Citroen C15 Van

[Reckless Rat]

Well, here's a bit of an update on the water ingress issue. As in Hingerland, here in southern France we've had the wettest January since time mint imperial and when I popped to the post office this morning in the C15 I noticed that the driver's side (nearside) carpet was soaking wet again. The passenger side was OK. I took off the bulkhead drain access cover to find everything dry and no blockages, so that wasn't the problem. I had however driven the van through some very heavy downpours on its way to the testing centre last Friday and I had another Eureka moment. The plug on the forward face of the nearside sill was perforated, allowing all the spray from the n/s wheel to go straight into the sill, and then into the car via the inner sill where the wiring loom goes to the back of the vehicle.

Another day mopping out but I think we've cracked it.

I shall do some remedials tomorrow when I have a moment. I have plenty of caulking mastic that will sort it.

[CitroJim]

Good you found that! Xantias suffer similar with a plug in the rear of the sill that perforates... Eventually it can kill the car...

[Reckless Rat]

The van is now fully registered as historic and the next MOT is due in 2031. It's now sporting a brand new pair of silver on black number plates.





The "sanglier" (wild boar) on the back door has been there since before I bought it in 2012. The previous owner was a hunter.

I also have a factory roof rack for the van, but I take it off when I don't need it - it's very noisy over about 40mph, and not surprisingly it makes a right dent in the fuel economy. Without it, the van averages between 45 and 50mpg.

[CitroJim]

Looking good!

[Reckless Rat]

Van is now properly re-registered as "Véhicule de Collection" with a new registration document and some shiny new silver on black number plates. This isn't the original registration. It appears that the van was bought new by a painter & decorator in Marseille (so it would have had a number that would have been ****AB 13) and then at some time it came across the Rhone into the Gard and had a number plate ending in 30, and then when an old guy gave it to his grandson in 2012 it was issued with the new style number (as seen) - the new ones do away with the departmental code and remain with the vehicle for the rest of its life. There's no way the older numbers are recoverable, not in France anyway. Whatever.





All good now for the next 5 years. Rock on!

[mickthemaverick]

Looking good, especially the banner sticker!!

[Stucp]

HI ,
Can anyone help me?
My C15 had intermittent problem of sounding like a very loud tractor with very loud rattling noise.
Have been told it is a timing issue and is over firing.
It happens when engine starts with no glow plug light.
Now van won't start at all.
I am about to scrap it but is there any chance this has happened to someone else before?
My garage has checked the relay unit and changed the ecu but this didn't help.
Many thanks

[RichardW]

Does it have a wire coming off No 3 injector? Some of these had a needle lift sensor which can fail and play up. There might also be a temperature sensor problem which is giving the wrong advance and making starting difficult.

[Stucp]

Thanks Richard, much appreciated.
Still trying to navigate my way around this forum and only just found your reply.
The van is currently at my local garage who are waiting for me to get it scrapped but I will go up there now and ask him about your suggestions.
Many thanks indeed.