Aankooptips Buy-advice

HOW TO BUY A USED CITROEN SM

 

J.P. CHASSIN in WHY CITROËN (Download here)

BODY

Costly to repair or replace. Look for rust at door bottoms, front underpan around trunk lid's rear edge.

FRAME

Difficult to get repaired. Check the alignment of hood with front fenders indicating front sub-frame distortion. Check for tags or brazing on front sub chassis indicating new sub chassis after accident.

Check for front door to front fender gap and alignment indicating a rusted frame or twisted frame at the firewall. Check that front doors actually shut and line up with rear door to "see" a twisted frame. Lift the rugs at the driver's foot rest area.

Probably rusted floor. Any holes? Lift the rug at rear seat and ink the funk, look for rust and holes.

Check that both rear wheels are actually vertical as seen from the rear. Bad angle indicates bent rear chassis. Check the top of the trunk walls on each side. Rust shows that water has been pouring from the roof into the

trunk.

Check for stains on the headliner indicating a leaky roof.

SUSPENSION

Robust and reliable unless used with wrong fluid.

Check that the fluid is the right one, color and smell.

Check that there is enough of it. If you can raise the car, listen for knocks as the rear end gets up (bad rod), or groans as the front end gets up (bad ball joints). Grab front bumper firmly and lift and lower the car: 10 inches difference is excellent, no motion indicates bad spheres. Same test in the rear. Lift car all the way up and check fluid level in main tank: it will run out if there are bad spheres. Do not do this test if the spheres are bad, as indicated by lifting test.

Look for puddles under the car, fluid, engine oil or water.

ls the rear suspension clip in place on both sides?

STEERING OR POWER STEERING

Move the steering wheel slowly right and left for smoothness. Any clacking noise indicates bad adjustment of valves. Hissing indicates leaky power steering. Short hissing noises are relatively insignificant, as long as they do not persist.

Grab the front wheels (one at a time) and shake them right and left to check for loose tie rods. Grab the top of the front wheels and shake in and out for rattling and loose ball joints. Kicking the tires is

of no use.

Check the front tires for uneven wear, bad parallelism to be adjusted once for all.

Check that both front wheels are vertical in straight line at normal

height.

Check that the steering returns to mid position with engine just turned off. Failure to do so indicates bad main accumulator.

GEARBOX

Check that the lever actually can start the engine. Move the lever into each gear, engine off, any sustained hissing in gear indicates leaking selector dash pots. If the lever is hard to move, do not force it. The system can be checked by driving the car.

BRAKES

Any hissing occurring when the brake pedal is depressed indicates air in the brake lines or badly adjusted rear brake shoes. Listen to the rear brake shoes moving in position or returning to rest.

TRANSMISSION

Lift front wheels off the ground, tighten hand brake if working and attempt to rotate front wheels. This is to check the axle wear.

Check for improper level in gear box or seepage.

Drive and see if gears do not crash together.

Check where clutch pedal "grabs". This indicates age and wear of clutch. A worn clutch grabs near the end of it’s release.

Check where it’s front adjustment is set.

ENGINE

Check for oil leakage excluding normal seepage.

Check oil at dipstick and check color and smell. After running the engine, check for particles of metal

on dipstick (broken rings).

Check pressure at engine head as engine is running by covering oil filler opening with the hand. This is the "blow by" caused by worn rings or pistons.

Check that exhaust is gray and not black or oily. Water dripping at the exhaust end is O K. Blue smoke is indication of hole in piston or worn valve guide.

Check for missing belts.

 

 

COOLING SYSTEM

Check for right level in radiator. What is in it?

Check front bearing at water pump by moving pulley right and left or attempting to do so. Any leaking or cracked hoses? Heater valve is working?

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

If possible, check for proper water level in battery.

Check condition of battery connections. Alternator charges? Starter working?

Headlights, horns, brake lights, dash lights warning lights, flashers, heater fans, air conditioner, defroster, radio, windows, windshield wipers and washer.

OTHERS

Door latches, trunk lock, hood latches and releases, seat belts, exhaust, fuel system (smells), glass, mirrors, visors, speedometer and odometer.

Many more items could be checked into by spending more time with more equipment at hand.

TOWING RECOMMENDATIONS

REMEMBER THAT IT IS SAFER TO TRANSPORT A CITROEN THAN TO TOW IT.

The cost might be higher but the damage caused by improper towing can cause it to be seriously damaged.

Hydraulically suspended vehicles can be towed only at reduced speed. Citroen recommends not to tow above 30 m.p.h. on smooth surfaces. It is possible to lift the suspension by rotating the high pressure pump with a speed wrench and extension. Some of the suspension will smooth out the bumps and will give a safer ride to the chassis.

 

 

And a youtube video in French, but with autogenerated subtitles in English.

 

Wishing all new Citroën SM owners a smooth and memorable journey ahead!

May your adventures be filled with style, sophistication, and a touch of mystique,

as you drive through life in the timeless elegance of this magnificent machine.

Here's to many miles of serenity and magnificence on the road!

Enjoy the ride!