Citroen DS3 Timing Chain Issues

[Cobey]

Hi,

Unsure if anyone is able to give me some advice, I own a Citroen DS3 1.6 THP 16V (155bhp) DSport Plus. Had the EML light come on intermittently when driving, took it to the garage who've informed me that the timing chain is stretched and the high pressure fuel pump needs replacing too, after doing some research about it I've come to realise this is quite a common fault on that engine apparently. I suppose the advice I'm after is should I just get rid as is or fix it up and hope it never happens again? Apparently there's also no guarantee this won't happen again either so I'm quite reluctant to fork out the 700-800 I've been quoted to fix.

Cheers.

[RichardW]

Very common, the engine is rubbish!

Changing out the timing kit might not fix it either... If you like the car, and all else i good then it's probably worth doing; if there are other issues, then time to move it on probably!

[gwest]

Richard, that's very harsh! These engines provide hours of innocent entertainment for DIY owners and help keep a lot of dodgy owners off the streets!
But it's the DIY aspect that is key. Once these engines get a few years/km under their belt there will be lots of issues, and if you have to pay people to fix them then ownership is problematic. If you can fix them yourself then they can be very educational. But only if you have a garage in which you can pull them to bits.

[CitroJim]

Has anyone had one in bits, documented it properly (hopefully not as a bloody YouTube video) and successfully resolved the problems I wonder?

[xantia_v6]

Cobey has not said what year his car is, but there were several component updates over the years to improve the reliability. By 2012, there was a fair chance of a timing chain lasting at least 100k miles, and I think that there were some further improvement after that.

So fitting current specification chain, tensioner and guides should produce a reliable engine, but the job itself is fiddly and requires some special tools.

I have not done the job myself yet, but my neighbour did, and he gave me the tools when he sold the car.

Did your mechanic give a reason that the HPFP needs replacing?

[Kathleen]

Mileage 38000. Had MOT and service in May, oil leak found in drip try and subsequently had a new gasket rocker etc fixed. November car went back in due to the gasket steeping oil around the hood and not being sealed correctly. Subsequently on fixing this they noted the timing chain looked stretched yet could not be repaired at the same time yet advised it was safe to drive yet needed to be looked at. So i have been driving fine in the last two months fine with no idling and no apparent rattle noise coming from the engine. However I had the experience last Sunday of driving a couple of miles and my engine slowly died a death. The battery light came on which assumed had been the problem no RED engine warning light. Waited a short while and turned the ignition, it turned but did not spark. I called out the recovery team who attached a battery charger to the battery and managed to create some power to get it on the tow truck. The car is now in the garage and yes there is a fault with the timing chain which has subsequently caused unknown engine damage which has to be investigated due to something regarding compression. The comment i have got from the garage is if they put on a new chain and tensioner on they cannot confirm it will turn over without investigating further which will involve stripping the engine to see if there is any internal damage. Up until this point they have spent 3 hours trying to diagnose the problem and basically are saying the option is to replace the engine (New/Reconditioned) which will take time (17 hours?) and cost in the region of 10k? Presently i am not convinced with my garage over the last 7 months if it isa worth them to replace and engine yet that could lead to more problems. What i do not understand is the why the battery light came on and why no engine warning light and the only comment i have had regarding the chain is it appears stretched. Presently i am in a quandra, my gut feeling is to sadly let go of my little beauty or go with what they are saying yet i have read so many comments with regard to the THP engine being suspect?

[PaulC5]

I suspect you are not using a Citroen dealer and you do not appear to have confidence in your garage. If so you might be better taking the car somewhere else. Did the battery light come on whilst the engine was still running - if so this suggests a battery or alternator fault or with the belt turning the alternator or a wiring/connector fault. If the battery light came on once the engine had stopped then that may be normal.
We had a C3 with the 1.4 vti engine and when the timing belt was worn it started giving an engine management light with a fault code about the timing but it was not noisy, this was on about 50k miles.

[Kathleen]

The age of the car is 2013, 38000 miles. The garage is Citroen which we have used for several years with confidence up until my last MOT and service when they diagnosed that my exhaust needed changing due to a fault yet when we checked it with their management all was ok. They also replaced the gasket rocker due to an oil leak yet a few months later i noticed it was steeping oil with it being sealed incorrectly and had to be rectified. Like the percentage of us all we do not have their knowledge and have to trust them in what they say. In this instance they have had plenty of time to establish what is exactly wrong. Knowing what i have been told now and subsequently having seen online comments about the THP engine i have doubts with regard to my husbands cabrolet model having this timer chain problem at some point. They are presently assessing the best way forward from a cost point of view to save the car. The car is too good to scrap hopefully someone might be able to salvage it. We have had 6 years with these cars and have enjoyed every minute but this is heart renching if we have to let go.