Engine not starting issue

[sparkyDS3]

Hey folks, just wanted to share a problem that has occurred with my wife's 2 month old 1.6 petrol dstyle plus, been really pleased with the car until last Friday
when on a cold winters morning it wouldn't start !. Engine turning over fine but not starting, spent 10 mins but to no avail.
Called Citroen assist (AA) who managed to get it started after 20 mins, once started it was running very rough but gradually got better as it heated up. AA
believed it to be a coolant sensor issue and to take it to the dealer.

Also noticed that the radiator fan would run on after turning off the engine even after a short journey and that the temp gauge would fluctuate more than normal when driving. ?

Took the car to local dealer on Monday and they have had it since, of course they cannot find any problem and no error codes present..:mad:

Pick up car tomorrow but I know this problem will be back. If anyone has had anything similar would like to hear of a solution.

[Bigfeet]

What you described does sound like a temp sensor issue, keep us posted.

[Laura160686]

Engine not starting .....

Hi

I to have experienced similar problems....

All was fine until a couple of weeks ago when i noticed the engine would rev more than usual when starting up the car (only when it had been sat overnight). This gradually got worse until one day the car would not start. At first i thought it could be the battery as once the engine was warmed the car would start perfectly. However, it doesnt seem to be this (i took it to the dealership i bought it from who said they could find anything wrong with it). After several attempts the car will start but sounds awful (like its on it's last legs). Its due to go back to the dealership tomorrow as 9 times out of 10 it will not start in the mornings.

Another issue is the fact that the coolant seems to be leaking (i think into the oil as the oil cap had a white residue around the sides, which i am told is a classic sign of the head gasket going). Again when i took to the dealership who told me there was nothing wrong with it. (they just changed the oil and cleaned the oil cap)

Also the coolant temperature guage doesn't seem to be working. It has stopped since all these problems started..... however, i think the dealership is fobbing me off!!!!

Please can you advise. i am seriously hacked off that after only 6000 miles the car seems to be falling apart?!?!?!?!?

[DaveB]

Another issue is the fact that the coolant seems to be leaking (i think into the oil as the oil cap had a white residue around the sides, which i am told is a classic sign of the head gasket going). Again when i took to the dealership who told me there was nothing wrong with it. (they just changed the oil and cleaned the oil cap)

Don't panic! This sort of thing comes up every winter; what you're most likely seeing is just water, a natural by-product of combustion, condensing out & emulsifying the oil on the cap. It often happens in cold weather with cars that are doing a lot of short runs, as the engine never really gets warmed through. A good brisk run of 30 miles or so will cure it!

Your other problems do seem symptomatic of a failed temperature sensor. I'm not sure how they do it on the DS, as most cars I've had have used different coolant temperature sensors for the engine management system & the temperature gauge, but what you describe suggests that the same sensor is used for both. The higher revving from cold indicates that the sensor may be giving a low reading, so the system is increasing idle speed to compensate for what it sees as lower than actual temperature - the low gauge reading tends to confirm this (temperature gauges don't start to move until the temperature is up to probably 60 degrees).

As usual, it's the German bits that are letting you down!

[Bigfeet]

^

Good reply.

I've heard of 'waxing' on the fuel cap but never on the oil cap, but you learn something new everyday!

Any word yet of the OP's car and how it got on?

[DaveB]

^

I've heard of 'waxing' on the fuel cap but never on the oil cap, but you learn something new everyday!

Commonly known as "mayonnaise"! Most of my cars have suffered from it to a greater or lesser degree; the worst was the Peugeot 405, which had a number of breather pipes connected into a filter at the front of the engine. To add oil the top of the filter had to be removed - in cold weather the whole of the pipework would be clogged with mayonnaise, despite the car doing regular 10-mile journeys to & from work.

[Laura160686]

Hi

I have heard back from the garage today. They have said that the engine is running at -29 degrees so it is a temperature sensor problem.

They are replacing it and hopefully i'll be back behind the wheel in no time

thanks

[sparkyDS3]

Sorry folks, been away with work so didn't get a chance to reply.

Car has been faultless since coming back from the dealer who didn't find any issues, cross fingers that it stays that way but pleased to see that at worst it's probably a temp sensor issue