Citroen GSA - can we isolate the bad noise? Plus more electrics...

[@HubNut]

Social tickets here until sold out: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/698400092477?aff=oddtdtcreator

[@69Phuket]

Cirencester ...Managed to blagg a QR code for it.. 2:4 hours is nothing in a Mazda 2 compared to an Twuk.

[@benbrown3541]

I know it might be a radical idea, but does a Haynes Manual exist for the GS/GSA? Might be handy....

[@uonecar]

on your 20 mph video you go on about safety should they ban older cars because of breaking and pedestrian protection

[@69Phuket]

@@benbrown3541 Haynes did a manual for the space shuttle and a Challenger 2...I guess it exists in time and space yeah.

[@JamesChurchill3]

The comedic timing of the bulb going out when you popped the holder back in was impeccable.

[@workonesabs]

I actually laughed as it happened, and it's typical to that to happen...

[@James-ld2jc]

Beat me to it. Comedy gold 😂😂

[@andrewcarnell601]

me too

[@ajpbradley]

I laughed so loudly while really feeling for Ian. A proper “if you don’t laugh then you’ll cry” moment.

[@will89687]

Because French

[@grayfool]

The bulb saga was hilarious. Giselle has a great sense of humour.

[@sophiedolman2230]

I think I'd be replacing the battery earth lead on Giselle. It seems pretty small, and the way the voltage drops as you start, suggests it having a rising resistance!

[@ottermg]

I know it doesn't fix your dodgy bulb holder but I do have a handy hint for boot mounted number plate lamps, my civic has a wonky hinge and takes a good slam to close, kept blowing bulbs doing this, I now leave the lights on when I close the boot as the filament is less brittle when lit. Learnt this from aircrash investigations, they can tell which lamps were working at the moment of impact as filaments stay intact . Might be complete tosh but I haven't had to replace a lamp since I started doing this 👍

[@keithjohnson3550]

Oooo! Very interesting : ) thanks for that

[@simonkelley7073]

Little/no charge plus dying gremlin noises: I'd say you've got a diode problem, either shorted or open circuit. Testing them with a multimeter is easy and fitting new ones is also easy if you have a big soldering iron. I'm not sure I recommend DIY where Ian is concerned though.

[@v12mike30]

I agree, the alternator is only running on 2 phases, not 3, which also makes them noisy due to the electrical imbalance. I don't know how easy it is to swap rectifiers on those alternators, some soldering probably required.

[@jwsoaresjones1560]

Practice on a simpler, non-critical electrical component. Ian is a trooper even without a proper electrics toolkit. Soldier on, brave Hubnutters! When all fails throw more efforts at the wall.

[@The-Rectifier]

A tip for broken bulbholders....hot glue solve cheap the problem. After owing a X3 (GSA) and treading it in for an even more miserable CX 2.0 Athena , my taste for quirkiness /stressfull maintenance works etc ended. I did finally the most sensible thing in my life and sold the bloody thing. ( i would say...ive learned my lesson, but that been even a bigger lie😂)

[@bobgorman9481]

As for the number plate lights, I would be tempted to just hard wire ( ie solder) a new bulb in the housing ( on both of them) , thus eliminating any chance of the old brittle bulb holders giving up in the near future ie , MOT test day!

[@lloydtucker]

What you do with the plate lights is wire in a small LED strip that fits inside the holder. It will probably outlast the car

[@theythinkitsallrover8106]

Flipmode is the greatest! 😆 Miss Hubnut just gained 150 respect points from me for even knowing what that is!

[@HieroOldie]

Flipmode is the squad!

[@anthonystevens8683]

Another great video with some cracking banter between the HubNutters. Apologies in advance for talking about motorbikes but back in the 80's the wiring connectors were all stuffed behind the headlight, on more than one occasion I encountered a 'Giselle' moment when all was fine right up until I installed the headlight along with the spaghetti behind it only to find I my bulb outage had returned. As infuriating as it was, the headlight or an indicator light in my case I got it working with copious spaying of a thing called Electrolube (not sure it it was the right thing or even if it's still available) but it worked. When back then my 20 (ish) year old was going to take his then girlfriend away on the bike for the weekend it is was a worrying time to get it fixed. It seemed to work fine from that point on. I've no idea if all the connectors turned to fudge over years later after I sold the bike and got another but it turned out to be a great weekend anyway.

[@ChrisBrown-jh2mo]

I had the Panda MOT'D today, chatting with the tester there only needs to be one numberplate light working to get a pass. It will though be noted as an advisory.

[@chrisdowns1987]

True, something about having multiple light sources but some defective. I forget the precise wording 👍

[@wxcferdts]

I know she is (was?) very 'special', Ian, but I really do think you've put more than enough time, energy and love in Giselle, and it might be better to hand her over, for a nice price, to another lover of quirky Citroens, but with perhaps more space and time on his/her hands to do the car justice. It'll not only provide you with extra space and fewer worries, but a whole lot more of peace of mind and quiet.

[@HubNut]

That's the plan really, but she should be on the road and ready to go or the value is less than ideal.

[@Simon-ui6db]

Received my keyring and stickers today. Thanks.

[@TurboTimsWorld]

You will only need 1 number plate light working (a new rule from last year but you will get a minor defect pass) and the speedo is not an issue for test,

[@michaelstaunton1632]

Think it’s time to draw a line under the GSA & move it on which would let you have more time for others on the fleet & free up space in the unit . Look forward 👍

[@Randy_Loafers]

This reminds me of the episode of Fawlty Towers and the car where Basil beats the car to death with a tree branch. A classic episode.

[@PaddyWV]

Random thought. I remember Simca 1100's making whining noises like that. They obviously do make (alternators) like they used to!

[@paulgoldsworthy5971]

Get yourself a can of petrol ian and get your sanity back. spot on video as usual. take care 👍

[@StreakyP]

& now for a rousing chorus of "ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE"!.

[@mancavehobbies6213]

Classic Hubnut . The bulb going out is COMEDY GOLD.🤣😂🤣

[@davidthehillbilly7995]

Kudos for having the patience of Job. I'd be rounding up the gasoline and hand grenades at this point. May as well carry on though. You've already done one job and how hard can it be to change a bulb....

[@2tone209]

YES ANOTHER SHOUT OUT THANKS MR HUBNUT...

[@ghaddon1701]

Aren't there little access panels in the tailgate on the inside?

[@DaveAber9999]

I was about to say the same. You can see them (just) at 10:31

[@YllaStar95970]

🇬🇧 Somewhere deep within the Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered GSA , documenting the great British struggle with the French🇫🇷.

[@PenryMMJ]

Before the red folders appeared, things went wrong just as often. But that's OK. Because when you haven't got a red folder reminding you of all the things that are wrong, it's much easier to pretend that nothing is wrong. Once you've learned how to genuinely not care, life becomes a lot less stressful.

[@allanmollison6971]

Thanks for the entertainment Hubnuts. Good luck with the social on the weekend. 👍😊

[@GerardKelly-h1x]

Just followed you into Aberaeron, caught my attention straight away! What a little beauty!!

[@francischurch4460]

Miss Hubnut is an absolute treasure. I have to admit I felt your pain, but I did also have to laugh.

[@TurboTimsWorld]

Or you remove the plastic trim on the inside of the boot lid put your hand in and squeeze the clips rom the inside.

[@HubNut]

😳

[@simonbennett9687]

13:00 I knew it was coming because I’d read the comments and I still fell about laughing.😂

[@eggy1962]

are there any auto electricians nearby Ian? that can overhaul that alternator, usually a tiny bit cheaper if you put in their hands ...ie take it off yourself, the bearing is iffy for a start

[@HubNut]

Not near. Joys of rural life! May have to go travelling.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

13:00 Miss Hubnut's laugh when the bulb goes out... been there and done that with a Rover 75, so I feel your pain!

[@jdtseventyfour]

I was watching waiting for a Basil Fawlty moment. I have had many of these fun times with various French cars over the years. Oh the fun and excitement of repairing ones French vehicle. Sence of humour failures abound!!! When the bulb went out as you clipped its holder back in I could hear the force Miss hubnut was applying to her bottom lip with her teeth so as not to laugh. Well done for persevering though to both of you another job well done!!!

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

Very enjoyable video for us viewing, but we also feel your pain and I personally think she needs to go.... Giselle not Miss HubNut Lol.

[@profrumpo]

The woes of classic car ownership laid bare for all to see your pain. I've always fancied the idea of owning a classic (either a Rover P6 or a Wolseley Hornet) but I don't have the tinkering skills plus I'm not keen on the financial outlay. Can I just say how much Miss Hubnut adds to the channel, the voice of reason and calm during the dark times.

[@mbak7801]

When I had bulb holder problems I soldered wires onto the bulb and then into the circuit. Some heat shrink and all was sorted.

[@markgriffiths3804]

I don't know if I should feel bad or not, but you had me in stitches watching you suffer with something as simple as a numberplate lamp. 😂 This Citroen really is your nemesis.

[@daniellee9015]

Absolutely brilliant video Ian miss hubnut ❤👍 you are funny Ian but brilliant glad you put a video up was missing you both brilliant

[@nigelrudd670]

Ground hog day hubnut style 🤓🤔

[@Georger392]

Pop the belt off 😂😂 I can definitely feel your love for the car has gone . Also Ian thank you for your honest videos and not editing out how you feel when things go French 😊😊

[@alfasudoro]

The more often you replace the same parts, the more handy you become. Every disadvantage has its advantage. 😀

[@Kai-Peter.Schellhase]

13:01 Could have sworn I heard the theme from Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds just then.🤭

[@Bucharestguidedtours]

The Citroen is coming on, reg plate light fix is a win, be it a fiddly one, shame the alternator is away but at least you know.. Your mullet on the other hand is excellent, keep at it, full Pat Sharp "Funhouse" spec is the aim...Best wishes.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

what kind of bulb does the number plate light take?

[@HubNut]

I call them mushroom bulbs. I think they're BA15S.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

@@HubNut They seem to be but seems the holder is moulded in the fitting so woudnt help much to get a different holder. Guess the olnly remedy is to try and bend the contacts back in to shape. This is easily my favourite car on your fleet. Think you may have fried the regulator when you shorted the alternator accidentally. My mondeo nver got much above 12.8v though with a new alternator and it was charging fine. (Never failed to start)

[@timevans815]

Last year our narrowboat alternators started to whine and whirr noisily for half of our 6 week journey. The reason was one dodgy battery in the bank of three causing them to work silly hard. New batteries cured the problem. Just a thought.

[@merikblackmore]

Would it be easier to wind the drivers window down to start car, put lights on etc? Btw, 6 tickets left as per the pinned link.

[@twogoonsonanadventure]

Please don’t give up! I don’t care how difficult they are, I love old Citroëns! Sometimes you just need to give them to someone who has more experience working on all things french! 😉

[@grahamclark4518]

I shouldn`t have laughed out loud at your pain, but i did.........bulb working...click bulb goes out, absolute gold 😃😃

[@xjs36]

The funnest thing I’ve watched in a long time

[@finlayfraser9952]

Ian, you inspire confidence!

[@OneDullMan]

I feel your pain Ian

[@69Phuket]

Would love a GSA until my good mechanic says...'I don't want this in my garage any more''.

[@arpinchock]

Having spent a lot of time on British Leyland products I soooooo feel your pain with the electrics!

[@jamiealbin1269]

Sorry Ian I have not laughed so much for a while as when I watched the number plate light replacement keep up the content love it Best wishes and good luck with Giselle lol Jamie from Durham

[@Extreme_Rice]

2:11 Trying to picture Busta Rhymes in a 2CV now.

[@howiemeltzer7040]

Of course this comment is is of no use to you, but, I would love to see you with an early 70s Renault R16! Similar body style, a good size liftback with comfortable seats and decent gas mpg. The engine is mounted backwards with the transmission in front. On the off chance (😂) you'd need to work on it, there is a lot of room under the hood. I had three of them over my "French car phase" years and I loved them.

[@HowardLeVert]

My first car was a 1973 16TL and to this day remains my favourite car. I think were I to get another, I'd settle for a 16TS.

[@howiemeltzer7040]

@@HowardLeVert in Seattle, in the northwest corner of the US, there weren't many French cars, or shops to work on them. Still, I had an R8, R10, R12 wagon and a Le Car, otherwise known as R5, beside the R16s, all from 1976 to 1989. I'd love to have an R16 or maybe an R10 converted to electric!

[@BrorAppelsin]

Buy (or rent) an ozone generator for freshening cars up, it does wonders.

[@tristanpage6805]

Great content again. Comedy number plate timing!

[@pederb82]

I’m so sorry Ian. I’ve had a shit shit day and when you put the holder for the number plate in and it went dark, the look on your face made me laugh/smile for the first time today. It’s too bad it’s your frustration that punched an hole in mine. With regards to the alternator. Is it grounded properly. I’ve had issues with alternators that rely on its connection/mounting to the engine for earth. That’s unreliable at best. Id try hooking the black lead of your jumper cable to it and the other end to the ground on the battery and see if it’s any different. I could write an essay of why with Eddie currents etc but yeah. A good connection to both ground and positive is required or they go haywire.

[@cjmillsnun]

The good news is you only need one number plate light for the MOT

[@matthewheale5836]

Ian and mrs hubnut love the content of your channel .. that naughty little French car is most definitely getting you down .. mate let her go .. life is short move on .. new car and happier times needed 😃😃😃😃

[@overwatch1774]

Heads up: there should be a couple of access doors on the inside of the trunk lid to access the bulbs. Also if I remember correctly, the speedometer bulb is of a special kind, but I cannot find the name of it. The Mk1 BX uses the same.

[@HubNut]

🫣

[@japv80]

The license plate lights are also almost identical to BX Berline light units :) I changed both of them out on my GSA. Speedo binnacle is 2 long upwards screws on the bottom of the dash and uncoupling the speedo cable. I don't remember if that needs to happen through the speaker hole or from the engine compartment.

[@twocvbloke]

Epoxy that lamp socket, or, dare I say it, maybe even replace it if such replacements exist, and then burn the alternator with fire, the rest of the car's fine, once you get around the frenchness... :P

[@reneegudjon3204]

The contacts there may be oxidized

[@martinneumann7783]

When patience is overtaxed... (I know how that feels!)

[@Phiyedough]

I had an alternator with a noisy bearing so I bought a new bearing, pressed out the old one and it broke the alloy casting! It seems the bearings are swaged in so you can't renew them. I had to buy a new alternator for the sake of a bearing.

[@michaeljones1475]

Just like most washing machine drum bearings now, a new drum is almost as expensive as a new machine. especially with labour costs. So much for recycling!

[@Nino500]

Please forgive me for cracking up when the lamp unit clicked back in and the bulb immediately extinguished😁. I know the emotional response at your end was not at all similar. It was a classic Hubnut moment which I'm sure you'll come to appreciate in time.

[@andrewlaw]

Ian, send your alternator to West Lancs Auto Electrics. They'll rebuild it for you and it will come back looking brand new and putting out 14.4+ volts. I'd recommend them for any alternator or starter motor needs you have.

[@stuwhite2337]

I remember buying a bloody big socket to get the fan nut off! Was it 42mm?

[@HubNut]

Yeah, that's why I haven't...

[@stuwhite2337]

@@HubNut you should pop round, I probably still have it😂

[@davidsharp9166]

I've got similar on mu Bx, im considering switching to LED

[@davidflamee]

I didn't hear the high chirping sounds. Which suggests they were in fact coming from alternator. Is there anything more original in your local scrapyard? or a reconditioned original online. Sharing your frustrations.

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Isn't there a joke about how many people does it take to change a lightbulb?

[@danielbaker4820]

The alternator probably has a blown diode which is why it drained battery when was sat in garage

[@Codzilla71]

Could see the frustration and the enthusiam ebbing away when it wouldn't start - £300? 🤝

[@vivianhughes9347]

...meanwhile, Bella is always there when you need her. ❤M49s 😊

[@alecbrown66]

With gisel's gremlins, especially the electric ones, Peugeot and even more so with citroens 9f any age, put a small length of wire. What you do is take a rear the rear light cluster out,,and fit 1 end of the wire to the metal plate of the rear lamp holders,,and the other to a bit of the inside the metal bodywork .it typically works great

[@theodorbean2604]

Does that car have a pushrod engine? What does the belt do over the left cylinder bank?

[@danielrussell446]

Flat four I believe

[@japv80]

Air cooled flat four OHC. Two timing belts, one for each bank of 2 cylinders.

[@theodorbean2604]

@@japv80 thank you

[@ianburns2430]

It sounds like the bearing in your alternator is cooked, have you tried Ecas (Roy) for an alternator ?

[@HubNut]

Roy won't be stocking GSA bits. He's far too sensible.

[@ianburns2430]

@@HubNut You maybe right, but who does supply GSA parts, there must be someone

[@MisterHughes]

13:00 Totally saw that coming.

[@tony-yp6qk]

another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍

[@Farney-gy1qo]

Another Great Video HubNutters 😅!

[@FryNOR]

The design of the numberplate lights is the same on my wife's Xsara Picasso, i found out that removing the inside trim on the hatch was the easy way to get at the clips.

[@danpeters5028]

There is just something about fettling with other cars I just love sometimes a nightmare and many of problem along the way yet still enjoyable 😃

[@strathcarnagelackadaisical9597]

Interesting auto-caption at 10:26 that I wasn't expecting 😳

[@lesklower7281]

How frustrating is the Citreon GS and those numberplate lights a failure in N.S.W Australia with the rego check l fixed the number plate issue on my Hilux which has an actual number plate bracket as it has an aluminum tray not from Toyota and l was able to fit an LED number plate light so l don't have to replace a bulb it looks like another alternator

[@markdavis5123]

Having seen the recent videos on the GSA, my observations on your body language & speaking of selling perhaps you should move on. With the empty space you perhaps could squeeze one of the other fleet in there from home. Whilst with the money raised invest into some shelving for your spares & tools, freeing up more floor space. Something I did & wished I'd done it earlier.

[@AdamJRichardson]

On the one hand, in the US it's very difficult to maintain a Citroen as they haven't been in this country for ~40 years. On the other hand, we don't have pesky MOTs here so it's pretty much a free for all in terms of what needs to work (or doesn't) to keep a classic car on the road.

[@1Haloninja]

Whilst i am sympathetic and sorry about the torment that is citroens when they are in a mood but the radio edit swear bleeps did make me snort laugh.

[@Sid3300]

Is the guest doing a 25 hour live stream by any chance? Also social in suffolk please!

[@HubNut]

It may be... Suffolk may be a struggle this year sadly.

[@andrewcarnell601]

Maybe spray everything with Electrical Contact Cleaner - the stuff works magic

[@HubNut]

Did try it...

[@GoldenCroc]

Sometimes one persons mechanical ability and patience level isnt a good fit for a certain car, since they could be very different to eachother. This might, no offence, be one of those cases?

[@rgorham99]

I can confirm Citroen still haven't improved number plate lamps my 2010 model, your supposed to pop the clear bit off and swap the bulb easy right, reality clear part will shatter bulb holder will snap if you try and remove it. All whilst holding the tailgate half up as its the only way to see what your doing. After joining a forum for said model I find out its easier to remove the whole tailgate trim panel and release the lamps from inside. #becausefrench ❤❤❤

[@biker_dan]

Spray loads of WD40 into the alternator. It will slacken any tightness if it is tight. How about the belt? Is it an old belt? Is it a v type belt? Cc ould the sides of the belt be so worn that is t it s running on the underside of the belt instead of f the sides? That wou lol d cause great noise..

[@taficegaming]

Having one reg light will still pass a mot it will be a advisorie

[@Roger_Ramjet]

Good God, is it cold there already??

[@HubNut]

Yup! Summer is firmly over. 25 degrees one week, 15 the next...

[@Roger_Ramjet]

Cheers from summery Boston. Love you guys.

[@moneyprofessional]

Is the current alternator under warranty? Comedy gold moments there, loved it!

[@royjacques5650]

Hi Ian it's like watching my citroen mechanic working on on my peugeot 107 here in Copenhagen denmark. 😅

[@555RavenCrow]

C1 specialist working on your 107 saying you should have gotten an Aygo?

[@tinplategeektoo]

My 107 goes to a Toyota garage here in the UK, cheaper and better service. Peugeot garage cannot be trusted to do the work and the staff are not interested in customer service.

[@tauncfester3022]

Is the license plate light housing plastic a form of Styrene? You could buy a tube of plastic model cement, or if a more industrial solution is OK, a small can of ABS black plastic ground pipe glue. Watch out with the ABS cement, as it contains MEK which is pretty toxic.

[@siriax1691]

#MoresaltyIan I swear Ian's rants are utterly hilarious MOAR MOAR MOAR. I lost it totally @12:46