why do we bother ??

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 16 Sep 2010, 09:50

Mine rise at the front first.

merlin617 · Post by **merlin617** » 16 Sep 2010, 13:50

In my experience all french cars are a nightmare to work on, the engineering is always over-complicated unlike japanese cars but I do keep buying french. I blame my father in law (loves Citroen but never worked on one) and I am also mad.

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 16 Sep 2010, 13:52

The way they rise up is another reason I like sinkers.

Steve.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 16 Sep 2010, 15:40

merlin617 wrote:In my experience all french cars are a nightmare to work on, the engineering is always over-complicated unlike japanese cars but I do keep buying french. I blame my father in law (loves Citroën but never worked on one) and I am also mad.

Conversely one of the reasons why I love Xantias is their simplicity and ease to work on.

spliffy · Post by **spliffy** » 17 Sep 2010, 20:14

some very good answers there lads iv got to agree once you have driven a xantia other cars dont come close i had water cooling probs with mine a couple of years i needed to go on holiday i ended up buying a three year old vectra to tow the caravan urrrrggghh !!!! sold it as soon as i got my xantia fixed i must admit iv spent thousands on my car but its worth every penny cos when its running right i actually look forward to driving to work being at works another matter !!! its very rare that i dont have any thing wrong with it like at the moment : boot wont open,heater wont blow on windscreen because the controls dont work, all the cables are bent ,speedo doesnt work and iv just put my spare on lasted 3 weeks. iv recently ( last 4 weeks ) re placed rear height corrector and linkages, replaced exhaust manifold gaskets ( hell of a job ! ) replaced radiator,intercooler. need to sort out the other things next not looking forward to the heater contols thou by the way what cause the cables to bend ?? ( and they are the solid steel type not the cable ones )

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 20 Sep 2010, 16:52

merlin617 wrote:In my experience all french cars are a nightmare to work on, the engineering is always over-complicated ... and I am also mad.

Funny, our Dyanes and 2CVs never suffered from either of those problems!

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 22 Sep 2010, 22:11

myglaren wrote:So it's the LHM that's addictive, not the ironmongery?

Maybe that is where the C5 goes wrong (when does it ever go right!?), its on LDS and not LHM.

I can't answer the Xantia question, but im a bit the same with my C5. Its for ever going wrong and at the minute ive got a list of 'to does' as long as the car, but when i think or look at any Jap or German cars they just leave me feeling bored and un-interested. Most Citroens, or french cars for that matter, have me interested, the more individual the better.

Ive been looking for a replacement for my C5, as i am getting bored with the niggles and costs to keep it right. However owning a Citroen and having a car which you can just jump into and go on every occasion with everying working doesnt go well in the same sentence. So if i do change it will probably be another Citroen, possibly even another C5. Im tempted just to try and stick this one out and see if it drops to bits alltogether or if i can actually get to the bottom of the ever occuring list of problems.

Still, its what owning a big Citroen is all about. Though i do maintain ive bought a friday afternoon car. Never before has a Citroen (and there has been many) caused me so many problems.

uhn113x · Post by **uhn113x** » 23 Sep 2010, 08:29

Citroenmad wrote: I'm tempted just to try and stick this one out and see if it drops to bits altogether or if i can actually get to the bottom of the ever occuring list of problems.

Go for option (!) and get an older Citroen that can be repaired.
I'm no expert on the C5, but from what I see, it's not progress, but retrogress (is there such a word?)

Start with a DS with power braking and a common fluid, power steering, gearchange, brakes and suspension; said fluid is not hygroscopic.

As time goes on we end up with a C5?

Not 'ere we don't!

Post by **CitroJim** » 23 Sep 2010, 09:12

Citroenmad wrote:However owning a Citroën and having a car which you can just jump into and go on every occasion with everying working doesnt go well in the same sentence.

Oh, I don't know about that Chris. My old V6 (mostly) meets that objective magnificently and apart from a failed ignition coil on said V6, I've not had a Citroen, touch wood, let me down.

As I have said before, just giving them a little routine check once a week and stamping on problems as they occur keeps them in fine fettle.

Trouble is, as I see it, the problems that occur on the more modern stuff seem to come as a bolt out of the blue and give no early warning of impending failure.

uhn113x wrote: retrogress (is there such a word?)

If there's not Mike, there should be. Sums it up absolutely beautifully

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 23 Sep 2010, 09:16

This is true, in some ways it is progress, as there are much less pipework and problems with the C5 suspension is quite rare, even on the electrical side.

Im wondering if Citroen will drop its hydropneumatic suspension at some point, it does seem to be moving away from it slightly. Im still surprised they offer the new C5 with coil springs, infact most of the C5s you see are the more basic (SX, VTR+) with springs and not hydraulic. I understand this is probably a cost thing and to appeal to the rep market more, they are also supposed to ride well but it just seems a slight shame.

Citroen used to be well known for their large estate cars, it no longer offers one. The C5 Tourer (not even an estate now) has much less room in the boot than a lot of its class leaders, the Mondeo is huge.

I dont know, im a bit dissapointed with more modern Citroens, i do like them and i can see me getting a new C5 at some point (though why is it a saloon, i want a hatch!). I wish they would go back to their routes slightly and look at what they have done, modern Citroens could be so much better.

Pompey_Dave · Post by **Pompey_Dave** » 23 Sep 2010, 11:21

Citroenmad wrote:but when i think or look at any Jap or German cars they just leave me feeling bored and un-interested. Most Citroëns, or french cars for that matter, have me interested, the more individual the better.

Depends what Jap cars...I will admit, I got mine as it was the 1st thing that popped up that I could afford, and needed a car asap!

Dont get me wrong, I dont regret it now, but I am still wanting to eventually go back to Japanese, as I do love them!

Ok some of them dont have their own individuality, but as said, depends on what you go for...For downright fun I remember back to my little Suzuki Swift GTi I had, what a motor! Even funnier pushing an MR2 turbo up the 1/4 mile and watch his face when he finds out my car was only a 1300! But a well tuned and quick one it was...Oh how I miss that car, sold it to someone who wrote it off! But for reliability, you cant really go wrong

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 23 Sep 2010, 12:33

Strange to read some of the comments they're so different from my experience.

I got rid of my C5 because it was so boringly reliable, nice ride, all the creature comforts but just didn't float my boat. It was a bit of a Citroen Mondeo so to speak.

Whereas the SED is in bits, no sign it'll be ready this year, the A Class really needs a new clutch and the AC fixing.

They keep me out of trouble.

Steve.

Post by **myglaren** » 23 Sep 2010, 17:21

While mine has not been entirely problem, free, it has been as reliable as anything else I have owned and streets ahead of most of them.
I always feel confident that I can get in it anytime and go anywhere.

The only other two that gave that sense of confidence were the Xantia and the Accord - the Xantia did spoil itself by exploding the heater matrix and filling the car with boiling water and steam, just as we were about to leave for Birmingham (>200 miles each way), made the journey in a decrepit ancient mini instead.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » 23 Sep 2010, 18:28

I find that yes many many... many things goes worng, But generally they will always start and go...
And temporary bodges can be effected to get to a place of repair most of the time..
It does frustrate me that its always the simple things which go worng, for instance switches etc

For me although I complain and swear at them, it gives me immense satisfaction to keep something older and unusual on the road and is a continual mechanical learning curve!
And the ride in the xm now its all sorted is just damned briliant!
Citroens improve your health, by keeping you continualy mentally active (and physically when working on them!)

One of my favourite comments from a passanger was "I have never seen so many buttons on a dash board, its like being in a plane..."
For that reason I shall not desert citroen!
Of course there are the more frequent comments from everybody else usually... "but its a citroen".
No getting away from that one!

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 23 Sep 2010, 22:27

CitroJim wrote:
Citroenmad wrote:However owning a Citroën and having a car which you can just jump into and go on every occasion with everying working doesnt go well in the same sentence.
Oh, I don't know about that Chris. My old V6 (mostly) meets that objective magnificently and apart from a failed ignition coil on said V6, I've not had a Citroën, touch wood, let me down.

As I have said before, just giving them a little routine check once a week and stamping on problems as they occur keeps them in fine fettle.

Trouble is, as I see it, the problems that occur on the more modern stuff seem to come as a bolt out of the blue and give no early warning of impending failure.

Yes, i feel i might have been a little harsh there.

One of the most reliable models of cars we have owned has been the Xms, all 4 have been almost trouble free. Obviously they under-go regular servicing, anything which needs doing is done and checks before they are used, but they rarely needed anything more.

I get a sense from driving our current Xm that it would never let you down, and if it did it would be a relatively simple fix. The Xm is what i use when my VTR decides it needs a day off due to having a new problem.