Sluggish '02 Multispace

[Usual Suspect]

Right then you lot..please bear with me & I'll try keep it simple(ish).
As yet I've not got my Berlingo..I'm buying it from the man next door this weekend. It's an '02 Multispace, nice example, nice price..but..when I took it for a test drive today the motor seemed so,so sluggish.
Now at this point I'll bring into the plot my '97 1.9 diesel Clio.
When I got this car it would not start easily due to air creeping in thru' the fuel-filter housing. So I cut off the feed-pipe banjos, & joined them back up again c/w a plaggy in-line fuel filter.
Well the Clio, with this mod has for years ran so well!..really responsive.
Well the Q. is.. do I first-off replace the fuel filter in case it's well clarted-up..?
or..is this car STILL gonna be a slug compared to my '97 Clio even after the new filter..??
With all the Multispace having more engine management gizmo's than my old Clio..could I bypass the main filter & try the simple 'free-flow' in-line filter mod..?? Cheers now.
(Phew, I'm off for a mug 0 tea after writing all this).

[brodfather11]

If its a 1.9d don't expect any real performance.

[Tomcat3]

I would think the clio and berlingo would have different gear ratios so the berlingo would seem sluggish. Just give it a full service to start with and then go from there. Why would you start bodging things that may not even be faulty. The 1.9 is a slow motor but it will go for years it just gives you more time to watch the world rush past. Now im off for a cuppa.

[Barkas]

This 1.9 diesel was a product of Peugeot/Citroens efforts to make a world class diesel engine during the 70,s, the result was a world beater at that time, its reliability and performance was unmatched by other companies, the engine gathered a big following and became a legend in motoring history with nearly 40 years of production until 05.
It ,s downfall was the rising emissions standards set by governments worldwide, as these regs tightened Peugeot and Citroen had to reign in the motors performance a number of times, during the mid 90,s the motor had its output reduced to clean its emissions, then again in the late 90,s and yet again in 02, by the latter date, the 1.9 had its power reduced so much that the later models BHP are very mild in comparison to their 90,s versions, eventually, all its power was strangled out of it by the ECU and by 05 production of this old favourite was stopped and it was replaced by the 1.6 we have today, take the ECU off and all the electric restrictors and this motor will leap off the mark as it did in the 90,s.
The upside of all this is that you can easily find old 02 and onwards 1.9 diesels that have had an easy life because the ECU wont let its power out and as long as they are serviced regularly, have remarkable longevity, no amount of servicing will gain it power, and they are no good for towing a caravan. And Finally, after all is said, its STILL a dirty motor for todays market, and that fact is reflected in its road Tax......£240 a year!!!...read it and weep, I do, I own one .....but I wouldnt change the old cow for one of these modern flashy "turbo-tarts" for sale these days.