27th Aug 2010, 17:57
A few months ago my Citroen C8 2003 starting acting like I had entered the Bermuda triangle. All the clocks speed, temperature, rev counter started flickering. All engine management lights came on, and the hazard lights will not stop flashing. Had BCM (body control module) removed and all data re-installed. Auto electrician rang me and said it was a faulty wire. A few days later the problem came back. Removed the positive terminal and left it over night. The next day it all worked as it should... for a few hours. Then for no reason it came back.
If anyone has symptoms like this, could you please post the answer. Or post me some C4. That should fix it...
13th Sep 2010, 16:41
I depressed another C8 owner the other day when he pulled up alongside my car in a supermarket car park.
We talked about the cam belt problem with C8's - he had a petrol automatic C8 on 77,000.
Is the cam belt failure only on diesel C8's?
Although hoping that he misses the cam belt failure, he wasn't impressed so far in the year that he had owned the 03 plate C8 - so far this is the list of errors:
Power steering / water pump / alternator belt snapped - causing him to limp the car to side of the motorway with no power steering, and engine temperature quickly going upwards.
Exhaust fell off on the motorway as well - separate incident.
Catalytic converter error - dashboard keeps showing pollution fault, even though dealer cannot find any error.
Rear passenger door trim keeps coming off - so regularly even the kids put it back on before the door will open.
I hope he doesn’t have the cam belt issue as well – I think that’s enough of a list for 12 months ownership.
18th Sep 2010, 08:01
Cam belt snapped at 77k. Full Citroen S/H. Citroen UK don't want to know.
Utter crap. Avoid at all costs.
30th Sep 2010, 06:22
What a lovely club here!
I've a C8 2,2 Diesel (2004) and I know very well what you are speaking on.
Mine broke the intercooler at 120k km and after I fixed it (with all the engine and suspensions out of the car!), during the first engine restart, it broke the camshaft pulley with all the consequences of the case.
My ESP warning light is constantly on (fixed 3 times), it rains by the sliding roofs, I must change 5 bulbs (circa) every month, etc.
Least but not last, my C8 is more expensive than another car I've had (Mercedes Sl 4200 V8) for fuel consumption!
Ciao, from Italy.
7th Oct 2010, 16:02
I'm afraid that we are the latest members of the 'useless C8' club, as today I got a call at work, as my wife and three terrified young children were stuck on a busy dual carriageway, as the timing belt snapped at around 60,000 miles. Luckily the police arrived quickly and coned the car off, and looked after them until the AA arrived.
Were waiting to hear what the repair cost will be, but after reading this, am thinking not to bother.
If anyone who has chased up Citroen UK have any hints, i.e who they spoke to in order to get anything out of them, I would appreciate any help.
Needless to say, our next car will not be a Citroen.
19th Oct 2010, 13:40
C8 Timing belt failures can be repaired cost effectively. Search eBay for C8 engine repair.
27th Oct 2010, 16:38
At last we realise we are not alone. Sadly we bought the C8 03 ex demonstration car back in 03. It spent more of the first year in the garage being 'investigated' than on our drive. It has had pretty much every fault listed by other contributors, plus we are on our 3rd alternator.
The latest 'minor' fault is the diesel additive message. This has been topped up by our local garage (I dropped the Citroen dealership a couple of years ago, determined they should never receive another penny from me). The message is still displaying every time the engine switched on.
Latest big worry is intermittent loss of power, as if I am pumping the brake, or blockage in fuel line. It happens for about 10 - 20 seconds on most, but not all journeys, usually at under 40mph. Local garage can't find anything wrong on diagnostics.
Reading of the cam belt issues, and as car has done about 80k, lots on motorway with family on board, I am resolved to change cars as soon as I can finance it. Life is too short for for fight with Citroen, but clearly I won't be shopping there ever again.
We also have a very basic reliable KA, and now we have only 2 children at home, we will be squeezing into that. I won't drive the C8 again.
19th Aug 2010, 18:06
I so wish I had read this forum before buying my Citroen C8. We have a 54 Plate (2004) C8 SX, which we bought last August (09) with 77,000 on the clock.
Before we purchased the car, it had the Diesel Additive At Minimum error - this was fixed by a local Citroen Specialist - turned out to be a broken wire by the fuel filler cap.
The followed almost 9 months of relatively trouble free motoring, other than having kangaroo juice in the tank if filling up from one particular brand of supermarket.
On the 23rd May, while driving the 4 miles to work, the anti pollution fault appeared on the dashboard and cut all power - I managed to steer the C8 onto the hard shoulder with no power steering - my word, is it heavy with no power steering. Then to be recovered by the AA, topped up with a bit of diesel, and started first time.
Then exactly 12 weeks later (15th August) - practically to the minute at exactly the same place on the M4, the anti pollution fault came on again - cut all power, and I had to steer onto the hard shoulder again. AA recovered me, the AA mechanic tried for two hours to get the C8 going again - oil and fuel levels fine, no errors on computer; in the end he removed the cam belt cover - tucked right at the back of the engine and only visible with a mirror - he then diagnosed cam belt failure and recovered the C8 home.
The car has since been to an independent garage I trust who confirmed the worse fears of a broken cam belt.
Living in South Wales there is a local engine specialist - http://www.nationalenginecentre.co.uk - however I have read some nightmare stories on http://www.reviewdo.co.uk/Company_Review.asp?c=ENGINESHOP+%5BCF24+5SD%5D&PVQ=EKF - However this is Engine Shop - does anyone know if they are the same company or completely different companies, as I'm not willing to part with £1450 to a company with that many bad reviews.
At the moment it looks like the C8 will be off the road for quite a few months while we save up the £1500+ needed to repair it - may have to buy an old run around, as we're struggling with what should be a 2nd car and my pride a joy - 20 year old Classic Mini ex rally car - a car 4 times the C8's age, and 20,000 more miles on the clock - and here's an idea for the C8 - A METAL CAM CHAIN.
Sorry to rant, but I'm sure I'm not alone - I doubt Citroen will do anything, our best hope I think it to club together and get the press involved - to have parts failing in some cases in half the life span it's supposed to have is simply unacceptable - we've kept to our side of the bargain, having our Citroen's serviced at regular intervals - it's time Citroen kept their side by admitting 100,000 miles is far too high, and take some action to assist those of us who are now paying for Citroen's misguided service plan.