Interior Heating CITROËN C3 Picasso
13.01.24
09.06.25
@Versuffe15.01.2024 11:45MemberPerhaps a problem with the heater housing or with the flaps that regulate warm and cold air in it?- @user_214831815.01.2024 14:12Member
The garage replaced the thermostat and now I get a little
warmth but only having driven 20+ miles. I asked again at the garage and they
checked the heater housing and moved the flaps. Now claiming they have checked
everything, but I do not have any heat to defrost, or keep the interior more
than just warm, so wearing a thick coat. Now told I can buy a heater that plugs
into the lighter socket, but that is not fixing the issue.- @Versuffe15.01.2024 15:30@user_2148318MemberI think that there could be the air left in the system, which is why the interior does not heat up. If everything was fine before the replacement, then let the mechanic figure out what he did wrong, maybe he connected something wrong or there is air in the system.
- @user_214831815.01.2024 19:17Member
The heater issue began some 15 months ago and I went through
last winter with a small amount of warmth once the engine was hot. This winter there
was no heat at all. The thermostat was changed and I now have limited warmth
from the engine, but nothing more. The garage says it has checked everything.
They have sold may C3 Picassos with no heating issues.
@Chout196416.01.2024 13:11@user_2148318MemberThe problem may be in a clogged radiator, or in the resistor, as well as may not work the flaps that change the cold and hot air flows
- @user_214831816.01.2024 14:41MemberThe garage has checked the radiator and were able to move the flaps. I don't know about the resistor, but they have diagnostic software. They claim to have checked everything. It must be something as I do not have any heat, other than when the engine is hot and it is then warm.
- @user_214831818.01.2024 19:02Member
Would the Citroen dealership have more advanced
diagnostics than the local garage who have Citroen software?
@Wastfultaint19.01.2024 10:35@user_2148318MemberOf course, the dealership has better diagnostic equipment and they also have all sorts of descriptions for troubleshooting, it’s worth contacting them
- @user_316190110.12.2024 04:39MemberYes, Citroën dealers generally have more advanced diagnostic capabilities than local garages, even if the local garage has Citroën software. Citroën dealers use the official DiagBox software, specifically designed for Citroën and Peugeot vehicles. This software provides comprehensive diagnostic capabilities, including live data, fault reading and erasing, remote coding, key programming, and more.
- @Emily.B.Online30.05.2025 13:09MemberYeah, there’s no electric heating element – it just uses heat from the engine through a small radiator. If it only warms up late, it might be air in the system or the matrix starting to clog. I'd try bleeding the system first, then maybe a reverse flush on the matrix.
- @CharlieDavies06.06.2025 13:58MemberHave you had a feel of the two pipes going into the heater matrix when it’s warmed up? Might help figure out why the C3 Picasso heater’s not working - could still be a flow issue even after all that.
- @Charlie O.09.06.2025 12:14MemberMight also be worth looking into the cabin temperature sensor, just in case that’s throwing things off. If it’s reading wrong, the system might not even try to push out warm air properly. Easy to overlook, but it could explain why the heater still isn’t doing much even after the other fixes.
C3 Picasso 2011. Is there a heating element? The interior is
not heating until the engine is really hot and then I get a small amount of
warmth. Garage says there is no element as it uses a second radiator, and that
required flushing, but it was clean. Then they changed thermostat and housing
in being the last option. When I collected it, I was told it was 100% better. There
is no difference, it is still blowing cold.