C15 question...

jonathan_dyane · Post by **jonathan_dyane** » 20 Jun 2004, 00:06

Quick question: When did the C15 get the DW8 engine, and did it ever get the 1905 XUD?
Cheers.

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 20 Jun 2004, 13:10

It didn't get the 1.9, not sure about the DW8.

Stinkwheel · Post by **Stinkwheel** » 20 Jun 2004, 15:09

I dont think the C15 did get the DW8 engine. I've seen V and X rewg ones still using the 1769 XUD. It did not get the 1.9 but a scrap BX 1.9 and a weekend will sort that if need be.
C15's are great vans.

jonathan_dyane · Post by **jonathan_dyane** » 20 Jun 2004, 17:37

Aye, I didn't think it got the 1.9 XUD. They did definately get the DW8 though, the new ones they're selling now have it. I saw one in a 2 year old van, so they can't have been putting them in long. Must say, personally I'd prefer the good old XUD.
They are good fans, the father is considering one at the moment...
Cheers,

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 20 Jun 2004, 18:03

i cant belive they still make & sell these vans new,they are terrible,yeah they come with the DW8 engine with ECU.

Stinkwheel · Post by **Stinkwheel** » 20 Jun 2004, 22:36

Yes all vans that have been on sale for the last 18 years and can easily do 50mpg and over 90mph easily clock up over 250,000 miles and can be serviced with basic tools and basic knowledge are rubbish. I would go so far as to say that no one ever bought them and still dont which is why you can still get them for only 5995 new. Basic yes they are in todays terms but functional, comfortable, and useful they are also. May i ask what you base the fact that they are 'terrible' upon please mr wheeler.
As for your father jonathan i reccomend them.

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 21 Jun 2004, 04:32

i just think they are horrible to drive & the brakes are shocking,it feels like they dont have a servo.still you cant really ask for more at £5995 brand new i suppose.

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 21 Jun 2004, 13:00

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> I would go so far as to say that no one ever bought them and still dont which is why you can still get them for only 5995 new. Basic yes they are in todays terms but functional, comfortable, and useful they are also. May i ask what you base the fact that they are 'terrible' upon please mr wheeler.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
If no-one bought them they would have stopped making them years ago. Around here there are zillions of them on the road. I agree that the brakes are only just adequate, but they are comfortable and reliable, and with an XUD under the bonnet, what more do you want?
The basis of many peoples' complaints is that the C15 is not a very good sports car. Neither, I suppose, is a Toytonka MR2 (merde?) a very good light commercial vehicle; I once worked for a company who could not figure out the reasons for either of these things.

Stinkwheel · Post by **Stinkwheel** » 22 Jun 2004, 01:39

In case it didnt come accross mike my post was sarcasm, i think they are great vans (and i think the 17D and RD cars even better - i have a 17d 180,000 miles and counting) And your comment about them not being sports cars is just plain incorrect. You can really hustle these things but you are right about the brakes, a gti setup should cure that though.

jonathan_dyane · Post by **jonathan_dyane** » 22 Jun 2004, 04:40

I have never driven a C15 (yet), but we used to have a Diesel Visa, and it was an excellent little car. If the van is similar I will be more than happy.
I'm not complaining though, if people decide (as with BX's) they don't like them on principle, I will happily buy a dirt cheap and extremely competant and underated vehicle...

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 22 Jun 2004, 20:19

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">In case it didnt come accross mike my post was sarcasm, i think they are great vans (and i think the 17D and RD cars even better - i have a 17d 180,000 miles and counting) And your comment about them not being sports cars is just plain incorrect. You can really hustle these things but you are right about the brakes, a gti setup should cure that though.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Ah - thought it was only me that resorted to such! Needed a few [}:)][}:)][}:)]s [:D]
As to the sports car comment, I should have appended a [}:)] or two, that was a bit of irony as well! I worked with a bunch of halfwits whose only criterion for a vehicle was whether you could leave 1000 miles of tyre on the road every time you pulled away to the heady smell of burning clutch linings. Suffice it to say I have never seen as many vehicles involved in accidents in my life! Not to mention engines run without oil, knackered gearboxes, brake pads changed every 5000 miles, et al.
I wonder why the brakes are poor on the C15? Seemed to be excessive play on pedal, but so is my ZX

VisaGTi16v · Post by **VisaGTi16v** » 22 Jun 2004, 20:27

the c15 was the visa's big success story really, i mean after all these years!
did they ever sell the 4 seater version over here with the rear windows ie like berlingo multispace sort of thing which is all the rage now (turn a van into a 4 seater). Ive only seem them in france/spain i think
c15 brakes will be a bit spongy as the visa had a pedal bar with the servo on the left hand side which will enduce a some flexing unlike a zx which is directly into the servo on the drivers side. Doing sprints in my visa and the zx I know which I would rather be in braking from 120 lol
infact on that note...I do wonder what the problem is. Fully reconditioned brakes etc on both but the zx stops soooo much better. 266mm and 1150kg compared to 247mm and 870kg for the visa so have no idea. Both single pot floating calipers but the zx just stops way quicker, quite staggering when the pads are warmed up

Stinkwheel · Post by **Stinkwheel** » 22 Jun 2004, 22:09

I have seen the C15 with seats and rear windows over here but i think they were special order only. And they are nothing like the Berlingo they are much more like the Acadiane and AK400 'Weekend' versions (i.e. rear seats, windows etc) i think they were called c15 weekends in fact.
On the subject of brakes I have seen a C15 converted to hydraulic rear suspension a la some tractions and H vans, dont know what is involved but with this set up surely a fully powered braking system would be possible.

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 22 Jun 2004, 23:00

Having owned a couple of C15's and done quite large mileages in them, the problem with the brakes is that they are unbalanced.
The rear brakes are far too effective causing them to lock up on anything like a damp surface whilst the fronts are only just adequate.
I tried everything from new brake balancing valves, adjusting the valve far beyond recommendations, to slackening off the rear shoes, none of which solved the problem.
Provided you weren't in an emergency situation you could allow for the brakes, but a couple of times firm braking would caused the van to slide sideways, due to the rear wheels locking up, making for a good laxative!!
Other than carrying around a few bags of cement I cannot easily see a solution to this problem.
I loved both of my C15D's but started to lose faith after a couple of 'moments', now I enjoy my Berlingo without the worry of going sideways.