THP idling and anti-pollution fault

[HerbyDS3]

Hi guys! Not quite sure if a similar post has been put up but here it goes. When cold my car has been struggling to idle properly for a few weeks. When i seem to stop in traffic, the rev needle goes under 1k and starts to hunt horribly (vibration n all) + smoking, with fear of stalling i have to use the accelerator and rev and finally the lovely EML light comes up with the anti-pollution system warning. This includes the kicking in of the cooling fan as well. So far Citroen are struggling with it and just clearing the fault and handing it back to me. This has happened around 4 times to me now. Anyone in the same boat?

Herbs

[DS379]

Hi guys! Not quite sure if a similar post has been put up but here it goes. When cold my car has been struggling to idle properly for a few weeks. When i seem to stop in traffic, the rev needle goes under 1k and starts to hunt horribly (vibration n all) + smoking, with fear of stalling i have to use the accelerator and rev and finally the lovely EML light comes up with the anti-pollution system warning. This includes the kicking in of the cooling fan as well. So far Citroen are struggling with it and just clearing the fault and handing it back to me. This has happened around 4 times to me now. Anyone in the same boat?

Herbs

The exact same thing happened to mine, the result was a brand new high pressure fuel pump which has put an end to the Anti pollution warning (for now). The car still idles quite badly and on occasion it does shake quite badly like it is going to stall but ive come to accept that the car will always be faulty no matter what.

[ZACK]

THP

There's Your Problem,

Take It Back

[monkeynuts]

fuel pump failing and the ecu is compensating for the lack of high pressure get that changed and if you have not had the timing chain replaced have a go about that

I think it is all linked with bad running .................while you are at it ask for a new set of spark plugs as well ....all this was done to mine and the car at the moment is uber good

[tmaslauskas]

same for me

Hi there,

I bought my DS3 THP150 back in July (well agreed to at the dealership which was Bristol Street Motors). At the time when I bought it the drivers seat was faulty so had to go back to the main UK dealer to be repaired. I was OK with this but after 3 weeks they phoned me and told me the engine had a problem and they were trying to sort it out. I tried to back out of the sale at this point but with a £500 deposit put down they had me pinned down pretty tightly!

Eventually I picked the car up at the start of September. At this point the car had done 9900 miles and ran really well back home (all of about 30 miles). When I got back in the car later that day, the message 'anti-pollution system fault' appeared on the dash (this was after driving only 30-40 miles) and so I rang the dealer who said to just drive the car as this is sometimes caused by a clogged up filter. They told me to take the car for a long drive which I did of about 100 miles. The fault did not clear and after numerous phone calls they agreed to pick the car up. By this time it was the start of October. They had the car for about a month and after many angry phone calls they eventually told me that they had to replace the engine completely and that this was their last resort. I received the car back at the start of November and all was good.

After 2 months of driving the car and all seemed fine but I noticed that the water level was dropping rapidly and I was having to fill the water tank up regularly. In January, a week or so after noticing this problem, the same 'anti pollution system fault' appeared with the engine management light on permanently as before. I rang Bristol street motors and they would have nothing to do with it. They told me to call a dealer in Leeds (where I was at the time) and that because it was under warranty they would sort it. I took the car in and they had it for around 2 weeks before the solved the problem. They informed me that Citroen refused to pay for the repair under warranty because it was apparently Bristol Street Motors fault and they (Bristol Street Motors) would have to pay for it. Another couple of weeks passed and they still had not paid the dealer in Leeds (Evans Halshaw). I ended up paying the bill just so that I could take the car back and was later reimbursed.

After driving the car around 200 meters over the forecourt at the dealer, the same fault occurred again. They repaired it within 30 minutes and the technician came out and informed me that it was simply a tool that was left in the engine bay. At this time I also noticed that they had failed to attach a plate from under the car and they had also fitted this back during the 30 mins I was waiting. Apparently, while at the previous dealer, they had not attached a water pipe properly and it had eventually come off causing the fault.

Anyway, the car worked great for another 3 1/2 months. Today, 08/05/12, the same fault appeared for the 3rd time. All of the symptoms above have happened with my car (i.e. it idles very poorly when cold and stutters as though it is about to stall.) I am going to ring Citroen up tomorrow about the problem and see what they have to offer. Last time I did this they sent me a 'resonating speaker' for my problems... as though this was enough! I am going to ask for a replacement car if they fail to sort it and failing this, an extended warranty.

The car has done 13500 miles now and was first registered in Jan 2010. Since the new engine was put in, the car has done only about 1500-2000 miles.

In all the car has had;
a new turbo
a new cylinder head
a new complete engine
new water piping (perhaps a new water pump).

Has anyone experienced the same experience with Citroen as me?

Sorry for the long post but I feel like I will never buy a Citroen again!

[monkeynuts]

Well Do you you what CUK told me once "thats what your warranty is for Sir" .............................................Bollo ks

[gar074]

That's really rough mate - and you've clearly not been well served by the dealer network either. Tools left in the engine bay? Coolant pipes adrift? It's not rocket science, is it! Is there another dealer in your area that isn't staffed by complete muppets? Hopefully, people on here will be able to help with some recommendations.

Reading between the lines, you bought it secondhand, right? I suspect your position re rejection is not going to be strong after 9 months of ownership. I'd go for the extended warranty - and keep pestering them until they sort it properly.

[tmaslauskas]

cheers guys!

Yeh, Citroen UK seem to just want to throw as much parts (and therefore money) at the problem.

Complete muppets!! Apparently under the sales of goods act I do have some rights if I can prove the car is 'not durable', 'not free from minor defects,' and 'not of satisfactory quality'.

After many phone calls yesterday to CUK,the dealer I bought the car from and the dealer who fixed it last I hoping for an outcome (or at least an indication) by Friday.

I took the car out last night and the fault message (and thus engine management light) cleared after revving the engine to 2500 revs at start up. Its almost as if the engine finds the wrong idling point when it first starts?

Have any of you guys found that the fault is intermittent?

[Bigfeet]

Sorry to hear that your having problems, must say that the most shocking part of this story is that Bristol Street Motors wiping their hands of you! That is unacceptable behaviour for any dealership, I see this sort of thing go on all the time where one dealer sells a lemon and another dealer, who most likely doesn't want to get involved, is left to pick up the pieces.

Fingers crossed that you get your issues resolved and that you can get back on with the job of enjoying the car. Please keep us posted with further news.