C2 1.6 VTS - Common faults & inspection advice
Hi all,
As per the title, I'm going to look at a C2 1.6 VTS in the near future, and I was wondering if there was a list of common faults for the car/things to be aware of.
I'm relatively mechanically savvy, so anything to look out for out of the ordinary when I go to inspect as well would be useful to know also.
I've had a search through the forum but I was unable to find much info on common issues.
Cheers!
Thanks bud. I've already been through the thread, useful stuff!
To clarify on the original question, I'm looking for things along the lines of known rust hotspots to look out for, known issues of premature wear to parts, are the cars mechanically reliable (if not, what breaks?), etc?
Ta,
Hi C2
I have a Citroen C2 Hdi 1.6 VTS which I bought this March so had it for 8 months now.
It's a great little car and I haven't had any problems with it.
Like yourself, before purchasing it I was curious if there were any common faults so I'll share the ones I know of although they don't actually affect my car (as yet maybe!)
On all C2 cars the rear tailgate motor is susceptible to seizing up so I oiled mine heavily when I bought it.
If you have a manual it tells you how to open the tailgate from inside the car if ever it does seize.
The gear linkage works through cables from the shifter and these seem to sometimes cause issues if they get dry or seize.
Again, I oiled mine when I got the car to help prevent any possible problems.
You can access them by taking the gear stick fabric cover off and oiling down them.
Also from underneath the car you can oil them plus the mechanical linkages to the gearbox.
I also changed the gearbox oil as for the sake of £20 it really helps prolong the gearbox and help with smooth changes.
I am not sure if you are buying the petrol or diesel model but on my diesel it has a huge plastic sump guard underneath the engine which was held in place with zip ties.
When I changed the oil I just removed this and threw it away as it was dropping to bits and has no adverse effects without it.
I think it was supposed to help quieten the engine bay but as for protecting the sump area it is unnecessary really as my previous Peugeot 206 didn't have one and had a similar engine layout without a sump guard.
One thing I found odd about this car is the fact it has no temperature gauge or low coolant level sensor.
This is on the HDi so I don't know about petrol versions.
They are strange things to omit I think as they are very important.
I bought a cheap HUD from ebay for £20 which plugs into the diagnostic port behind the glove box so that you can see your engine temperature in real time on an LCD display.
The car drives great and with it being the VTS model and the handling is excellent to match the power.
On the downside it is effectively a 2 seater car unless you just have small kids in the back.
The boot space is tiny but the rear seats fold down and also fold against the front seats on some models to maximise space.
Also the engine bay is exceptionally cramped on the HDi model with it being so compact.
You can still access everything for a fuel filter, oil change, headlight bulb change etc though.
Things like an alternator or cambelt change are more tricky though with everything being crammed in.
Oh and the chrome gear knob is absolutely freezing to the touch on cold mornings but looks good!
Andy
Hi Andy,Originally Posted by cosmicdance
Perfect, thanks for the info. Fingers crossed this one will be in decent nick and worth buying
Cheers
Generally they are better than what the haters believe.
Check the rear tail gate for bubbles.
If the electrics are ok then you will be fine.
Switch it on/ off a few times just to see if you get anything random.
Engine mounts will be propably tired
But above all trust your instinct
Ohhhhh for rust check rear axle area and behind the rear bumper from underneath
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