C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

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PilgrumUK
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C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by PilgrumUK »

Hello all,

New to the forum...I wish it was under different circumstances! :(

My other half's 2004 Citroen C3 Pluriel Auto (don't ask!) died a death the other day. Not selecting gears or neutral. Turns out this is a common fault with these auto boxes (Citroen SensoDrive).

After getting he car on the Citroen Diagnostics it shows that the issue is the Gear Actuator. I understand there are two, for for clutch and one for the gear selector.

I have just had to pick myself up off the floor as I was hit with a quote for £957+VAT.

So...here's my question....

Where on earth can I purchase a Gear Selector Actuator for this '04 C3? I have a local garage that can fit the part if I can get hold of one.

Any help or guidance would be really appreciated
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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by daviemck2006 »

Sorry to say buddy, I would get rid of the car the way it is. I had a c2 sensodrive, and was over 1000 quid to fix it. I had no confidence in the car or citroens ability to fix it. I would never again buy any other semi auto car. You will be hard pushed for any mechanic to take on this repair apart from citroen and they had my car 5 weeks to get to the bottom of it. After the 1000+ repair I sold it and only got 800 for it.
Just noticed you have a local garage to fit it, it will still need setting up on a lexia or at citroen. Sorry but I have a very dim view of this gearbox.
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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by PilgrumUK »

Cheers for the reply.

I completely understand your point...I really do want to just get rid...however I live on the Isle of Wight and the prices of smaller cars are quite high over here so if I can get it sorted I should be able to get some money back over and above the fix costs. I am still in turmoil as to what to do as the car was only purchased from a private seller in Cornwall 24 hours before it went pop weekend just gone! The seller definitely knew it had the issues but played down the "quirky gearbox all these Pluriels have"! He's a disgusting little man...so hoping karma deals with him...or at least a thousand fleas infest his armpits and groin region!! ;-)

I think we have found the part through Parts Gateway....however, I will check on your raised point re having to take it back to Citroen to get it set up after the work has been done.
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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by citronut »

PilgrumUK wrote: I am still in turmoil as to what to do as the car was only purchased from a private seller in Cornwall 24 hours before it went pop weekend just gone!
i would take it back and demand a full refund, if the seller did not tell you about the fault they obviously knew about, you have the law on your side
Regards, malcolm.

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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by PilgrumUK »

Unfortunately, the law is not on my side. The seller is private so in all honesty there's not much I can do apart from the small claims court....buyer beware it seems. Even though I truly believe that the seller knew very well the issues with the vehicle and played any issues down to the point of calling it just a quirk...I cannot do much about it apart from setting it on fire and rolling it down a hill towards his place! Obviously I joke.....
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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by daviemck2006 »

Sounds like a plan [emoji91] Don't really know if [emoji90] burns though [emoji1]

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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by citronut »

i thought i heard somewhere if you purchased a car for £1000 or above even from a private seller, the buyer has/had just as much clout as if you bought it from a trader, i believe your purchase has to be fit for use
Regards, malcolm.

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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by handyman »

Yep, Malcolm is right. If the seller sold you a vehicle knowing that there was a major fault that was not immediately obvious AND he did not tell you about it, he leaves himself open to being sued. Whenever I buy a car, or anything else secondhand for that matter, I always ask about major issues. If things subsequently turn out to be faulty, then the seller is liable. The term caveat emptor is quite limited and sellers cant just absolve themselves of responsibility. That's called fraud or hoodwinking. If you had bought the car knowing it had this fault, that would be your liability. Its all covered by the 'Law of Tort' in the UK & implied contracts.

Have a word with your local Citizens Advice Bureau about legal aspects & taking him to court if he wont pay for the repairs.

Contact a reputable Citroen dealer & ask them about how the fault manifests itself, given the mileage the car has done & general condition. Ask them about known issues with this selector mechanism & if there was ever any factory recalls on it.

Contact the seller, preferably by [b]recorded delivery letter[/b], stating the problem and that you had bought the car in good faith, that the onus was on him to tell you if there were major issues & that you will be seeking redress through the courts if he cannot pay for the repairs. Send him a quote from your local Citroen dealer. They don't need the car to price the work as its all listed on the repair & maintenance schedules for labour & parts.

Just remember, all is not lost. At the very least, get the RSole to take the car back & return your money, plus any expenses. If he wont, sue him. :evil: :twisted: :twisted:

H
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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by daviemck2006 »

My c2 sensodrive broke within 3 weeks of me buying it off a private seller. Had I thought of this then I suppose I should have sued him. I think that on a private sale then in the absence of any bills of sale etc then it would be my word against his. If in court the seller said I told him it was broken and he bought it for spares or repairs then it would be very difficult to prove otherwise.

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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by handyman »

That's why it always good to get a 'Bill of Sale' when buying a used, or new, car.

The term 'sold as seen' or other similar ones do not hold water in court. Any civil action looks to probabilities not absolutes, as in criminal law, so providing you have documentation that says that a make of car with x number of miles or age is know to have this particular problem, you can argue the case that a seller should have been aware of the problem if it existed, especially if its within a very short space of time after the sale.

Sometimes the law is more about who has the bigger jojones in civil actions, than about truth or justice. :shock: :?

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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by citronut »

handyman wrote:
Contact the seller, preferably by recorded delivery letter
H


i was told by the Ombudsman's customer service that now any claims you have against anyone, it is accepted by a Court of law that you can state your claim against the offender/third party in any way you feel, verbally/over the phone/by answer phone message, by txt or by written letter,

then give them 8 weeks to respond agreeably, after this period you can put your case to the Ombudsman

i dont think a punch on the nose is accepted though :shock: #-o :-D :wink:
Regards, malcolm.

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1986 MK1 BX 1.9na D Auto(in Mothman Andy's stable )
layed up roppy 1.9TD XANT estate, now gone to meet her maker
purple and lilac metalic 2CV(VIOLET)registered to her in doors
1972 DS special been layed up aprox 31 years
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Post by addo »

The garage will need a Lexia to reset the actuators, post repair.

I would also investigate the possibility of refurbishing those which are there, while I haven't done it myself I understand there is some scope for rebuilding after various modes of failure.

Claims are all very good in principle, but appeal to the decency of any vendor before acting nasty. What goes around, comes around.
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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by wheeler »

If you think sensodrive problems are expensive to fix just wait till you start getting roof & water leak problems :shock:
With any sensodrive problems I would always try updating with the latest software version & reprogram the gear & clutch actuators first.

If you tried to claim against the seller I think it could be very difficult to prove the seller knew there was a fault with the actuator, after all a component can fail at any time.
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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by citronut »

wheeler wrote:
If you tried to claim against the seller I think it could be very difficult to prove the seller knew there was a fault with the actuator, after all a component can fail at any time.

maybe if you could ask either your local Citroen dealer or the dealer local to the vendor if they are not one in the same, as you own the car now they might/should be able to give you the history report,
this might show if the previous owner had presented the car to a dealer for this fault

maybe this is a GOTCH OSCA [-o< :wink:
Regards, malcolm.

current ride a BX 1.7 TZD estate
1986 MK1 BX 1.9na D Auto(in Mothman Andy's stable )
layed up roppy 1.9TD XANT estate, now gone to meet her maker
purple and lilac metalic 2CV(VIOLET)registered to her in doors
1972 DS special been layed up aprox 31 years
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Re: C3 Pluriel Gear Selector Actuator, where to buy?

Post by Lighty »

Not always true that the gear actuator is faulty just because the diagnostics say so :cry:
We have a used actuator that we keep for testing, my guy can get it fitted in about 30 mins, and it proves 100% that this is the problem.
We have had many ECU failures, broken wires , water filled underbonnet fuse boards, knackered gearboxes etc etc.
you wanna be sure before you fit new at this price level.
2nd hand is the way forward really, I am sure you could pick one up from the many hundreds that must be scrapped .
Shame really, I think they are ok, it's just the cost that's the problem.
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