maintenance CITROEN C3 2009 Owners Manual (209 Pages)

1
INSTRUMENTS and CONTROLS
Service overdue
For 5 seconds after the ignition is
switched on, the spanner ﬂ ashes to
indicate that the service must be carried
out as soon as possible.

Example: the service is overdue by
300 km.
For 5 seconds after the ignition is
switched on, the display indicates:
5 seconds after the ignition is switched
on, the distance recorder resumes its
normal operation. The spanner re-
mains lit .
The distance remaining may be
weighted by the time factor, de-
pending on the driver's driving
habits.
Therefore, the spanner may also
come on if you have exceeded
the two year service interval. Service indicator zero reset
After each service, the maintenance in-
dicator must be reset to zero.
The procedure for resetting to zero is as
follows:

 switch off the ignition,

 press and hold the trip distance re-
corder zero reset button,

 switch on the ignition; the distance
recorder display begins a count-
down,

 when the display indicates "=0" ,
release the button; the spanner dis-
appears. Retrieving the service information
You can access the service information
at any time.

 Press the trip distance recorder zero
reset button.
The service information is displayed for
a few seconds, then disappears. Following this operation, if you
wish to disconnect the battery,
lock the vehicle and wait at least
ﬁ ve minutes for the zero reset to
be taken into account.

3
COMFORT
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VENTILATION AND AIR
CONDITIONING
In order for these systems to be fully effective, follow the operation and
maintenance guidelines below:

 To obtain an even air distribution, take care not to obst ruct the exterior
air intake grilles located at the base of the windscreen, th e nozzles,
the vents and the air outlets, as well as the air extractor lo cated in the
boot.

 Do not cover the sunshine sensor, located on the dashboard; this is
used for regulation of the air conditioning system.

 Operate the air conditioning system for 5 to 10 minutes, on ce or twice a
month to keep it in perfect working order.

 Ensure that the passenger compartment ﬁ lter is i n good condition and have
the ﬁ lter elements replaced regularly (refer to th e "Checks" section).
We recommend the use of a combined passenger compa rtment ﬁ lter.
Thanks to its special active additive, it contribut es to the puriﬁ cation of the air
breathed by the occupants and the cleanliness of th e passenger compart-
ment (reduction of allergic symptoms, bad odours an d greasy deposits).

 To guarantee correct operation of the air conditioning syste m, you are
also advised to have it checked regularly.

 If the system does not produce cold air, do not use it and contact a
CITROËN dealer.
When towing the maximum load on a steep gradient in high temperatures,
switching off the air conditioning permits the recovery of engi ne power and
therefore improvement of the towing capacity. If after an extended stop in sun-
shine, the interior temperature is
very high, ﬁ rst ventilate the cabin
for a few moments.
Put the air ﬂ ow control at a set-
ting high enough to quickly
change the air in the cabin.
The air conditioning system
does not contain chlorine and
does not present any danger to
the ozone layer.
The condensation created by
the air conditioning results in a
discharge of water under the
vehicle which is perfectly normal.

9
DRIVING
Moving off

 Apply the parking brake.

 Select position P or N .

 Start the engine.
If this procedure is not followed, an au-
dible signal is heard, accompanied by a
message on the multifunction screen.

 With the engine running, press the
brake pedal.

 Release the parking brake.

 Select position R , D or M .

 Gradually release the brake pedal.
The vehicle moves off immediately. Automatic operation

 Select position D for automatic
changing of the four gears.
The gearbox then operates in auto-
adaptive mode, without any intervention
on the part of the driver. It continuously
selects the most suitable gear accor-
ding to the style of driving, the proﬁ le of
the road and the load in the vehicle.
For maximum acceleration without
touching the lever, press the accelera-
tor pedal down fully (kick down). The
gearbox changes down automatically
or maintains the gear selected until the
maximum engine speed is reached.
On braking, the gearbox changes down
automatically to provide efﬁ cient engine
braking.
If you release the accelerator sharply,
the gearbox will not change to a higher
gear for safety reasons. Sport and snow programmes
These two special programmes supple-
ment the automatic operation in very
speciﬁ c conditions of use.
Sport programme "S"

 Press button "S" , after starting the
engine.
The gearbox automatically favours a
dynamic style of driving.
Snow programme "  "

 Press button "  ", after starting the
engine.
The gearbox adapts to driving on slip-
pery roads.
This programme improves starting and
drive when traction is poor.
Return to automatic operation

 At any time, press the button selected
again to quit the programme engaged
and return to auto-adaptive mode.
If position
N is engaged inad-
vertently while driving, allow the
engine to return to idle then en-
gage position D to accelerate.
Never select position N while the
vehicle is moving.
Never select positions P or R
unless the vehicle is completely
stationary.
When the engine is running at
idle, with the brakes released,
if position
R , D or M is selected,
the vehicle moves even without
the accelerator being pressed.
When the engine is running, never
leave children in the vehicle with-
out supervision.
When carrying out maintenance
with the engine running, apply
the parking brake and select
position P .
S appears on the instrument
panel.

 appears on the instrument
panel.

1 0
CHECKS
CHECKING LEVELS
Check all of these levels regularly and
top them up if necessary, unless other-
wise indicated.
If a level drops signiﬁ cantly, have the
corresponding system checked by a
CITROËN dealer.
Oil level The reading will only be correct
if the vehicle is on level ground
and the engine has been off for
more than 15 minutes.
The check is carried out either
when the ignition is switched on using
the oil level indicator on the instrument
panel, or using the dipstick.
Between two oil changes, the consump-
tion should not exceed 0.5 litre per
600 miles (1,000 km).
Engine oil change
Refer to the Maintenance and Warranty
Guide for details of the interval for this
operation.
In order to maintain the reliability of the
engine and emission control system,
the use of additives in the engine oil is
prohibited.
Oil grade
The oil must be suitable for your en-
gine and conform to the manufacturer's
recommendations. Brake fluid level
The brake ﬂ uid level should be
close to the "MAX" mark. If it is
not, check the brake pad wear.
Changing the fluid
Refer to the Maintenance and Warranty
Guide for details of the interval for this
operation.
Fluid specification
The brake ﬂ uid must conform to the
manufacturer's recommendations and
meet the DOT4 standard.
Coolant level The coolant level should be
close to the "MAX" mark but
should never exceed it.
When the engine is warm, the
temperature of the coolant is regulated
by the fan. This can operate with the ig-
nition off.

On vehicles which are ﬁ tted with a par-
ticle emission ﬁ lter, the fan may oper-
ate after the vehicle has been switched
off, even if the engine is cold.
In addition, as the cooling system is
pressurised, wait at least one hour after
switching off the engine before carrying
out any work. To avoid any risk of scalding, unscrew
the cap by two turns to allow the pres-
sure to drop. When the pressure has
dropped, remove the cap and top up
the level.
Changing the coolant
The coolant does not have to be
changed.
Fluid specification
The coolant must conform to the manu-
facturer's recommendations.
Screenwash fluid level
Top up the level when necessary.
Fluid specification
For optimum cleaning and to avoid
freezing, this ﬂ uid must not be topped
up or replaced with water.
Take care when carrying out
checks under the bonnet as
some parts of the engine can be
very hot (risk of burns).

1 0
CHECKS
Diesel additive level
(Diesel engine with particle
emission filter)
A low additive level is indicated by light-
ing of the service warning lamp, accom-
panied by an audible warning and a
message on the multifunction screen.
Topping up
This additive must be topped up by a
CITROËN dealer without delay.
Used products Avoid prolonged contact of used
oil or ﬂ uids with the skin.
Most of these ﬂ uids are harmful to
health or indeed very corrosive.
Do not discard used oil or ﬂ uids
into sewers or onto the ground.
Take used oil to a CITROËN
dealer (France) or an authorised
waste disposal site. CHECKS
Unless otherwise indicated, check
these components in accordance with
the Maintenance and Warranty Guide
and according to your engine.
Otherwise, have them checked by a
CITROËN dealer.
Battery The battery does not require
any maintenance.
However, check that the ter-
minals are clean and correctly
tightened, particularly in sum-
mer and winter.
When carrying out work on the battery,
refer to the "Practical information" sec-
tion for details of the precautions to be
taken before disconnecting the battery
and following its reconnection.
Air filter and passenger
compartment filter Refer to the Maintenance and
Warranty Guide for details of
the replacement intervals for
these components.
Depending on the environment
(e.g. dusty atmosphere) and the use of
the vehicle (e.g. city driving), replace
them twice as often if necessary (re-
fer to the "Engines" paragraph).
A clogged cabin ﬁ lter may have an ad-
verse effect on the performance of the
air conditioning system and generate
undesirable odours. Oil filter
Replace the oil ﬁ lter each time
the engine oil is changed.
Refer to the Maintenance and
Warranty Guide for details of
the replacement interval for
this component.
Particle emission filter (Diesel)
It is imperative that the maintenance of
the particle emission ﬁ lter is carried out
by a CITROËN dealer.
Following prolonged operation of
the vehicle at very low speed or
at idle, you may, in exceptional
circumstances, notice the emis-
sion of water vapour at the ex-
haust on acceleration. This does
not affect the behaviour of the
vehicle or the environment.

1 0
CHECKS
Manual gearbox The gearbox does not re-
quire any maintenance (no oil
change).
Refer to the Maintenance and
Warranty Guide for the details
of the level checking interval
for this component.
Automatic gearbox The gearbox does not re-
quire any maintenance (no oil
change).
Refer to the Maintenance and
Warranty Guide for details of
the level checking interval for
this component. Brake pads
Brake wear depends on the
style of driving, particularly in
the case of vehicles used in
town, over short distances. It
may be necessary to have the
condition of the brakes checked, even
between vehicle services.
Unless there is a leak in the circuit, a
drop in the brake ﬂ uid level indicates
that the brake pads are worn.
Brake disc wear
For information relating to
checking the brake disc wear,
contact a CITROËN dealer.
Parking brake If a loss of effectiveness of this
system is noticed, the parking
brake must be checked, even
between two services.
This system must be checked
by a CITROËN dealer. Only use products recommend-
ed by CITROËN or products of
equivalent quality and speciﬁ ca-
tions.
In order to optimise the operation
of units as important as the brak-
ing system, CITROËN selects
and offers very speciﬁ c products.
To avoid damaging the electrical
units, the use of a high pressure
washer in the engine compart-
ment is strictly
prohibited .

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