Common Fault Buyers Guide

[cascas]

According to Used Car Expert, the following are specfic common faults in he Mk3 Berlingo. Hopefully it will help with others diagnosis, and what to look out for.

Bodywork: (sliding doors)
When test driving the car check that the sliding doors will stay open against a slight incline. The Berlingo can have a problem with the door catches breaking on the sliding doors. This means they won’t stay open and can close by themselves. If you find this fault the door catches will need replacing. Try to negotiate £100.00 off of the price of the car per affected rear door.

Engine: (1.6 diesel - injectors)
Where possible, carefully open the bonnet with the engine running. Listen ‘chuffing’ from the engine – a bit like he sound of a steam engine.This sound may be caused by injector failure in the engine. The injectors will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £200.00 off of the price of the car

Engine: (1.6 Diesel - sump oil leak)
Open the bonnet. Look down into the plastic tray that sits under then engine for signs of oil build up. Also check the ground under the engine where that car has been parked for signs of oil. The 1.6 diesel can leak oil from the sump. If you find this fault the engine will need to be partially dismantled in order for this essential repair to be completed. Try to negotiate £400.00 off of the price of the car.

Engine: (1.6 Diesel - cam belt rollers)
Where possible and safe, open the bonnet of the car with the engine running. Listen for a loud creaking sound from the front of the engine.This sound may indicate premature wear and possible failure of the cam belt rollers. These will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £280.00 off of the price of the car.

Engine: (cover)
Test drive the car. As you turn the engine on or off, listen out for a rattle from the engine that goes away once the engine is running and continues for a second or two after the engine has been turned off. If you hear this rattle then it may be caused by failure of the engine cover studs. These can break, causing the engine cover to rattle as the engine vibrates when it has been switched on or off. Try to negotiate a discount of £80 off of the price of the car.

Interior: (door handles)
Check all four interior door handles work properly. Make sure that they open the doors cleanly and without catching. The Berlingo can have a problem with premature failure of the interior door handles. Try to negotiate £150.00 from the price of the car.

Interior: (cars fitted with modutop)
Check the air-conditioning vents in the ‘modutop’ central storage unit. Set the air-con on full cold and make sure the air coming out of the modutop vents is icy cold. Even if the air coming out of the dashboard vents is icy-cold – still check the modutop. The central modutop unit in the Berlingo has vents built in for the air-conditioning system. Air is pumped from the unit in the front of the car through ducts into the modutop where it’s pumped into the cabin. The fan motors that pump the cold air to the back of the car can fail and will need to be replaced. try to negotiate £300.00 off of the price of the car.

Interior: (air-conditioning)
Check that the air-con can produce icy-cold air. Put the system on to full cold and the maximum fan speed. Make sure that the air coming out is icy-cold.If the air coming out of the system is not icy-cold then the air-con system may need a re-gas. This is quite common every 2 years or so on the Berlingo. Try to negotiate a discount of £60 off of the price of the car.

Suspension: (springs)
When test driving the car, make sure that the ride is totally level and that the front of car is not sagging at one corner. Also, when the car is stationary, turn the wheels to full lock, turn off the engine and manually investigate the condition of the spring. Look for signs of damage such as cracking. Then turn the wheel to the opposite lock and repeat the process. The Berlingo can have an issue with broken front springs. If it is sagging at one corner this is probably the reason. Try to reduce the price of the car by £300.

Suspension: (strut mounts)
Test drive the car. As you pass over speed bumps or roughly surfaced road listen out for a loud rattling sound from the front suspension. The Berlingo has a known fault with the front suspension strut mounts. If you hear this rattling then these will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £600.00 off of the price of the car.

Suspension: (trailing arms)
Test drive the car. As you pass over speed bumps or roughly surfaced road listen out for a loud clicking sound from the rear suspension. Also be aware of any delay in the steering or a feeling of ‘looseness’ from the back end of the vehicle. As if the back of the car is turning in a fraction later than it should. If you find any of these faults, they may be due a problem with the rear trailing arms. These will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £350.00 off of the price of the car.

[Tomcat3]

Blimey with a list like that do you get the car for nothing :whistle:

[Bod dingle]

Hi there I own a l2 berlingo 60 plate and have had the famous tyre wear problem on the passenger side with the van pulling to the left .also oil pump seal leaking , engine cover rattle.,,I had the tracking done at an halfords service centre and they said all was fine .the van was still pulling to the left so then taking to my local dealer they said it was mis aligned and would requires retracking .to a cost of £36 .hope this sorts it out and no more tyre wear to the outside of the tyre .the next few weeks will tell

[taxi]

According to Used Car Expert, the following are specfic common faults in Berlingo. Hopefully it will help with others diagnosis, and what to look out for.

Bodywork: (sliding doors)
When test driving the car check that the sliding doors will stay open against a slight incline. The Berlingo can have a problem with the door catches breaking on the sliding doors. This means they won’t stay open and can close by themselves. If you find this fault the door catches will need replacing. Try to negotiate £100.00 off of the price of the car per affected rear door.

Engine: (1.6 diesel - injectors)
Where possible, carefully open the bonnet with the engine running. Listen ‘chuffing’ from the engine – a bit like he sound of a steam engine.This sound may be caused by injector failure in the engine. The injectors will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £200.00 off of the price of the car

Engine: (1.6 Diesel - sump oil leak)
Open the bonnet. Look down into the plastic tray that sits under then engine for signs of oil build up. Also check the ground under the engine where that car has been parked for signs of oil. The 1.6 diesel can leak oil from the sump. If you find this fault the engine will need to be partially dismantled in order for this essential repair to be completed. Try to negotiate £400.00 off of the price of the car.

Engine: (1.6 Diesel - cam belt rollers)
Where possible and safe, open the bonnet of the car with the engine running. Listen for a loud creaking sound from the front of the engine.This sound may indicate premature wear and possible failure of the cam belt rollers. These will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £280.00 off of the price of the car.

Engine: (cover)
Test drive the car. As you turn the engine on or off, listen out for a rattle from the engine that goes away once the engine is running and continues for a second or two after the engine has been turned off. If you hear this rattle then it may be caused by failure of the engine cover studs. These can break, causing the engine cover to rattle as the engine vibrates when it has been switched on or off. Try to negotiate a discount of £80 off of the price of the car.

Interior: (door handles)
Check all four interior door handles work properly. Make sure that they open the doors cleanly and without catching. The Berlingo can have a problem with premature failure of the interior door handles. Try to negotiate £150.00 from the price of the car.

Interior: (cars fitted with modutop)
Check the air-conditioning vents in the ‘modutop’ central storage unit. Set the air-con on full cold and make sure the air coming out of the modutop vents is icy cold. Even if the air coming out of the dashboard vents is icy-cold – still check the modutop. The central modutop unit in the Berlingo has vents built in for the air-conditioning system. Air is pumped from the unit in the front of the car through ducts into the modutop where it’s pumped into the cabin. The fan motors that pump the cold air to the back of the car can fail and will need to be replaced. try to negotiate £300.00 off of the price of the car.

Interior: (air-conditioning)
Check that the air-con can produce icy-cold air. Put the system on to full cold and the maximum fan speed. Make sure that the air coming out is icy-cold.If the air coming out of the system is not icy-cold then the air-con system may need a re-gas. This is quite common every 2 years or so on the Berlingo. Try to negotiate a discount of £60 off of the price of the car.

Suspension: (springs)
When test driving the car, make sure that the ride is totally level and that the front of car is not sagging at one corner. Also, when the car is stationary, turn the wheels to full lock, turn off the engine and manually investigate the condition of the spring. Look for signs of damage such as cracking. Then turn the wheel to the opposite lock and repeat the process. The Berlingo can have an issue with broken front springs. If it is sagging at one corner this is probably the reason. Try to reduce the price of the car by £300.

Suspension: (strut mounts)
Test drive the car. As you pass over speed bumps or roughly surfaced road listen out for a loud rattling sound from the front suspension. The Berlingo has a known fault with the front suspension strut mounts. If you hear this rattling then these will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £600.00 off of the price of the car.

Suspension: (trailing arms)
Test drive the car. As you pass over speed bumps or roughly surfaced road listen out for a loud clicking sound from the rear suspension. Also be aware of any delay in the steering or a feeling of ‘looseness’ from the back end of the vehicle. As if the back of the car is turning in a fraction later than it should. If you find any of these faults, they may be due a problem with the rear trailing arms. These will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £350.00 off of the price of the car.

So no bad points then. Lol.

[Ol'Jeffers]

Compared to a Jaguar S2 it fares very well!
Most of the above problems on the Berlingo are as a result
of the owner simply ignoring the faults as they manifest
themselves.
A cheap car becomes an expensive car if the
recommended service is not correctly carried out.**
and likewise if there are obvious problems which require attention.

**It is, of course, not unknown for Citroen Main Dealers to
seemingly not know how to correctly service a Citroen car and also be
apparently unable to correctly diagnose and cure faults that occur.
They invariably come out with all the usual guff: "Oh well...They all do that."
or " We checked it over thoroughly and couldn't find a problem, run it for a bit
and see if it gets any worse. (By which time the guarantee will have expired!)

---

Hi there I own a l2 berlingo 60 plate and have had the famous tyre wear problem on the passenger side with the van pulling to the left .also oil pump seal leaking , engine cover rattle.,,I had the tracking done at an halfords service centre and they said all was fine .the van was still pulling to the left so then taking to my local dealer they said it was mis aligned and would requires retracking .to a cost of £36 .hope this sorts it out and no more tyre wear to the outside of the tyre .the next few weeks will tell

Remember to take the £36 pounds invoice from you local dealer to
Halford's service manager and ask for reparation. They are liable as they failed to correctly adjust the tracking as reqired. If he cuts up rough remind him of his legal obligations according to Trading Standards. Oh.....Welcome. You might like to tell us a bit about yourself and your van in the 'Intro' section.

[Trevor]

“Interior: (cars fitted with modutop)
Check the air-conditioning vents in the ‘modutop’ central storage unit. Set the air-con on full cold and make sure the air coming out of the modutop vents is icy cold. Even if the air coming out of the dashboard vents is icy-cold – still check the modutop. The central modutop unit in the Berlingo has vents built in for the air-conditioning system. Air is pumped from the unit in the front of the car through ducts into the modutop where it’s pumped into the cabin. The fan motors that pump the cold air to the back of the car can fail and will need to be replaced. try to negotiate £300.00 off of the price of the car.”

Not on my Mk2 that I was aware, I thought the air for the modutop vents was taken from the grill by the switch? Is this something that was introduced after 2003?

[Ol'Jeffers]

Hi there I own a l2 berlingo 60 plate and have had the famous tyre wear problem on the passenger side with the van pulling to the left .also oil pump seal leaking , engine cover rattle.,,I had the tracking done at an halfords service centre and they said all was fine .the van was still pulling to the left so then taking to my local dealer they said it was mis aligned and would requires retracking .to a cost of £36 .hope this sorts it out and no more tyre wear to the outside of the tyre .the next few weeks will tell

In the past some members have had this problem and it has turned out to be a problem with the rear sub-frame alignment during manufacture.
Remember to take the £36 pounds invoice from you local dealer to Halford's service manager and ask for reparation. They are liable as they failed
to correctly adjust the tracking as required. If he cuts up rough remind him of his legal obligations according to Trading Standards.

Oh.....Welcome. You might like to tell us a bit about yourself and your van in the 'Intro' section.

[Coco]

“Interior: (cars fitted with modutop)
Check the air-conditioning vents in the ‘modutop’ central storage unit. Set the air-con on full cold and make sure the air coming out of the modutop vents is icy cold. Even if the air coming out of the dashboard vents is icy-cold – still check the modutop. The central modutop unit in the Berlingo has vents built in for the air-conditioning system. Air is pumped from the unit in the front of the car through ducts into the modutop where it’s pumped into the cabin. The fan motors that pump the cold air to the back of the car can fail and will need to be replaced. try to negotiate £300.00 off of the price of the car.”

Not on my Mk2 that I was aware, I thought the air for the modutop vents was taken from the grill by the switch? Is this something that was introduced after 2003?

Says Mk3 at the top of the post and my '04 has the same arrangement that you remember

[wellamayet]

According to Used Car Expert, the following are specfic common faults in he Mk3 Berlingo. Hopefully it will help with others diagnosis, and what to look out for.

Bodywork: (sliding doors)
When test driving the car check that the sliding doors will stay open against a slight incline. The Berlingo can have a problem with the door catches breaking on the sliding doors. This means they won’t stay open and can close by themselves. If you find this fault the door catches will need replacing.  Try to negotiate £100.00 off of the price of the car per affected rear door.

Engine: (1.6 diesel - injectors)
Where possible, carefully open the bonnet with the engine running. Listen ‘chuffing’ from the engine – a bit like he sound of a steam engine.This sound may be caused by injector failure in the engine. The injectors will need to be replaced.  Try to negotiate £200.00 off of the price of the car

Engine: (1.6 Diesel - sump oil leak)
Open the bonnet. Look down into the plastic tray that sits under then engine for signs of oil build up. Also check the ground under the engine where that car has been parked for signs of oil. The 1.6 diesel can leak oil from the sump. If you find this fault the engine will need to be partially dismantled in order for this essential repair to be completed. Try to negotiate £400.00 off of the price of the car.

Engine: (1.6 Diesel - cam belt rollers)
Where possible and safe, open the bonnet of the car with the engine running. Listen for a loud creaking sound from the front of the engine.This sound may indicate premature wear and possible failure of the cam belt rollers. These will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £280.00 off of the price of the car.

Engine: (cover)
Test drive the car. As you turn the engine on or off, listen out for a rattle from the engine that goes away once the engine is running and continues for a second or two after the engine has been turned off. If you hear this rattle then it may be caused by failure of the engine cover studs. These can break, causing the engine cover to rattle as the engine vibrates when it has been switched on or off. Try to negotiate a discount of £80 off of the price of the car.

Interior: (door handles)
Check all four interior door handles work properly. Make sure that they open the doors cleanly and without catching. The Berlingo can have a problem with premature failure of the interior door handles. Try to negotiate £150.00 from the price of the car.

Interior: (cars fitted with modutop)
Check the air-conditioning vents in the ‘modutop’ central storage unit. Set the air-con on full cold and make sure the air coming out of the modutop vents is icy cold. Even if the air coming out of the dashboard vents is icy-cold – still check the modutop. The central modutop unit in the Berlingo has vents built in for the air-conditioning system. Air is pumped from the unit in the front of the car through ducts into the modutop where it’s pumped into the cabin. The fan motors that pump the cold air to the back of the car can fail and will need to be replaced.  try to negotiate £300.00 off of the price of the car.

Interior: (air-conditioning)
Check that the air-con can produce icy-cold air. Put the system on to full cold and the maximum fan speed. Make sure that the air coming out is icy-cold.If the air coming out of the system is not icy-cold then the air-con system may need a re-gas. This is quite common every 2 years or so on the Berlingo. Try to negotiate a discount of £60 off of the price of the car.

Suspension: (springs)
When test driving the car, make sure that the ride is totally level and that the front of car is not sagging at one corner. Also, when the car is stationary, turn the wheels to full lock, turn off the engine and manually investigate the condition of the spring. Look for signs of damage such as cracking. Then turn the wheel to the opposite lock and repeat the process. The Berlingo can have an issue with broken front springs. If it is sagging at one corner this is probably the reason. Try to reduce the price of the car by £300.

Suspension: (strut mounts)
Test drive the car. As you pass over speed bumps or roughly surfaced road listen out for a loud rattling sound from the front suspension. The Berlingo has a known fault with the front suspension strut mounts. If you hear this rattling then these will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £600.00 off of the price of the car.

Suspension: (trailing arms)
Test drive the car. As you pass over speed bumps or roughly surfaced road listen out for a loud clicking sound from the rear suspension. Also be aware of any delay in the steering or a feeling of ‘looseness’ from the back end of the vehicle. As if the back of the car is turning in a fraction later than it should. If you find any of these faults, they may be due a problem with the rear trailing arms. These will need to be replaced. Try to negotiate £350.00 off of the price of the car.

If we are going to delimit ourselves i.e setting for Mk3 Berlingo fault itself, it would sound vague to other car users who has the same problem. Someone must provide any quoted user reviews (expounding benefits/faults) that will likely help other car owners with the same situation!

[wellamayet]

If we are going to delimit ourselves i.e setting for Mk3 Berlingo fault itself, it would sound vague to other car users who faces the same problem. Someone must provide any quoted user reviews (expounding benefits/faults) that will likely help other car owners with the same situation!