Posted By : Chris Taylor,
21-Jan-2007, 03:43pm
A friend of mine has a DS which he "almost" uses on a daily basis in the summer. (It is laid up in the winter as once corrosion gets
hold of a DS rear end, repair is almost impossible, not just tricky or expensive, and it would be a pity to get any structural
corrosion on a South African import which is VERY solid underneath).
Although it is a vehicle that does take some getting to know repair-wise, it IS a practical daily driver. He has converted his to LPG
which even makes it affordable (DS23 does low 20s to the gallon) and manages to average nearly 10000 miles a year, even in only 8-9
months of the year. Once you get the feel for the way the hydraulic systems are put together, nothing is terribly complicated for an
enthusiastic amateur to maintain and repair. There is just such a LOT of stuff that could go wrong, and so MUCH that usually needs
removing to get at the failed component. Nothing difficult, just time-consuming. (The front wings come off very easily though, and the
radiator comes off easily, which DOES make access easier).
Ironically the suspension is often the easiest to work on, and VERY reliable. The only issues are ones of plumbing, gaiters, ball
joints. Given corrosion resistant pipes, and proper supoprt for the pipes (just good practice that should also apply on a Herald) the
plumbing should last forever. Ball joints and gaiters are generally as easy as a Triumph to replace, and replacing a sphere (which does
the springing AND damping) is easier than a Herald!
BUT, the wiring is frightening (most wires are black, and quality does not seem to be up to Lucas standards) and SOME jobs are a SWINE
to get at. The exhaust manifold nuts are not easy to get at, but you need to get it off just to be able to get at the starter motor.
(So you DO make the terminals are clean and done up properly before installing one!)
I have not worked on a hydraulic gearchange version, where I believe the rule (like Lucas PI) is set it up methodically by the book and
DO NOT FIDDLE thereafter, but everything else IS actually straightforward and logical; - just tedious and fiddly.
You do however need access to a Citroen manual (easily accessible on CD now) and the DS equivalent of this message board is a VERY
useful and helpful source of advice, information and encouragement.
As for reliability, Ian has had three major breakdowns in about 5 years (and 40000 miles). One was a headgasket failure, and one a
COMPLETE disintegration of the lining of the clutch driven plate over about 250 miles which left the car with no drive at all. Either
of these could happen on any car.
The third was a failure of the main hydraulic supply pipe from the pump. Messy and completely disabling, and a swine to replace. So one
failure in 4 years down to something specifically DS is not too bad a record for a 30 year old car.
And the end result is intriguing to drive. The first time I drove one was all the way from Dumfries to Porthmadog, including some foul
weather. While initially taking a LOT of THOUGHT about driving (remember the fierce brakes, and column gearchange pattern) I DID arrive
feeling a lot less tired than I expected in a strange car. And while it is far from sporting in its feel or acceleration, I continually
found that glancing at the speedo on cross country journeys that it covers ground far quicker than you realise.
For me, the most remarkable thing about the DS was not that they thought up all the weird ways of doing things with hydraulics, and
that they got them all to work (and reliably, although, like Heralds, the first year or so was a NIGHTMARE for Citroen mechanics and
owners, with a team of roving specialists roaming France fixing customers cars), but that they could productionise all this, and sell
over a million of them, and make a profit while doing so! (Initially the hydraulics had no seals, just metal to metal sliding fits with
items manufactured to tolerances of 1 micron. That's 1/1000 of a milimetre, over 25 times closer than most auto manufacturers worked
to)
Whether it was all worth doing is of course a different question! Results as good have been achieved since with far simpler
engineering, but it took some time to catch up. And in some ways, the modern prevalence of electronics in car engine and suspension
systems is doing things in the Citroen way. The difference is that the complexity is now all hidden in chips and circuit boards,
invisible, incapable of repair or adjustment, and probably beyond most amateur mechanics' ability to understand ALL its complexity and
subtleties of operation.
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Posted By : Michael
Davis, 22-Jan-2007, 02:29pm
Wow, thanks for that. I wasn't expecting such a thorough response to my half-in-jest question but it's good to know what they're
really like.
Unusual is good, and I don't particularly want a computer in charge of my car!
I'm approaching 200,000 miles in mine (which is older that the
one in the picture). I will admit that the heater fan switch broke the other day though 
and
the headlights ARE held in with some odd little plastic clips.