Are Citroën a load of rubbish?

[Mikeyjp]

Hello

So not too been on this forum for long, but can not work out if this used to be a citroën only forum, or if a citroën forum closed down and they all came here?


The reason I say this is because the citroën section of the forum is by far the most active. So not sure if they are a load of rubbish and break down every 5 mins

[Stickyfinger]

oh come on.....10 minutes

[Deanxm]

Ive never managed a whole 10 minutes without failure, i've once heard someone made it all the way to thier destination without a breakdown, thought that was just an urban myth though?

D

[BenC5HDi]

I made it 5 miles this morning, though that was in a C1 which is really a Toyota/Daihatsu built in the Czech Republic..

My Berlingo has never broken down on me in the 5 years and 70,000 miles I've driven it. It's now on 120k and still going strong. Sure, it has had its issues but it's never failed to start or to get me to my destination. In fact, apart from one XM and my C4 when the clutch failed, I don't think any of the 40-odd Citroens I've owned have ever failed to get me to my destination.

Bits drop off and they do odd stuff, but in my experience they don't actually stop completely very often.

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[myglaren]

I can think of only two occasions when mine has actually broken down and had to be recovered.
GS steering ball joint which is fastened on with three 8mm nuts and bolts came off, drive shaft came out of the gearbox and spewed oil and needle bearings all over the roundabout.
The current C5 failed to start last year and was taken to a garage nearby to have a new starter motor fitted - my fault for ignoring the warning signs.

It is in at the minute for new front brake discs, calipers and handbrake cables, exhaust and some corroded brake pipes but nothing that has actually impeded progress.

Oops - BX blew the gasket while in Grange-On-Sands and never worked again.

[CitroJim]

So not too been on this forum for long, but can not work out if this used to be a citroën only forum, or if a citroën forum closed down and they all came here?

No, this forum has been running for 15 years now and started life as the Andyspares forum, then when GSF took over Andyspares it became the GSF Forum and then in the late naughties it went into private hands when GSF launched a new forum...

And here it remains It seems Citroen owners, especially Xantia owners, gravitated to here years ago and here we stay!

The Forum was very heavily BX orientated originally and many years ago our sister forum the BX Club was formed and to this day is co-hosted with this forum and shares Admin staff...

There, a potted history!

I've been running Citroens and Pugs for years and broken down in them precisely twice, both in V6 Xantias! Once a failed ignition coil which can occur on any petrol car and once a show-stopping hydraulic leak which could not be predicted at all and not the fault of the car...

They are not rubbish, the older ones need a bit of careful looking aftyer but given that they are very good indeed.

In fact the Xantia and early C5 have proved very long-lived and rugged... The quality is there without a doubt and engines, especially the HDi diesel and the petrol V6 are nothing short of brilliant...

[Mikeyjp]

Ah well that all explains quite a bit i would quite like a C2 a some point, but do not see my self selling my Clio Trophy any time soon

[daviemck2006]

Nothing wrong with a c2 but avoid the sensodrive semi auto like the plague. That's the only French car of mine that's been on a recovery truck.

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[Stickyfinger]

Ah well that all explains quite a bit i would quite like a C2 a some point, but do not see my self selling my Clio Trophy any time soon

One day you may even try and follow a 20year old Activa, and maybe even keep up for a bit
One day you may even ride in the comfort of a DS/C6/C5....and wake up at the end after a good few hours sleeping and ask "are we there yet" ?

Oh yes they are good, but as with all thing they do go wrong at times, this forum however is so well attended they also get fixed quickly.

[Mikeyjp]

Nothing wrong with a c2 but avoid the sensodrive semi auto like the plague. That's the only French car of mine that's been on a recovery truck.

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if i got a C2 it would be getting a VAG 2.0l turbo fitted

[Hell Razor5543]

Nothing wrong with a c2 but avoid the sensodrive semi auto like the plague. That's the only French car of mine that's been on a recovery truck.

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if i got a C2 it would be getting a VAG 2.0l turbo fitted

Does that include the emissions issues as well?

[daviemck2006]

Nothing wrong with a c2 but avoid the sensodrive semi auto like the plague. That's the only French car of mine that's been on a recovery truck.

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if i got a C2 it would be getting a VAG 2.0l turbo fitted

Buy a sensodrive then if your going to do major surgery, same body kit, wheels and interior as the vts, and you will pick up a vtr with knackered gearbox for scrap value [emoji4]

[Xantic]

Take a ride in an Activa I dare you
Do not. I repeat do not race one with a Clio. it will end in tears

[jsp]

A few things so far I have repaired:

Citroen before 1986:

ID 19 1960

6V electronic system (mainly earth issues)
spheres issue (rear axle won't adjust only highest position possible when broken)
carburettor idle issue sometimes
rust (always parked in garage when not in use)
interior plastic breaking off

CX:

Electronic issues (wiring,ECU, injectors, ignition modules, maf sensor)
Crankshaft sensor failure which left me stranded
Wiper tubing breaking
Indicator plastic holder breaks off
Blower issue (resistance issue)
Power window issues
Hydraulic spheres leaking
Fuel pump
Rust on doors and boot
Cooling issues (without thermostat just enough to cool the engine)

AX:

Rust on all corners of the car
Sill rust (all of it)
chassis triangle leg rust issue (triple welded water seems to creep in there)
Blower issue (resistance built in) replace
Alternator issues (leaking power)/ not charging/ bad regulator> replace regulator or replace with ZX much better
Starter issue > ZX starter
Thermostat issue > 82C is better use Valeo
Radiator switch > 92C is good original is 97C no need for that
Blue sensor issue (warning way too high 125C to save your a shim on the head and HG issue because of it)
> replace with Diesel sensor (115C)
Green sensor issue > replace
Front seat bolt holes on the chassis will break off when getting old
HG issue (short trip usually will leak) > replace
Ignition module issue > Replace with ribbed version
Crankshaft sensor issue > replace
Central locking issue (door wiring harness)
Central heating radiator issue (leak) replace
Fuel cap holder on fuel pipe (rust) replace and spray it with hammerite to protect from moisture
interior plastics breaks off > replace
rear boot lid lock breaks off (repair)
rear lights earth > adding earth cables to chassis
rear axle torsion bar bearings > replace or renew rear axle
headlight adjustment fixing points (old breaks off) repair sets are available
indicators lens (old falls off) > reglue or replace
front driveshafts (knuckle will make clicking noises) not separate CV joint like Jap cars.
Fuel pump
Earth of battery too small on chassis attached > adding more earth wiring
Gearbox noises > forgot to replace gearbox oil every 60k mls as citroen says ''for life''
front windhshield getting white because, limescale building up between the windshield > replace
sunroof leaking
3drs front seats won't lock properly
indicator stalks issue > replace
brake light sensor > replace
gear linkages (wobbly shifting) > replace
speedometer cable (wobbly speedo) > regrease speedo cable
carburetted models > carburettor needle and mechanical fuel pump > refurbish/replace
wiper motor zooming (bearings) > replace
1.1i only > front brake discs only braking on 50% of the surface (bad design brake calipers) > renew discs and pads
Engine harnass (GTI only) > replace or refurbish cables
1.4 only > Front bonnet paint peeling off due engine height of the 1.4i and GTI > repaint the bonnet
Carburetted models> rust firewall > repaint if no holes or reweld new pieces

206/307/C3/407/508

> Rear light earth wiring > rewire to chassis
> DMF goes very quick shaky > Valeo Kit4P or OEM DMF replacement depending on which one you prefer. I prefer the Valeo Kit4P as I don't feel difference between these two. Both flywheel weigh the same so no big difference the only big one is Kit4P is much more reliable than DMF. I have seen a car with only 160k mls which had three DMF's replaced.
Info display midconsole/dashboard > replace or resolder
> clutch bearings > replace
> Magnetti marelli radio failures > replace
> panorama roof failures > wiring
> rear chassis floor rust > respray the original paint with quality paint
> rear boot seal leaking > replace
> 206 only > rear exhaust mount rust and falls apart the only way to repair it is to buy the whole exhaust.

[Peter.N.]

I have been running hydropnumatic Citroens for about 30 years, since the days of the CX and they were different rather than bad, once I had got to grips with them they proved to be very reliable, my last CX had done 265k when I sold it and I had done 160k of that. I have had a couple of XMs with nearly 300k on them and a C5 with 200k+. Sadly though the newer ones don't seem to be so long lived, the early 2.0. Hdi being the most reliable.

Peter