C3 Auto 1.4 Sx

[Guest c3 1.4 auto SX]

I bought a 2003 "52" Citroen C3 1.4 Auto Sx with 68,000 on the clock for my mother Last year. I rarley drive the car but it is a comfy car and safe. The car has had its fare deal of problems such as: coil pack, blown head gasket, oil leaks, window switch, condensation in headlamps and a few others. My mum was at the end of her teather with it. This is the time of year it was needing its MOT, i was dreading it.

 

I took it into my local gargage today, and guess what it Passed first time, i was very pleased. They advised the disk and pads but they are getting done on monday.

 

Has anyone else had similar problems as i have?

 

For such a Small car it guzzels fuel, my mum mostly dose town or short distance journeys the odd motorway, to a full tank she can get 180 miles, which works out about 21MPG, what dose others cars get.

 

Thanks

 

Calum

[CE08LDB]

My brothers old 2003 52 Reg C3 SX Auto used to do about that amount of miles on a full tank. Also I was talking to a guy a few years who had a 2005 05 Reg C3 1.4i SX Auto and he had done over 13,000 and it was still only doing 25mpg

 

His 2009 58 C3 1.6i 16v Exclusive Auto was greedy too. Around town the computer would show 25.9mpg. This is one of the reasons I got him a early termination with Motability and he took delivery of a C4 Picasso 2.0HDi VTR+ EGS on Wednesday.

 

The Window Switch are a pain on early C3s. 3 of them broke on my brothers.

 

It had alot of problems in under the 3 years he had it.

 

It cut out on me when I was coming down a hill how I didn't hit the houses at the bottom and made the bend I don't know as I couldn't stop.

 

Oil had leaked into the gearbox so that needed replacing.

 

Your mam hasn't the same car as she? my brothers was CA52 SGY

[Guest c3 1.4 auto SX]

yes exact same car, silver SH52, its a Aberdeen reg. Now to find out the hydraulics that hold the boot lid up have went, i guess its me that's going to pick up the bill. She absolute loves the auto but its a killer on fuel and she had a go of the sensodrive c2 and she just couldn't get used to it. yes about the window swich, she phoned me at two in the morning saying: my window wont go up but it will go down, little did i know it was only down about 2cm when it broke but then she hit the switch and it went all the way down!

Do you have any problems with yours in the snow? like would it go anywhere. I suppose buying it last June with 58,000 on the clock and now its on 73,000, she has done a fair amount of miles so i cant really complain about it.

What are the timing belt intervals on this model?

 

thanks

[CE08LDB]

yes exact same car, silver SH52, its a Aberdeen reg. Now to find out the hydraulics that hold the boot lid up have went, i guess its me that's going to pick up the bill. She absolute loves the auto but its a killer on fuel and she had a go of the sensodrive c2 and she just couldn't get used to it. yes about the window swich, she phoned me at two in the morning saying: my window wont go up but it will go down, little did i know it was only down about 2cm when it broke but then she hit the switch and it went all the way down!

Do you have any problems with yours in the snow? like would it go anywhere. I suppose buying it last June with 58,000 on the clock and now its on 73,000, she has done a fair amount of miles so i cant really complain about it.

What are the timing belt intervals on this model?

 

thanks

 

What A Nightmare. Early C3s seem to suffer with problems. Now me see I love the SensoDrive as I can only drive Auto's as I drive with Hand Controls because of foot problems where as my brother drives with them because he broke his back when in the Paras.

 

My 1st car was a SensoDrive and I wanted another but I was told my the Service Manager at my Dealer early SensoDrives were suppose to been a nightmare.

 

Now I am the complete opposit to your mother when I would drive my brothers C3 mostly the one he has just got rid of the 1.6i 16v Auto it used to frustrate me as the gear changes would be so sluggish it would takes ages to change up. Even when I used the Sequential Manual Mode it would take ages. When I handed it back for my brother last Wednesday to pick the C4 Picasso up it was showing faults then Check Oil Level (Been Doing that for a few weeks mind and it was fine when I checked) I went around a bend and it said Oil Pressure too low. And even since a Ford KA went into the side of it the Gearbox would make a hissing sound when going up hills.

 

His 2003 52 C3 SX Auto never made it for its 1st MOT in our hands anyway as my Niece 15 at the time stole it and wrote it off. But a few months later I saw it on ebay and it looked good as new and is still going now as I check the tax on DVLA.

 

But as for the Window Switch I had to wait one winters night with the car at -1 for the RAC to come. Fairplay to the guy he left the switch off so that we could still use the white plastic thing under the switch untill we got the switch replaced under warranty. the first time it happend we were over 100 miles from home and my brother had to use a black bag to cover it and drove home.

 

I am wondering if your better off getting a switch off a newer witten off one as I never had problems with mine nor my brothers 2 after that and nor with my friends 2 C3s.

 

As for the Cambelt I will check that out for you as I got alot of books here.lol you could say I am a Citroen Nut.

[Guest c3 1.4 auto SX]

What A Nightmare. Early C3s seem to suffer with problems. Now me see I love the SensoDrive as I can only drive Auto's as I drive with Hand Controls because of foot problems where as my brother drives with them because he broke his back when in the Paras.

 

My 1st car was a SensoDrive and I wanted another but I was told my the Service Manager at my Dealer early SensoDrives were suppose to been a nightmare.

 

Now I am the complete opposit to your mother when I would drive my brothers C3 mostly the one he has just got rid of the 1.6i 16v Auto it used to frustrate me as the gear changes would be so sluggish it would takes ages to change up. Even when I used the Sequential Manual Mode it would take ages. When I handed it back for my brother last Wednesday to pick the C4 Picasso up it was showing faults then Check Oil Level (Been Doing that for a few weeks mind and it was fine when I checked) I went around a bend and it said Oil Pressure too low. And even since a Ford KA went into the side of it the Gearbox would make a hissing sound when going up hills.

 

His 2003 52 C3 SX Auto never made it for its 1st MOT in our hands anyway as my Niece 15 at the time stole it and wrote it off. But a few months later I saw it on ebay and it looked good as new and is still going now as I check the tax on DVLA.

 

But as for the Window Switch I had to wait one winters night with the car at -1 for the RAC to come. Fairplay to the guy he left the switch off so that we could still use the white plastic thing under the switch untill we got the switch replaced under warranty. the first time it happend we were over 100 miles from home and my brother had to use a black bag to cover it and drove home.

 

I am wondering if your better off getting a switch off a newer witten off one as I never had problems with mine nor my brothers 2 after that and nor with my friends 2 C3s.

 

As for the Cambelt I will check that out for you as I got alot of books here.lol you could say I am a Citroen Nut.

 

 

Thanks, the gear box seems to work ok, i know there has been a lot of problems with them but touch wood hers hasn't, it jerks when at -0 temperatures. My mum can drive both auto and manual but prefers the auto because of problems with her leg. It was a new C2 the same as yours she had a shot of actually, a 2008 "57" in silver had 23000 on the clock. Will probably just run this car to the ground for her as i aint getting the blame for anything going wrong on the next one. My local mechanic done the same for me, i just got the new switch from citroen.

[paul.h]

We get 40 to 50 mpg from our 2003 35k miles 1.4 (petrol) sx manual gearbox car. Usually short journies of a few miles.

 

Problems have been front coil spring breaking, replaced throttle pedal to help setting off smoothly, rear wiper does not always stop - still to sort out, injectors failed and needed replacing (make sure the wiper washer jets holes in the bonnet are sealed since rain can get through and drips on to the injectors causing the coils to fail - a known problem. Also check the plastic pipes to the jets do not leak at the connections), a couple of times on the M62 motorway it has gone to high temperature but so far I have not found any faults.

 

Last winter I used it in the snow and it always went well, not getting stuck but I had put new tyres on. Our C4 with its wider tyres and more power was worse and had to be dug out a couple of times.

[Brigus]

yes exact same car, silver SH52, its a Aberdeen reg. Now to find out the hydraulics that hold the boot lid up have went, i guess its me that's going to pick up the bill. She absolute loves the auto but its a killer on fuel and she had a go of the sensodrive c2 and she just couldn't get used to it. yes about the window swich, she phoned me at two in the morning saying: my window wont go up but it will go down, little did i know it was only down about 2cm when it broke but then she hit the switch and it went all the way down!

Do you have any problems with yours in the snow? like would it go anywhere. I suppose buying it last June with 58,000 on the clock and now its on 73,000, she has done a fair amount of miles so i cant really complain about it.

What are the timing belt intervals on this model?

 

thanks

 

It is recommended to change the timing belt every 60,000 miles, but really 40,000 miles is best considering that major damage will result if it fails.

 

The 1.4 auto is known to be poor on fuel economy - I think I get about 25mpg.

 

I used mine every day this past winter, including longer trips, with no worries.

 

Condensation in the headlamps is a weird quirk, but it's not an issue. When I first got the car I was worried about it, but then noticed that every C3 I saw had the same thing - anyway, condensation doesn't affect the lights as once on they heat up and it clears quickly.

[Guest ravenscroft]

Folks - reading about the poor fuel economy of the C3 Auto models - this is the exact reason I bought a Sensodrive model with the automated clutch and manual mode of the gearbox. I've known for a long time that torque convertor automatics use more fuel because of the inefficiency of the fluid coupling and also due to the extra weight of the epicyclic gearbox. To my knowledge the Sensodrive transmission only weighs slightly more than the 5 speed manual. I wouldn't consider going back to a 'normal' auto again and am advising my parents to switch to a clutchless manual for their next car!