Citroen Xsara Picasso - views on high mileage psa 2.0 hdi - pn1973

looking for some owner experiences on these engines at roughly 150k. what should i look out for when buying etc. looking to spend between £1000 and £1500 on 03 04 models. thanks in advance

Edited by Avant on 18/06/2012 at 00:15

Citroen Xsara Picasso - views on high milage psa 2.0 hdi - dereckr
My 2 litre Hdi (110) in a Xsara estate has now clocked 217k miles. I’ve kept to the service schedule of 12.5k oil and filter changes and 100k cambelt changes.

To summarise the engine components changed under my ownership i.e. from 74k to 217k miles:

Bottom engine pulley at 145k (went noisy). Water temperature sender changed around the same time (erratic reading on the instrument panel temperature gauge). EGR valve at 208k (vacuum leak on this device was causing a loss of performance). Vacuum pump and flexible tubing at 208k (changed in the course of my tracing a problem with lack of braking assist).

Both the engine pulley and the EGR replacement cost me about £300 each, the vacuum pump about half that and the sender was just a few pounds.

The engine currently performs as well as it did when I first bought it, remains just as economical, is oil and water tight and consumes very little oil between changes.

When working as intended, this engine is a great blend of performance and economy. You can use the performance without it noticeably affecting the consumption.

Based on my experience with this engine, a properly maintained 150k specimen shouldn’t be a problem. It’s the rest of the car you will need to evaluate. Condition is everything…has it been looked after?

If it hasn’t already had a clutch, budget for one soon, mine went at 185k, but had been heavy to operate for some time. As for the mechanicals, the suspension, steering braking and transmission have all been very reliable on my car. I assume the Picasso has similar components.

For most readers of this forum, even those who drive the “reliable makes” 150k is a mileage they won’t ever reach, let alone consider buying at. You will need to budget for replacing aged components. Both these considerations should affect the sale price to your advantage, even for one in good condition. Don’t spend too much.