2005 Citroen C3 Pluriel from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

"Sensodrive" gearbox - 5 times. This is the most frustrating and potentially dangerous aspect of the car. The first time occurred just after the initial service. After crawling along in a traffic jam for over two hours, the gearbox decided it was not in first or in any known state after a short period being stationary. After about 20 minutes or turning on and off the engine, it dropped into first gear and proceeded as if nothing was at all wrong.

No further problems for 2 months, then three instances of being unable to start the car due to gearbox issues (Auto and the flashing snow sign). Each event requiring a tow to the dealership who reset the software.

The last incident with the gearbox happened this week (18000km). Symptoms included (1) could not start car without first re-initialising the gearbox by depressing the brake pedal for 30secs. (2) sluggish gear change from third to fourth (3) intermittent failure to drop down to 1st gear when slowing to a stop resulting in either having to proceed in 2nd or the dreaded disabled gearbox (Auto & flashing snow sign)

New software downloaded from France and seems OK for the moment (touch wood)

Surprisingly quite with the roof off.

Kids love being in the car with the roof off - even at night.

Am looking forward to summer so we can run it as an open top all the time. I've bought the torneau cover for those rare occasions that it rains in summer.

Was interested to read your review of the C3 Pluriel. My wife has recently purchased one (2500km) and it has been in the workshop several times to try and rectify a problem that we say exists and the workshop says does not?? It appears you have experienced it also n some form. When slowing to a stop, say at traffic lights that then turn green, the gearbox/clutch/drive train fails to engage and leaves you without power for 2 or 3 seconds. It may not seem like much, but when in commuting traffic in Sydney, trying to cross and intersection and with a bus bearing down on you it is not a happy place to be.

Have you experienced this?? Every time we go to the dealership we leave feeling as though we have too active an imagination. But never fixed.

I've owned my Pluriel since April 2005. I am constantly experiencing the same gearbox problems - the tow to the dealership and the software reset and absolutely the 3 second hesitation.

I have been told by the dealer that is a feature of the sensodrive! I am very cautious about who I let drive the car, for fear they will have an accident.

Problem is, I still love the car and want to get the problem fixed.

I would like to get all C3 drivers together and get this problem resolved. Can someone please advise if I'm allowed to put a contact email or phone number that we can communicate on. I am happy for it to be mine if it is allowed.

Hi, I have had a similar problem with my C3 Pluriel. Although a bit different. I have had the car for about 6 months. It has been in for service 3 times for problems shifting in 1st gear. It randomly decides to stick in 1st gear for at least 3-4 seconds. When pulling out in front of another car or even crossing traffic it is very scary. The service department seem like they believe me, but all they do is say they can't find anything and that they reloaded the S/W. Seems OK for a few weeks and then happens again. Now they are talking about going in to the BSR. Does anyone know what that entails or means?

Cheers,

Nancie.

My Sensodrive Pluriel has exactly the same problem as in the previous comments, with the clutch often failing to engage for two or three seconds after I have slowed almost to a stop and tried to accelerate away again. I noticed it the first time I drove the car, and my girlfriend (quite independently) has remarked on the same phenomenon. This feature is experienced most alarmingly when you slow down to make a sharp turn into a side road with a steep incline, apply the accelerator to start climbing the hill - and nothing happens! Indeed, the car may even start to roll backwards momentarily, with the engine screaming. Citroen clearly have a real technical glitch here!

Yes we have put up with this problem for 3 years along with the central locking not working on a regular basis and the air bag warning light coming on and staying on.

I think they reset the gearbox calibration the last time and put it into some sort of sports mode as it now holds onto the gears to a lot higher speed than before, but at least does not hang as often.

Central locking has had no resolution.

Airbag light seems to be fixed by jiggling the sensor under the seat, but it comes back on again. Last service the taped something that seems to have stopped it for the last month. Other fix was to have big heavy me drive the car.

Warranty expired on Sunday, only got 24K on the odometer.

Monday the power steering stopped working for half an hour and this morning started did not operate for half an hour. Both fixed themselves.

David.

Did you ever solve the central locking problem? Mine doesn't seem to always lock. If I go away and leave it for 10 minutes or so, it will lock, but it is very annoying as I had to leave my car unlocked the other day as I couldn't find a way to manually lock the boot. Any ideas on either. I have a 53 plate c3 pluriel.

I bought my Citroen Pluriel two weeks ago and every time I get caught in heavy traffic (which is most journeys to and from work) the temperature gauge goes up to red and bleeps at me. This usually lasts for 30 seconds or so and then the temperature falls to three bars which is normal. It may do this a couple of times on the journey. It is obvious that it isn't overheating as it drives perfectly apart from this. The garage have looked it over and said that everything is working fine. Has anyone else had this problem?

I have a Citron C3 Panoramic and experience a jerk every time I decelerate and am coming to a hault. Its the first gear engaging in. Some times its very smooth and sometimes its hard. The other problem I face is starting in the morning when you just start to drive the car gearbox goes crazy it quickly shifts to second and then decides its too early and comes back to 1st or? and then just crawls some times its acompanied by a double beep. We have had to pull it over a couple of times, but this only happens when its real cold. Once warm it goes as if no problems.

Have got it reset recently and it did go OK today morning, but have started again this evening as the day was overcast and cold. Has any one else faced similar problem.