Common Problems (Rev 16/4/2018)

[paul.h]

Under this post we can put together a list of problems common to the C4. I will add to this post as more common problems are found from the forum and elsewhere, so do not read it as a once off. Note that the posting date is not changed when it is edited but the revision date will be in the title. Can other members also post their own experiences.

 

Our 2008 1.6 hdi VTR+ 110hp only had a few problems and was sold at 47000 miles in 2012 to be replaced by the 2011 version of the same car.

 

1. Air doser valve leaked oil which dripped on to the alternator.

The air doser valve controls air flow through the intercooler and the casing is 2 plastic sections but the joint can leak oil carried in the air flow from the turbo. Sealant may provide a temporary fix but in the end we had to fit a new one. There is a risk of alternator failure from the oil if not fixed. The same engine on the new C4 has a one piece case so the problem has been designed out.

 

2. The bracket on the cover over the coolant tank broke.

This was at the thin section which allows it to bend. The 2 halves were joined with a strip of steel and bolts. 

 

3. Alloy wheels stick to the hub.

This applies to any car with alloy wheels. Rust on the hub can make it difficult to remove the wheels. When I first got the car, with each wheel in turn jacked up and axle stands used, I had to knock off the wheels using a piece of wood against the inner side of each tyre (not the alloy wheel) and hit it with a 4lb hammer until they came loose. Then before refitting, the hub and wheel were cleaned up and a smear of copper grease applied to the contact points.

 

4. Windscreen steaming up.

The windscreen was prone to steaming up. Checks on the aircon drain at the left of the driver's footwell did not find any blockage and there was no evidence of water ingress.

 

5. Clock and date keep resetting.

On the 2011 C4 this would happen maybe once a month as the door was opened/the engine was started. At the recent service (10/2013) a software update was installed to prevent this and I have read elsewhere that this is a successful fix. The update has also changed the auto locking - when the car is stopped and a front door opened, the rear doors do not unlock, then when the remote is used to lock the car it will not work until first it is used to unlock the rear doors.

 

6. Engine fusebox lid clip broken.

This fusebox lid on the old and new C4 are the same but on the new one a fastening clip had broken off so the lid was loose. A new lid was £19.

 

7. New C4 engine air inlet loose giving a rattle heard in the cabin.

The end of the air inlet duct at the front of the car, if loose, can give a rattle heard in the cabin that appears to come from the left back of the engine. It appeared after a service. The fix was to tighten the joint with tape but then a buzz at about 2500 rpm was heard but further tightening with a tie wrap stopped this. The mechanic said they are having a few problems like this.

 

Problems reported by others.

 

8. When using the rear wiper washer, the water comes out at the front wipers.

The front and rear wipers use the same washer pump but it runs in opposite directions. It has 1 inlet but 2 outlets. If the outlet or the piping to the rear blocks, then the water will use the other outlet and go to the front wipers. It can apply to many Citroen models.

 

9. Turbo failure.

This did not happen to our car but may be a common fault on the 1.6 hdi engine. The service interval is 12500 miles or annually, whichever comes first. Before stopping the engine, it should be left to idle for some time to give the turbo time to slow down, as for any turbo car, and the handbooks have a note on this.

 

10. Corrosion of the bonnet.

This has been reported by scimitargtc on his 2012 C4. Corrosion of the aluminium bonnet possibly due to a steel frame. The dealer has seen a few of these and there are many cases on the internet. One to check for the C5 which also has an aluminium bonnet. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20246-c4-paint-quality-2012-model/

 

After 3 years 9 months a 1cm long paint bubble appeared on our 2011 C4 bonnet at the front at the V. The defect warranty for paint is 3 years but we still reported it to our dealer. The bonnet frame is not mild steel since a magnet does not stick to it. Our dealer put in a claim to Citroen and fortunately Citroen paid for a new bonnet to be fitted at a cost to Citroen of around £900. We were told only repairing the paint would not last since the problem is a defect with the metal.

 

There is a recall on the bonnets which affected our 2015 C4 so may apply to all of the 2010 on model C4. We found out when it went for its second annual service at the Citroen dealer, they had not contacted us. First the bonnet is inspected in the area of the hook and then the bonnet is either replaced or if not corroded it involves putting grease filled stickers around the hook on the bonnet where it joins the bonnet. This is to prevent corrosion if the paintwork splits. The dealer said about 3% of bonnets recalled have been replaced so it is hoped the stickers will prevent too many needing to be replaced. At a guess, if not done and it corrodes, the hook could come off and the bonnet fly open. A search came up with this from the driver and vehicle standards agency https://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/expand.asp?uniqueID=765D700C4EEA4E8E8025804F003C0EAE&freeText=Blank&tx=0.684669

 

We have now had a letter from Citroen / Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency saying it needs to be done so they are contacting owners. They have given it operation reference NUH, the same as in the link so it covers 2015 C4s as well as ones in the link. Our VIN is ***FY504*** so is within the range in the link.

 

11. Odd electrical problems caused by wrong battery disconnection procedure.

If you need to disconnect the battery and not do a BSI reset procedure, I have found the following has not given me any problems on a 2004 and 2007 C5 and a 2003 C3:

- remove the ignition key from the car

- open the bonnet

- wait a few minutes for the BSI to shut down

- disconnect the battery negative terminal

 

When reconnecting

- ignition key out of the car

- reconnect the battery

- wait a few minutes

- insert the key in the ignition and wait a minute

- turn the key to the first position and wait a minute

- turn the key so the dash lights come on and wait a minute

- start the engine

- take the windows down and up to reset the anti pinch

- reset the clock (and radio on the C3).

 

In the handbook for the 2015 C4 it says to wait at least 2 minutes after switching off the ignition before disconnecting the battery and when reconnecting, to wait at least a minute after switching on the ignition before starting the engine.

 

12. Odd electrical problems after jump starting another car.

This occurred on a Peugeot 406 but could apply to a Citroen. When jump starting another car a power spike caused the BSI software to become corrupt and the headlights would come on after the car was switched off and locked, causing the battery to go flat. It was possible to reprogramme another BSI to use but this may not always be the case, requiring a new BSI to be needed.

The problem is when you are jump starting, the regulator on the running (good) car senses a drain on itself and allows the regulator to put out more power to maintain 14.4v and if you just pull the jump lead off you are causing a power surge until the regulator adjusts itself. 9 out of 10 times it is fine but the 406 customer was just unlucky.

 

To help avoid this possibility when jump starting it is recommended to

 

- connect jump leads making sure you put the negative lead onto the engine of the flat car

- once the flat car is started do not take the leads off

- go into the good car and switch on the rear demister, headlights and foglights.

- then remove the jump leads

- now switch the headlight and demisters off one at a time.

 

This allows the regulator to catch up and regulate the power output. We are not talking about seconds here, its actually miliseconds for it to alter itself but its long enough to fry things.

 

13. Tailgate electrical faults - rear wiper, lock.

Caused by wiring between the car body and tailgate in the rubber sleeve breaking. The broken wires need joining, possibly with new sections. Some cars may have been repaired with Citroen paying.

 

14. Car Mechanics used car guide August 2015.

An article on buying a 2004 to 2010 C4 lists some things to check that may be common failures:

- 1.4 litre petrol engines can suffer head gasket failure and oil leaks from the head gasket and top cover gasket.

- VTI and THP petrol engines have timing chains but these can wear and fail but may get noisy first.

- 2.0 hdi injector seals can leak causing engine runaway. These engines had a dpf from the 2008 facelift.

- A chirp at idle could be a failing water pump with red dust around the timing belt cover.

- The 1.6 hdi can suffer failed injector seals.

- The 1.6 hdi can suffer clogged oil passages starving the turbo so the turbo fails. Starved turbo bearings may be noisy and there may be oil leaked on to the exhaust.

- The 1.6 (not clear if this is the petrol or diesel) timing belt replacement is 150k miles but due to belt failures 60k miles may be more sensible.

- DPF faults are common with the filter needing cleaning/replacing and the eolys fluid topping up.

- The diesels have dual mass flywheels so listen for a rattle.

- The 1.6 litre exhaust heat shield can fail and rattle. If ignored it can cause problems with the oil cooler. We had this on our 2003 C3 but it was easy to fix it back using large washers to cover the bolts holes that had become enlarged.

- The bonnet is aluminium and there can be paint reaction issues at the front edge.

- The tailgate wiring loom can fail where it enters the tailgate and some C4s had a recall for this. This affects the rear lights/wiper/heated screen.

- If the car has self levelling headlights the load sensor can fail and the lights point down.

- Manual gearboxes are robust but the gear change was never particularly pleasant.

- The automatic with paddles is prone to problems - clutches can wear out quickly, listen for a whining noise indicating failed bearings, electrical gremlins can afect gear changing ability or refuse to engage a gear.

- On suspension check for broken coil springs (these may be relpaced free of charge by a Citroen dealer so it is worth asking - this was the case on our 2003 and 2010 C3s).

- The power steering pump can fail, usually intermittently at first.

- Glovebox failures involving the handle are common but replacement latches are less than £10.

- The heater flap control cogs can fail so only hot or cold may blow and if dual zone heating check both sides work.

- Fan speed resistors are a common failure.

- Seat belts had a recall so make sure they retract properly.

- Make sure the electric windows and central locking work.

- If the boot pops open when unlocking the car it may need a new lock mechanism.

- The cruise control can be prone to niggling faults due to switches on the clutch/brake pedals and steering hub.

 

15. Lack of power - battery fuse box failure.

Our 2015 C4 1.6 hdi 115 hp was suffering from poor acceleration at low revs, noticed just after a service but this was a coincidence. I could push down on the accelerator pedal and it barely accelerated until the revs got to about 1800. This also made it a bit difficult when setting off, needing to rev the engine more than normal before letting the clutch pedal up.

 

The engine management light was not on but a diagnostic at the dealer found a Citroen specific U fault code which showed an open circuit in the fuse box on top of the battery. A known symptom for the fault included a lack of power. This has now been replaced under warranty and the car is back to normal.

 

Other names for this fuse box seem to be BPGA supply management and protection control unit, power relay unit.

 

16. Aux belt tensioner recall.

When our 2015 C4 1.6 hdi had its 2018 service at the dealer, they replaced the aux belt tensioner as a recall without charge to us. It is not classed as a safety recall so you are not contacted and if the car had not gone to a Citroen dealer it would not have been done. It looked as if the old belt was re-used so possibly they just inspect the belt and if ok will not replace it. See also http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24258-2014-c4-16-ehdi-selection-alternator/  and http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24101-20-hdi-aux-belt-tensioner-failure/