Sensodrive C3 - a write off..?

[cachaciero]

PeterT

Not sure where you got to with this but I have just discovered that I have some quite comprehensive info on this box. If you are still working on it or considering working on it send me a pm with an e-mail address that will accept attachments and I will send you a copy.
Wish this site had a files upload area

cahaciero

[Lighty]

Hi Folks, had a quick read through the thread, I am possibly not the expert you think I am , but anyway.
I have discovered that there are 2 different ecu's, one is for abs , the other for none.We were messing with some used parts recently, and discovered that if you put an ABS ecu on a non car, it will only select 1st 2nd and reverse.
This is logically because the ABS ecu uses the ABS unit to gather its speed information, the non ecu uses the old fashioned speed sensor in the box.
Judging by your lack of 3rd 4th and 5th I would say you are not getting speed information.
Is your car ABS or not ? most cars do have an ABS ecu, these fail regularly as well.

[PeterT]

thanks Lighty, but I think you have the wrong thread, mine is an ABS car, and has no particular 3rd 4th 5th issues..

update on it's state:-
80K miles, I am the only real owner - it was a 6month old, 250mile old, Citroen dealer demonstrator when I bought it;
so I have history, bills etc.
it is presently sorned, not insured, MOT'd for 10months ish, stuck in ECO mode & won't start as gearbox wouldn't confirm neutral.

I wondered if the fact it had a C3 suspension fail when a front spring broke and dropped on the ABS & brake leads, and needed Citroen to fix (at their cost) as it was not actually recalled when it should have been...
so I don't trust the front offside ABS lead/sensor not being damaged too..
maybe the Lexia would help isolate that kind of fault..

if anyone wants to save me the hassle of ebaying it and wants to express an interest ?
It is in High Wycombe, Bucks and needs a transporter at the moment , as it cannot be guaranteed to stay in neutral if towed.

[Lighty]

Almost impossible to determine the fault, I have had a car with the same fault as yours twice, we put an ecu on it, and all was well, the guy left it standing, and let the battery go totally flat. We have had it ages now, checked everything and decided it must be wiring, dashboard display just showing a _ where the gear number should be.
Anyway in desperation today we fitted a gear selector actuator, and it all programmed up fine, and is back to normal.
Trouble is the selector actuator from Citroen is £571 + vat
The dealers agreed to do me one for £470 +, but I already had a new one in stock that I picked up from a dealer old stock pile
Still have no idea why it originally broke.

[addo]

£571+?

Did they use horse liniment as a lube when applying the invoice? That's the sort of money people fork over for a Selespeed controller.

[Lighty]

This is the gear actuator at £571
The clutch actuator was about £ 300 last time I got one.
The ECU is £300 bought one 3 weeks ago
The gear stick is about £70
The under bonnet fuse box about £150 , these fill up with water, so make sure your lid goes on properly.
Don't think there are too many other things to break

[wheeler]

The ABS ECU's like to fill up with water aswell

[RichardW]

'Progress' means that that C4 Picasso has an electric handbrake. The motor unit for this costs a whopping £645.60 Let's hope it never decides to throw in the towel

[Lighty]

'Progress' means that that C4 Picasso has an electric handbrake. The motor unit for this costs a whopping £645.60 Let's hope it never decides to throw in the towel

It will, the Renault megane ones need to be replaced when a cable fails.
I think these are fitted because of all the disc brake handbrake systems letting cars roll away.
The electric systems constantly monitor slippage to stop this happening

[svet]

I have the problem for a month now. I've tried resetting the gearbox. The procedure where you take the positive lead off, reconnect it, turn the key 2 times and hold the brake for 30-40 seconds. It seemed to do the job for a while. I have noticed this only happens after I drive for a while. I was told about the possible pressure problem. I'm taking my C2 to our local dealer on Friday. I will probably have more information then. I was able to use one of those cheap Elm327 devices. I got one error only P1755 - Intermediate Speed Sensor (ISS) Malfunction.

I'm kind of hoping a software update would do the trick. The C2 I'm driving is from 12/2003. I'll let you all know of the outcome, hopefully this weekend.

[PeterT]

ok, now, it has been sitting on the drive for a while..

so WHY when I remote blip my other C3 to lock it, does this one light up "eco-mode" on the display?


and reading the sensodrive document ( I just "found" -- thank you ) implies there might be a "three goes then store the fault and never let you have that gear again" feature/fault condition - which would need a Lexia to reset the fault..

Surely the garage(s) would have done this and made some progress towards fixing the fault..

and the clutch wear auto adjuster is not repairable.. maybe it is at end of range and ...

(I have managed to spin the wheels when driving away in this when I wanted to, so it's anti-wheel-spin software isn't fool-proof..)

now I have the pinout of the connectors I might be able to waggle the right wire.

The fault cause/effect sheet I am reading has multiple possible causes of a fault, that might be one of several faults as they are all inter-related..

I cannot ok throwing £1500 at a car worth £1500 (or less) and it might not fix the fault for long..

Otherwise I have an offer of £300 to have it taken away

if this was something at my day job, it would be marked as not repairable and returned to manufacturer as not suitable for use..


does anyone else have a bodywork damaged (but with ok mechanicals) C3 to mate with this one to make a whole working car??

[cachaciero]

ok, now, it has been sitting on the drive for a while..

so WHY when I remote blip my other C3 to lock it, does this one light up "eco-mode" on the display?


and reading the sensodrive document ( I just "found" -- thank you ) implies there might be a "three goes then store the fault and never let you have that gear again" feature/fault condition - which would need a Lexia to reset the fault..

Surely the garage(s) would have done this and made some progress towards fixing the fault..

.......snip....

Not necessarily the only mechanics likely to have seen and have the benefit of the document you have would be those that work for a main dealer and then probably only a few of those, manufacturers training courses are expensive even for franchised dealers. The average mechanic is unlikely to have seen the training notes and without that his understanding of how the system works or should work is probably sketchy to say the least, without good knowledge of how it should work trouble shooting it is going to be a hit and miss exercise, mostly misses I suspect.

cachaciero

[Hoggath]

Hello, just bought a 2003 C2 1.4 furio sensodrive with a faulty gearbox. I was advised by the owner that the car was driving along and then a bang the car then was reving itself the stalled. When you try to start it the engine seems locked up and the starter just clicks. Also showing Eco mode but I've made sure battery is fully charged. We had to tow it from where we bought it 2 miles home. The gearbox made some grinding noises and when we got back there is gear oil all over bottom off the car!!! I'm guessing the box is knackered. Maybe diff??

Can I get advice on the following please:-

1) why won't it start. Is it possible the gearbox internal failure is causing it not to start?
2) I've heard is a manual box with the kit on? Can I get an older secondhand good manual box, and fit the kit and hey presto, or not??? If so what code or donor car should I get it from???
3) do I need to connect to lexia to remove this box, fit the new one, or calibrate afterwards.

Thanks in advance guys....

[wheeler]

Can you turn the engine freely by hand ?

[Hoggath]

Not tried it to be honest. Just towed it to a mechanic mate of mine for a look but any advice is appreciated. I'll remove the camshaft cover and try and turn it by hand.