Make your Berlingo better
Is it a panel van, is it an MPV? Well, in the case of the vehicle we’re servicing here today, it’s a combination of both. This particular series one (M49) Berlingo is used as a works load-lugger, but its format – with the addition of side windows – corresponds to the Berlingo Multispace MPV model, albeit without the extra seats inside. Mechanically, though, both are the same, so if you’re a commercial van or private MPV owner, this service guide will be of relevance to you.
The Berlingo was launched in the UK during 1996, purely in van form with 600kg and 800kg payloads. However, the range was expanded in 1998 with the addition of the Multispace, a full passenger-carrying variant. A sliding back door option – on the right-hand side of the vehicle – came along in 1999, but it took until 2001 for Citroén to appreciate that this was of somewhat limited appeal for right-hand drive markets, and one was added to the left-side as well.
A facelift (codenamed M59) came along in 2002, featuring more bulbous bumpers and headlamps. In 2008, the second-series Berlingo superseded its predecessor; we’ve already covered servicing one of those in CM.
The petrol and diesel engines offered during the M49/M59’s life ranged from 1.4 litres to 2.0 litres, the later, in turbodiesel form, being what we’re looking at here.
Our example here has covered 113,000 miles, and most of that has been pretty hard and demanding use. So it was a good test of our servicing skills, although it seems to have stood up pretty well to everything that’s been thrown at it.
Overall difficulty
