New shite, dodgy MOT, and got money back!

[dean36014]

Wanted something a bit smaller than the Citroen C5 which has wafted me around in comfort for the last year. 16 thousand trouble free miles, but never really gelled with it. Always loved the Berlingos after a holiday in Tunisia years ago where they were being used as Taxi's along with old Mercs. Found this unloved example going cheap because its got a weird fault with the power steering where it loads up. However it now seems to be working correctly since I discovered it was pressurising this power steering tank up and cleaned the cap out. Not sure if its a permanent fix, but i've never heard a power steering pump cap go pssst when you remove the cap so maybe thats what was causing it. Anyway, not long in from work, so thought I'd check to see if it starts ok in the cold and damp as i work nights. It fired straight up, then immediately stalled and now won't fire up at all. It was at this point I remember that when i first viewed it the fuel light was on, test drove it, and the seller delivered it to me yesterday with the light still shining brightly, conclusion?.....its ran out of fuel! So whats the general opinion on this, useful workhorse? or just shit!

Anyone want a C5 2.0hdi, 03 plate. full mot, taxed, new tyres, new cambelt,tensioners and water pump 8k ago.

[STUNO]

Suspect that the addition of the correct fuel will result in two outcomes

1. Fuel light will go out.

2. Engine will start.

and 3. It will be bloody useful for lots of things.

 

Good buy

[purplebargeken]

As above. That is one very tidy vanlette.

 

E stands for 'Empty', not 'Enough'

[Micrashed]

I rate Bingos very highly indeed.

 

Rear arm bearings go the same way as those on the 306 and ZX though especially if they have led a hard life and the interior is made of cheesium, though PSA did improve this on the Mk2.

2003 Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2.0 HDi Forte - PN53 OVX by Micrashed, on Flickr

Oh and the clutch went on mine at 60K miles, but it had led a hard stop start town driving life before I bought it from the surgery I worked at.

[dieselnutjob]

do these have torsion bar rear suspension? or the horizontal strut like the 305 estate?

[dean36014]

its tidy from the outside, but the inside was minging! cleaned all the plastics up, of which 90% of the interior is made, just got to clean the seats when its warmer with a carpet cleaner. Just got up, so off to a fuel station soon in search of a fuel can and a of gallon of diesel!

[oman5]

I like them. exactly what I look for in a car, economical, comfy and you can carry an engine in the back should you need to. I'm just not keen on the n/a diesel ones, a bit too sluggish for my liking.

[Station]

My brother has one of these, they're ace.

Also like the Kangoos, esp the 4x4 ones.

[dean36014]

it is a 1.9 n/a. I drive trucks, so the speed isn't an issue for me. Anyway in latest news, it now runs. But, its now put up the engine management light, since it ran out of fuel. Cleared the fault codes, restarted it and it came straight back on. Code P0170, wwhich relates to fuel/timing issues. seems strange as its an XUD engine with no electronic injectors or anything. It runs fine, but does seem a bit advance on the timing when it first cracks up, got a very distinctive diesel noise for the first few seconds i never had on any other XUD engine. So in time honoured tradition, I'll ignore it for a bit!

[dean36014]

Well that was short lived! Took it for a drive and the diesel bark drowned out the radio. God knows whats gone on with the injection timing but its definately altered somehow since it ran out of fuel.Also it had supposedly passed an mot last friday. Further investigations revealed an insecure battery not bolted in due to a bent battery tray, windscreen washers didn't work fullstop, it had an advisory for play in the steering rack, and yet there was none, not even a slightest hint of play anywhere in the steering system. Advisory for play in front suspension bushes, checked them and they all looked recently replaced! So armed with the certainty that it almost certainly had a dodgy MOT I dumped it back at the trader and came away with my dosh.....plus an extra £40 as he couldn't count. In two minds wether to ring Vosa and report the MOT station or not. Oh well, chalk that one upto experience, and start looking for another one.

[Lacquer Peel]

It's a DW8 engine with an ECU for emissions shit.

[dean36014]

It looked like an XUD engine same as i had in the xantias. Standard injectors, no electrical connectors, lucas injection pump. Every reference I got to the fault code referred to unplug the harness of the injectors and testing the ohms, it didn't have any!

[Mr Lobster]

My brother has one of these, they're ace.

Also like the Kangoos, esp the 4x4 ones.

 

I'm a Berlingo fan, did a lot of miles in the van version and rated it pretty highly. Agreed on Kangoos, just a shame that ours was monumentally unreliable.

[dean36014]

just googled the images and yes it was a dw8 engine. oh well its gone now, shame as it had cracking bodywork and drove well.

[ruffgeezer]

Out of interest, what did you get it for? I am utterly un-enthused now I'm back to using the Xsara on a daily basis.

[panhard65]

Sounds like the injector with the tdc wire had packed in. It is a very common problem they have one injector with a wire on it. This goes down and they will knock like hell. I think they are delphi which says it all. How long ago was the mot as the battery security has only just come in at the begining of the month and the washers could of just packed up. The other items were advisory so the mot tester covering himself. If it was a single lane testing station then they use hydrulic plates to test the suspension and will show up play you may not notice by hand. I certainly wouldn't be on to vosa just chalk it up to experience you got a half decent dealer who actually refunded you. It is unlikely the running out of fuel caused the problem just bad luck

[trigger]

It does sound like your lucky the garage gave you a full refund, it will have another owner on the log book now.

[Morgan84]

If the garage who sold it gave it the MOT and it was iffy, then they would be very grateful they got the car back without VOSA getting involved !

[dean36014]

The mot was 3 days old, so battery security should have been covered. The things listed as advisories were perfect,in fact the bushes listed look recently replaced. Shame really, but it makes me wonder what else was missed. The mot tester was a mate of the trader I bought it off, so draw your own conclusions. I paid 900 for it, but was expecting to replace the steering rack as it had an advisory for play when in fact it was absolutely wear free.I did thing it strange it passed an mot with intermittent Power steering, not even an advisory, it constantly did it so would have thought they would have spotted it. It was only a slipping belt causing it as well, the automatic tensioner needed replacing, you could see the belt skipping.

[STUNO]

You just might have erred on the side of caution there, sounds like it was a better car than you thought !

It was not my money either

[dean36014]

To be truthful I lost confidence in it. I do around 15k a year commuting to work, and it died within hours of buying it. He offered my dosh back, i took it. if he'd offered to sort the engine out i'd have been happy. I would have re mot'ed it though to see what had been missed if anything.