p0238 - MAP sensor issue? plus random handbrake errors

[Med_tech3]

Hi

I have a problem with my C4 Grand Picasso.

A brief history - Bought it in Dec last year. Two months later got error P0238. Got it diagnosed as turbo solenoid. I got a good secondhand one and fitted it myself. At the same time I put on a new air filter and fuel filter and as I had a random handbrake error message occasionally on start up I changed the battery. Cleared the errors using a OBD tool and the car ran fine.

A few months later I noticed the car pulling back and hesitating - more noticeable at low speeds. A couple of times while driving, the car lost power and the handbrake warning and service lights came on. It would then suddenly fire back into life and continue. In September it would not start from cold a couple of times and this was diagnosed as the crankshaft sensor. I changed it and now it starts ok. I still have the intermittent hesitating and now when I accelerate hard it hesitates and then I get error P0238. At the first time this happened I also had error P0100 which is MAF sensor error so I changed that. Error P0100 has now gone but I still have the hesitating and the P0238 error.

I checked the live data on the MAF while driving and as I am accelerating the reading swings all over the place and the hesitation follows the same pattern. I assume the MAF should increase with acceleration and stay constant. Could the MAP sensor be causing that issue?

Also this morning while driving, the handbrake error and service lights came on but there was no loss of power.

The car is due an oil change - It has travelled 17000 miles since I have had it and I do not know when it was last changed. Could that be an issue too?

Does anyone have any ideas or can help?

Thank you
Simon

[GiveMeABreak]

Hi Simon and welcome to the Forum.

Before you do anything else - have a quick look at my post here and the video contained within - it may be worth checking the state of your wiring given the intermittent faults....

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=61156&hilit=wiring#p589736

[Med_tech3]

Thank you. I will definitely check my wiring

[RichardW]

If you can get live data see what the EGR valve is doing - the reported position should closely track the requested position. If it's playing up you get the sort of stuttery behaviour you are seeing - and in a genius bit of programming it disables the handbrake, but doesn't put the EML on!!

[courierrelay]

This was happening to me in my Citroen Relay van. Most noticeable when changing from 1st to 2nd, there was a stutter...then it would come back to life. Got so bad it conked out one day and wouldn't restart. The AA guy diagnosed a dodgy EGR valve. He got the van started and next day I paid £150 for a new fitted EGR. Picked it up from the garage and about 10 mins in it was reverting back to stuttering. Garage only did what i had asked so couldn't take it back, so I started researching myself. Everything was pointing to MAF sensor. I took mine out and it was a bit dirty/oily so I bought a new one. Didn't make the slightest difference. So I'm now £230 down and problem persists. Found something on google about 'limp mode' and ways to help cure it. Sometimes the butterfly in the throttle body can get so dirty it cloggs and doesn't open and close as quickly as it should. Bought a can of Diesel EGR/MAF cleaner and took out the MAF sensor and sprayed at intervals up the air intake to the throttle body with the engine running. (Best if you can get direct to the throttle body itself, but mines is round the back of the engine, so had to just go up the pipe.) Still works. Makes a bit of a noise when the spray enters... but it's appeared to have done the job. My vans stopped hesitating and is much more responsive. All for £10

[Med_tech3]

Thank you Richard and Courier. I think a good old clean up of the internals may do the job. I will get some cleaner, try it and let you know.

[Med_tech3]

Tonight it got worse! I was going up a hill and the car would not go above 15miles an hour. Also every time I took my foot off the accelerator there was a noise from the nsf sounding like a bird kawing like a laugh - ha ha ha. What could that be. Also when I managed to get to the top of the hill the car smelt of burning.

[GiveMeABreak]

Smacks of a turbo issue to me - if it sounds like a rasping noise - very possible a split turbo hose. Certainly time to get it looked at now!

[Med_tech3]

Ok. It only seems to happen when I take my foot off the pedal and only when the car is moving. There is no sound at all when the car is parked with the engine running and revving.