Auctions...... Beware

displaced dub

Hi All

Bit of advice needed.

Bought a car at a well known Auction in Dublin last week.

When we examined car it looked fine turned over no prob had NCT till 01/13 and thought if we threw a few hundred euro for a service it would do the trick for our au pair for a couple of years.

It cost us 1600 euro and is an 2003 automatic 1.4 citroen C3.

As i drove it out i noticed what i thought to be the clutch slipping then the box went into snow/sport mode and the D disappeared, it a 4 speed so it stayed in 3rd the whole way home.

Went to garage and they suggest i go to a gearbox repairer in Dublin, a couple of Questions maybe you guys can help with.

1. Is their any come back by going back to the Auction and telling them that they either duped me or they were duped?

2. Wheres good in Dublin for gearbox repair? Guy in the garage reckon there is a leak in the torque convertor also there was almost no oil in the box so he filled it with 2litres. Personally i think the clutch is slipping and the software might have an issue

Any help appreciated

Nissan doctor

Most auctions are sold as seen, did you have a mechanic with you to check it?

drunkmonkey

If you've to spend €1000 you could still probably turn a profit on it so your not doing to bad if you can get it fully fixes up for less than that.
You've no come back but you didn't over pay even with the dodgy gearbox.

Mr Benevolent

1. Is their any come back by going back to the Auction and telling them that they either duped me or they were duped?

No. Sold as seen.

2. Wheres good in Dublin for gearbox repair? Guy in the garage reckon there is a leak in the torque convertor also there was almost no oil in the box so he filled it with 2litres. Personally i think the clutch is slipping and the software might have an issue

You don't get clutch slip in an auto. Going into 3rd is 'limp home' mode for the autobox. Can't help with the repair centre though.

colm_mcm

Those c3's use a sensodrive box which is a manual box with automated clutch and shifters, sam. e idea as alfas selespeed or Toyotas mmt.
Any of those boxes are liable to problems if the drivers don't realise they're not conventional automatics and holding the car on a hill with the accelerator just burns out the clutch.
I wouldn't buy one in a fit.

Also, throwing atf into a manual box won't do it any favours

displaced dub

thanks for the replys so far.

the only way of noticing the box was to drive it and that is not allowed as you all know.

Will have to find a good repair place and hopefully not burn a load of bread on it. Stupid american au pair and her i can't drive "stick shift":D:D

Henry Ford III

Is there no "golden hour" on these auctions?

It's an absolute minefield buying at auction without one.

Nissan doctor

displaced dub wrote: »

thanks for the replys so far.

the only way of noticing the box was to drive it and that is not allowed as you all know.

Will have to find a good repair place and hopefully not burn a load of bread on it. Stupid american au pair and her i can't drive "stick shift":D:D

The things some people have to stress about in these economic times:rolleyes:

colm_mcm

I'd bring it to a Citroen main dealer first. there is a procedure for resetting the actuator settings where it measures where the clutch bites and runs through all the gears and calibrates everything. I think you can do this without hooking up to a diagnostic. a quick google may throw something up for you.

I traded in a Picasso with the same system and this needed to be done as the gear changes were really rough.