hertsnminds

Fuel consumption history: Vauxhall 1.6 Astra 14680.4 miles 430.1 Gal = 34.13mpg (1985 ish) Toyota 1.6 Corolla Gti 19672.8 miles 566.7 Gal = 34.72mpg (1987 ish) Citroen 1.9 BX Gti 13165.5 miles 465.0 Gal = 28.31mpg (1987 ish) Peugeot 1.4 106 Diesel 24078.4 miles 440 Gal = 54.72mpg (1994) Honda 1.6 Civic Vti 14874 miles 439.2 Gal = 33.87mpg (1993) Ford 1.3 Ka3 13358.3 miles 339.7 Gal = 39.32mpg (1997) Fiat 1.8 barchetta 43109 miles 1261.2 Gal = 34.18mpg (1999) Citroen 1.6 Pluriel 13142 miles 342.1 Gal = 38.42mpg (2003) I found the Pluriel mpg figures improved after the 10,000 mile mark. When I first got the car I was getting about 300 miles from about 40 litres, this is now closer to 400 miles. To be fair I have also adjusted my driving style to match the car (lighter right foot). Most modern cars give better mpg figures just from the above you can see that a 1.6 engine now gives the same mpg as a 1.3 used to (Ka to Pluriel comparison) and I was getting better mpg from a modern 1.8 compared to an older 1.6 (barchetta to Astra comparison). I would expect a 5 door C3 to give better mpg than the Pluriel as the Pluriel is a heavier car. Ian Orange 03 Senso

Haynes do one http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/...18301&langId=-1 £15.99 on their website but you can probably pick it up from Amazon or a Halfords Ian Orange 03 Senso

Most of the niggles with the Pluriel can be cured, just make sure you still have some warranty left on the car so they are fixed at no cost to you. If you visit this website http://www.c3pluriel.org.uk/ It will give you some idea how to check things and it also has a section for Lemons (those cars that had a snag list so long that even Citroen stopped trying to fix them). I still find it interesting to compare any Pluriel I see with mine and note if it has the new arch seals fitted or any other little differences. I also think just talking to other owners about their experiences helps and avoids the they ALL do that sir phrase as you can give the dealer examples of one or more that do not ALL do that! Ian Orange 03 Senso

I have checked them against readings from my GPS. Speed seems to read under, so 70mph on the speedo reads 68/69mph on the GPS. It seems to read about 2mph under across the range. I have also noticed that if you set a speed warning for 40MPH it doesn't actually beep at you until it reaches 42MPH (so maybe they know it reads under actual speed). The car I had before the Pluriel was closer to 5MPH out and read over speed when travelling under 40MPH and under speed when travelling faster. That was an analogue dial being fed by electronic sensors (so no cable into the back of the speedo). As for odometer readings they seem to match the GPS Ian Orange 03 Senso

Not sure how accurate any of the trip computer info is. The worst one is the max miles, with a full tank this can read anything between 400 and 500 miles. By about half a tank this reduces to closer to 200 miles and just as it gets to the last bar it shows about 100 miles. But if you start a journey from that point it will give you about 50 actual miles before it tells you there are zero max miles. I would take all of the readings as a guide only, just the speed, total miles and odometer seems to be close to real readings. Ian Orange 03 Senso

My Pluriel service indicator was spot on at 21,000 miles. This allowed for a reset at the 1,000 mile service, plus the 20,000 mile service interval. The C3 book tells you the sequence of buttons to push to reset the service indicator so it is possible to reset it at any time. Ian Orange 03 Senso

Took me 6 months to adjust my driving style to the Sensodrive, from about 15 years of driving cars with manual gear changes. Still sometimes get it wrong and end up in N instead of 1st or have the car changing down from 2nd to 1st as I want it to be in gear and giving me power, for pulling onto/away from junctions. Ian Orange 03 Senso

I have had my 03 Pluriel for about 15 months now and they take some getting used to. Because of the seal and drain design when you open the tailgate water can drip into the boot, you just have to allow any excess water to drain before fully opening the hatch. You can also have water in the footwells that comes over the bottom of the door sills (not unique to the Pluriel or Citroen). There are not many Pluriel that do not have water marks of some kind on the seats. ANY car has the capacity to leak, but convertibles are more leaky than most. You can check all the soft top forums from BMW Z3, to MGF etc etc and they all have examples of leaks. The Pluriel is the most flexible car I have ever owned, one day a saloon the next a pick-up truck. It is also the ONLY convertible that can change roof configurations at speeds over 20MPH. Make sure the car you are looking at has had all of the recall work done on it, that means things like new roof arch seals and software updates. you can also visit this website which may answer a few of your queries http://www.c3pluriel.org.uk/ Remember they have made around 35,000 Pluriel and are still making them, not all of them will be perfect, but a majority must be or they would have stopped production by now. Ian Orange 03 Senso

The only time my car does this is when it is cold and slippery, the sensodrive goes into SNOW mode. It always does this at junctions or roundabouts and just when you are wanting to move off quickly. The car usually beeps and takes about 5 seconds to decide it is going into snow mode and changes from 1st to second before moving off very slowly (because it is now in 2nd). I find this a very dangerous feature of the sensodrive and tend to leave much more time to pull away from junctions and roundabout entrances now to compensate. Ian Orange 03 Senso

You should have told them to go to this website http://www.c3pluriel.org.uk/ and look in the TIPS section, it shows you exactly how to change from metric to imperial displays. I didn't notice any change in fuel economy until after 10,000 miles on the clock. Ian Orange 03 Senso

That's just one of the advantages of the Pluriel, it doesn't need to hibernate in the winter. In fact I find it more practical in winter as I don't carry the boot cover around with me so I get more day to day boot space. Ian Orange 03 Senso

In the last week I have seen at least 4 other Pluriel, I usually only see one about once every two weeks, does this mean they are becoming popular? I know Richard and Judy are giving them away as prizes or have been over the last few weeks, maybe this has raised the cars profile in the UK or maybe the prices have dropped enough for more people to consider them. Ian Orange 03 Senso

If you go to this site http://www.c3pluriel.org.uk/ and click on the Questions section there is a short explaination about break squeal. If the brake wear warning light is not on (it's the same one as the handbrake on light) then you probably still have some pads left. Brake pads/discs can be changed by any garage, most of the exhuast places offer this service, anyone who feels they are mechanically competent should also be able to do the job. Ian Orange 03 Senso

This site suggests you can use a keypad from a Pug 406 and even gives a way to never have to use the keypad again! http://www.andyspares.com/discussionforum/...?TOPIC_ID=4238& This person found the fault was loose/broken wires http://www.eurocarparts.com/forum/topic.as...p?TOPIC_ID=5820 Here a loose earth strap was the fault http://www.eurocarparts.com/forum/topic.as...p?TOPIC_ID=5422 Ian Orange 03 Senso

If you are in AUTO mode with the SensoDrive you DO have a kickdown feature. It is slow to take effect but it does work. If you want any sense of oomph from the engine you have to make sure you have more than about 3,500 revs even changing down to 3rd on the motorway for overtaking. The SensoDrive system will not let you over rev the car so it will either not change down if you are going too fast or it will auto change up when the revs reach the limit. Ian Orange 03 Senso

Fuel gauge tends to err on the safe side as well. I know I have driven 10 - 20 miles after it claims no miles left and can still only get about 42 litres into what is supposed to be a 47 litre tank. You can also confuse things by parking on a hill (sideways, passenger side lower than drivers) this can make the fuel reading go UP the levels will get back to normal but this can take another 100 - 200 miles. All part of the fun of learning a new operating system, DOS, Windows 3.x, XP, etc etc etc. I wonder if all those fly by wire airplanes have similar quirks :( Ian Orange 03 Senso

Unless they have updated the trip computer software you will find the readings become a bit meaningless after about 1000 miles (I think mine start to drift from actual after about 200 miles). Average MPH will fall until it reads something like 5MPH :(. I tend to reset all the trip functions each time I fill up with petrol. Ian Orange 03 Senso

Heater matrix contains the same as the radiator...water and anti-freeze (maybe some rust too)...as it is all part of the same system. You can check your fluid levels under the bonnet, more than likely that the level in the radiator (expansion tank) has gone down. You may even find the car is running a bit warmer than usual (not sure if you have a temp gauge on your particular model). Ian Orange 03 Senso

Found this on Citroen's website... C3 Pluriel, "Graphit" special series : Distinction and elégance March 2005, the C3 Pluriel "Graphit" special series is making its debut. Produced in a limited run of 1,000 units, this special series features the engines already included in the C3 Pluriel range: the 1.4i and 1.6i 16V petrol, and the HDi 70 diesel. Available with Aluminium Grey or Fulminator Grey bodywork, the C3 Pluriel "Graphit" features the following as standard : - leather steering wheel - translucent gear lever knob coordinated with the interior trim - manually controlled air conditioning - fog lamps - CD radio - electrically controlled rearview mirrors - 15-inch alloy wheels The single-colour bodywork of the C3 Pluriel "Graphit" gives this hatchback an elegant,contemporary character. Each bodywork colour has a corresponding interior design. The C3 Pluriel " Graphit" in Aluminium Grey features a blue translucent gear lever knob and warp-and-weft seats in black and blue, while the Fulminator Grey version sports an amber translucent gear lever knob and warp-and-weft seats in black and ochre. Several finishing touches such as leather braid on the door handles and a "Pluriel" label with black topstitching on the front seats underline the quality and elegance of the cabin. all details from here http://www.citroen.com/CWW/en-US/NEWS/NEWS...CTACGRAPHIT.htm Ian Orange 03 Senso

This just means you have to read the road and anticipate things more. As the car I had before this one was a left hand drive I was already doing this to some extent because my view at junctions was not as clear as it would have been in a right hand drive. Just one of the new driving techniques you have to learn with SensoDrive. If your revs drop to below 2,000 in 2nd as you approach a junction probably best to select 1st with the paddles, the sensodrive will not auto change down until you drop below about 1,000 revs unless you are braking hard (and even then it leaves a change to 1st until you are slower than 7mph). The system is also supposed to learn your driving style so it should adapt (not much in my experience) to how you drive. I think I found it was me adapting to it more than it adapting to me. :( Ian Orange 03 Senso

That's nothing my Citroen dealer don't keep a stock of wiper blades :( and so far it's been 3 weeks waiting for them to come in I know just go to Halfords but I don't want to give them any excuse not to honour the warranty. Ian Orange 03 Senso

I know the spare wheel was in here yesterday!!! Ian Orange 03 Senso

Strange that Citroen would put it on the checklist for a service if there is no fluid to check, but then again this is Citroen we are talking about :ph34r: Ian Orange 03 Senso

I had a look in the owners manual and a quick peek under the bonnet, the answer is nowhere obvious :ph34r: All the other fillers are marked up, Oil, Screenwash, Coolant, Brake fluid but no sign of the power steering reservoir so it must be hiding under one of the plastic covers. I will try to have a longer look when the weather gets better (or I might just ask my dealer next time I am in). Ian Orange 03 Senso

In previous cars I have owned I know it is possible to get starting/cutting out problems if the fuel filler cap is such that it allows a vaccuum to be created in the fuel tank. Sometimes when you open the fuel filler cap you will get a whooshing sound (like someone breathing out heavily). If a vaccuum is being created the fuel might not be getting to the engine. This usually only happens on hot days when some of the fuel in the tank evaporates. Another thing could be a dirty fuel filter, when was the car last serviced? The fuel filter on the HDi should be bled and replaced every 12,500 miles. Ian Orange 03 Senso