NEW: "Citroen C15 and Visa Appreciation Society Jottings" (formerly Sunny Jim's C15D)

[lesapandre]

WOW 3 people on here have one. Mine 10 years. Too useful to sell.

[Mrs6C]

8 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

WOW 3 people on here have one. Mine 10 years. Too useful to sell.

Had mine a tad off ten years too. It is incredibly useful, frugal and comfortable to drive. It's surprisingly lively at motorway speeds, although it does take a very long time to get there...

[lesapandre]

Yea thay are much more 'driveable' than they appear. 80 on the Motorway in France is fine. Just a bit noisy - but that's the charm.

[chadders]

We bought Sunny's C15 from a garage near Norwich a long time ago, my missus loved it. It then got to the stage when it needed work on the rust that I couldn't bodge well enough and a cambelt change so we sold it on here and then it was sold to Dean who did an amazing job.

When it was recently put up for sale I asked her if she wanted it back. She was worried about ruining Dean's work by using it as a dog transport and also carrying a load of stuff for the charities she helps as it'd get scratched to hell.

[lesapandre]

26 minutes ago, chadders said:

We bought Sunny's C15 from a garage near Norwich a long time ago, my missus loved it. It then got to the stage when it needed work on the rust that I couldn't bodge well enough and a cambelt change so we sold it on here and then it was sold to Dean who did an amazing job.

When it was recently put up for sale I asked her if she wanted it back. She was worried about ruining Dean's work by using it as a dog transport and also carrying a load of stuff for the charities she helps as it'd get scratched to hell.

Well they do turn up for sale but not as often as they did. 

Mine has a load liner and half-bulkhead which makes it much more usable. Together with the half- windows in the rear sides. They will ply line. With the rubbing strips on the outside and big bumpers they are pretty durable. 😍 

Amazing 'compliant' suspension - they ride very smooth.

[holbeck]

Mine did leak, but was also garaged and infrequently used so I didn't worry too much about it. 

[Sunny Jim]

Thank you all so much for the responses. I've been out for the last few hours but driving home I was thinking surely even Citroen wouldn't require you to remove the dash to get at the wiper motor! It's started to rain here and seeing as there's only about an hours daylight left I shall get on to it tomorrow. It also sounds like the OSF wheel bearing could be on the way out so that's something else to investigate.

[EyesWeldedShut]

Mine never leaked either:

but it did blow up two engines in under two years and 64,000 miles from new - J Reg - it went up and down the M4 a lot, still on the original Michelin tyres too when it finally went (XZ I think they were). 
Great wee thing, even with vinyl seats and no engine temperature gauge

#useless info a la grogee 

2 minutes ago, Sunny Jim said:

surely even Citroen wouldn't require you to remove the dash

Wanna come look under the bonnet of the C4 our kid has ?

[lesapandre]

They do benefit from regular oil changes at about 3000 miles and regular cam belts. The do use a bit of water so useful to always check each trip.

[grogee]

Is it a non turbo XUD? 

Is there scope for fitting a snail? 

[Sunny Jim]

I'm in the habit of checking fluid levels and tyre pressures weekly. Thanks for the offer @EyesWeldedShut but I think I'll pass! Dean fitted a temperature gauge which is far more use than the it's too late light - temps have got well into the 90's in hot weather on a motorway run but the fan doesn't kick in until 95 and (so far) it's never boiled over.

@grogee it is NA but I find the 68hp adequate - driving it is a question of keeping momentum, it rolls in the corners but clings on - it's all part of the charm of the thing, I'm not sure more power would suit it or that the brakes would be up to it!

[chadders]

In my opinion it has just the right level of power to make driving it enjoyable.

[lesapandre]

29 minutes ago, Sunny Jim said:

I'm in the habit of checking fluid levels and tyre pressures weekly. Thanks for the offer @EyesWeldedShut but I think I'll pass! Dean fitted a temperature gauge which is far more use than the it's too late light - temps have got well into the 90's in hot weather on a motorway run but the fan doesn't kick in until 95 and (so far) it's never boiled over.

@grogee it is NA but I find the 68hp adequate - driving it is a question of keeping momentum, it rolls in the corners but clings on - it's all part of the charm of the thing, I'm not sure more power would suit it or that the brakes would be up to it!

Yea brakes are pretty wooden and require quite  lot of pedal pressure but work well enough.

[Mrs6C]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

Yea brakes are pretty wooden and require quite  lot of pedal pressure but work well enough.

That has been my experience too. I understand that the LHD vehicles have a more direct path between brake pedal and master cylinder and the system performs rather more efficiently. The RHD vehicles had extra rods and linkages added to accommodate the 'wrong side' brake pedal, rather than have a 'proper' RHD version of the braking system designed, so there are extra opportunities for slop and stickiness in brake application.

[doug]

I have been looking for one of these for a wee while now. But finding one not rotten and not 400 miles away is impossible. 

[loserone]

Buy one that's not rotten and 1000 miles away.  You'll not regret a small french van.

 

[Talbot]

Do C15 owners ever manage to ignore the profile of the rear box body in the mirrors?  Every time I have driven one, I look in the mirror and think "shit! what's that alongside me" and the answer is of course that it's the vehicle I'm driving.  Catches me out every single time.

Worth re-iterating that the enemy of these is rust.  Or in fact galloping rot.  They rust for a laugh, as of course being a "commercial" vehicle, were never expected to last more than a decade and be beaten to death in that time.

A swimming pool full of rust-preventave wax is your best parking place.

[Mrs6C]

6 minutes ago, Talbot said:

in the mirrors

Fun fact: the C15 mirror is the same on both sides. The mirror head is just rotated to suit whichever way its arm needs to point.

[chadders]

I think that you eventually get used to the view in the mirrors but it's a few years since I drove ours. I certainly agree about the rot and Dean can no doubt testify after finding loads of my bodges, fixes etc.etc..

[Sunny Jim]

Box profile in the wing mirror has never bothered me before now. Maybe now you've drawn my attention to it will - a bit like the time @wuvvum mentioned seeing the wires in a Ford heated windscreen - never noticed them before but next day driving the Puma there they were, once seen can't be unseen.

[holbeck]

1 hour ago, Mrs6C said:

Fun fact: the C15 mirror is the same on both sides. The mirror head is just rotated to suit whichever way its arm needs to point.

Fun fact: the C15 mirror is (was) very cheap at GSF

Yes. I did buy one to make sure it wasn't a mistake. 

[Frogchod]

Yeah, mine leaked. 

Very obvious where from. 

The bottom of the windscreen surround had a darn great hole in it. Windscreen was removed and repair was done properly.  Obviously not by me as it's still rust free 😁

LHD breaks do seem to be better.  Still require a fair shove though. 

 

[Sunny Jim]

I was hoping for a more satisfactory result. Removed the panel as per Dean and Mrs6C's instructions and it was actually pretty clean in there and no sign of a blockage. I rodded the drain tube with a piece of cable and it didn't feel like there was any obstruction so I poured water through the grille and it drained away fine.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to why it should have leaked as there's no sign of a blockage and the drain is still at the lowest point in spite of the slight angle the van's parked at. I've left the carpet up for now and I'll see what happens after the rain we're forecast for tomorrow. Perhaps the solution is to try and level my driveway?

There's been a grumbling noise coming from the front which varies in pitch with speed so I assumed it was a wheel bearing on the way out. I initially thought it was coming from the OSF so I jacked that corner up - the wheel spins fine and there's no movement on the x or y axes. I then checked the NSF and again the wheel span fine with no undue noise however if I push the top of the wheel and then pull it out there's a bit of movement on the y axis - would that be a symptom of a failing wheel bearing? For good measure I jacked up the rear and both wheels spin fine with no undue noise or movement.

MOT is due 25th January so I think I'll just stick it in early and let the garage diagnose and sort the rumble.

[lesapandre]

22 minutes ago, Sunny Jim said:

I was hoping for a more satisfactory result. Removed the panel as per Dean and Mrs6C's instructions and it was actually pretty clean in there and no sign of a blockage. I rodded the drain tube with a piece of cable and it didn't feel like there was any obstruction so I poured water through the grille and it drained away fine.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to why it should have leaked as there's no sign of a blockage and the drain is still at the lowest point in spite of the slight angle the van's parked at. I've left the carpet up for now and I'll see what happens after the rain we're forecast for tomorrow. Perhaps the solution is to try and level my driveway?

There's been a grumbling noise coming from the front which varies in pitch with speed so I assumed it was a wheel bearing on the way out. I initially thought it was coming from the OSF so I jacked that corner up - the wheel spins fine and there's no movement on the x or y axes. I then checked the NSF and again the wheel span fine with no undue noise however if I push the top of the wheel and then pull it out there's a bit of movement on the y axis - would that be a symptom of a failing wheel bearing? For good measure I jacked up the rear and both wheels spin fine with no undue noise or movement.

MOT is due 25th January so I think I'll just stick it in early and let the garage diagnose and sort the rumble.

Check if the rumblings is the alternator and belt. There is a nut adjustment on the alternator mount on mine. May be worth nipping it up.

Water - it may just have been more rain coming in than going out. I'd just cover it when you park. 

The only other thing I can think is the door seal - the doors drop because the crude pegs in the hinges either wear or move - take a look and wack them back in with a blunt instrument. 🤣

[Sunny Jim]

Thanks @lesapandre but the rumbling pitch and volume is definitely road speed rather than engine speed dependent. I'd ruled out the door seal as the water ingress stopped when I covered up the grille so I'm fairly certain that's where it was getting in.

[lesapandre]

May just be volume x volume out. Monitor. Mine does after a jetwashing.

[Sunny Jim]

Even by North Wales standards we've had some particularly heavy showers this month. Possible solution is a 30 x 100cm magnetic strip off Amazon for not too much - be easier and quicker than the tape I've been using.

[Talbot]

On 30/12/2024 at 14:05, Sunny Jim said:

There's been a grumbling noise coming from the front which varies in pitch with speed so I assumed it was a wheel bearing on the way out.

The offside driveshaft intermediate bearing is a definite and highly likely contender for a road-speed-related rumble which can't be traced to a wheelbearing.  They get all the road crap and are not brilliantly sealed.  Changed several over the years.

The worst bit of the job is undoing the "hockey stick" bolts that hold the bearing in it's housing. (which also doubles as the lower engine torque mounting)  Very early models used a split bearing carrier which was better, but the later (cost minimised) version uses a one-piece holder with very wierd bolts that you have to undo the nut far enough to turn the eccentric head away from the bearing.  Makes sense when you look at it all.

Procedure is:
Dismantle OSF suspension to get the CV joint out of the wheel bearing.  Remembering to undo the retaining nut *before* jacking up the vehicle...
Undo/loosen hockey stick bolts that retain the driveshaft.  Turn them 180deg to clear the bearing.
Belt driveshaft out of the carrier (as it will be corroded in).  This has to be done from the gearbox side of the carrier, and usually needs a drift made up to be able to hit the inner race of the bearing.
Remove driveshaft.
Swear loudly as 80% of the gearbox oil vomits out of the differential.
Twat old bearing off the shaft.  There may also be a spacer piece that comes off with it.
Best tool to install the new one is a length of steel tube that sits over the driveshaft.
Re-fit driveshaft.  Remembering to put the geabox seal dust shield back on the shaft as it goes between the bearing carrier and the gearbag.
Re-fill gearbag with 75W-80W peugeot/citroen specific gearbag oil.
Suspension back together, Torque CV shaft nut to 1Bn Nm.

Enjoy rumble-free motoring.  Well, THAT rumble is gone now anyway.

[dean36014]

Both of the wheel bearings had been replaced about two years ago. Doesn't mean they're not knackered now though as quality of parts is crap now. It's a constant battle with leaks on them, but I think it's just the scuttle area overwhelmed with water like has been said. The magnetic scuttle vents cover sounds a damm good idea. I've finally got myself another van again though as I missed it so much. Gone for a Dispatch as it's that bit higher up so I find it a doodle to get in and out. In typical fashion I ended up putting two sills on it though.

[Sunny Jim]

£7.50 magnetic strip from Amazon hand-crafted* into shape will hopefully sort the water inundation problem.

A new intermediate bearing will cost around £20 but I can get the whole driveshaft for under £50 and that includes the bearing and new dust covers and seals. £30 for less fucking about doesn't seem too dear.

I can always keep the old driveshaft and put a new bearing on it should the need arise - hopefully in warmer weather.