Citroen/Peugot Diesel help

My van (2015 Citroen Dispatch) went into limp mode on the way home today with a “Engine error, repair needed” message. Oil is good, coolant is good, just went into limp mode. Nothing seems to have fallen off, there are no obvious leaks. A possible smell of hot/fuel, but other than that nothing. Engine sounds normal too, just does not rev.

It’s currently waiting for someone to plug an ODB2 reader in and find the right code, but has anyone had a similar experience and can offer advice?

Could be anything, so await a ‘reader’. Ad-blue issues are common on many diesels.

Try and find someome local with Lexia. Generic OBD don’t work to well on Citroen’s, Lexia is cloned dealership level diagnostics and will give a more in depth analysis.

I don’t think I have a model that takes/needs AdBlue, it is _just_ too old for that. Internet is pointing me at everything from injector fail to turbo fail and the only reader I have is set up for VAG vehicles.

Hmmmm, maybe I can still read the codes, but not get the extended info. ANYWAY, will wait and see what the car gods have dealt me.

Eolys empty

How many miles on it?

136k km on a 2015 2.0TDi. It’s classed as Euro5, but I have never seen an AdBlue filler and, if I am honest, I have not really looked for one. It has had no countdown for AdBlue either, unlike the Audi the garage lent me this evening.

The 2.0 is a robust engine, it will be something simple like EGR. But as with all modern cars – you need to read the codes to diagnose further.

Orange u480  OBD2 works just fine with al my past and present french cars.

I have lexia but only get it out to code things and the very odd occasion I need more fault info than my u480 can provide.

U480 wil set you back about 12.99

Probs got a heater instead of adblue.

I had similar and it was a hole in one of the radiators.

My 2011 Peugeot has an Eolys tank as bikerevive says up there.  When it needed filling up it did NOT say what yours said on the dash, for what that’s worth

Conversely when my 2012 had that fault and the EGR wasn’t clearing that’s the fault I got in the dashboard

Well, let us hope that it is something simple and, more importantly, cheap/fast. Even though I have a loan car for the day (until the codes get read), the van is my only sensible mode of transport/storage and contains my sleeping arrangements for the next three weeks. Without it I am a bit fscked.

Mine just used to go into limp mode but a simple restart and it would go back to normal. only ever went in when I was in traffic and it was idling for ages. The engine light would stay on for awhile though but would go off after about 3 or 4 starts

Just got back from town (doctor) and popped in to the place to see if they had been able to look atr it. Turns out they had plugged in a reader and got the following:

Before clearing:

• P11AB
• P0488
• P1498
• P2566

After clearing:

• P0488 https://partsavatar.ca/p0488-obd-ii-trouble-code-exhaust-gas-recirculation-throttle-position-control-range-performance-egr-valve
• P1498

My mechanic-Swedish is really poor (laddningsspjäll och reglarspjäll fel), but one of the hits is a link on YouTube for a problem with an armature that controls a wastegate thing (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/z0DOg_2PIoI) and, given that I heard something that sounded like a bolt pinging off the underside of the van, this could be the cause. Either that or the DPF.

They have the van in the queue, but no idea when it will get looked at. I am now preparing to commute to the DZ on my bike after I have taken the loaner back and caught the buys home.

So, that looks like it could be the culprit. It can be fixed, but might take time and they may just want to switch out the part.

If its the waste gate arm. They can carbon up and stick.

Same as an egr.  They stick.

They can be freed off occasionally.  I’d be looking at this as a 1st option.

Ok, time for an update…

Garage were booked solid and so had no time to look at it for a few days. I, on the other hand, had a whole four hours to scour the internet for a soltion. Most likely tsolution (according to YouTube and a host of other sites) was the EGR control valve arm detatching from the EGR control valve. Confused? yes, same here, but it seems that the part is so poorly designed that it can come off.

I took the loan car back and asked the garage if I could have a look myself. They were fine with it and, sure enough, the actuator arm from the vacuum side had come off. Popped it on, reset the fault codes and… Works fine.Said thanks, asked how much they wanted (nothing, the legends) and then drove home only for the same thing to happen about 19km into the 20km drive home. Same problem.

Out came the drill with the smallest bit I could find to make a safety clip hole in the valve arm. One homemade clip later and the arm can move and not come off. Drove 100-ish km later that evening and all is fine. I did, however, pack the ODB2 reader and some tools in the van just in case.

Great outcome. The bodge will probably last the life of the car now !  ODB2 readers are very handy. I originally had a simple bluetooth one, which would read codes and clear some, but wouldn’t go into anything like ABS or SRS. I splurged about £130 on an Autel Unit (with a screen etc) and it’s been worth it’s weight. Diagnosed where an air bag fault was (control unit had failed) and it’s been useful for some engine lights on an older car – finding the cause. It also clears any airbag errors if a fault occurs (if the rear of my drivers seat get’s knocked by having the car overpacked for camping – the light comes on)

Agree. Mine was one that does a lot of VW/Audi-specific stuff, but has the generic ODB2 stuff too. Love it. It now lives in the van.

The EGR is getting tired/sticky and could do with replacing at some point when you have time/money.

Nice bodge!

Awesome result.

Wot RNP said.

If it was popping off then, unless it was knackered, it’s forcing itself off due to the rest of the mechanism being too hard to shift.

Impending doom…

Nah, just poor design I think. There is no locking mechanism to it, so it just comes off. Will cross fingers that the bodge lasts

Or remove it , spend 45 mins working on the gunk with petrol and a toothbrush. This will remove all the oily carbon deposits and extend the workin g life dramatically. Or do nothing , hope it will be ok , and it will fail when you need it most , in February , in the dark ,when it’s raining and you have to catch a plane. Because sometimes life likes to kick you in the nuts .

Volvo D5 engine is the same – small plastic dogbone link between the swirl flaps and actuator. Lots of people modify the dogbone when the actual issue is the swirl flaps seizing up.

The plastic dogbone is effectively a fusible link to protect the swirl flap and actuator. In the OP’s case this is the fusible link between the EGR valve and whatever the actuator is.

Have been kicked in the nuts many times recently, this was just one more boot in the plumbs, so I will take the easy fix that allows me to (literally) keep on rolling.

BUT… I did check the valve that the dogbone link controls and it seems to be free-moving. Limited/no carbon/oil build-up and actually in good shape. The gasket that seal the unit to the top of the engine was alose both in good shape and not covered in oily garbage.

Van is due a service and some love at some part, but I will organise that for when I need the nw winter tyres and get a lot of things done at the same time.

Yeah I get that – not having a dig but gently advising that if you have any spare cash then to get a spare EGR as it will shit the bed at some point. They are pretty much a consumable nowadays.

Autodoc of Germany are the cheapest place for car spares, they also have a wide choice between genuine OEM brands through to Chinese rebranded cheap crap. I order a lot from them.

Rusty, when you say Autodoc of Germany, are they fundamentally different to autodoc.co.uk ?

@scaredypants

Same company – located in Germany, they have a few other co.uk company names that all lead to Autodoc.

I order on the app – they have PlanetX style variable pricing/discount amounts, I put items in my basket and wait for a notification that the discount is over 40% then I order.

Shipping is 7 – 10 days and handled by Evri in the UK so only really good for pre planned maintenance/servicing.

On checkout there’s a ‘Safe Order’ for £3.95, if you leave this ticked then it’s ‘free’ returns back to Germany.

Above £135 is free shipping, below is £8.95.

I’ve not had any customs/import hassles or charges and my orders are always over £135.

The main thing for me is that they offer OEM quality brands (Elring, Corteco, ATE, Lemforder, GKN Lobro, SNR, etc etc) whereas the UK suppliers (EuroCarParts, GSF) don’t and if they do are usually twice the price.

No, autodoc.co.uk is the Germany company, stuff comes from there and it takes about a week.

Or remove it , spend 45 mins working on the gunk with petrol and a toothbrush.

Using Mr Muscle oven cleaner is a lot more pleasant. You can also spray it in the turbo and wait, if you don’t want to remove the entire thing.  I think that on the Passat I removed the EGR pipe and sprayed in there, but I can’t remember clearly.