Citroën C3 Cylinder 4 Misfire: A Deeper Issue Uncovered

Owning a car always comes with its fair share of challenges, but when an engine problem starts showing signs of something more critical, your best bet is to dig deeper. That’s the situation we faced with the Citroën C3 in this case—a vehicle that initially had injector issues but returned with something much worse: severe misfiring in cylinder 4. Here’s a breakdown of how the problem unfolded and why it turned out to be more catastrophic than expected.

The Initial Signs of Trouble

The Citroën C3 returned after the initial injector cleaner treatment had seemingly failed to solve the problem. The misfire had worsened. The engine sounded rough, and revving it up only confirmed our fears. Considering the clear indications of a fuel-related issue, pulling the injectors out for further testing was the next logical step.

Instead of going through a "leak off" test (which checks for fuel return rates), we chose to remove the injectors to send them off for a proper bench test. This would give a precise diagnosis of what was actually happening in each injector. Sometimes, you just know it’s more than a simple fix.

Dismantling the Engine

Injector removal on a Citroën C3 isn’t as simple as popping them out. Before you can get to the injectors, other components like the airbox and rocker cover must come off. It’s a design that complicates things a bit unnecessarily, but it’s manageable.

The airbox was the first thing to be removed, followed by the unplugging of the injectors. Pulling everything apart introduces a few frustrations, especially when a bolt or wiring harness is in the way. For example, there was a bolt and tab combination holding down the rocker cover that left me scratching my head. At times, car engineers seem to prioritize design over practicality. But with some care (and a bit of muttering), we got through it.

Noticing Previous Work Done

One thing quickly became clear during this process: some of the injectors had been removed before. Injectors were numbered incorrectly, which added a level of confusion. Typically, injectors are counted from left to right as cylinders 1 to 4, but they were numbered in reverse here. This wasn’t a major issue, but it did raise an eyebrow—someone had been in here before us.

As we removed the clamps and bolts holding the injectors down, it also became evident that at least three of the injectors had been worked on. They came out relatively easily. We decided to replace the usual things: bolts, washers, and gaskets—essential precautions when working with injectors.

The Stubborn Injector and Its Implications

Three injectors came out easily, but the fourth one—cylinder 4—refused to budge. It hadn’t been removed in the previous work, and it was tightly stuck. After some careful wiggling and persuasion, it finally came free. However, what came next raised a serious red flag.

The copper washer from the injector didn’t come out initially. This small part often sticks inside, but a special tool helped retrieve it. More worrying was what we saw in cylinder 2—a pool of diesel fuel. Something wasn’t right. Diesel pooling in the cylinder indicated that the injector wasn’t functioning properly, flooding the cylinder with fuel.

Then came an even more alarming discovery. When inspecting cylinder 1, we noticed what appeared to be metal particles. Metal in the cylinder is never a good sign—it points to deeper damage within the engine.

Engine Beyond Repair?

With everything reassembled, the worst-case scenario came true. The Citroën C3’s engine wouldn’t start anymore. Whatever had been loose inside cylinder 4 had only gotten worse, likely causing catastrophic damage to that part of the engine.

The combination of pooled diesel in cylinder 2, the metal shards in cylinder 1, and the stuck injector from cylinder 4 pointed to a serious internal failure. The injectors may have been the tip of the iceberg, hiding more severe internal damage that no simple injector cleaning or replacement could fix.

Conclusion

What started as a suspected injector problem on this Citroën C3 escalated into something far worse. The engine went from rough running to complete failure—likely due to loose components or metal inside the cylinders. Unfortunately, this may be the end of the line for this particular engine.

Fuel injection problems can often be early indicators of deeper mechanical issues. While injectors are relatively easy to test and replace, ensuring that the rest of the engine is healthy is key to diagnosing the true extent of any issues.

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation with your own vehicle, don’t ignore symptoms like misfiring, rough idling, or diesel pooling in the cylinders. It could be the start of something much worse, and early intervention might save you from total engine failure.

For repair bookings email orileysautos@gmail.com www.orileysautos.com

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