Giselle the GSA is awake! Instantly broken... FAIL!
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Citroen GSA comes out of winter hibernation and I break it almost immediately. Yay! So very HubNut... #BecauseFrench #Citroen #fail
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A small work accident that happens to even the best mechanics. Sounds like the voltage regulator has blown.
Don't give up Ian, you too deserve a nice car in the fleet.
I'd say so too. Shouldn't be a difficult fix for a workshop that rebuilds alternators. It'd be a real shame to let something as simple as this be the push to let the GSA go.
Nice backhander pmsl!
God, I love Giselle so much I started to consider getting a GSA myself. She's brilliant
She may be up for sale soon and usually Ian's decisions do tend to be final.
Yet he put too much effort into the Daihatsu, 2CV and got rid of the two best cars he had the Nissan Primera and the Camry
@@unclejoe6811 I honestly think the Camry made little sense, what with it being completely broken and Betty being around, and I think the Citroen C5 was a lot better than the Primera. But to each his own, I say
@@comcarclub Ian was seduced by the rear wipers on the Camry,
We were all horrified when Dad surprised us all with the new car he had acquired on a whim when he took pity on it sitting as far back in the back lot of our local garage. Turns out it was a Citroen GS estate in the brightest colour of yellow you could imagine. I.... being a teenage lad looking forward to getting the L plates on was particularly mortified. As it turned out the old man was correct and said it was the best car he ever had !! I learned to drive in it in the end and it was a perfect vehicle for lugging amps and drum kits before we recruited the road crew (never happened) ....I'd have one tomorrow although maybe a more subtle colour.
man these interesting times are so long gone.. today people learn in some shitty crossover or generic hatchback.
in drivin school we had these modern minis, most soulless driving experience you can imagine
My Dad replaced his venerable Austin Maxi in the mid 80s with a Citroën GS in eye watering yellow paintwork.
As you say, very uncool to a teenage lad hoping to get behind the wheel. But what I wouldn't give to take that Citroën for a spin now.
That has to be the coolest 80 style futuristic dash i've seen in a car. I'd buy one of these just for the dash and the controls. Thats so cool
I know right? I remember seeing a CX dashboard as a kid and thinking how cool and futuristic it looked.
Hey Ian, please do NOT rush into a decision you may later regret. I have been in a similar situation a few times with my classic car, and that defeated feeling soon goes away.
Exactly.. couldn’t believe my ears when he said the GSA would have to go 🥲
Oh yes. I've given too many away during 'hard times' due to, er,domestic pressure.
My parents bought a 1979 facelift GS Club saloon - CJP 299T - when it was six months old and kept it for years so Giselle is by far my favourite of the HubNut fleet. Ours was initially known as 'the atheist' because it would start perfectly six days a week and then refuse to play ball on the Sunday. They nearly got rid of it until our local Citroën dealer apparently noticed that it had French-spec spark plugs that created a huge carbon build-up over the week when driven by we gentle-footed Brits. The French way of 'driving it like you nicked it' allegedly burnt it all off! Don't know if that's an apocryphal story but it still makes me smile today… 😄
Regulators are available from the Citroen place in Hitchin. I always put old blankets on the before leaving the car for an extended period undercover because of the marking issue
It was lovely to see Giselle again, I have missed her, hope she is in better health very soon ❤.
Mild case of Overvoltitis, cure - day surgery, doner regulator plus replacement fluids (acidic), or multi cell (Battery) replacement if found to be deseased. She'll be fine.😏
Absolutely loving the corduroy trousers 👌
Proper attire for a classic car owner 👍
Nooooo. Only if your fleet consists entirely of pre 1960's models. Given the "vintage" of Ian's fleet, I'm picturing, skin tight stove pipe jeans and a muscle shirt, hahaha. Cheers!
@@phillipevans9414 hahaha you do know Ian described himself as a 'hippy'
Cords are a perfect choice 😂😂
Hah, loved the way the microphone made the car cover coming off sounded like a crisp packet being crunched up in a very quiet cinema!.🤔🤭😉
I have had two GSA's and one of the nicest cars to drive. I loved the suspension and the ride was just like floating along. The spheres were so easy to change. Typically quirky French car, marmite cars, you either love them or hate them. I loved them.
they are great till you have to fix something.. sadly the case with most exceptional cars,
making a car exceptional also makes it more complicated. now add because french and there will be pain
Me too, had two GS’s and a GSA, frustrating and lovely machines- sound great too! 😊
I agree, Ian, with something like the GSA it needs it own garage, polishing once a week, only brought out on warm, sunny days. I can see your frustration with it.
I can imagine owning a fleet of cars is particularly hard work to maintain.
If it was the only car in the fleet I can well imagine you’d have all the time to devote to her, but, sadly, that’s just not possible for you.
Ps your channel is one of my favourites on UA-cam. 👍
@@Taz6688 Except they're lumps of old crap without a conscience 🤦 I worry about some people on here at times
@@stepheng8779 Poor old Hubnut .
But it makes bloody brilliant viewing , Ian is one of life's good guys .
Thats what its all about , keeping older cars on the road , i love it .
@@crispindry2815 yeah but not dickheads
That GSA is a lovely car! It's Quirky! - On the grand scheme of things, I don't think changing the Alternator / Battery is too much of an issue on a classic. Yeah you gotta sort the suspension too.Least there are people out there with expertise who can supply Parts and fix etc. She's a nice looking Car. I ride an American Victory, trust me, keeping that thing running can be a nightmare at times depending what's broke on it. I love it though. Re Car Covers: Bad News! I discovered that fact when I once owned a Triumph Vitesse. All that dust and Grit that gets on the Paintwork, well the car cover bellowing in the wind acts like Sandpaper on all the leading edges. Not good. Ditch the cover and leave it to breath. Any dust and muck is soon washed off at a later date. I have "Love-hearts" in my eyes looking at that Citroen for some reason...lol
I noticed when you had your little sparky sparky moment, there was also a spark from the positive lead on the battery. This probably means the crimp connection between the wire and the clamp is bad, it could be cause of all the previous electrical/ starter motor problems.
I also saw the mileometer bulb go to heaven!
Because French!!
Yeah, that was some blip. Amazed the bulbs tolerated it.
@@HubNut Your battery may have just boiled over 🤔, get the Alternator voltage regulator fixed top up the battery and all should be good to go. Good Luck 👍 🤞🤞
@@stephenjones9153 Can you still top up modern batteries? I thought they were now all maintenance free!
With my electronic engineer hat on, I say... "not a biggie, easily remedied." I am reminded however of the time the alternator failed in my friend's Renault 11 Turbo (I think my 16's did too, judging by its appetite for headlight bulbs) and he drove it from London to Nottingham, all the windows open and being half-choked by the sulphurous pong. When he got there, he noticed some copper coins in a tray near the air vents were now shiny - they weren't when he set off...
The GSA is by far my favourite in the HubNut fleet. The sheer ridiculousness of it is utterly charming. It has to stay!
The patience of a Saint required Mr Hubnut... and I love ❤️ Citroën.
I don't think you can blame the car for that one- it's just one of those things that happens and I have done similar myself (more than once) 😊
yeah, i managed to fry half the electrical system on my shitbox while fitting a new stereo.. not my proudest moment
Yep, car gets blamed for short cut work standards
I have 3 of the 12v compressors/tyre inflators from Lidl/Aldi. They are really very good. Only reason I have 3 is that I bought one for myself, one for the missus. Forgot I bought one for the missus, and bought her another one. But they are really very good.
Lovely to hear the GSA spring into life - an outstanding car
You are obviously in your element
Know spring isn't in the air just yet but it's time to think air cooled
Thanks for sharing the joys of motoring - may the force be with you & ' happy motoring ' 👍
There's nothing wrong with the battery clamps, it's just you, being HubNut and refusing to tighten them up properly.
If they're loose, in any way, you get constant sparking across the gap, too small to see and this creates erosion and a build-up of deposits which make the connection even worse.
And then you shorted out the alternator; it's probably only a fuse/diode but I wouldn't try to fix it yourself, because HubNut???😁😁😁
Yes, the loose battery terminal clamps were irritating me a lot. It's a very bad habit. I understand having to take them off an on regularly, that's what terminal cut off switches are for. They're not expensive or difficult to put on. Saves this messing.
Reminds me of that time in my Beetle when I stopped for some roadworks, and the charging/cooling idiot light came on. After some very basic checking of the connections on the dynamo, I lifted the rear seat and gave the voltage regulator a good whack with what I had handy, which was the handle of a screw driver. Lo and behold, the charging light stopped glaring at me. However, I noticed afterwards that my indicators would indicate at a rather quicker pace than before, and the wipers would at times be very energetic indeed. Yup, definitely needed a new voltage regulator. Somehow, the battery survived just fine, though.
So good luck with Giselle. I really rather like her, so it will be lovely to see you back out on the road with her.
Ah la belle france. Having owned 8 french cars I have only ever had ONE which was easy to work on, and that was the Scenic - otherwise renamed the Sea-sick on account of the effect of the combination of upright ride and long travel suspension... Anyway the scenic - with it's relatively roomy high bonnet was easy-peasy. So different from the Meganne with which I replaced it! I think you need a new regulator... from what I recall of those 1970's french designs the alternators had a separate regulator box, which when it dies cause that over charge effect.
Ahh yes I remember the relaxing time (almost a whole day) I had removing a failed glowplug from a Peugeot 205 diesel. Conveniently placed under the high pressure fuel lines so you couldn't get a socket on it, and there was about 30 degrees of movement on the spanner. It helped that someone before me had cross threaded the thing too.
Bad luck Ian that was unfortunate. Regarding the cover I suspect that chemicals from the PVC had started to migrate onto the paintwork.
I was commenting "voltage regulator" at the screen when the gauge lights started playing up, but unfortunately not for lack of trying, my words couldnt penetrate backwards in time. What a pity it turned out that way. Ah well, these things happen sometimes.
Replacing the alternator sounds like great content!
Yep, you mentioned it near the end lol. 👍🇬🇧🏴
Love you channel and the way you keep it so very real and how it is. Have been following for years.
Great work and thank you.
Nice thing about your videos is you show the real world - we’ve all had the times when nothing has gone right and you’re glad there isn’t a sledge hammer in sight! But I feel ya - sometimes certain cars feel like they don’t want get better…I had this with a mk3 Granada.
The battery will have 'boiled over' when over-charged, and you don't seem to have an overflow connector and pipe fitted so it just dribbled out onto the battery tray. I don't know how easy it is to replace the regulator (if it's separate) or the alternator (if not), but otherwise it can't be too hard to fix. If you like French car comfort but want to avoid the complexity, try a Mk 1 Renault Laguna. Avoid the automatics (which self-destruct at around 100k miles) or the RXE unless all the 'toys' are working, and don't use the sunroof or it will break, otherwise they are good cars.
I used a car cover like yours for a while. It marked the paint on my car too
Note to anyone else who sees things suddenly get brighter/faster/whatever.
If you can turn it off and leave it until you can at least get a volt meter on it to check. If not keep the rpm as low as possible - preferably near tickover - and switch everything electrical on to its highest usage setting.
On most classics (not vintage), alternators tend to only be just powerful enough to run everything at low rpm - sometimes not even that - so it can help keep things alive and allow you to limp it back.
6000rpm is going to cook things sooner than later but I think by the time Ian realised what was happening it was probably too late anyway - batteries don't like overvolting and will only take it for a very short time.
Easy mistake and anyone can do it.
On a side note this happened on my mates' van years ago on the services. He had an R6 in the back at the time so we took the regulator off that, fitted it inline and it did the other 180 miles home without issue. He then kept saying he was going to fix it and never did. The van went to the scrap yard with that mod about 30,000 miles later, still working just fine.
All the good times!
Always disconnect the battery before working on engine or wiring has to be the moral of the story,
If that is a Velo alternator, you might be able to get a voltage regulator/diode pack for it. I remember one morning, taking my daughter to school in a Kangoo and the battery exploded due to overcharging. Not to be taken lightly.
Giselle must be worth strong money? I feel a collection caper coming!!
Ok, I'm late to the party and new to the channel but know this, getting rid of a GSA for a dodgey voltage regulator and a hydraulic leak is a crime against my childhood and actually makes the baby Jesus cry. My Dad had two GS's from the time I was 10 years old, both brand new, the second was the luxury Pallas version. I still remember the reg numbers (WIO 306 & 497DNI) such was the impact of those cars on my younger self. Was so sorry when they left the family to be replaced by ordinary cars. Would give my right arm to have one again. They are irreplaceable.
All good mechanics wear brown dungarees fact, if your mechanic wears a tracksuit just run away people 😭🤣🤣
Voltage regulator was always a common failure on both the GS and GSA range of Citroens, we used to change loads back in the 70s and 80s when I worked for a Citroen franchise.
I know just how you feel, every time I use my BX something goes. At the time you think that's it then had enough, but there's always another day 🙄
Always worth putting a small amount of oil in the oil filler when you've left a car idle for some time.
the joys of Tetris, except with vehicles and not "blocks" ......
Don't lose heart Ian, accidents happen. It was obvious how much you love driving Giselle even on such a short run. You'll be wanting to fix the voltage regulator and LHM leak before selling so get it done and then reconsider - the days are only getting longer and warmer!
I think you seriously need a good tidy up of the shed Ian
Had a Renault 11 once, to change the starter motor first take the nearside front tyre off......followed by a further 6 pages of Haynes manual!!
Thanks for the video, Ian. No matter how crap things are, just avoid any knee-jerk reactions. Picking a car to focus on is a good idea and Giselle does need some all round tlc and a visit to an expert may cost a bit. Don't give up, but as long as you have a queue of cars needing attention the stress builds and I feel for you. A sit rep for the fleet may mean that another vehicle is more worthy of your attention (and cash) for the next few months. Keep going, your videos are great.
Nice to see the GSA started and ran nicely, it's just bad luck that the regulator fried because of the accidental touch with the tool. I guess disconnecting the battery would've prevented that, but I guess nobody does that when the job is just tightening loose alternator belt. Seems there also was insulator missing for the alternator connection, shows how important little parts like these are, they are there for a reason.
Sorry to hear the GSA is a little too nice to maintain, but it's very understandable.
10 years ago I got an 1100cc GSA with a not so very nice body but it was technically near perfect, although I did keep battling exhaust gaskets just blowing out whenever they felt like (about ten times I think) and the alternator belt snapped of old age.
But I loved it, it was such a nice car to drive and apart from the snapped alternator belt it was very reliable, it never missed a beat.
Some time later I owned a Nissan Almera/Pulsar which blew all electrics time and again due to possibly flooding or leakage at the ECU.
Changed the alternator two times, six times for the battery and a lot of light bulbs many many many times.
In a way it was funny though: the lights shined very bright on that car doing a steady 22 V charge.....
I wish you well
It's likely that the charging issue has been going on since the battery light appeared. Don't know if you checked the charging rate then? Logic would say that a new regulator and the renewal of any dodgy wires and connectors should sort things. Plus a new battery from Tanya. Alternator, probably expensive, seems to be pumping out the volts. I'd consider replacing both main battery wires, perhaps a bit more beefy than the black one shown. Should that be red? The rear LHM connector should be easy. I think you have done one of those before? Keep her, the problems are annoying, but forgivable.
Yeah, have checked the charge rate several times. It's always been fine until it wasn't.
I'd be really sad to see the GSA go. As much as your other cars are.... Interesting, the GSA is by far and away the nicest car on the fleet, even if the interior is a bit tatty. I hope you talk yourself out of it and keep it.
Minor drama… wash the battery tray, replace the regulator with new (or the whole alternator if you cannot find the parts), reinstall the existing battery and on you go. It’s unlikely you’ve fried the battery. It may need a top up, but generally it should be fine if it’s holding a charge.
Ian on older cars, you should use a breathable car cover, to avoid micro-blister in paint.
I wouldn’t say end of the world. Alternator was probably questionable to start with. I soldered in a new voltage regulator on the last one I had go dodgy. She is perhaps a bit to complex and ‘fragile’ for the Seabrook stable. So typically Citroen. Fantastic ideas not necessarily well executed. You want to try the new Peugeot 508 sports engineered hybrid…… a performance tour de force but oh so French 😬
It could have been a lot worse. At least you didn't burn a wiper motor out or damage the ignition system. I once took out a Hall sensor with an accidental short like your accident. Had to walk 3 miles home after midnight.
That's the problem with leaving an old car under wraps for so long. Never happy when you wake it up, never wants to run properly. Nice car though, I think it would probably respond to having a weekly ride out once the couple of faults have been sorted.
These cars look good in black
Worth bearing in mind is that brief start-ups to move vehicles can accumulate a lot of water (in fact worse, a corrosive solution of combustion by-products) in a cold exhaust and rot it from the inside. I seem to remember that some of the sections of the GS's aren't cheap, so .... ETA > was wondering if maybe the alternator pivot could be secured with a nyloc nut and left just loose enough movement for adjustment?
Because french :) All the explanation you need. Love them.
Looking on the bright side.. was just watching another video on getting ONE new key for a fancy new Jag... £780!!!!!!... Makes the costs of keeping simpler older cars running seem quite reasonable.
This is the real life of working with cars. They're great when they're running properly, but the rest of time it can be sooooo frustrating.
I don't get it. You have a £500 trailer tent in the lock up that has a rain cover and no propensity to rot, taking up the space of another car in the fleet that could use a bit of protection from the elements.
Surely it's worth trying a new voltage regulator on the GSA before giving her the bullet and if she's getting that dirty under cover, 15 mins with a waterless carwash like greased lightening will keep her looking good - I do that with a T4 and it's kept outside.
Because Citreon I had a bx 19 gti.Loved it may modifications fast car.I had many a curse when i worked on her.
It’s easy to give advice from a distance, but personally I’d be sorry to see Giselle go. If the immediate problem could be cured with a new regulator or alternator, you’d be on the road again and would only have the usual niggles to worry about. She’s a pretty special machine.
My 1992 Peugeot 106 looks a breeze in comparison to Giselle in terms of engine maintenance!
I feel your frustration. Reminds me of my BX.
I think I read somewhere alot of GS got scrapped when an exhaust needed to be replaced because the amount of work required to get at it all was prohibitive in costs! Wait till your distributor plays up! 😅 You need to be very methodical and patient when working on cits.
The late Evans a writer in classic and sports car used to write an article monthly on his GSA and boy it was always needing things doing. He was not afraid to use it. Used to enjoy his GSA shininagins but also be scared. Off topic Martin Buckley's Gamma and Fiat 130 truly terrifying reading. Because French and Italian. Love them all of course.
Like the Clint Eastwood Firefox film. To understand French you have to think like a French man.
Selling it reduces stress, brings in some cash, opens a space up for something terrible and exciting to replace it, Chemmy is up and running now, yeah, I can see the appeal.
Keep Giselle, please! It's only a voltage regulator and maybe a battery that need replacing. Sure, it's depressing when you know that a seemingly minor slip of a spanner was the cause of the problem, but far worse things could have happened than that, after a few months of Winter storage.
A French beauty if nothing else. But the old adage "its only a 5 min job" should never, ever be used with a French car, especially one of a certain age. Brilliant vid again.
New battery and alternator and hopefully that will sort the electrics, the LHM leak is another issue but probably just the fluid return pipes so should be a farily easy fix?
Sadly not. Pipework seems in good order so likely a suspension cylinder rebuild is needed.
I'm sorry Ian but I've changed bulbs on my dad's honda and on my c3, only one was easy and it wasn't the Citroen, I now take to a mechanic because the only time I did try to change a bulb I ended up with grazed hands and no bulb in the headlight
You could have a problem with the alternator be careful it doesn’t boil your battery
Disconnect battery when working near alternators, or other wiring.
I do believe in 3 years she will be tax and mot exempt
Like Mr Sunak you had better have a reshuffle of the " Cabinet".
we sailed a bit too close on that one... ah go on, put the battery on concrete and stand by for action!
Hi Mr H. Have you seen that there is an Invacar for sale on eBay at the moment? Looks in fine fettle (she’s an M reg example) - £2,550 and counting……..hope you manage to make peace with Giselle……she’s a lovely thing!
Typical French car, having worked on Renaults, Citroens and Peugeots, I'm sure they build the car around the engine, usually quicker to take the engine out than dismantle the front end of the car with some of them.
Bit disappointing that car cover causing the damage, I was considering one, as my car gets carpet bombed with bird poop on a daily basis, and already had to have it repainted/ceramic coated.
There comes a time when enough is enough with a car, and it purely becomes a money pit and loss of faith in it, as you'll always be wondering whats going to happen next. I'm pretty sure one of the Hubnutters would be glad to give Giselle a home, and continue to share adventures with her. My Dad was always a big Citroen fan and always wanted a GSA, as found the CX was a bit too big when he took one for a test drive.
Crikey! All that room full of nonsense you have to work around. Looks like you need to tidy up fella! lol
Yup. A proper Spring Clean is on the cards.
@@HubNut Thats the kinda video I usually end up making. Starts off with some repair in mind, ends up trying to tidy to find something.
Sell up and get to bikes 😂😂😂
If I didn't already have 3 beautiful amazing 100% reliable elderly French cars, and wasn't going into the ripoff extended ULEZ zone...I would take that GSA off you in a heart beat, and give her the home she deserves! Compared to modern computers on wheels, she's easy to work on!
Such a beautiful car but why did they make them such a nightmare to do any work on?
I hope you rinsed away the battery acid off the tray as it'll keep eating away at the Paint 👍
Given you're a self proclaimed hippie, perhaps a xud diesel vehicle running on biodiesel could be your next car
Seems like a regulator problem which causes lights getting brighter
Modern batteries are good for three years, if you're lucky, 2 years normally sees them start to die. May as well budget for one every 18 months.
OEM batteries are always far superior in life expectancy to replacement batteries. I've had a number of cars from new and befor replacing them after six plus years i have never had to replace the battery, same goes for the exhaust system.😏
@@brucepickess8097 We're not talking about a new car and its original battery Bruce. It's an aged Citreon with a non-OEM battery.
@@brucepickess8097 agree 100% my 2012 VW is still on the same battery!
Don't get rid of Giselle for something as trivial as a blown voltage regulator. I'd absolutely kill for that car, and you seem to really love it. Fix it and carry on! The lengths you've gone to to keep Elly on the road are astronomical compared to this!
If it twere an LHD car, I would luv to have Giselle get acquainted with Canada.
Follow your heart ignore the have a go UA-cam Mechanic comments. You’ll fix it
I love the GSA. I'll be sad when Giselle goes.
The rev counter and display, could have come straight out of the tardis... Beware of the daliks
Bad times
Maybe time to draw the curtain and exit stage left on this particular French farce Ian .
What are the four main elements of farce?
Generally, stories considered a farce use physical humor, miscommunications, absurdity, and preposterous situations to make you laugh.
But how are the wipers?
Well, I didn't blow up the wiper motor at least...
Get an auto electrician to give it a looking at. Giselle mustn't go.
@20:35 : "she's gonnae blow captain!!"
When cars start to cost to much money get rid unless you have deep pockets either sell her as she is with known faults and let someone else sort her or repair as cheap as possible and then sell
Very good my English 🇬🇧friend from France 🇫🇷
Bonjour. I'm an English guy in France and I've just started watching a new channel that's pretty cool, called bagnoles et images. I'm watching to improve my French and hopefully find some interesting car meets.