dave leatherby

Re Sensodrive recall Hi Andy Are Citroen contacting owners about this? Mine went in month or so ago for clutch judder which is 95% fixed. Be interested to hear your results! Regards - Dave

Just in case someone with a sensodrive does read this section, my dealer did some updates on computer and probably reset something pertinent to the auto clutch. Anyway, they seem to have done the trick as now, some time and miles on, there's no problem other than just a hint of 'bite' if the car has'nt been used for some days. From what I've read, I think I'm lucky that my dealer is competent and very obliging! :)

Mentioned this elsewhere in the forum but thought it worth a new topic. My C3 - 2000+ miles to date - steering seems to be getting heavier. Is it the colder tempertures recently or tyres run-in putting more rubber on the road. Anyone experienced this and is a fix possible??? I've also got the usual B pillar rattles & buzzs from dash of course. Addendum - a couple of extra psi in the front tyres seems to have fixed the steering! :)

Noticed my steering seems stiffer now - 1.4 SX Senso 2000+ miles to date. Dont know whether its me ( ancient & getting weaker in the arms??) or have the tyres now worn-in and more rubber is in contact with road - I dunno! Any point in asking the dealer about this????? :)

Haven't experienced the handbrake groan - yet!!!! (2000 miles to date) Main complaint with brakes is the EBA - cuts in at too low poundage. Any requirement to suddenly apply brakes can stand car on its nose - Happened a few times now - hazard lights on and passengers straining their seat-belts!!!! The rattles from trim seem dependant on temperture. The buzz from dash has stopped with cooler weather - now I too have the B pillar 'clack' despite a B pillar mod having been done by dealer! Somewhere in the forum theres reference to a dealer in the Midlands using expanding foam to successfully correct this - I'll shortly contact my dealer again about this as, while bearable on short trips, its maddening on longer runs. Mines a SX senso. Problems with clutch judder seem sorted since dealer updated onboard computer (Hopefully!) :)

Anybody know if the poundage that brings in the EBA on the C3's brakes can be altered? It seems to operate at far too low brake pedal pressure.

Congrats Rob!!!! I had the B pillar mod done but still get a hefty 'clack' from behind right ear each time I hit a bump!!! I'm going to let it go for a while and then refer dealer to the cure you mention (I'm waiting to see if the Sensodrive clutch judder is actually CURED - it seems to need the car to be unused for two or three days to reveal this problem !) Regards - Dave :blink:

With so many miles on my OWN clock my old Skoda would have lasted me out - problem was that steering etc was heavy, especially parking and being an estate, and was getting a bit OTT for this antique mortal ! The C3 sensodrive was smaller, well equipped for the price, and, best of all, my wife could also drive on her auto-only licence! Am now weaning her back into road-craft after many years as a passenger only! The C3 has been back to the dealer several times since purchase in July but, via the very kind saleslady who sold it to us, they've been very obliging. Pity about the rather poor construction and niggles, but the three year warranty will do us now ! B) Regards - Dave

I'll give it a little more time to see if it worsens Ian. Originally I thought that all the early C3 problems I'd read about might have been sorted as time passed - looks like I was mistaken though! Pity that my last (probably) new car is proving a real irritation. Guess I've been lucky 'til now. My last (Skoda Favorit estate) was a real good 'un - eleven years without any major problems and absolutely first class service from the dealer when required! (Despite all the jokes it was built like a Rolls in comparison!) Doubt whether contacting Citroen direct would prove fruitful! B)

Knew it was too good to be true Ian! Leap frog clutch back on form - beautiful judder today - think it's a design feature to make sure the B pillar rattles get a good freeing up so you really notice 'em at the start of the day!!!! B)

Ooh! I'll have to get a pair of those sunglasses Ian!!!! Hoping my slight increasing deafness will also eventually eliminate the b****y rattles from the B pillars as well - Think the French must be stone deaf from all the complaints about C3 rattles - perhaps the rattles are actually in French and are actually a soothing message - if I only knew the language!!!! (Don't tell anybody - I drove car after 3 days unused and there was NO clutch judder!!!! - Reckon the car is saving itself to throw me a real surprise like brake failure or a wheel falling off or somesuch!!!) Ah well - you can understand why the French had a revolution! B)

Ian - Still trying to understand the average mpg reading! Just could be that it isnt the average for the whole 250 miles - just the average at this moment in time. My former instrument tech employ was all analogue when a trim of the wick and a new flint (or a hammer) usually did the trick!!! Had an early upset with lcd display - took grandkids to bird reserve - sunny day so on arrival fitted my clip-on sun specs - on starting back - horrors - display blank and black! - until I remembered the specs were polaroid (and display was dimmed when car was delivered!) Will see how things proceed with current full tank. Regards - Dave

Hi Ian Rechecked my figures and my original were correct approx. Fundamently my mpg over some 250 miles was 35 mpg, but the given average mpg on the display that I'd zeroed on previous re-fill was 44mpg. The 350 maximum display range after refill to cut-off was obviously the computers estimate based on the previous comsumption. ie. 35 mpg. The average display mpg (44) would therefore seem wildly inaccurate? (Not that it's vital - it may just mean that with a low tank one may not be able to rely on displayed estimated miles left!!!)

Wow Ian!!!! Now I know my last remaining greycell has also had it! I'll try to understand your explanation tomorrow am - before my afternoon nap! (Poor old s-d) Anyway, initiall impression is that alls well????? Car back from dealer Friday - unused from mid-day Saturday til mid-day today (Monday) Guess what - clutch judder! Not too bad but definately present, as are clacks from behind right ear. Back to dealer tomorrow - they'd adjusted handbrake so that, with much effort, one can just get it on first notch (not possible for the missus though!) :unsure: PS. Um - had another read! I set the trip odometer to zero with tank full and noted pump reading when again refilling, dividing litres by 4.546 against miles run. Oh Lord! Now I dont know which is left and right! Two blokes in white coats knocking on door!

Hi Ian Dont know about the fuel guage, but I'm confused! Filled tank to pump cut-off - LCD said max 350 miles. Ran til 3/4 empty - refilled tank - worked out miles done against fuel used - this gave approx 35 mpg. (LCD again gave 350 miles range full). Tank holds approx 10 gallons - therefore 35mpg X 10 galls = 350, OK? Now my LCD average mpg (reset LCD from full) shows 44 mpg over that last refill! Am I missing something - or is it just old age?

Hi Jon,Rob &Co. SX 1.4 Senso just back from 3 days with dealer. Too soon to know whether some/all of the problems are fixed. They did a "B Pillar mod" Jon, but a hefty 'clack' from behind and above my right ear on the way home doesn't bode well !!! I had remarked that the handbrake travel seemed excessive considering the amount of use it gets with the Sensodrive system - they've now adjusted it so far that I can just get the first notch ! (don't think the wife could manage even that) - guess I'll have to ring dealer Monday. :unsure: Computer has received another up-date. ? To rectify auto-clutch judder??? Watch this space!!!! :unsure:

My three month old SX Sensodrive has just started rattling inthe B pillar area! The annoying buzz from the dash has stopped now with cooler weather! Seems to indicate that they are both temperture related. Car is just now in to the dealer for senso clutch judder and the confounded rattle - I'll print off this section to produce it if they can't find a cure!!!!

Hi Jon I presume you mean the pillar between front and rear doors (the one containing front seatbelts?) My SX (3 months old) has just started rattling as you've said!!!! I think ambient temperature has something to do with all these trim rattles. During the hot weather after taking delivery I had a horrible rattle from the dash - this only occured after about an hours running with the air-con operating. at 40mph up. Dealer couldn't find the cause (?) Anyway, some mileage in the past few days, in cooler conditions, revealed NO dash resonance !!!! Instead the door-pillar trims now rattle!!!!!!!!! Somewhere on this forum I've read of mastic etc being used - I'll mention it to the dealer (It's going in for clutch judder (Sensodrive) in a couple of days.) I'll come back if they have a cure - Likewise I'll keep an eye on this thread if YOU find a cure! Regards - Dave

Hi Ian & Lee Delay in reply due to a few days away. Car behaved well - no clutch judder (mind you it was in use every day!) No rattle of note from dash (which sort of proves it's temperture sensitive, as I thought) Now got a rattle from (presumably) door pillar/seat belt trim!!! Ah well -you cant win 'em all!!! Your point about engine braking is well taken Ian - Haven't got into the situation you mention yet - but I'll watch out now as, of course, the sequential also changes down when speed is decreased right down!!!! Initially had some amusement (not for following drivers though!) when climbing steepish hills in auto. Following traffic tended to bunch up while the gearbox made up its mind which gear to select, then, having almost ground to a halt with accelerater depressed - it changes down and away we go at full throttle ! Bet there was some cussing behind! Got the hang of it now though! C3 is quite nippy now engine is freeing up - pity the trim is so flimsy though. It's booked-in on the 13th for the clutch problem, though I doubt they'll find it as it only occurs when car has been standing unused for a couple of days! When a photo is available, I'll 'net one to you Lee, though theres nothing different to see from all the others around - it's Arctic Steel (silver) which seems very popular judging by the numbers seen around here . All the best! Regards to you both - Dave.

Lee - I forgot to answer your question about roll-back on hills. There is no fluid-drive creep with the Sensodrive system and, as I haven't got the hang of left-foot braking, I always use the handbrake when stopping temporarily, uphill or downhill. It's become second nature now!

Gosh! Sorry to read of all the troubles you've experienced Lee!!!! It's a pity we are all stuck with electronics now! Getting towards the end of my motoring life I've had quite a few funny experiences over the years and always managed to get home somehow! Having rebuilt engines, gearboxes, differentials etc. is of no use now that everything is electronically controlled!!! I always considered that a 'normal' automatic needed at least a 2 litre engine to compensate for losses in the fluid transmission - which tells you how out of date I am - engines have a lot more 'poke' these days!! One aspect of the sequential/semi-auto sensodrive that pleases me is the ability to use engine braking downhill which saves a lot of brake wear (Couldn't stop some of my early vehicles WITHOUT engine braking when cable/rod brakes and no hydraulic assistance were the norm - plus having to double de-clutch to change down!!!!) Oh blimey! Who wants to read all this twaddle! Anyway, it seems that now I've got the little C3 I'll have to make sure I've got my St Christopher medal and an up-to-date full RAC/AA/Greenflag assistance to hand!!! Regards - Dave

Hello Lee Not a lover of auto boxes really but with advancing age (and a spouse with an Auto Only licence!) had to find a compromise and felt the 1.4 16valve 90bhp engine Sensodrive, plus a decent mpg, fitted the bill, which it has, being quite nippy. The 'auto' is a bit weird as there is no 'creep' as in normal automatics, but I tend to use the sequential usually which is pretty good (apart from this judder, that is!)

Hi Ian - Doesn't look too hopeful then! I believe that since asbestos was not used in clutch linings (and brakes) judder is fairly common. I changed the clutch disc in my last car (manual) when things became impossible, this did the trick for a few thou' but it started again. The only cure I found was to slip the clutch a bit (not good practice!) when starting from cold which seemed to cure it for a few days - cant do this with a Sensodrive though!!!! Have to see what dealer can do - bet it wont show though when they examine the car! By the way the readouts on the main lcd are Ok now thanks to your info. (now what about the rattle from the dash ???? oh Lord!!!)

Hi My Sx Sensodrive C3 (reg July 04 approx 1400 miles to date) has had occasional judder when pulling away in 1st. This gradually clears after a number of starts from standstill. I suppose it could be the actuator 'pumping' in rapid succession? but it's quite severe initially and would seem to occur (three times to date over a month) after car has been standing unused for a couple of days. The car is booked-in in ten days time but would be grateful to know if anyone has experienced this and found/cured th cause?

Thanks very much Ian - only travelled few miles this am but displays are now working !! My dealer is a fairly large affair but, as is always the case, there are good and bad technicians ( I note your remarks concerning alternative dealers for service etc., and will bear that in mind for future problems. Thanks again! Regards - Dave :)