Full Version Advice On C4 Hdi 1.6
Hi all
as per title
my mate is looking for his girlfriend's 1st car and tells me he's been impressed by the car's specs.
How's reliability? Does this HDi 1.6 have the same EOLIS spraying-system as the C5s that fail often and are ££££ to replace?
Is the car plagued with silly electronic niggles like the C5?
Any opinion welcome!
cheers
G
My only reservation is that its a modern car, plagued with all sorts of potential problems - not that you will necessarily get them, but it would worry me. All the HDIs are prone to premature failure of the dual mass flywheel and assorted electronic and fuel injection problems, all expensive to repair, and are unlikely to reach the same mileages as the XM.
If he want's a modern car, I suppose they are as good as any, but I would go for a 306 with a good old fashioned XUD engine.
If he want's a modern car, I suppose they are as good as any, but I would go for a 306 with a good old fashioned XUD engine.
The very exact car my sister Caroline has and she really loves it; it replaced her 2.0i Xm!!
It's a 2006 110 bhp 16v model and is really racking up the miles without any problems;
now showing around 50k miles in 2 and a bit years. Seems they'll take the miles no problem.
OK, I'm not totally sure if that was electrical though it had a momentary wobble on it's power
delivery where it would drive OK but seemed to be on about 75% power but it was happy after
a diagnostic session during a regular service. Seen the same on a HDi Xantia so maybe it's the
pump?
The disc brakes on the rear needed changing to stop a graunching sound even though the
pads and discs seemed to have loads of life left in them. We all had a scare there as it seems
the ABS sensor and the wheel bearing are all built into one on the rear disc and it all costs
£120 a side!! A massively chunky bill especially after you've been used to a set of pads
costing around £30 and discs £20 each!!
It's great on mpg and feels nice and tight and indestructible albeit for my taste a tad firm
on it's ride. Not my cup of tea really but judging by how my sister loves driving hers I'd say
it's a hit and ideal for a similar use for your mate's Missus.
Been looking for a pal's daughter's first car and the best priced one out in ebayland is this one:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=120329798987
Andrew
It's a 2006 110 bhp 16v model and is really racking up the miles without any problems;
now showing around 50k miles in 2 and a bit years. Seems they'll take the miles no problem.
OK, I'm not totally sure if that was electrical though it had a momentary wobble on it's power
delivery where it would drive OK but seemed to be on about 75% power but it was happy after
a diagnostic session during a regular service. Seen the same on a HDi Xantia so maybe it's the
pump?
The disc brakes on the rear needed changing to stop a graunching sound even though the
pads and discs seemed to have loads of life left in them. We all had a scare there as it seems
the ABS sensor and the wheel bearing are all built into one on the rear disc and it all costs
£120 a side!! A massively chunky bill especially after you've been used to a set of pads
costing around £30 and discs £20 each!!
It's great on mpg and feels nice and tight and indestructible albeit for my taste a tad firm
on it's ride. Not my cup of tea really but judging by how my sister loves driving hers I'd say
it's a hit and ideal for a similar use for your mate's Missus.
Been looking for a pal's daughter's first car and the best priced one out in ebayland is this one:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=120329798987
Andrew
There is a load of information to digest on the C4 at www.C4owners.org including long term tests.
As you will gather from my signature below we bought a C4 about 15 months ago as a replacement for our written off ZX 1.9TD (sob!) and my wife is the main driver.
It is a good car if you like plenty of 'toys' to play with and the diesels have plenty of 'grunt' but I have to agree with Peter that there is a lot of potential for things to go wrong. No major problems have appeared at 20K miles apart from a leaking crank seal and corroded alloys both of which were fixed by Citroen under warranty.
Regarding the EOLYS FAP system I think it was optional on early 1.6HDI's but then became standard later on and helps to qualify for a lower VED.
As an XM driver my major gripes are the very firm suspension not helped by running on 17" wheels and the fact that tall drivers bang their head on the low door frame getting into the car.
My daughter has run a leased C4 1.4 petrol for two years without any problems apart from the contortions required by rear passengers to enter and leave - 2 door models not recommended.
Hope this helps.
Ken
As you will gather from my signature below we bought a C4 about 15 months ago as a replacement for our written off ZX 1.9TD (sob!) and my wife is the main driver.
It is a good car if you like plenty of 'toys' to play with and the diesels have plenty of 'grunt' but I have to agree with Peter that there is a lot of potential for things to go wrong. No major problems have appeared at 20K miles apart from a leaking crank seal and corroded alloys both of which were fixed by Citroen under warranty.
Regarding the EOLYS FAP system I think it was optional on early 1.6HDI's but then became standard later on and helps to qualify for a lower VED.
As an XM driver my major gripes are the very firm suspension not helped by running on 17" wheels and the fact that tall drivers bang their head on the low door frame getting into the car.
My daughter has run a leased C4 1.4 petrol for two years without any problems apart from the contortions required by rear passengers to enter and leave - 2 door models not recommended.
Hope this helps.
Ken
| QUOTE (jorgy9 @ Feb 20 2009, 01:34 AM) |
| Any opinion welcome! |
It's one of the most boring, nothing-y cars I have ever driven.
Hi all, thanks for ur input,
unfortunatelly the context of the question is that they want a "new" car, they r not into paleontology like us here!!!!
Even the good 306 is "old" for them...And they want a diesel, so it will be a commonrail I guess, no matter the manufacturer.
@ Andrew, I see that in France the 110bhp HDi got an automatised manual 6-gearbox from 2006 (or was it 2008?), what's the gearbox on ur sister's one? What year is her car? My friend is simply thinking of the 92bhp of course, but...
From what I'ver read, owners that had not had problems with them, totally love the car, too much maybe! , but the car had many electronic problems that seem to have been ironed out by the 2006 model...
Still not sure if my friends want a brand new one or a 2nd hand, now he tells me to go test-drive one together, he seems really plugged into it...
cheers
G
The FAP fgilters on the 1.6HDi would put me off slightly, its always something which could go wrong in the future. Although i think they are better now than they were on early 2.2 C5s.
All C4 HDis and facelifted C5s have the FAP filter, ok if you use the car a lot on motorways for it to work as it should, but doing small miles around town wont be good for it.
The dual mass flywheel is a common failure, however a lot of new cars have this now, so its not just a Citroen thing. You can get replacement solid clutches for it if it does go.
However, as i suspect its a new car then there will have 3 years warranty, will they be likely to keep it longer than that? If not then yo have no worries, if so i wouldnt worry too much, things can go wrong but thats not to say they will, or if they do you will be very unlucky to experience them all.
Hdis do seem quite hardy engines if they are looked after, injectors are a known thing, although use Shell or BP fual and you will reduce the chances of those failing - itsa often poor fuel (i.e. Tescos) which lacks the additives and lubrication in the fuel, something modern diesels need so much!
Id buy one, nearly did but went for the C5 instead!
I was speaking to a C5 taxi driver the other day, he had the 1.6HDi 110 and said it has been no problems in the 75K miles its done, and only just needed its first set of front pads! He also said he has a 2.0HDi C5 which has done 350K with only very few minor problems! Wheel bearings etc.
Every car has the potential to go wrong, you just hope it never does!
Chris.
All C4 HDis and facelifted C5s have the FAP filter, ok if you use the car a lot on motorways for it to work as it should, but doing small miles around town wont be good for it.
The dual mass flywheel is a common failure, however a lot of new cars have this now, so its not just a Citroen thing. You can get replacement solid clutches for it if it does go.
However, as i suspect its a new car then there will have 3 years warranty, will they be likely to keep it longer than that? If not then yo have no worries, if so i wouldnt worry too much, things can go wrong but thats not to say they will, or if they do you will be very unlucky to experience them all.
Hdis do seem quite hardy engines if they are looked after, injectors are a known thing, although use Shell or BP fual and you will reduce the chances of those failing - itsa often poor fuel (i.e. Tescos) which lacks the additives and lubrication in the fuel, something modern diesels need so much!
Id buy one, nearly did but went for the C5 instead!
I was speaking to a C5 taxi driver the other day, he had the 1.6HDi 110 and said it has been no problems in the 75K miles its done, and only just needed its first set of front pads! He also said he has a 2.0HDi C5 which has done 350K with only very few minor problems! Wheel bearings etc.
Every car has the potential to go wrong, you just hope it never does!
Chris.
George, it's a manual 2006 SX model. It seems as highly rated as the Focus which is
high praise indeed judging by how well that's rated by the journos!
http://www.topgear.com/uk/citroen/c4
Andrew
high praise indeed judging by how well that's rated by the journos!
http://www.topgear.com/uk/citroen/c4
Andrew
Just to add, i know someone who has had 3 C4s now, they keep upgrading them. They love them!
Ive driven a C4, i really liked it, yes its a little dull to drive, but it has lots of nice features (potential problems?) and its a very funky looking car, both inside and out.
Ive driven a C4, i really liked it, yes its a little dull to drive, but it has lots of nice features (potential problems?) and its a very funky looking car, both inside and out.
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