SensoDrive display is not shown

Hello,

Thank you for letting me join in. Yesterday we took home our "new" car (new, for us) for my wife a C3 Exclusive (1.6 petrol, Sensodrive). EDIT: 2004 model

I have two issues:

1.
Strangely, the gear is not shown on the display (either as AUTO or not, and N-R-1-2-3-etc). It is simply: not shown (the left-bottom corder of the display, behind the wheel is EMPTY).

2.
The car today stopped. Yesterday we came home (about 10 miles from the dealer) without problem, in the evening also we visited a McDonalds, about 5 miles, no problem.
Today, we only went about 2-3 miles, stopped the car (in front of the house of one of my friends), and then the following happened (don't forget: we don't have any feedback: no display about the gear)

i. we stopped (engine was still on)
ii. after a while (about 2 minutes), the car started to "shake" somehow, and gave strange noise
iii. i moved the gearswitch to N (neutral) -> to the right, the car still was "shaking"
iv. i stopped the engine
v. after about 1 minute, I started it, (started normally) and I started to test drive a bit.
vi. after 50 meters (about the same amount of yards) I braked to give advantage to a car at a junction, and when I
pressed the pedal, the revs went up high (no connection, the gearbox did not engage), the engine was smoothly on
vii.i tried a while (3-4 minutes) no luck
viii. so we walked back to our friends' house and asked him to tow me back to our house (it is NOT important, only if you regard that it took about 10 minutes (getting his car out of garage etc.))
ix. I sat back to the C3, tried to start it again -> engine smooth -> gear ENGAGED, I drove home safely (where I had a T-turn, turning around with more changing from R -> 1 1->R etc. -> no problems)

So, two questions:

1. Where is the display (we don't know in which gear we are in)
2. What was this "effect", when the gearbox stopped engaging, and then started to engage again (oil?)

Thank you in advance,
Peter

Hi gpetersz

gpetersz wrote:So, two questions:

1. Where is the display (we don't know in which gear we are in)

Its on the dashboard, you can't miss it. You have some odd fault by the sounds of it.

gpetersz wrote:2. What was this "effect", when the gearbox stopped engaging, and then started to engage again (oil?)

Clutch actuator probably, not oil. The sensodrive is known for clutch and clutch actuator problems. They can be expensive to repair or replace.

gpetersz wrote:Thank you for letting me join in. Yesterday we took home our "new" car (new, for us) for my wife a C3 Exclusive (1.6 petrol, Sensodrive). EDIT: 2004 model

If you can take it back and get your money back, do that. 2 major faults make the car uneconomical to repair

With 130 000 miles on the clock, is it the original clutch actuator and clutch? I wouldn't expect those parts to last much more that 100 000 miles.

Thank you for the answer!

1. What gear we are in?
Sorry, probably my english caused the confusion. I know I cannot miss the display, the problem is: it is *not* there.
That part is EMPTY, totally. No numbers, nothings. Empty. (I expected the N/R/1...4 there, and also the small ign "AUTO" if we are in full auto mode, but nothing is there, empty)

2. Sound
I don't know anything about the actuator (when it was changed, etc.). I guess it was changed, at least there is an entry in the service book (is it the english name?) where there was an "automatic gearbox repair", without details.