Citroen C3 1.4 LX Petrol Manual - Citroen C3 - three issues, not sure if connected >

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Sat 17 Dec 2011 13:48
Citroen C3 1.4 LX Petrol Manual - Citroen C3 - three issues, not sure if connected > - halfasheep

Hi all, am hoping you can help on behalf of a friend of mine, They have a 53/02 C3 1.4 petrol with 50k miles.

The car is intermittantly cutting out at junctions/roundabouts, the speedo (digital) has stopped working, and apparently the PAS is very heavy at all times (although I have not driven it).

I've worked for a garage in the service dept before, so have a rough idea about diagnostics, etc, but they have taken the car to a garage who appear to have simply rung the local dealership and have then replaced "block harness and thoratec housing". I initially thought that this may have been the throttle housing, but this is definitely what he has written on the invoice.

Needless to say, the fault(s) is still there - any suggestions? They don't have a lot of money, so I've given them a rough idea of the costs if the PAS pump or rack has gone or if it needs a new speedo. I've told them that taking it somewhere to get a proper diagnostic run would be the best option in any case.

Thanks for your time guys

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Sat 17 Dec 2011 14:29
Citroen C3 1.4 LX Petrol Manual - Citroen C3 - three issues, not sure if connected > - injection doc

PAS is normally regulated by the road speed ! so if its heavey since the speedo stopped working then I would be looking at why the speedo's failed. Stalling at road engine idle speed is also regulated by information supplied by the speed sensor to the ECU.

I would be sticking on a diagnostic tool and looking for live data reading from speed sensor input, which may be from the gearbox or ABS.

Out of interest does it still have the standard radio or has it had an aftermarket one fitted ? because when aftermarket ones are fitted they often short the speed sensor signal which is used by the factory fit radio to increase the volume by speed

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Sat 17 Dec 2011 14:44
Citroen C3 1.4 LX Petrol Manual - Citroen C3 - three issues, not sure if connected > - halfasheep

The car is standard, including the radio.

I've got to be honest, speed sensor was my first thought, but wasn't sure if everything could be connected.

I've told them to get the car to a tidy garage because I'm fairly certain the garage they've used haven't got a clue - who rings a main dealer and just replaces a part???

Thanks for that - I'll be happy if it's just the one component causing this as they've had a really poor time over the last three years and could really do with a break. Probably would help if they hadn't bought a French car mind

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Sat 17 Dec 2011 15:44
Citroen C3 1.4 LX Petrol Manual - Citroen C3 - three issues, not sure if connected > - bathtub tom

Did all these faults occur simultaneously, or have they cropped up at different times in the car's history?

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Sat 17 Dec 2011 21:41
Citroen C3 1.4 LX Petrol Manual - Citroen C3 - three issues, not sure if connected > - halfasheep

All occurred at the same time. Speed sensor I'd thought for the cutting out issue (didn't seem like a coil pack issue to me), but I didn't initially think all were connected unless it was an ECU problem - but then I thought it seemed a bit odd that an ECU fault could cause the three seperate issues.

They're booking the car into a garage next week anyway now

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Sat 17 Dec 2011 21:42
Citroen C3 1.4 LX Petrol Manual - Citroen C3 - three issues, not sure if connected > - Peter.N.

An auto electrician would probably be a better bet than a garage - they usually know what they are doing.

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