Diesel problems.....maybe

Hi Stella I do, because a full tank will last the whole journey, but I did the same thing in the UK a few weeks ago, when I made a 500 mile round trip in the day, but it never put a foot wrong.

It’s up to you… but it is not a good habit to get into… the actual “extra” will not amount to much for the journey, but can wreak havoc with the internals… :zipper_mouth_face: :cry:

I don’t think you’re barmy Peter, but my girl knows I love her. :blush:

Hi Alex, this time is was every hot in France, but wet and the miserable the day after I got home. The confusing thing is that my old Berlingo used to do the same. Guess I’m the common denominator if no one else is having this problem. :thinking:

Thank you to each and every one of you for your comments. You’ve given me some serious food for thought and I’m going to have to think hard about my journeys and not overfill my tank. I’m actually quite relieved because it puts the onus on me and not my van, which means if the problem is me, she’ll still be moving to France with me. :blush:

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Check the in-tank lift pump, does it hum for a few seconds when you switch the ignition on? If so, does it sound under strain? The gauze filter on the pick-up may be blocking with material in the tank which can loosen off for a while then get sucked to the filter again when you do short journeys.

Hi Mark I haven’t noticed any strange noises. I am beginning to think that maybe I’m making too many short journeys. I do try to avoid them, but even when I go on the motorway I rarely go above 60. I’m gonna speak to Citroen and see if they can advise me, or failing that a diesel engine specialist. Thanks for thinking about it though :blush:

It’s not the short journeys but the crud that can build up in the tank that can be the issue. If the lift pump is on its way out it can cut out occasionally or not run at all. Listen for a feint hum on start-up as it should be heard.
I take it the fuel filter has been recently changed?
As a garagiste I can say that if it runs fine sometimes then it is rarely something like injector pump or injectors as these do not repair themselves.

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Hi Mark,
Thanks for that. I’ll check it out. It was serviced last December and again last week, which is when it failed MOT on emissions. They changed the filter and gave it a blast and it just scraped through, which is what worried me. If it struggles to get through an MOT, I was worried that it wouldn’t get through Controle Technique with the French tightening up on emissions.

Elaine… how old is this vehicle ??

Elaine mentioned that in the 1st post “57 plate” - Sept 2007 - end Feb 2008

Sorry… I glossed over that (thinking of Dept 57)… silly me. So, she is driving a Berlingo van which is 62 years old… that is interesting… :thinking:

No, not quite that ancient! :slight_smile:

12 years.

Ah yes… now perhaps you can see why I made the error… when I was in UK plates were in the “old” style…

Phew… thank heavens you are on the ball Paul…

I Googled and found this link…
https://www.autocheck.co.uk/Article/RegistrationPlates

:hugs:

It’s a 57 plate, so not new but not ancient. Always serviced, although doesn’t do much mileage. Ive had her for 8 years, but she was off the road for 18 months up to last December. Not for any particular reason, only that I had a car as well. Sold the car because I have dogs and the van is much more practical.
Runs like a dream…most of the time :joy:

2007 Stella :joy:

@Oldbird

I’ve been over here too long to understand UK plates… :upside_down_face: :rofl: :crazy_face:

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I’ve run diesel cars for many years (10-11) using them both here and in the UK with never a problem.

French Gazole is made to the same standars as gazole in the UK so I doubt that is the problem, in fact if it was “dirty French Gazole” you would expect the problem in France not when you go back to the UK and start filling up there.

I tend to agree, at first sight it seems a bit illogical to say “my car runs well in France and badly in the UK so the problem must be the French diesel”.
But I guess Elaine is looking at the pattern of visits to France and patches of poor performance in the UK, however without knowing what this pattern is, we can’t comment on that.

I found the ’dirty French gazole’ comment bizarre.