Do The Later Models Still Leak?

[landgirl]

hi everyone. Newbie here. I'd be really grateful for some honest advice from you all.

 

I'm selling my soft top Vitara and have settled on a Pluriel as an ideal replacement for my needs. I'm addicted to soft tops. I need something greener (Vitara is tax band F and lousy mileage!). I'll only have £5000 or thereabouts to spend and therefore won't get past about 2003 models of Pluriel, but I'm guessing that these are the ones that sometimes leak? Do the later years leak or were the problems fixed at manufacture?

 

I'm deeply impressed with how many of you are so in love with your cars and are prepared to deal with the leaks and go to and fro to dealers etc, but I am not. I use my car for work a lot. I'm not mechanically minded and I have no cash to spare once I've paid the mortgage and bills.

 

I realise none of you can give me a definitive answer nor guarantee a non-leaker, but i'd be interested in your views if you can find a minute to reply.

 

Kind regards, Landgirl :-)

[Guest Paul's Pluriel]

hi everyone. Newbie here. I'd be really grateful for some honest advice from you all.

 

I'm selling my soft top Vitara and have settled on a Pluriel as an ideal replacement for my needs. I'm addicted to soft tops. I need something greener (Vitara is tax band F and lousy mileage!). I'll only have £5000 or thereabouts to spend and therefore won't get past about 2003 models of Pluriel, but I'm guessing that these are the ones that sometimes leak? Do the later years leak or were the problems fixed at manufacture?

 

I'm deeply impressed with how many of you are so in love with your cars and are prepared to deal with the leaks and go to and fro to dealers etc, but I am not. I use my car for work a lot. I'm not mechanically minded and I have no cash to spare once I've paid the mortgage and bills.

 

I realise none of you can give me a definitive answer nor guarantee a non-leaker, but i'd be interested in your views if you can find a minute to reply.

 

Kind regards, Landgirl :-)

[Guest Paul's Pluriel]

hi everyone. Newbie here. I'd be really grateful for some honest advice from you all.

 

I'm selling my soft top Vitara and have settled on a Pluriel as an ideal replacement for my needs. I'm addicted to soft tops. I need something greener (Vitara is tax band F and lousy mileage!). I'll only have £5000 or thereabouts to spend and therefore won't get past about 2003 models of Pluriel, but I'm guessing that these are the ones that sometimes leak? Do the later years leak or were the problems fixed at manufacture?

 

I'm deeply impressed with how many of you are so in love with your cars and are prepared to deal with the leaks and go to and fro to dealers etc, but I am not. I use my car for work a lot. I'm not mechanically minded and I have no cash to spare once I've paid the mortgage and bills.

 

I realise none of you can give me a definitive answer nor guarantee a non-leaker, but i'd be interested in your views if you can find a minute to reply.

 

Kind regards, Landgirl :-)

[Guest Paul's Pluriel]

hi everyone. Newbie here. I'd be really grateful for some honest advice from you all.

 

I'm selling my soft top Vitara and have settled on a Pluriel as an ideal replacement for my needs. I'm addicted to soft tops. I need something greener (Vitara is tax band F and lousy mileage!). I'll only have £5000 or thereabouts to spend and therefore won't get past about 2003 models of Pluriel, but I'm guessing that these are the ones that sometimes leak? Do the later years leak or were the problems fixed at manufacture?

 

I'm deeply impressed with how many of you are so in love with your cars and are prepared to deal with the leaks and go to and fro to dealers etc, but I am not. I use my car for work a lot. I'm not mechanically minded and I have no cash to spare once I've paid the mortgage and bills.

 

I realise none of you can give me a definitive answer nor guarantee a non-leaker, but i'd be interested in your views if you can find a minute to reply.

 

Kind regards, Landgirl :-)

 

Hi,

 

I don't know any other Pluriel owners, but in the 4 years I have owned my 53 plate car I have only had very minor leakage issues with the car. When there are leaks they tend to be where the front screen pillars join the roof bars - look for staining signs on the front seat bases and in the boot where water can run in from the rear screen. A damp smell would be the most likely giveaway. Mine has been very reliable in 4 years and 31,000 miles I haven't had a single mechanical issue with the car. However if you like listening to CDs the cars your budget will stretch to have the annoying feature of resetting to track 1 every time you start the car! You will see other postings about this on this site

 

The Pluriel is a very practical car. With the rear seats down you can load straight through the rear of the car. We have shifted old fridges, several beds and rubble to the council tip in ours. You get some funny looks from other drivers, but best of all when you remove the roof bars it feels like you own a 2nd car! I actually feel I own three cars - a hatchback, spider convertible and pick up truck in one.

 

Paul

[landgirl]

.....I have only had very minor leakage issues with the car. When there are leaks they tend to be where the front screen pillars join the roof bars - look for staining signs on the front seat bases and in the boot where water can run in from the rear screen.

 

.....annoying feature of resetting to track 1 every time you start the car! You will see other postings about this on this site

 

Thanks Paul, that's interesting. Even minor leakage seems pretty offputting to me. How did you fix it, or haven't you?

 

Is it the sort of CD player you can 'rip out' and replace with something you like from Halfords? or is it built in and unremovable?

 

regards, Landgirl

[Guest Paul's Pluriel]

Thanks Paul, that's interesting. Even minor leakage seems pretty offputting to me. How did you fix it, or haven't you?

 

Is it the sort of CD player you can 'rip out' and replace with something you like from Halfords? or is it built in and unremovable?

 

regards, Landgirl

 

 

Minor leakage was cured with the application of vaseline (suggested by my local Citroen dealer) on the rubber seals fixed to the windscreen pillars. Strange but it worked for me! I guess this is only required when you put the roof bars back on the car, having driven the car with them removed. Mine started to leak after I had the roof off the car for about a week last August. I probably should have made an effort to clean the joints before I fitted the roof bars again. If you have problems with the boot area a guy on the Yahoo Pluriel discussion group has posted pictures showing how to drill weep holes in to the rear screen frame allowing the water to exit without draining in to the boot! Drastic, but it worked for him.

 

With regards to the CD Player I would be more inclined to try and find the earth wire and reconnect it rather than replace the unit. The unit is removable, but it's quite good quality and if it really is as simple as reconnecting a wire it should cost nothing. (I must get round to looking at doing this myself).

 

When you buy any car - new included, you are taking a bit of a gamble. However if the Pluriel really appeals to you - go for it! Just remember there is a knack to fully removing the roof. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you crack it you can fully remove the roof and fit the boot cover in around 5 minutes.

 

Paul

[landgirl]

Thanks, that was all really helpful.

regards, LG

[hertsnminds]

I had an 03 Pluriel. It leaked from the roof arches, from the bottom of the door sills and through the rear screen.

 

Roof arch seals were replaced and it still leaked. They were about to change the roof cassette when I traded it in as I did not want to carry a bucket in my boot all the time.

 

Yes it is a versatile car but the rear seats are not for adults on trips lasting more than 30 mins. In pick-up truck mode you need to attach a visible number plate to the rear to remain road legal.

 

It is the car with a little curl, when it is good it is very very good and when it is bad, it is horrid.