french connection

Hi Paul, Interesting point that as I suppose it could be that, but the mechanic did shine a torch around the springs and pressed on each corner and nothing seemed out of the ordinary or at least that is what I was told. I am getting more concerned about this, as when I came out of work today and turned right at a nearby junction I got the usual series of knocking but does seem to be getting louder and cant really understand how nothing can be showing up underneath when its making such a noise!. As I previously mentioned an independent and a Citroen main dealer have both had a look at it and nothing is shouting out as been wrong, all they have said I can do is leave it to develop more then take it back but anything could happen so not keen on doing that. I do know of a garage I used to use a few years ago which I may take it to for another opinion as he may just be able to find something, he is a Peugeot specialist but cant see a Citroen but to different so thinking it may be worth a try. As you have said it could be one of a number of things as it also does it when driving straight just not as much, think it just needs someone to spend sometime on it going through it slowly and try and track it down that way. Simon.

Hi Paul, Thanks for your reply, well it is odd that garage cannot find anything and very frustrating!. This noise has been coming on for a while but when they looked at it I was told it was the lower balljoint which has been changed and made little or no difference to the problem, strange thing is I had the o/s/f driveshaft replaced last year so thats why I have doubts as to whether it is a CV joint problem but i'm not an expert so could be wrong. I have in last two years had both drop links done aswell as the other lower balljoint by main dealer, they also replaced both top mounts as i had a creaking noise, both springs replaced under warranty aswell. I dont think this noise came on after any repairs to be honest, and the garage had it on the ramps and checked a few things and said everything looks in order but as soon as I drove it away and hit an uneven road and while turning right round an island heard a loud series of knocks from o/s/f, its definatley more likely to do it if im turning right or steering is turned a bit to right but I can make it do it while driving straight if the roads uneven etc. It did pass the MOT back in Feb when main dealer did it and was serviced, I have always had it maintained by main dealer but this independent has done a bit of work for me including this balljoint but I took it to dealer yesterday for a second opinion, he had a good look on ramp and couldnt see anything but on road test I managed to get it to make the noise but not very loud when going round an island, he said it would be better to leave it to develop as like you have suggested it could be a number of things but CV joint was mentioned by him. I dont know whether its best to leave it to get worse but I dont like to do that, i like things sorted before anything goes completely but not prepared to waste money changing things until they find it!. It is strange as even at very low speeds while crawling in traffic near where I live i can hear it rumbling and knocking as I go over uneven road and thats driving straight. Any further suggestions/ideas much appreciated. Cheers Simon.

Hi, Appreciate your reply and help, so if this to be the cv joint would it also make a knocking noise when I was driving straight aswell?, only this morning when driving very slowly in traffic as I was going over an uneven road surface I could hear a rumbling sort of noise from the same place then when I speeded up and went over more uneven road surface but while still driving straight I heard a load knocking, but it is definatley more noticeable when turning right where it makes a series of knocking.

Please can anyone assist with a really annoying problem with my front suspension, over the last few months it developed a loud knocking noise which you could hear over most road surfaces and was coming from what sounded like o/s/f. I suspected the lower ball joint as I had the n/s/f replaced two years earlier and sounded the same, so I took it to an independent who i've used before and they diagnosed the lower ball joint and I could see there was movement in it. I've had this replaced and its better to a point, but i'm now getting a series of knocking/banging noises still which I can hear when turning right round a roundabout or across a junction which has an uneven road surface, I can also hear it sometimes when driving straight if the road is bad but not heard it if i'm turning left. I have had both drop links replaced last year, also had both top mounts changed two years ago, car has also had new springs under warranty last two years. The garage checked over everything today and cannot see anything atall, and on road test couldnt hear it but as soon as i've driven it again it does it. The o/s/f driveshaft was also changed last year. Has anyone got any ideas?. Cheers Simon.

Hi Paul, Thank you for your reply, its done about 52000. No it makes knocking if steering in either direction and seems more likely to be worse when its hotter weather like today. The garage where I have taken it are going to have a more thorough look at it later this week as I am not happy at having spent that money and it not been resolved, if they draw a blank then looks like i'll be going back to main dealer!!. I'm not having much luck atall at minute as i've noticed now its dropping oil since it had that new driveshaft fitted, its never dropped a thing before I suspect its gear oil from when they fitted it so i'll get then to sort this out also.

Hi all, I got a C3 1.4HDI 16v Exc 03 plate, I'm having a real nitemare with it and hoping somone can help i've had it from new and its always had a lot of problems with steering & suspension i've had most of the items everyone on here has had replaced. Both front springs (one snapped & dealer replaced both), ball joint, both top mountings, drop links to name a few. Its always been dealer maintained but this time I thought I would try an independent and beginning to think i've made a mistake, recently it suddenly developed a knocking noise which was very load and was heard when I had stopped at say a junction or lights and turned steering left or right made a load series of knocks which when you pulled away it still did it and if I turned left or right as I was driving you could hear it knocking as I was turning. Weird thing was first thing in a morning didnt hear it but on way home from work it would start, and it would make a noise as soon as I set off when I reversed and started to turn wheel it knocked from front. This independent Citroen specialist I took it to diagnosed a worn o/s/f driveshaft and trusting them I had it replaced, they also stripped and cleaned the brakes. However replacing this did not cure it and it came back on again last week, even last night after driving home I got it to make these knocking noises with engine off and me just turning wheel gently left to right, I got someone to do this so I could try and see where it was coming from but couldnt tell which side but it was load noise. It went to garage this morning again and he heard the knockiong noises as I turned steering wheel left to right with engine off, he said it was coming from one of the top bearings which made me suspicious as both top mounts where done by dealer no more than a year and a half ago due to creaking noises. Again I trusted him as I assume he knows what he is doing as they are experienced mechanics, so today he stripped the n/s/f spring etc and replaced the top bearing as he said te old one didnt feel right when he had it off and was stiff to turn. He said nothing else looked to be the cause of the knocking noises so all should be well, but all is not well as I can still make it knock when I pull up at a junction and turn wheel left to right even slightly and it knocks. When its at its worse you can feel it through floor of car, especially last night before it went in with no power steering. I am now at a loss as what to do, I will be phoning them 2mo to tell them that it is not fixed and see what they come up with but in the back of my mind I think maybe I should go back to my dealer. I would really appreciate if anyone has any ideas as to what is causing this knocking so I have some idea myself. Thanks in advance. :huh:

Thanks for your reply appreciate your help with this, to be honest I do try and drive as smoothly as possible but I probably dont change up as early as I should especially with what you have said about changing up at 2100-2200 revs. I have just filled up the tank this morning to the top it took nearly 41 litres and I have reset my trip counter unfortunately I dont have a on board computer to constantly monitor it. On the last tank before I filled up today red light came on at 501 miles which is actually an improvement in normal. I am going to try and adopt your approach and drive in the torque band as much as possible and see what happens, I really don't know what else I can do to try and improve it. The mileage is 51000 now and I think your right as the performance of the engine is improving as the mileage increases. I know some people say you should give diesels a good blast once a day so they dont get clogged up with soot etc whats your take on this?

Thanks for your reply, well it looks like my fuel economy is way out then as I cant get past 500 miles out of a tank and I do simular commute to yourself everyday. Do you have any idea as to why mine is so poor as its the same engine as yours!. Any help appreciated.

Hi I just got a couple of questions about my C3 hoping someone can help, mines a 03 1.4 HDI 16v Exclusive. I've read what people have put on here about fuel eonomy and what they can get out of a full tank but I can never seem to get what I think I should no matter how I drive it or what make of fuel I put in, on a full tank with mixed driving usually motorway aswell I never get more than 480-490 a tank. This has been the same since new and i've had it checked numerous times, its always been dealer maintained aswell, makes no difference if air con on or off either. Is this amount from a tank what I should expect or is something a miss??, with prices of fuel these days want as much as possible out of it!. On another point air-con is it necessary to have it regassed??, its working ok and was cleaned at dealer once on service but not regassed although I admit doesnt seem as cold as when new but it is 5 years old now any advice on this and my other point greatly appreciated. many thanks :D

Hi, I had exactly the same problem a while ago, its your airbox mounting thats failed. Just be careful when you pick it up as my dealer forgot to connect some of pipes back up! and they dont seem to fit together very good once they have been disconnected then reconnected just check it when you get it back. Cheers French Connection.

Evening all, Please can someone give me some advice as to when I should think about changing the timing belt on my C3 1.4 HDI 16V? it was registered in March 03 and i've covered about 47000 miles. According to my dealer Citroen recommend something bizarre like 150.000 or 10 years surely thats not right?, but they've told me not to worry about it and that it doesn't need changing yet. Anyone any thoughts on this?. On a second point: I don't know if anyone else has done this but i've had mine from new and had my fair share of problems mostly when the warranty ran out and it seems to have cost a small fortune in repairs on top of insurance and general running costs, It makes you wonder if the money you save with cheap tax etc is out weighed by constant problems and generally poor reliabilty its a shame because I really do love my car but after 4 years i'm wondering if anything else will go and i'm slowly losing faith with it. It has always been dealer maintained but last week I went to an independent i'd found and they seem ok touch wood!!, I live in Sheffield area in anyone wants there details send me a PM and i'll let you have them. I'm going to work out how much in repairs i've spent over years and put it on here and see if anyone has spent about same. Cheers Simon.

I have a Citroen C3 1.4 HDI 16v Exclusive please can someone confirm what the correct tyre pressures should be front and rear in P.S.I? thanks in advance. Just to add to the fuel economy debate I have since new its an 03 plate never been really happy with the fuel economy but having read the posts on here I agree the manufacturers claimed MPG is unrealistic in the real world I can never get 600 miles out of my tank no matter how I drive it, I usually get 550 at the most which is the best I can get.

Thanks for the reply Oliver, just an update on mine it went back in yesterday as the noise had come back on both sides again and after they had apparently spent 3 hours looking at it they cannot find any fault with it. It only seems to come on when I have driven on roads that are quite bouncy with lots of dips etc its a weird one and its driving me mad but for now i'm going to have to leave it unless it gets worse, I asked them to check the brake pads while it was in and even though the car is over 4 years old and over 40000 miles it still doesnt need pads! and will last a bit longer I cant believe that.

I live in Sheffield also and have a Citroen C3 just wondered if you have used any of them and if so can recommend one as the dealer prices are very high. Cheers

Evening all, I'm hoping theres some Citroen technicians on the forum what may be able to help me with this on going problem with my Citroen C3 Exclusive. Last year I had a recall carried out on my car to fit suspension cups incase the front springs ever broke, and unfortunately a few weeks later the O/S/F did luckily i'd had the modification, my local dealer replaced both front springs free of charge even though it had recently ran out of warranty. But its after these new springs were fitted that I started having problems I noticed it whenever I went over a speed bump or a bouncy road surface I was getting a creaking initially from both sides of the car coming from front but sometimes it would just be one side, aswell as that when i turned the steering lock to lock when stationery i was getting a series of knocks or like twanging noises coming from what sounds like top of both suspension mountings. It went back several times and i could see that they had sprayed what looked like lubricant on both front mountings the noises went for short time before coming back, eventually they repositioning both front dampers and it seemed to have sorted it but now i can hear it again only on the N/S/F and again only noticeble on bouncy road surfaces or speed bumps but not heard all the time, I have only had these problems simce the front springs were replaced and am fed up of taking it back to my dealer only to be told they cant find anything or hear it, can anyone shed any light on this or give me advice to get this sorted. Thanks in advance.

I recently had both front springs replaced by my dealer because one of the front springs snapped but soon after these were replaced everytime I went over a speed bump I got a creaking noise from both sides, to cut a long story short it went back to the dealer several times and all they did was spray lubricant on both top mountings because they thought they might have dried out id give it a couple of weeks and id be back to square one. Aswell as the creaking noise I noticed when the car was parked and i'd turned the wheel lock to lock I could hear like a series of groaning noises the dealer told me this was nothing to worry about, its just the spring trying to turn in the top mountings and that it wouldnt do it when I was driving but this is a noise i never had before the springs were replaced. It went back in a couple of weeks ago and after I went out with a technician he heard the creaking noise and said he thought it was a bush that had dried out but like I said to him its only started since you changed the springs, it was in a couple of days and they reseated a damper on one side and the other side was ok, the creaking noise went but i noticed yesterday when going over a speed i got a knocking from the drivers side and it sounds like its coming from the top mounting but cannot be sure but its definately on the drivers side. I must admit on most bumps I cant hear anything it was only this one bump when I heard it, but I'm still getting the series of noises when I turn my wheel lock to lock but its only coming from the drivers side, also if i rock steering wheel quickly I can hear a knocking noise from steering but maybe thats normal. Has anyone any idea whats going on as I'm pulling my hair out with it!!, i'm hoping its something simple. Any help or advice very much appreciated. many thanks Simon