Citroen C15 question - Update: it's now mine!

[Guest greenvanman]

I've got five weeks to find new wheels, so I'm nosing around on eBay for a potential replacement for the Astra. Anyway, there's a likely looking C15 which ticks a lot of boxes but includes this in the description:

Also occasionally (not all the time, only now and again) when the van idles there’s an intermittent low level squeaking noise which disappears if the clutch is depressed. Initially we thought it might be the fan belt or something like that so had it checked but we have been advised by the garage, even though it didn't do it when they looked at it, that this is likely to be the release bearing on the clutch pedal but there is no problem selecting the gears or driving the car and we have been told that it will probably won’t need anything doing for years to come and won’t fail suddenly. It has been like that the whole time we’ve had the van and probably won't do it when you collect but just thought it worth mentioning.

I've not come across anything that sounds like that before - should this put me off or shall I have a punt anyway?

[trigger]

Is it the Diesel model?.We use to run these all the time when i was working for a motor factors and if i remember correctly the clutch wasn't a hard job to do anyway.I had a Fiesta with a noisey release bearing, It only stopped when you put your foot on the clutch, Was very common on the older Fiesta's and was never anything to worry about.I doubt in this case that it's much to worry about especially if it's cheap enough.

[Guest greenvanman]

Is it the Diesel model?.We use to run these all the time when i was working for a motor factors and if i remember correctly the clutch wasn't a hard job to do anyway.I had a Fiesta with a noisey release bearing, It only stopped when you put your foot on the clutch, Was very common on the older Fiesta's and was never anything to worry about.I doubt in this case that it's much to worry about especially if it's cheap enough.

It is the diesel, yeah. Thanks for that trigger.

[autohausdolby]

Clutch = dead easy TUs are lovely engines in 1.5 form. One pulled me all the way to the Algerian border and back and did 75mpg in my AX

[Milford Cubicle]

It'll be a 1.8 XUD, or a 1.9 DW8 if unlucky, the '15' doesn't denote engine size.

[autohausdolby]

FAIL. Glad you told me that or it could have led to EPIC BONNET OPENING DISAPOINTMENT after purchasing one.

[vicsmith]

Noisy release bearings can carry on being noisy for a long time before the clutch needs doing, they aren`t really having you on about that one. If it`s the same engine as the late AX diesels/106s, which I think it is, that engine is a bit of a masterpiece in my opinion, proof if it were ever needed that small diesels do not require a turbo of any sort and makes a laughing stock of the "never quite in the right gear" experience of modern diesels.

[trigger]

I'm sure they are the 1.8 lump in the C15's, What year is it?.

 

We ran the 1769cc diesel's in our vans, They were 2000 V plate models but had done over 120k each and was only 3 years old at the time but they was still going strong, Which was more than could be said for most of the body trim...

 

They were very good on fuel and went quite well for a non turbo, the gearboxes were very sloppy and the handling was very dire, Especially when you had a 205 Litre barrel of anti freeze in the back...

 

Here was mine...

 

[vicsmith]

Same lump as the comically basic Peugeot 306 XND then? Also non-turbo Rover 200/400 R8s? If so, still a nice engine.

[Guest greenvanman]

I'm sure they are the 1.8 lump in the C15's, What year is it?.

It's a '99 , DVLA check says it's 1769cc.

[Albert Ross]

So I take it "Sweaty Betty" the Disastra is being put forward for scrappage then?

[Guest greenvanman]

So I take it "Sweaty Betty" the Disastra is being put forward for scrappage then?

Once I've got a replacement I was going to offer it on here. It's been great, but there were several corrosion advisories last year and I'm not really up to fixing that. It's still running like a Swiss watch though, so it could be useful for someone who's a bit better with the welder's torch than me.

[M'coli]

Is this the Astra estate with the tweaked injection pump?

[Guest greenvanman]

Is this the Astra estate with the tweaked injection pump?

That's the one, more here:http://autoshite.commlm/forum/viewtopic.ph ... ight=shite

[VWPowered]

short or long wheel base

 

[Timewaster]

Here was mine...

 

Ah, Jayar - theres a name I remember. I used to work at FAB.

 

At another place we had an E reg 1.1 petrol C15 and a K reg Diesel.

The diesel was faster and more economical than the petrol, although no one reversed the diesel one into a lamp post

[Burnside]

My old man brought a 03 c15 diesel about 18mths ago in silver for £950. Done over 100k with every bodypanel dented so probley full french spec then hence the price. Its great to drive and goes wel with the typical french soft suspension which is a blessing thanks to the state of the roads. A few bits of trim have fell off and he's had to stick them back on. He has just serviced it and that's been it. And my dads a builder too so his van is getting fully loaded up all the time and never complains once. Can't fault it.

[Guest greenvanman]

And here it is! Haven't owned any Franco-shite for quite a while. In fact the last was my R4F6, something not entirely dis-similar.

 

 

[pogweasel]

Look rubbish, therefore well done!!!

[Timewaster]

What is the grey square on the nearside? Some sort of vent?Welcome to the roly poly world of C15's!

[Albert Ross]

Looks like a fridge vent off a camper van........Does it have "Electrolux" written on it?Where's the Disastra? Not dead I hope...

[Guest greenvanman]

What is the grey square on the nearside? Some sort of vent?Welcome to the roly poly world of C15's!

Thank you! It's actually a sticker that says 'Club'.

Where's the Disastra? Not dead I hope...

Still very much alive Jim, once I've managed to make contact with the vendors it'll be needing a new home, preferably with someone who can weld

[Guest greenvanman]

Well, it's home now - an entirely uneventful 180-mile run back from Oxford, made a little duller by the fact that the Blaupunkt stereo was deader than a very dead thing indeed. I chucked in my trusty Tevion MP3 head unit in this morning, but all that's done is tell me that the van needs better speakers The van's a lot quieter than I expected it to be, and surprisingly good for a long run. I think I might invest in some bigger mirrors to minimise the blind spots though.We were stuck in traffic on M1 long enough to expose any overheating issues, so I was well pleased when there weren't any. In fact, there were no areas for concern at all (touch wood). Even the clutch release bearing was quiet! Driving this thing has reminded me how much I liked my long-departed R4F6 - hopefully this one is going to run and run...Thanks as ever for all your input on this thread chaps

[Volksy]

C15 = rule

[Rusty Pelican]

C15 , Didnt know they made casettes that short ( sorry ) , nice bit of usefull shite that