don't buy a C5 please. undertray now

boristhespie · Post by **boristhespie** » 16 May 2011, 15:18

So makin do with stop fault just now. I think it maybe electrical. Anyway my other half after a week of takin bus to work for an hour eachway , said you think I'll be ok takin the car. Yeah was my answer.

30mins later dring dring. Simething fell off car.

Anyway she got a lift. I got a lift to car to find undertray hanging off. Had to cut off but wheel arch bits may be nect. Cracked.

I've had it with citroens. Sorry.

Can i ask tho. Should i get new undertray. Have run last car without after that disintegrated but ould like to know if i could cause probs without?

Xantidote · Post by **Xantidote** » 16 May 2011, 16:31

Oh dear, more bad news then - seems your c5 has got something against you, Boris

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 16 May 2011, 16:36

My commiserations to both of you for all those troubles with that dirty frog chariot.

The tray holds the underside of the front together.
Without it, the other plastics will fly away, maybe even the bumper.
You should find a tray from a wreck, as the C5’s are quick to go for wrecking.

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 16 May 2011, 19:00

It IS PERFECTLY fine to use C5's without the under tray... the side plastics are attached n other areas so wont go AWOL... or shouldn't

They are a damm pain those trays...

They only aid smooth air flow under the car, and possibly excess engine noise..

Paul[/b][/url]

Post by **myglaren** » 16 May 2011, 19:33

citroenxm wrote:It IS PERFECTLY fine to use C5's without the under tray... the side plastics are attached n other areas so wont go AWOL... or shouldn't

Mine did - explosively

boristhespie · Post by **boristhespie** » 16 May 2011, 19:44

I did run other car without tray for a while but was wondering because of your problems Myglaren whether I would be inviting similar problems.

Any thoughts in that?

Are the undertays specific to models or would say an undertray from a same mrk1 c5 do?

daviemck2006 · Post by **daviemck2006** » 17 May 2011, 09:16

My one has never had an undertray and i have had to put in lots of self tappers and cable ties to hold everything together. Never lost anything off it though!

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 17 May 2011, 12:17

Mk I and Mk II trays are the same but mine is already different from what http://service.citroen.com says it should be for my VIN.
It has 4 good fixing bolts instead of the push pins, item 10 at top left.

Your car being more recent, it’s likely to have the pins because pushing pins is quicker and cheaper than screwing bolts.
When you get to it, you will find that it won’t matter because you may have to improvise anyway.
I have gaffer tape holding a partly torn air deflector together.

I’m looking into cutting out most of the centre of the tray to leave only a frame of about 8 inches wide all around.
That will hold the bumper, arch covers and deflectors together.

dieselnutjob · Post by **dieselnutjob** » 17 May 2011, 13:06

had enough of taking the tray off my 607 every time I do an oil change
maybe I should cut a hole or flap under the sump drain plug

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 17 May 2011, 14:37

Mine has a DIY cut-out under the sump plug.
Easiest is to mark the top side with chalk when the tray hangs down at the front and sides but is still slotted in at the back.

boristhespie · Post by **boristhespie** » 17 May 2011, 16:39

Things just get better. Tying everything up (I've the central plug fixing missing on the passenger side wheel liner), I find the undertray has cut through a padded pipe on the driverside in front of the wheel and along the edge of the remaining trim.

What is this? There seems to be oil coming out.

Here's a photo

Post by **myglaren** » 17 May 2011, 18:27

Bit of a guess but given the location and oil coming out I would expect it to be the intercooler hose.

boristhespie · Post by **boristhespie** » 18 May 2011, 07:09

Another visit to garage.

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 18 May 2011, 08:21

dieselnutjob wrote:maybe I should cut a hole or flap under the sump drain plug

I used to have a 1998 Xantia 2.1. That had an undertray but under the sump plug there was a hinged flap that gave access. A good idea that Citroen apparently gave up on.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 18 May 2011, 09:14

You can't blame the under tray falling off a car to be a fault of its own. Its either been put on wrong or its been caught on a curb or something similar. The undertray should not touch that pipe either, certainly not cut into it, so I suspect incorrect fitting which has also made it fall off.

With Steves (myglaren) experience of his wheel arch trim disintergrating due to the lack of an under tray at one point, I dont risk driving without it fitted. Not for high speeds anyway.