Independent gargaes out there that will keep them in fine fettle for less pennies.
Happy Hunting!
Regards - Jon S
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John S
My ZX 1.9D has probs you may help with. It's had a Citroen alarm, but Citroen said so many manufacturers alarms were used they wouldn't know where to start.
I have a push-button LED on the r/h side dash which is to turn on/off the internal sensors. Next to that is a up/down flip switch which does god knows what. No sign of any alarm box under the bonnet. Got no remote or central locking fitted.
Any ideas where the alarm box may have been? Or what the flip switch may do?
Thx
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In response to Dom F.
I've received the same answer from Citroen Dealers as you.
Independent auto electricians are also reluctant to touch them, as they are tapped in to the wiring loom and immobiliser. My local auto alarm centre have happily removed a four point Thatcham alarm from a relative's Fiesta RS Turbo and refitted a new one for him. They will not touch my alarm as it is too much of a risk to the other components and Citroen will not supply wiring diagrams.This probelm is mae worse by the number of alarms used.
The push button/ flip switch will:
(A) Disarm the internal sensors. Just push and hold the button until the red led under the clock lights. Leave and arm the alarm. Doors and boot protected, but sensors will not set. Ideal if you leave an animal in the car.
or
(B) If your remote plip fails, open the door with the key, the alarm will sound. To disarm, hold down this button and switch the ignition circuit on and off repeatedly until the alarm stops.
As you haven't got the remotes, I reckon a previous owner may still have them. You can't arm the alarm without them. I also reckon your central locking has been disconnected as the alarm and central locking were combined.
I've no idea where the alarm box is located, older one's were located behind the right hand headlight, although mine isn't.
My Citroen dealer will in usual style investigate as my alarm has an intermittent fault but, they can't guarantee how long it will take or what the problem is. They'll happily charge me £50 an hour to investigate and the bill will end up the usual £500.
In your case, it may be best to do without it. I think you'll save yourself a lot in the long term and it would be money well spent to buy steering locks etc.
Good Luck Dom.
Cheers
Jon S
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Jon S
Thanks for your info on the alarm setup. Had a look at mine in more detail this weekend, and compared it to one found in the scrapyard. Mine is obviously missing the main horn/siren unit, which was behind the r/h front bumper. It's also missing the key unit to disarm it, which is on the front panel behind the r/h headlight. Rang Citroen - "Where's the rest of it likely to be?" which got the usual "Dunno".
It seems to me that mine had the sensors fitted, but no alarm unit, altho this doesn't explain the sensors pushbutton, which has power running thru it, but doesn't do much. Can't find any evidence of any alarm being fitted, other than the sensors. Oh, to buy a simple car!
Rgds
DomF
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He doesn't need it, but I endorse Jon S's short essay on the XUD which was in the 306 as well as the Citroen. About the end of 1996 a converter was added to DT models, and maybe to the 'plain' diesels as well. In my limited experience it was a backward step from the driving response angle.
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Are catalytic converters a legal requirement on diesels? Can they be bypassed when they inevitably fail?
Just curious.
Chris
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In response to Chris R.
Catalytic Convertors are in my knowledge, not mandatory on diesels, but, they are needed to bring the Nitrogen Oxide (Nox) emissions within Euro levels.
Diesel cats won't fail in the same way as petrol ones, are they are ceramic monolith and don't contain platinum that can be poisoned.
I think that the cat should last the length of the life of the exhaust, and we all know with diesels, that can be the life of the car at best.
As the MOT just measures on smoke opacity, even a failed cat shouldn't affect the passing or failing of the MOT test.
Kind regards
Jon S
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In response to Andrew T.
I agree with your comment re the driving response angle.
Mine was very tardy for the first 20,000 miles.
They do, however get better with age and mine now has 79,000 miles and is performing better than ever.
Kind Regards
Cheers
Jon S
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