320touring - back in a bargain Citroen Berlingo
 

The 23rd of October. That was the last time I bought a car for myself.

And some would say "why would you buy more cars? You have an elephants sufficiency already".

They would be right.



9 long months I studiously avoided vehicular transactions, Concentration was focused on the current fleet, and progress made.

Then, a friend casually mentioned a desire to get rid of his Berlingo, and that was me off the wagon again.

Why?

1. Who doesn't Iike a new car?

2. Have you met me before?

3. It's MOT'D til March 21

4. It had a new rear axle in March this year

5. 4 new tyres

6. I need an estate/van for lugging some **** about

Anyway, enough natter.

2005 2.0HDI. 207K

It's the Desire* spec

Meaning:

Remote central locking which works
Abs
Turbo
Electric front windays
Opening rear side Windows
Rear wash wipe
It's also the #multispace so has hunnerts of cubbyholes

**** knows what I'mma do with it..
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597498730

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597498927

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597499042

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597499128

Pretty spacious inside for its footprint, and the fuel economy you've posted is pretty great too.

Do you actively pay insurance on all of your vehicles? In many states in the US, the cost of keeping so many vehicles insured is prohibitively expensive. Your fleet might exceed $2,000 per month in some areas.

Decided it could benefit from a bit of an internal clean, as it was showing its 207k miles..

First up, I marvelled at the headroom available with the tailgate up. This pic was taken with the phone on top of my head.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597499396

It makes a nice, dry shelter - most impressed.

I started cleaning at the back first.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597499596

The hoover was deployed, then some scrubbing wipes to clean the plastics and trim.

I also cleaned the inside of the windows.

Then my attention was turned to the roof storage space.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597499740

This got a scrub and was much improved - you can see the central storage doors are pretty mangled - I can hunt a set down at some point.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597499837

It also provides quite a lot of storage..

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597499926

Next up was tackling the "map of Africa" on the passenger seat..

Before applying the skoosh and agitating

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597500016

After agitation and sponging off.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597500107

The other seats were then done

Last up was to do the door cards/dash/windows and steering wheel.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597500229

This was the first pass on the wheel. It feels much nicer now!

I also spotted a piece of design that annoys me. Why couldn't they just make the binnacle meet the centre of the dash?

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597500277

Yeah it's deceptively spacious - the height is great too. A lot of them get used for micro campers - something that has crossed my mind.


Current fleet is all insured - multi vehicle policies are available in the UK

Between myself and the Burd, there are 7 vehicles

After the Burd had made generally positive noises (or at least no obvious distain expressed) I decided that this was to be the chariot for our impending trip to Skye.

With that in mind, it was time to prep it for the 600ish miles it will be doing.

First up was the wet Vac - starting with the passenger seat and carpet.

Seat before

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501155

Seat after
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501245

Carpet before
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501348

Carpet during
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501420

Carpet after
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501502

Armrest before
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501569

Armrest after

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501615

After that little lot, the tank of the wet vac was Minging!
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501670

I then carried on and did the other seats and carpet.

It scrubbed up lovely, and is now nice and clean.

All in all, it was about 4hrs of cleaning over two days. Inside is much cleaner, and the car smells significantly better.



Next up was a level check - everything seems fine, bar an incontinent washer fluid bottle.

I did spot this fine piece of engineering though- how to make a cable throttle work with electramatricity..

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501835

Next was as run to the petrol station to fuel up and check the tyre pressures.

The left rear was at 13, so I'll need to keep an eye on that. All the others were close to the desired 34psi.

Time to feed it, it has a 60L tank, so I am hoping for more than 500 miles from a fill.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597501904

Nice one :thumbup: just bought an opel combo tour myself and loving the huge space/small car combination. In finland you can register this kind of cars as commercial vans (reducing the yearly taxes from 660 to 300 euros)
Do you guys have something similar you could do with the berlingo?

Cheers.

The Berlingo was originally designed as a van, and you can still buy van versions. In the UK, the road tax is only £215 per year anyway, so not expensive

Now, lest you think I am getting all posh in my old age, let's have a look at some of the 'lightly used' vibe this wagon gives off.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597507598

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597507666

some rust on the bonnet

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597507735

The bootlid has a scar - I wonder how it achieved that?

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597507883

It also appears to have been parked by touch along the passenger side.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597507964

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597508027

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597508084

Lastly, the drivers side sliding door can only be closed when the drivers door is open.

This is because the drivers door top pin is worn, and the door droops slightly, causing a less than perfect panel gap

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597508162

This is a typical workhorse. These cars are often badly beaten = heavily used. My sister had one in the same color for a couple of years and was also covered with bumps and scratches (and yes she has 4 kids that often have something to do with it :D)
But you could do anything with it, damn handy cars. It can be kept on the road fairly cheap.

Today was a lazy day for the Bloodylingo, just the 270 miles

At the rdv for the start of the day..

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597603714

Not on fire, despite appearances.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597603804

This was all in aid of helping a mate on a collection mission.


Spot of the day: a Lancia version of a Pug 806

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597603887

Yeah I think this one has had a busy shift. Mechanically it seems ok, but bodily it's tired.

Cleaning the interior made a huge difference though

More work for this today - first tip run in our ownership..

It takes a fair old whack!

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597858501

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1597858546

That's a great all-around commuter, extremely versatile. No wonder this model is still a favorite in Argentina where it's still available brand-new (with the 1.6L EC5 gasser and the 1.6 HDi as the sole turbodiesel option after the DW8 got phased out). I have never seen one with the 2.0L turbodiesel.

It's master of none but a decent jack of all trades. The floorpan is shared with the Peugeot 306/Citroen Xsara so you could improve the handling of you wanted with aftermarket parts.

The 2.0 DW10 Seems ok in this 8v 90bhp version. No intercooler, no dual mass flywheel, so relatively safe for a modern turbo diesel.

Remapping seems simple, but I think I will have it run for a while longer before considering that.

The 1.6Hdi is a steaming pile of turd by most accounts - mainly due to its inability to cope with neglect. Properly maintained they seem ok

Today it was time for this to be spoiled.

As last of the big spenders, I had splashed out £28.85 on some service items..

5L 5W40 Fully Synthetic oil from Asda (£15)

Oil filter

Air filter

Fuel filter (totalling £13.85)

After a spirited run to the unit, the Pela was deployed.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598048591

Whilst that chooched away, attention was turned to the air filter

Despite appearances, the two screws on the airbox came out cleanly:
https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598048683

after removing the maf connector the lid was lifted off and the filter extracted

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598048811

The old one didn't look too bad - but as I had the new one in stock, it'd be rude not to change it.

Next was the fuel filter:

As this is a late MK1 2.0hdi Berlingo, it has a Siemens (s******) fuel system. Earlier ones came with a Bosch setup.

In their infinite wisdom, this means that the fuel filter housings are different too. The two fuel filters I had in-stock were for the earlier Bosch system - an embuggerance!

Nevertheless, I acquired the correct filter and could press on with the job.

Removing the filter lock ring required the use of a screwdriver and finishing hammer

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598048928

Much like the lock ring on an in-tank fuel pump.

That removed, the electrical connector (!?) Off and the leftmost fuel pipe removed, it was time to get the filter out.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598049035

This had obviously been in post for quite some time..

New filter in, and it was time to change the seal at the top of the housing - handily supplied with the filter.

Then the locking ring, fuel pipe and connector were refitted

By now, the oil had been sooked and drained out. Time for the oil filter then.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598049156

Nicely accessible at the bottom front of the engine.

Time to play "hunt the oil leak"

Firstly, time to get it skywards (pictured here with a motley crew of assembled scrap)

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598049248

Then crawl underneath and see what was what.

The answer? Who knows? It's a maze of pipes and everything was honking

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598049362

I cleaned up as best I could, then turned my attention to bleeding the brakes.

That improved the pedal feel somewhat, and made the most of what looks like very recent front discs and pads!

The rear drums were externally crusty, and I suspect the rear brakes could do with some adjustment (I think the auto adjusters are not), but I didn't want to start stripping them down without spare parts available.

That done, fresh oil (4.5L) was put in and leaks checked for. All good - only the pre-existing oil leak present.

An initial start showed it to be happy, so the service light was reset - apparently 12500 miles to the next one.. I reckon it may be more like 8-10k if it stays on fleet that long.

The last things to do were - apply a temporary* fix to the air duct locator.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598049495

Noted down the paint code lest I lose my mind and attempt to sort some of the bodywork issues.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...1&d=1598049531

It drove the 40 miles home with no issue, so calling that a win!

I usually see people praising the DV6 engine, not complaining about its reliability. When it comes to the non-intercooled DW10, it had a conservative tune we don't see anymore due to the obsession which revolved around turning Diesels into a contender for gassers performance-wise instead of focusing on their advantages on efficiency and longer lasting.

On a sidenote, Siemens fuel systems are also not so appreciated in Brazil, mostly due to the lack of independent maintenance outlets able to provide technical service, while the Bosch fuel systems are not only more widespread but also easier to find service.

They are not well regarded in the UK - they are renowned for turbo failure (possibly due to the extended service plans most leased vehicles are on nowadays). I imagine if well looked after, it's an ok engine.

The DW10 is not a patch on the XUDT, at least in my Luddite opinion.

Yep, same here, not particularly loved .

This is now out on loan to a mate of mine - standing in for his 23 mpg 2.3 auto Galaxy (the ford version of the VW Sharan people carrier)

Hopefully it does him a turn!

I brimmed the tank before taking it to him - 544.7 miles on 55.00L of derv.

45.02imp mpg (37.49 mpg US). not too shabby given it was getting lashed up the m74 and M6 then tootled about town.

Along the less-restrictive emission standards, the fear of turbocharger-related failures could explain why the DW8 with natural aspiration and indirect injection remained available for longer in Argentina and Uruguay. Turbocharged engines do require better care, most noticeably when it comes to oil specifications, but it's impossible to not look after and expect any engine to retain a good reliability.


The EW/DW engine series were in fact an improvement of the XU/XUD series.

They were indeed a development, but adding complexity does not always lead to improvement:)

The dw8 was also available in the UK in the Berlingo.

I am more used to the gassers and the DW8, which were not so much more complex than their predecessors.

Yes indeed. Twenty years ago I recall seeing soldiers of the Belgian army driving around in these (badged as Peugeot Partner). Think they were painted olive drab; similar to the Bundeswehr's matt olive Mk.2 Golfs. :o

Had those been fitted with the Dangel 4WD system, that would be interesting to say the least.

O yes indeed. You still find them for sale, all with the 1900 cc non turbo diesel engine and +200k miles on it.
https://www.mil.be/sites/mil.be/file...?itok=plwX26I2

And its predecessor, the Citroën C15, is still in use :D
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pr...gWfYtSLGVM0lUU


Big advantage of these army vehicles is that they are well maintained.

These engines, either the XUD9 or the DW8, are roughly indestructible.


Last time I saw a C15 was in May 2, 2014, in Uruguay.

My Berlingo is a 1900cc normally aspirated, as was my C15 I had before it. Both slow as hell, but I have bikes if I want to go fast... Fuel economy isn't brilliant, but I'be got over 600 miles out of a tankful several times, and found that moving the front number plate so it blocked the intake in the bumper improved the consumption by about 3mpg! Raising the tyre pressures above standard also helps, with no detriment to handling or braking (cheap tyres that aren't great at either in the first place...)
Biggest problem I've encountered is that aftermarket suspension drop links are rally crap, and don't last long at all before the suspension knocking stats again...

While neither the XUD9 or the DW8 pull like a 14 with a Playboy, they're far from gutless.