paul.h

If not done already, I would have a search of the forum since this is a common problem.

Could be the battery, check its voltage. On our 2.2 hdi if there is less than about 11.6 volts it will not turn the engine over fast enough to start. I have read here there is a minimum rpm for the engine to fire but do not know if this applies to the petrol ones.

I have not seen the Berlingo 1.4 but on our 1.4 C3 you only need to remove the air intake duct (held by a large jubilee type clip) and leave the throttle body in place. The throttle plate inside the body is then seen and can be pivoted and cleaned. This should be done to most petrol cars during servicing.

As a start I would clean the throttle plate area - carb cleaner/cloth/toothbrush - to remove any carbon build up.

Might be worth checking if the battery voltage is ok and engine revving enough on battery to start, about 12½ volts when engine not running - could be cause of Traffic master although I have only had this when stalling the engine which also gives the stop light. Does the driver's door lock with the fob or need the key, does it lock/unlock with the inside dash switch ? When I lock the car with the fob there are 2 LEDS flashing - door lock and alarm (04 2.2 hdi VTR mark 1).

I would post this on the C4owners.org forum, it has a wide following and you are more likely to get a lot of replies.

Also consider the crankshaft sensor may be on its way out.

The C3 seems to be a reliable car and most checks are as for any car you would buy. I would scan this forum but some things you may pick up include: - petrol engines can suffer fuel injector failure due to rain passing through the bonnet holes for wiper washer jets and dripping on the injectors. - front suspension coil springs break and rarely the rear ones. - make sure the air con works fully - the gas can leak out and if climate control the temperature may not reduce on one side. - check the drivers seat has not lost the foam at the side near the door. - make sure the rear wiper works properly and stops after one wipe. - check all the electrics work. - if there is condensation in a headlight it is probably the bulb cover has not been replaced properly. - tyres do not wear so if old may need replacing due to cracking/perishing. - check for steady acceleration and no flat spots over the rev range. - check the exhaust back box retaining strap has not rusted through. - bodywork should not be corroded.

Ask to see the flywheel before it is replaced then you will see if there is any damage to it just as they must have seen when the clutch was removed. Damage can occur if the clutch has completely worn out so that the metal parts in the clutch plate dig grooves in the surface of the flywheel.

The cabin heater matrix may have a slight coolant leak, I had a similar smell when one went on a Saab and this months Car Mechanics (Nov 2010) has an article on Berlingos and heater matrix failure is listed as common. If any powder has been poured in it is likely to have collected in a cabin pollen filter if there is one, so see if this needs replacing but then the smell would also occur when blowing in cold air. If you have air con and that needs a clean, the smell is more musty, like a wet dog.

On a 2 year old car I would have the repair done properly by a Citroen approved or insurance approved body shop to maintain any warranties and future resale value. We had a repair which may be a bit similar on a C4 and that was about £300. Go to such a place and ask for a quote or even consider an insurance claim.

I am not bothered about the torque setting of the bolt but the strength of the steel to hold the caliper against the forces of stopping the car. Looking at tables on the web, A2 bolts have a far lower yield and tensile strength than grade 10.9 bolts. Yield strength at which the steel deforms is typically about half and tensile strength at which the bolts break is typically about 2/3. In other words, under heavy braking, the bolts may snap and the calipers come loose - unless Citroen have large safety factors in their choice of bolts, and then if they were that large, they could have chosen a standard lower cost 8.8 grade bolt which still has higher strength than A2.

Grade A2 stainless is the type/composition of the steel (also named as 304 stainless) which is one of the lower cost ones. Is there a number stamped on the head of the bolts which can be used to find out the tensile strength so it can be compared against the original 10.9 grade bolts ? Why I ask is if the new bolts have a lower tensile strength, effectively they will not be as strong and maybe they could shear in use. A quick search on the web indicates they may only have 2/3 the tensile strength of 10.9 bolts, in other words, it may be best to refit the originals until you have any better information.

On more recent cars there is usually a sticker on a door post with the tyre pressures which also has the paint code. Have a look, there may be one.

If it is the cabin heater matrix replaced due to a coolant leak then maybe there are still traces of coolant in the ducting/on the carpets which will need wiping out. If you have air con then the air con evaporator in front of the heater matrix may need a spray clean to remove mould (search the forums for advice on this). There may also be a need to renew the cabin pollen filter if one is fitted. If the cabin fan is only working on one speed then maybe the resistor pack which controls the speed may need replacing.

The following may not be correct since it is a while since I replaced the pads/discs. The disc might be a T25 (or T20) bit but I am not sure since I used one from a Draper set. The T55 bit I think I used for the caliper is a 75mm long one. There have been some posts on this job which are worth reading. The discs I used were painted ones from Citroen and apparently the paint does not need removing from the pad contact areas, just a wipe with a degreaser such as brake cleaner and the paint comes off when the brakes are used. When pushing the pistons back in, have the bleed nipples open to release the excess brake fluid since one forum member has reported problems with the abs when not doing this. The discs may need a clout with a hammer to remove them off the hubs. Check the run out on the new discs, on one side I had it above the limit in one position and needed to rotate the disc relative to the hub.

Did you have any bother getting the correct bolt hardness grade in stainless steel, should be 10.9 where a standard high tensile bolt is only 8.8 ? I had to replace one bolt which snapped with a longer one so I could fit a nut on the end and could only get an allen cap head one at 12.9

Sealey do a combustion leak detector kit for £70 shown in an ad in Oct 2010 Car Mechanics, part no. VS0061. It detects CO2 in the coolant header tank by sucking up the gases in to a fluid which changes colour if present. The fluid on its own is £25. Like a compression test, this will only show up head gasket failure between a cylinder and the coolant but not if just between the oil and coolant. Something else you could check for is 'mayonnaise' in the oil on the dipstick and oil filler cap which would indicate water in the oil. I am not aware of an oil cooler on the 1.4 petrol engine.

Somewhere under the dash there is likely a resistor pack that controls the fan speed that needs replacing.

We had a 05 Picasso from new and that came as standard with one remote key for the central locking and one spare key without the remote which could be used in the locks. At the time we bought a second remote key from the dealer which including the coding I think was either about £60 or £120 but not sure.

Have a look on the Problems and Fixes page at the pinned post on removal of the rear calipers, there may be corrosion between the caliper and suspension arm which needs cleaning off.

If you do a search on this forum you will see that many of us have had springs break. However, by going to Citroen dealers they were replaced with Citroen paying for the repairs.

Easiest way to find the hole, get a second person to help, one on the stalk to start the jet and the other watching where the water comes out. It should be from the rear high level stop light.

Most washer jets you can poke a sewing needle in the hole and move it about to change the direction of the jet. Also check the jet is installed correctly and not moved out of place.

Might just need a new accelerator pedal which could have internal wear on the electrics, about £40 and 2 bolts hold it in place and a wiring connector. Do it yourself and no labour costs. Replaced ours to help initial setting off which was jerky at low revs.