Peter - Citroën C8 2.0 HDi

[Peter1]

Hallo allen,

Möchte mich mal einmal vorstellen. Peter, 45 jahre alt, familie mit 4 Kinder (19, 17, 14 und 12), und fahre jetzt schon wieder 2 Jahre mit meinem zweitem C8.
Kaufe das Auto privat, aber fahre beruflich mit Kilometerzahlung damit (technical support engineer Benelux).

Erste C8: gekauft Juli 2003 - SX, silber - 100.000km gefahren, ende Juni 2005 Umtausch gemacht wegen zuviele Fehler und Probleme (noch sehr gute Preis empfangen von meinem Citroën dealer) - alles war ja in Garantie repariert worden, aber Reifenverschleiss hinten lasst sich nicht reparieren, zum Beispiel

Zweite C8: gekauft anfang Juli 2005 - Image, dunkelgrau, bis jetzt 115.000km gefahren ohne Probleme - sehr zufrieden - ich fahre sicher noch mindestens ein oder zwei Jahre weiter, vielleicht noch mehr

MfG
Peter

Mein Frau fahrt ein Fiat Uno, aber nächste Samstag Umtausch für einem Fiat Grande Punto

Hello all,

I'll introduce myself shortly.
Peter, 45 years old, family with 4 children, I'm driving my 2nd C8 since July 2005, I'm using it for my work (technical support engineer Benelux) so with kilometer-paying.

First C8: purchased July 2003, exchanged end of June 2005 after 100.000km (to many errors and problems) just before warranty expiration. Still had a very good exchange offer from my dealer.

Second C8: purchased July 2005, I'm on 115.000km right now without any problem, so I'll continu driving this car for another couple of years.

Chears,
Peter

PS my wife has driven a Fiat Uno for the last 12 years, will be exchanged next Saturday for a new Fiat Grande Punto.

[DirkS.]

Welcome to the Forum, Peter!

So you're a veteran considering ownership time of an EV2.

[Peter1]

Thanks for the welcome, Dirk!

Well when I'm a veteran after 4 years OK, perfect!

I have choosen one of the EV2 models after owning a Fiat Ulysse I - 2.0 JTD, which was the same model of the Citroën Synergy (Evasion) or the Peugeot 806 2.0 HDi, as everybody knows.
Perfect car, too, have owned it for 3 years or 150.000km. But perfect turn-in conditions have made my choise for Citroën afterwards.

Although the Fiat Ulysse II would have been my personal taste, in fact, it still is (in a dark color). Specially the front of that car. Maybe next summer, when maybe Fiat will give the better turn-in conditions for my current C8, we'll see.

I have been always very pleased with the quit and refined HDi motor, compared to the 1.9TDi in the VW Sharan / old Ford Galaxy / Seat Alhambra models. Also, these (PSA) models were the only European Vans with sliding doors, perfect with children (boys!!).

I just found this forum on the I-net, and am very pleased with it.

Chears,
Peter

[Jantje]

Welcome Peter,

When you see a light green C8 somewhere in Ghent, it is me (that color is not sold often).

My 2 sons agree that the sliding doors are just what they need.

Tot we elkaar eens tegenkomen ...

kind regards,

[Peter1]

Hello Jan,

This is nice, greetings from my own neighbourhood .

Since which year do you own your C8? An Exclusive - great .

Are you happy with it, or did you have also some problems (when your car is from before 2004, specially)?

On the moment I bought my 2nd one (July 2005) the 120hp or 138hp 2.0 HDi didn't already exist - so mine is still a 109hp (or 110?) motor.
Also, at that moment ESP wasn't already standard on the 2.0 HDi (never missed it, however).
I'm a quit driver, fuel consumption average 7.3l/100km - tires, brakes are lasting very long. I'm very pleased with this 2nd C8.

As you could read, I use it as a "company car" with km-paying - always looking for good deals on the internet (tires, for example: here - I asked my garage if they would have a problem with me purchasing my tires somewhere else, and let them put them on the car - no problemo and I've my tires for a reasonable lower price - even bought winter tires last year, via this site).

Yes indeed, until we met one day or another - todat we elkaar eens tegenkomen.

Best regards / vriendelijke groet,

Peter

[Jantje]

This post is for Peter, and all the others that like to hear an objective feed back from a happy C8 (Eurovan) driver.

My car is 1.5 year old (from after 2004) - april-2006 and drove already 83000 km.

The issues until now are ... (blanc sheet of paper).

It is the best car I have ever driven, because of the big space, still possible to put things on the roof, sliding doors, ...
My wife was afraid that the car was too big, but she prefers it above her smaller Citroën ZX to drive in town (including parking, ...).

In this forum there is always a list of trouble (that's what is forum is for), but I can not find anything, only good news.

kind regards,

[Peter1]

Hi Jan,

Nice to hear that you don't have had any problem with your C8!

Was the 2.2HDi still deliverable, April 2006? I thought at that moment it already was replaced by the 2.0HDi 138hp?

Anyway - till now I haven't had any problem, however I'm at 115.000km for the moment and the seat of the drivers chair is wearing-out (it also was after 100.000km on my first C8 of 2003, but worse, now it just starts - appearently a problem which has not been resolved 100% yet - it appears to be a known problem on the Citroën C5, too).

I went to my garage this afternoon, and guess what (my car is out of warranty since end of June '07, so already 3 months): I'll get another seat under warranty .
Perfect service of my dealer. Otherwise it would cost me about 250€ only after 115.000km

So a happy start of the weekend!

Regards,
Peter

[Peter1]

As written in another thread - broken timing belt @ 117.000km.

Payed the timing belt, tensioner rolls, accessoiry belt (300€ all in, as predicted by the garage) - but the motor damage is taken under warranty by Citroën. Very good - happy with the dealer.

Change your timing belt @ 100.000km or max. @ 120.000km !! - not as specified in the service book @ 160.000km.

For the rest - car is driving as before - in the beginning I was thinking that my consumption was higher after the replacement of the timing belt, but

a) it's a bit colder outside now
b) on longer distances the consumption goes down to a good 7.5l/100km again

so I don't worry anymore.

The engine is as quit as before - some of my collegues at my work just got new Passats 2.0 TDi 136hp - what a difference in noise of the engine - again very happy with the HDi .

I was thinking going over to a Mitsubishi Grandis td maybe next summer (when the C8 will be about @ 150.000km), but having heard the noise of the VW TDi's again, no thanks.

So I'll continu, or maybe purchase a new facelifted C8 autumn 2008 - let's first wait and see how this current C8 will behave till then.

I would regret going away from my current Citroën garage, which I trust, which gives very good service. That's almost more important than a car without any problem.

Regards,
Peter

[Werner807HDI]

This is a good advice. I will think about it. My 807 has now 100160 km!

[Peter1]

Originally Posted by Werner807HDI

This is a good advice. I will think about it. My 807 has now 100160 km!

And verify if the extra water collecting tray is mounted under the oil reservoir of the power steering - if not - ask your dealer - it only cost about 25€ and will protect better your accessoiry belt and timing belt as no water drips onto the belts anymore but to another place under the bonnet where it doesn't harm - it's a known "bug fix" on later models.

My sister, driving exactly the same C8 as me, of autumn 2005, doesn't have this water collecting tray neither - they asked to their dealer to put this in their car, too.

Best regards,
Peter

[londonirish]

Peter1,

Hello and welcome !!

Would you have a picture of this famous extra water collecting tray ?
I seems very useful but even better if we could know the reference of the aprt. It might be possible for your dealer to supply this info next time you stop by there ?
Thanks for the tips again !

We will be going for our 2nd EV2 very soon as well and hope to get the 2.2HDi 173hp !Citroen has just introduced it over here in the UK ...

[Peter1]

Making a picture of this water collecting tray while it is mounted is almost impossible because it directly goes under the oil reservoir of the power steering. There's maybe 1cm space between the two parts, it is to dark even in daylight conditions.

The reference of the part, I'll look to the bill of my garage where this must be notified.

Although I don't know if it makes some sense: I was at the Brussels motorshow last Sunday, having a look under the bonnet of the 2.0HDi 138hp, and saw that a lot of parts / components are mounted around the engine in a completely different way, so I think on newer models things are completely different, now.

When you have a 2.0HDi 107/109/110hp (not yet the 120hp or 138hp engines) you also can go to your garage and ask for this water collecting tray.
When you see it, you'll wonder if such a simple thing can prevent early (timing)-belt corrosion (of the metal wires inside the belt) and you wonder why PSA / Fiat doesn't mount it during a service when your car comes in - for the price they should eventually pay themselves this can prevent PSA / Fiat having a lot of unhappy customers.

My C8 will have done 150.000km next summer (now, 2008), at that moment I'll ask around for the money I'll get for it in return, while buying a new car.
It will not be a new C8 anymore. No EV2 anymore.

I've asked online for information about a Mitsubishi Grandis - there's a little local Mits dealer not far from our home - very soon I'll have a test-drive with this type of car (my brother has a Grandis) - the chance it'll be a Grandis will be very, very big. Only one condition: the engine has to be quit enough. BUT better an engine which will be more noisy, instead of an engine which will fail too early.

Our familiy exists of 'only' 6 persons, so the Grandis will be roomy enough.

Peter

[FuliHdi]

Originally Posted by Peter1

It will not be a new C8 anymore. No EV2 anymore.
I've asked online for information about a Mitsubishi Grandis ....

Hi Peter,
Did you aslo consider the new Fiat Scudo? I do not know any details, but I have read (before it was actually launched a few months ago) that Fiat shall not face-lift the Ulysse but rather deliver it's new Scudo in a "passenger" version as a replacement .... that means genuine Fiat - not an EV2 and with multijet JTD engine which is reported as superior to the HDi - specially regarding the FAP technology.
Good luck with new selections in any case,
Bor

[Peter1]

Fiat Scudo, Peugeut Expert and Citroën Jumpy are technically exactly the same, having PSA HDi engines in them....... !!

I'm really disappointed that the timing belt on my 2nd C8 has broken @ only 117.000km.
My first C8 had "child-diseases" - OK you can live till a certain level with starter-problems of a model, as long as they are repaired all under warranty, which was the case.
And effectively the EV2 was improved a lot during 2005: till 117.000km my 2nd was without problems.

Originally, years ago, I made the choise for the EV1/2 with HDi motor because of
a) the refined engine
b) just the fact that a timing belt exchange was only needed every 160.000km

I don't like the noisy TDi engine too much - I was driving some VW Vento's, VW Passats with TDi motors as company cars in the past, and got always very tired of the noise - so as soon as I could have a private car with km-paying of my work, I choosed the HDi motor (first was the Ulysse I in basic trim - I just was so happy I could afford an MPV for the family and the quit HDi motor (although it was marked as "jtd" on the Ulysse, as on the Zeta)).

But I'm afraid that I need going "back" to the TDi's again - when you drive about 50.000km/year you need a car which rides and rides and rides and rides..... without going defective because of some stupid design failures...... .

Till now I couln't find back something bad on the Internet about the Mitsubishi Grandis with the 2.0 DiD (VW 2.0TDi) engine in it except the fact that it is found to be a more or less noisy car.
I once had a short test-drive with the Grandis of my brother, first impression not bad at all (seats even better as the seats in the EV2) but of course you can only decide after a longer time testing it, like longer trips on the highway for example.

Conclusion: it will not be the new Scudo / Expert / Jumpy because the engines all are HDi's.......

[FuliHdi]

Originally Posted by Peter1

Fiat Scudo, Peugeut Expert and Citroën Jumpy are technically exactly the same, having PSA HDi engines in them....... !!
.......
Conclusion: it will not be the new Scudo / Expert / Jumpy because the engines all are HDi's.......

Yes, sure I know Scudo / Expert / Jumpy are same, but I am sure what I have
read about the engines long ago - and I made a re-check today:

(http://www.fiatprofessionalpress.com/index.php?l=2&group=4&method=cartelle&action=zoom&id=20061114162145ea0dd6a36aaf8ff9cfd92218743d8996) :
The merit also goes to the three elastic, smooth Multijet engines, all in line with Euro 4 standards, which guarantee high power and torque deliveries: the 90 bhp 1.6 Multijet 16v, 120 bhp 2.0 Multijet 16v and the 136 bhp 2.0 Multijet 16v Power (with DPF). The new model really is an ideal workmate that is ready for anything.

It was also stated that Jumpy would be only made as a delivery van while Scudo would be available as Combi for groups and as Panorama for individual passanger comfort .... at least those were the plans, I did not check the reality today ...

Fiat multijet diesel engines are promoted as silent & live - but I have not tried one yet
(italiaspeed.com: FIAT SCUDO)

Regds Bor