2004 pluriel petrol is very underpowered

Hi, 2004 c3 pluriel petrol 59000 miles, starts fine, drives perfectly, untill I have to go uphill then I have to change gear down to 3rd or 2nd, very underpowered, anything I could do to "boost" it a bit ?

Welcome to the forum frog

Is the service schedule up to date?


An OBD2 Reader (cheap, from here) would be the second step in diagnosing the problem as its not normal for the engine to be so underpowered. The OBD2 reader is easy to use and can give codes that you can post here to get an understanding of what they mean.

frog wrote:Hi, 2004 c3 pluriel petrol 59000 miles, starts fine, drives perfectly, untill I have to go uphill then I have to change gear down to 3rd or 2nd, very underpowered, anything I could do to "boost" it a bit ?

Hi Frog, just been reading your message about underpowered engine,i have the same problem, 2005 C3 Desire 1.4 69000 miles Full service every year without fail,did you have any look getting it sorted,would appreciate any comments.....Weg..

Hi weg

Did you get any codes from your car with an OBD2 Reader?

Hi, I removed a couple of mats from the pluriel floor and it seems to add a few revs to the engine, still poor but not as bad as before, does anybody know what size screws go on the roof frames I would like to put a roof rack on ?
what does this electronic box do ?
do mechanics recognize the codes ?

frog wrote:what does this electronic box do ?
do mechanics recognize the codes ?

The OBD2 reader is the first tool to reach for when diagnosing engine problems like a lack of power. The OBD2 reader will read the error codes stored in the engine ECU.

The codes can then be diagnosed by a mechanic, possibly members of this forum and compared to common faults. Its the cars way of talking to the mechanic (be they professional or home/DIY).

frog wrote:I removed a couple of mats from the pluriel floor

There should be only one mat per footwell and they should be, first choice citroen mats and for a second choice some 'exact fit' aftermarket mats (available here) to provide the best compatibility and the least problems.

Hi Arthur, the problem is i do not have a OBD 2 reader,i was at the understanding that if there is any faults ,the code would show up on the computer dashboard,as this happened to me about 2 years ago,cannot remember the code now but had to have a new thermostat fitted,but as i said earlier loads of power on the straight and level,just pulling away and on the hills it lets me down,someone did mention to me it could be something to do with the torque but i thought that was just for autos,mine is manuel gearbox......................ANY HELP PLEASE .!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cheers WEG

Hi weg

weg wrote:the problem is i do not have a OBD 2 reader,

The links above allow you to buy one, if you don't beg, borrow or buy one, its a trip to the dealer to get the codes.

weg wrote:i was at the understanding that if there is any faults ,the code would show up on the computer dashboard,

This doesn't happen you don't get the DTC/P codes/error codes on the in car display. Shame, but most drivers wouldn't know what to do with them if they did show up on the display in the car. If you can make them show up on the car dash, I would be very interested to hear how you did it!

weg wrote:as i said earlier loads of power on the straight and level,just pulling away and on the hills it lets me down

With the servicing up to date, there is probably an error code stored. It would be best to read this code, then take it from there. There is no point changing bits willy nilly on the off chance.

weg wrote:someone did mention to me it could be something to do with the torque but i thought that was just for autos

I see the problem. 'Torque' is a measurement, like' power' or 'speed'. 'Torque converter' is the part of a car you can find coupling the automatic gearbox to the fly wheel of the engine.

Torque could well be your problem, but that's not very helpful because there is no 'torque generator' in the engine, but rather the engine is the torque generator (and power, and emissions, and heat and noise). A problem with the engine can reduce torque or power and can increase emissions, noise and heat.

weg wrote:mine is manual gearbox.

Probably not relevant, but you never know.