pikesrelaybus

Damn EARTH STRAP !!!!!!!!... So, ignore the error codes, I had a think about the issue, 2 heavy current items failing together, sounds like power, got my test light, earth on stud, tip on +jump connector, lights up, earth on engine, nothing!!.. So, despite cleaning every surface and crimp it's still a bit slow cranking until yesterday it didn't even bother. I'm wondering if the earth strap is caput too, so will order a new one.. Incidentally, to check the glow plugs it's best to remove headlight on LHS and there's a big old relay, opposite to the big spad style connector are 4 little ones, those are your glow plugs, test light on +jump point a light = good path to ground, if it doesn't light, then there's a broken connection to the glow plug or the plug has failed.. I wasn't looking forward to removing any of those after 175 thou miles.

Oh dear, @ 175k miles and 6 months of MOT failings, welding etc. I've got my relay back on the road. I moved it forwards earlier and about 30 minutes later went to restart it, no crank !!. So had to go out in the silly VW. Anyway, back now and dug out the tester. I have a P0683 - Pre/Post heating relay control - consistency. Inside, the glow plug lamp is flashing and it states glow plug failure. But why isn't it cranking?? Is cranking inhibited when there's a glow plug failure?. I've looked at the live data and there's defo a "start" signal going active.. Too dark / wet to dig further, hopefully tomorrow I can get to the relay and test the 4 outputs. Anyone changed glow plugs on a Iveco 3.0 HDi motor??

Ive just done the leaf spring on my relay and presented it for a re-test, all passed now, nightmare 6 weeks of mechanics. Anyway, the leaf spring is anchored at the front but not at the back where they hang from two metal brackets that move as the axle moves up and down. What's the torque on those bracket bolts, I just tightened up with the impact but now there's a creaking noise. I've had enough of mechanics, I'm no spring chicken and have a knackered back. so I'm thinking of selling our van to one of the conversion folk. Other than the paint, it'll be a good candidate for conversion, engine 165k and had a starting issue but I've recently found and cleaned everything around the earth strap.. Everything seems mechanically fine but the paint work on my Citroen has flaked off. It's not the first time I've seen this, we have a fleet of Blue Citroen's in town shifting the older generation about and there's two or three in the same paint situation.

Update time... no errors in ECU other than "got no pressure in AC" error. It's still a poor starter and on top of that something is gobbling power. The slow crank is defo down to lack of starter voltage, bad engine negative strap as if you hook up a starter pack, negative to engine block (not the stud) and positive to engine bay jump starter point it cranks like it's new!.. I've yet to do a mini service so was going to tackle the engine negative strap issue with it up in the air but it's just failed it's MOT, rot in drivers side sills, inner and outer effected so after a few days searching for somebody armed with welding kit its finally going to get fixed. Such a useful vehicle, my goodness, Ive shifted some stuff and carted my disabled daughter to-fro school for 4 hours, 6 hour round trip, she's done 175k miles and that 3ltr Iveco engine still pulls like a train.

Hi guys, So, my 14 yo Relay has failed it's MOT. Apparently it's very common for the sill on drivers side (UK RHD) to rot out, whereas the nearside/passenger remains good. Doesn't make sense, most water, puddles etc are at the sides of the road / passenger side. Anyway, has anyone tackled the replacement of the sills? it seems worse by drivers door foot step and within 500mm of the rear axle.

At 160k miles she's showing her age for sure but still my main drive. Bit slow to crank, changing gear when cold is a "nurse it in" scenario, now I've loosened those bungs all I need is some new gear oil. Think the linkage in the photo could do with some lub too.. Like to sort out the slow start, I'm leaning towards bad earth/dirty connections to engine. Wish I had a long jumper lead to test but my capacitor jump starter hooked up to the engine (jump lead connections) has it spinning as it should and she fires up no issues. I keep thinking it's the battery but even after charging it over night she's slow to churn.. My spare wheel (despite the useless recall) is seized solid but she still pulls well.. She's been a very useful vehicle and never let me down....

Think I worked it out. On transmission there is 2 hex plugs, one at the base (to drain) and one near n/s drive shaft. I don't have a level surface so tried both ways, nose pointing down and pointing up, soon as top plug removed oil came out. So, I guess it's over filled at birth, the little amount I lost when the drive shaft came out made no difference..

Hi, anyone with a quick answer for this. Just changed my n/s front spring and while fighting with the hub / McPhersons strut the drive shaft came out the gearbox (several times) and I've lost approx 0.5l of oil. I believe it's EP75-80, I got some 90 here as a emergency (although I'm pretty sure it'll be ok). I do plan to do a complete gearbox oil change, it's difficult to engage when cold, it's done 160,000 miles now.. Underneath there's two hex plugs on the gearbox, one at the base and one near to the level of a drive shaft. I undid the latter and oil poured out, vehicle still has it's nose is up in the air, it's not level, so maybe the oil is higher than normal.. I just want to squirt 0.5 ltr back in but will get 3ltr of the stuff and do a full change (2.7ltrs?) as gearchange is a bit stiff when cold. Question, on top of the gearbox, very close the the gear selector arm (marked in yellow) is a black union (marked in orange), it has a little rubber bung on the top (shown in green), is that where gearbox oil goes.. ??

well, I thought this topic was sorted but apparently not. A huge delay, site issues and now that's all gone, the specialist I mentioned above fitted a lucas starter which turns out wasn't a shiny new one but a re-manufacturered one, grrr. The poor starting returned and just recently I removed the starter, cleaned every contact, only failing to clen the sealed solenoid, put it back together and slightly better. However, I have another theory. If used regularly, it starts fine, leave it a few days, initial crank is stalled, leave it a week and it definitely doesn't want to crank, it turns slowly initially but once it's going cranks ok. The coolant is black, I'm thinking at 170k the head gasket has failed, oil is being used, not excessively, coolant does go missing and I need to top up. I'm thinking these fluids are getting into a cylinder, over time making it hydraulic lock. Certainly not taking it back to that specialists, they're OBD2 tester creates ghost issues... one of those things that while it's still starting I'll worry about it when it stops starting..

Hi Guys, I keep getting a database error when trying to rear forum posts. I thought it might be my adblocker but that's not it.. I doubt I'll be able to read replies from this post.. confused

Geez, ignore the above, it's a fuel issue.. engine ran fine and smooth with some fuel squirted into the inlet...

Hi Chaps... So, I have a stock C3 on a 03 plate. 1.6 petrol exclusive. it's in my front drive quietly decaying away. It started and runs fine when I can be bothered to check it but more often than not the battery is flat and/or I'm woken up at night by an alarm but not knowing who's car it is as there's no flashing lights. Fast forward to yesterday when a visitor's car battery become flat. Ever the helpful I dug the battery out the C3 as a temporary battery for them but it too was totally flat. In the end we got her car going and off she went to ATS. I returned the battery to the C3 and left it to charge over night. This is a new battery but I guess might not be in good shape repeatedly being deep discharged. Tried to start it, just turns over, flashing battery light, eco mode - yes sounds familiar... However, no matter where I google for advice, It's not having any of it. Here's what I got, it locks all doors on the keyfob but doesn't open them, except it seems the boot. When you press open the indicators flash and the immobilizer/alarm led's (two of them) stop flashing. I then insert the key into drivers door, and open - no alarm. I have tried resetting MCI? drivers door open, disconnect battery, wait, insert key, reconnect - nope. the holding the lock button for 10 seconds, nope. I'm tempted to check for spark but that means tools. I know it's low on fuel, it could just be it's empty, the former check with a little fuel down each pot would defo confirm this but I have a feeling there's something wrong with the alarm/immobilizer preventing it firing, not low fuel. I also note that the immobilizer lamp doesn't flash so I'm guessing the key is recognized. I'm really sorry if I'm just repeating the same old C3 gag but this is new to me...

Forgot to mention, we couldn't find the AC dryer, I thought it was the metal coil behind the front bumper but the pipes don't go there. I believe it has one as you can get the part on eBay. Just couldn't find it. I've just ordered a torch but to be fair, I believe I'm not going to find anything the chap in the garage, unless I start digging deeper than he did.

So, I took this info with me to the garage this morning who spent over three hours hunting for any traces of dye or an indication on his electric nose. For 2 hours the system retained it's pre-charge of nitrogen while he disturbed and waggled everything & anything to do with the AC system. There were no traces of dye anywhere and the only indication was the bottom right of the condenser which looks slightly beat up but as he said, a leak there would almost certainly be obvious, so put it down to false indication off his sniffer. So, far it was initially recharged which lasted 2 weeks, the last recharge lasted 5 days if that so there's a leak somewhere well hidden away. The latter included a bottle of Wurth stop AC. I've spent best part of £200 so an 8 hour investigation doesn't fill me with joy, especially since there's no clear evidence the evaporator has failed. It's a complete mystery but I've given up spending any more on the AC, just wind the window down. Fare play to the diesel specialists, he had a damn good look and is mystified at the results, clearly there's a leak but the nitrogen pressure test doesn't show any drop in pressure even after 2 hours.

Thanks for your reply. It's a 2008 model and I've had it from new. I noticed (as I learned how it worked) that the compressor would only engage if there was a cooling demand. Basically in FULL AUTO you can only adjust the temperature and in doing so I could hear the compressor clutch cutting in/out. If you adjust any other settings, air direction etc then the FULL part goes and it remains in AUTO. Having said that, one winter coming back from London I was cold and it didn't matter how high I set the temperature I couldn't get warm. It was only while playing about with it I switched off the AIR-CON by the dedicated frost icon button, then the warmth came, so it was basically on cooling away even when set to max. It was a pity I only discovered this at the end of the journey, not the start cos I was cold!.. So, what did the specialist do to the system, well he attached his automated gassing machine, it pressure tested the system fine, because I indicated issues he left it good hour and there was no drop. He then some AC-leak stop stuff, forgotten what make it was but it wasn't cheap, before re-gassing. It lasted 4 days. It's booked in again for this coming Monday but it might help if there was some locations I could point out for them to torch for the dye. I think the pressure of the compressor is pushing it past a leak in the hi side, like the compressor output or the evaporator. The pump is obvious to find but how do you look at the evaporator? getting a bit expensive now, 2 recharges, this magic stuff and a few hours has resulted in 3 weeks cooling. The first time it was recharged it lasted 2 weeks, the second time way less, even with the stop-leak stuff in the system.