Geoffs C5 SX 2.0 HDi 110 51

[myglaren]

MG - what\'s a waterless wash??!!

I was hoping that you wouldn't ask that as I have absolutely no idea
The valeters come to clean the director's cars (Audis) ever Friday and I plonked mine in front and asked them to clean it. Big mistake!
I would like them to steam clean the interior but will likely look elsewhere.
I didn't take any notice of what they actually did so can't say what they used as a substitute for water.

The soft-touch plastics - things like the door grab handles, the electric window switch console in the drivers door. Both front grab handles have lots of this missing, exposing the harder plastic underneath. You can scrape it away with your fingernail - which I\'m tempted to do and then give them a good wash in soapy water. All this soft touch stuff is sticky too. Even the radio volume knob is suffereing.

I don't seem to share your problems so either I am completely insensitive to such things or perhaps your car has been cleaned with some unsuitable solvent at some juncture?

Speaking of costs, one question I failed to ask was about the dual mass flywheel.
How exactly do they fail?
Is it that common or say a fail \'garunteed\' at X thousand miles?
When it fails (or should I say \'if\' it fails) what are the symptoms?

I had mine done at 120,000 miles. It hadn't failed but was just about done, as was the clutch. No symptoms whatsoever - it was a misdiagnosed failed injector.

[Geoff Lebowski]

Hmmm, I guess it all depends on the style of driving the car has been put through.

As mine was bought from London and was kept in and around London, then I expect it to be fairly just about cooked, although there are no signs yet of failure of any sort.

On the soft touch plastics, you could well be correct MG, although tbh I thought it was a common thing. One thing I noticed is the black sludge/grime on the buttons and stalks. I gave it a good clean up today and although much tidier looking, the soft touch bits are still sticky. Perhaps it\'s something Cit cleared up fairly early on and so only effects early models......

[Geoff Lebowski]

Actually, another thing I like about my C5 is the lack of a sports mode setting on the suspension. This mean presumably I have a basic non hydractive set up???? No erroneous hard mode though! Way hay!

[Citroenmad]

Your car sounds as though it has been owned by someone with particularly greasy mits! Black sludge on the buttons and stalks

Yes, its a common thing for the finish on the door handles to peal, but thats about it, they dont go sticky and overall I find the plastics and trim lasts very well on the C5s. Ive certainly never seen sticky buttons, a dirty previous owner perhaps!

Your C5 is Hydractive, well Citroen call it that (its known as H3), however its not hydractive as per a Xantia or Xm. Its suspension adjusts automatically for height, at speeds on good roads the suspension lowers to improve stability and reduce drag and therefore improve MPG. The car rises in height if it detects a rough rough road at slow speeds to to avoid grinding the bottom of the car - you notice this if going over a series of speed bumps. Yours does not have the sports mode.

However, C5s in certain engines and specs do have the normal hydractive, which is known as the H3+. This works in the same way as previous hydractive suspension, with the sports mode.

[gazellef61]

Hi, I too had 'sticky' door grab handles which also looked messy, I removed them, thoroughly washed, and then rubbed them down with 400 wet or dry and finally polished with T cut, this did'nt take very long and they now look fine and 'feel' much better, hope this helps.....Paul

[citroenxm]

C5's are good... but are heavy.. remember the Xantia is a much lighter car, yet the 110bhp is the same power, so as its been said has more lugging to do making it a slightly slower lump..

You'll get around 43mpg.. unless your really carefull.. but there are common faults to watch out for that seem to have not been said yet...

Drivers door handle CAN shear off, this happens when the mechanisem gets stiff... beleve me it does happen, just had to change one.. good news front and rear units ARE the same and interchangeable..

Rear passenger Child locks can and DO jam, rendering the door un-openable when either locked or un locked the good news here, is its un-dooable from in the car, you CAN get the door panel off inside, then from behind the door lock panel you can see the other end of the child lock switch, and undo it... its simple really DO NOT use the child lock on the drivers side door...

Rear calipers: These DO corode WORSE then Xantia ones, and to an angle so bad they modify the rear disks!! Again, been here and had to change disks. Rear disks are bigger then Xantia ones, and a bit more expensive..

Other then that, not much else plays up. The engine are prooven from the Xantias... and very rearly give problems. To watch for: In tank lift pumps, they give out at a point unless changed for a new one. Engine High Pressure pumps can and do also STOP, injectors tend to "Rattle" under load when they are dribbling" but they still work..

The 2.oi 8v 110bhp IS THE best One to have out of all of them.. GOOD Choice Geoff...!!

Paul

[Citroenmad]

All very good points there Paul, I didnt realise we were having a C5 potential problems thread

Certainly, out of the problems you mention, the rear caliper problem is by far the most common - just about all C5s will experience this unless the calipers are removed and the surfaces cleaned on a regular basis.

Also, out of the problems you mention that is the only one I have had with our 5 C5s.

Your right about economy, 40-45 is a reasonable average for the 2.0HDi 110 - depends on driving of course. Nearer 50 can be had on a good run.

I find the 2.0HDi 16vs are much more fuel efficient, with the same driving style as my previous two 2.0 110s im averaging around 50MPG - thats not hanging about! Im very impressed.

2.0 HDi 8v is the best for simplicity though.

[Geoff Lebowski]

CMad - so mine \'does\' lower at motorway speeds? Kewl! It\'s good, don\'t like the sport business. It grips better - way better than the Xantia, like really really better, I am really very impressed, it doesn\'t seem to suffer ANY understeer (although I\'ve not pushed it that hard) and it\'s on sh!te tyres!

I really do think the previous owner was a greasy/filthy mitted one! The amount of grime I got off the switch gear was, well, worrying. I\'ve never had that before, even on a 20 year old Bx!

Mr Gazelle, you are a man after my own heart, I think I shall copy you. After being out in it tonight with plenty of time for things to dry after the clean, it\'s still sticky. So, I think a \'400\' rub down is in order. Thanks for that tip!

How heavy is the C5 then Pauly of Angleseyshire? I thought the Xantia was heavy at around 1400 kgs! MPG ave so far is 39, but that is mostly an 80 mph return from London and urban, so not so bad really.

Rear brake calipers WORSE than a Xantia?!!! Sweet Mary, my Xantia was bad enough - what a cr@p design!

What are the symptoms of tank lift pumps Pauly?

Well, my choice of engine was down to you two CM and Sir Pauly of Angleseyshire and I really do find myself ticking the boxes and thinking \'I need not worry about that then!\' which is EXACTLY what I wanted and indeed needed.

There is something, well, contraversial I need to say..........

When my Xantia played up, I was able to borrow my neighbours Audi A6 Estate (sorry, Avant.....................) It was a non sporty and softly sprung 2001 version. It was the 2.5 V6 TDi. I have to say, what a machine. Seriously, I\'m not keen on the whole German car thing, much rather a Honda than a VAG, BUT, consider this:

The Audi s**t on the C5 in terms of the interior, no rattles, the engine, virtually everything, with the exception of low-mid speed ride quality and possibly road noise. Also consider that the A6, in 2001 was just about to undergo a facelift, whereas the C5 was essentially new.

I chose the C5 in the end mostly based on cash; not just purchase price but also running costs (and insurance/road tax).

But I have to admit that IF I had the extra cash and was able to throw a bit more away every year for tax and insurance, then the A6 would of been my preferred choice.

As much as I want to buck the trend so to speak and keep to the Cits, I honestly think the A6 is a better car - costs aside.

[citroenxm]

Audis are amazing machines but when they go wrong they do big style and with cost.... You cannot compare a 2.5 v6 tdi with a 2.0 8v 4 cylinder hdi.... Unfortunally psa only had the s**t ford 2.7 v6 hdi untill lately... We all know vag stuff is well built but seat bolsters wear out quickly and youll spend a lot of time with yur ostupath for back achce after the hard.ride.....

Paul

[citroenxm]

My xantia hdi 110 with boit full of tools and constantly at 75 to 80mph averages 44mpg... With a tuning box..... As for pumps the tank one the car will start run for 10 seconds or so then stop.... Tell tail? Metal shards in the bottom of the fuel filter house... As for the engine pump...non at all. She just wont go at all.....

But its rare-ish....

Paul

[Citroenmad]

Yes the C5s do drive and grip quite well, im pleased you like that side of it! Mine gets thrown around at times and im always impressed, given the fact that it was made for a motorway mile cruncher.

I think you will be surprised at how similar the C5 and Xantia are in weight. Ill dig out some details and post them up.

The trip computers often underread by a few on the C5 HDis, some over read, so it pays to check it. You might well be averaging more like 42MPG, or less ...

I used to like VAG group cars, a few Audis and VWs, ive owned 3 Seats too. However in comparison to a good Citroen they are pretty dull and boring, no more reliable in my experience either. Well, in fact, the VW and Seats we had we much less reliable with bigger problems than any Citroen has ever given us.

Stick with the Citroens from now on, you can't go far wrong!

[Geoff Lebowski]

I didn\'t expect them to be any more reliable than a cit, I started looking at the Accord tourer initially, but they were too expensive for me, even the intergalactic ones.

And you\'re right of course Paul, the VAG V6 is a completely different animal to the 2.0 hdi, I wasn\'t comparing performance though, more the internal \'build quility\' (I actually hate that phrase) and materials, far superior in the Audi imo.

Does the C5 have little pumps to raise/lower the susp with the engine off? I can hear something whirring away and the front rises a smidgen - as if to offset my weight when getting in the car

[myglaren]

Does the C5 have little pumps to raise/lower the susp with the engine off? I can hear something whirring away and the front rises a smidgen - as if to offset my weight when getting in the car

Yes and no - there is only one pump, electric in nature, that will run when you unlock the car and respond to weight changes while the car is unlocked.

Listen when you unlock it after it has stood overnight, the pump will usually run for a couple of seconds before you open the door.

[citroenxm]

Geoff..

As said really.. In a way theres two pumps - a conventual PAS and braking system with DOT 3 brake fluid as u can see a master cylinder on the passenger side... And theres also an electric pump hidden under the cover on the drivers side to the left of the engine that drives the suspension ONLY useing a new orange LHS type fluid apparently completely different to LHM.. The pump is always live even with the key off.....

Paul

[Geoff Lebowski]

Is the new orange lhm more or less expensive than the normal lhm!!!!!!!! Interesting set up, makes sense from streamlining it with pug manufacturing I suppose.
One thing I\'ve noticed is the tendancy for the nose to dive when breaking, something no previous Citroen I\'ve owned/driven has done before. Don\'t like the brake pedal travel either, much prefer the Citroen style.

Oooh, I was led to understand that the tension/pressure in the rear tailgate (estate) \'rams\' are adjustable. My tailgate keeps falling down. There seems to be two connections to the tailgate per side, one looks like a spring and the other I assume os the hydraulic damper. Which one do I adjust, and in which direction (i.e. clockwise or cc) and what is the procedure?

1/2 a turn or 2 turns?