Citroen C3 Pluriel Roof HELP

[furriegurrie]

There is a pretty good topic on the Pluriel and the issues with the roof and it’s construction on a Dutch forum. I’ll dig up a link later so hopefully with the use of Google translate you’ll be able to gather Some knowledge. I believe you’ll find answers to most of your questions in that topic.

[furriegurrie]

Here you are:

https://www.citroen-forum.nl/forums/viewthread/221107

it's a pretty long read....

[Milenko]

Here you are:

https://www.citroen-forum.nl/forums/viewthread/221107

it's a pretty long read....

Thank You! I`ll read.

[wheeler]

My question is:
- What are the most common failures of the roof assembly and in what combination do they manifest themselves with failures and dependence of other parts of the vehicle (as I read that it has an effect on opening the trunk...)?
- Do I need to avoid the offered vehicles with roof leaks? (easily recognized by the dirty spots on the driver's and passenger's seats)

I think you will struggle to find one that doesent have the water stained seats
Aside from water leak issues the main problems are the plastic interslides breaking that caused to roof to go squint in the rails.
The plastic rear badge splitting at the boot release button, Later models should be ok as there was a modification.
The little flap bits breaking when the canvas slides over the rear glass.
There were a lot of recalls on the early models.

Not sure how available roof parts are now, think a lot of parts & seals are no longer produced.
The complete roof cassette used to be around £2700 when they first came out.

[Stickyfinger]

Having owned one......just do not own one, buy one or be given one....dreadful cars.

[Milenko]

I think you will struggle to find one that doesent have the water stained seats
Aside from water leak issues the main problems are the plastic interslides breaking that caused to roof to go squint in the rails.
The plastic rear badge splitting at the boot release button, Later models should be ok as there was a modification.
The little flap bits breaking when the canvas slides over the rear glass.
There were a lot of recalls on the early models.

Not sure how available roof parts are now, think a lot of parts & seals are no longer produced.
The complete roof cassette used to be around £2700 when they first came out.

Clear. (I`m reeading around the internet...learning...) I conclude Plastic sliders and dirt/mud in cable tubes are main mechanical problems that lead to damage to the support of the drive train of the electric motor. Old plastic material and time-worn, I guess.

Ok, I'm digging through electrical schematics to discover the "algorithm" of mutual dependence and the principle of operation; how and whether it depends on the operation of the rear side windows with the opening of the roof, and whether anything else depends. (I see that micro switches as position sensors have an effect here - I consider them consumables and a major cause of problems in the operation of all electronic circuits) as well as the breaking of cable bundles at joints/scissors.
Well,.... I would prefer the roof to be "dead" immovable, rather than broken and movable . Then I assume that the problem is electrical. When I study well where the microswitches are and how many there are, I`ll check the installation and the rotary command switch, I assume that the problem would be in the roof ECU next to the drive motor (although I have not yet read that it breaks down often). I see an ECU solution by making it easily (I guess) by programming an "ArduinoUNO" (Atmel) microcontroller environment which is very cheap. Then, when unlocking the vehicle, if desired, the roof could be opened as well as the windows...(everyone need to close everything when remote lock )
WAIT! I haven't fixed the roof yet, but I'm already imagining how I'm going to remotely control it

Now in my town, it could be found the complete roof cassette used for arround EUR600,00 but seller say "work condition"... This means nothing, because cannot check operational withot installation in a specific vehicle.
So, let`s move on

p.s.
sorry for my mix in "Tarzan English" and Google translate

[Milenko]

Having owned one......just do not own one, buy one or be given one....dreadful cars.

Want to buy it (and fix it) as a gift. My son really wants it.

[furriegurrie]

I have 1, bought it cheap as it didn’t work. Fixed it and I have to say I love it.

[wheeler]

Not sure what the climate is in Serbia but here in the UK its not a great idea to own one, May be OK for Portugal or Spain but its a ridiculous design too, There is nowhere to store the roof arches on the car, you need to leave them at home, if you get caught out in the rain you are screwed.

A lot of the time i see them here now the roofs are gaffer taped shut.

It would need to be very cheap i think to take a punt on it.

[furriegurrie]

That’s a good point. Mine was cheap, I paid 500 euro’s for it 7 years ago. And I have the luxury to park it indoors. The weather in The Netherlands is also not very cabrio friendly but that’s why I enjoy the flexibility of the roof all the more on the occasions you can use the Pluriel as spider or full cabrio or just with the roof open.

[wheeler]

I see an ECU solution by making it easily (I guess) by programming an "ArduinoUNO" (Atmel) microcontroller environment which is very cheap. Then, when unlocking the vehicle, if desired, the roof could be opened as well as the windows...(everyone need to close everything when remote lock )
WAIT! I haven't fixed the roof yet, but I'm already imagining how I'm going to remotely control it

Forgot to add, the roof ECU's are normally trouble free and are pretty basic, just inputs from the various position microswitches, The boot & cassette release buttons & the rotary roof opening switch. Outputs to the motor plus the boot & cassette release actuators.

As for the rear windows, the have nothing to do with the roof operation whatsoever. The entire roof cassette can be slid back & swivelled into the boot whether the rear windows are up or down. The roof arches are removed entirely manually & mechanical. Whilst it would not be ideal due to the risk of potentially smashing the glass & also a bit awkward there would be nothing to stop the roof arches being removed with the windows up.

[Milenko]

Not sure what the climate is in Serbia but here in the UK its not a great idea to own one, May be OK for Portugal or Spain but its a ridiculous design too, There is nowhere to store the roof arches on the car, you need to leave them at home, if you get caught out in the rain you are screwed.

A lot of the time i see them here now the roofs are gaffer taped shut.

It would need to be very cheap i think to take a punt on it.

Meteorological report from 3 days ago :
"February this year will be the warmest since meteorological measurements have been made in Serbia, and that is for the last 136 years. In the previous 25 days, the temperature was above average every day, and it often corresponded to average April temperatures. This year's winter reminds us more of the winters that also occur in regions such as the south of Spain, Italy and Greece. There was very little snow, both in the lower and higher areas." (Google translate) 16-20 deg Celsius

Have fammily house with yard and garage. Not worried for arches storage, but, I`ll let to mu son to think about rain, he was told that

...gaffer taped shut....
I saw one case where the owner put in a sheet of aluminum and fastened it with alu rivets !
"Hard" top

I`m verry sorry because our traffic law do not allow to own/register Right-hand wehicles fiew years ago. Fiew people import whole car from UK and Cyprus, but only because of spare used parts who fitting to L-hand cars. We saying> They are making sausages . I`m looking for Pluriel at mobile.de and marktplaats.nl . Can be up from 500EUR with unoperational roof, in very decent mechanical condition, to go by plane in NL / D, and drive back 1000-1400 km to Belgrade. (I do not care verry much for body scraps and small dents. it is not new!) For example> used: Front Right headlight, FR side wing, F bumper with grill and fog light, only ~170EUR in body color

So, in my research I found 3D printing pictures for sliders and fiew other parts. This coud be very useful. Just wondering about the softness and quality of the 3D plastic vs OEM part. Will inspect