Help with my C5's turbo please!

[stevebikescars]

Hi, I'm a new member, and having trouble with my C5 2.0 HDI
I've got to change the turbo, and in the Haynes manual, it says depressurize the suspension and drop the front subframe.
Can I put long bolts in to hold the subframe low enough to release the turbo?
Or does anyone have any other suggestions

Any help would be much appreciated!

thanks, Steve

[vborovic]

I think it would help a bit if you wrote which year is your car (or what model: 1st gen, 2nd - redesign, or the latest, X7) ...

[stevebikescars]

It's a 2006 estate, don't know which generation

thanks

[hamster99]

Hi Steve

Welcome to the forum.

If it's a 2006 then it will be what's known as a facelift version, or C5 II as Citroen call it.

I did the turbo on mine last year and it is quite an involved job but do-able if you're reasonably handy with tools. There are a couple of things which make this job easier which aren't really mentioned in the manual. I will dig out my previous notes on it and post further info later on today.

To start with, you don't need to depressurise the suspension but you will need to remove the subframe completely. It makes the whole job twice as easy and half the time. The steering rack can be left in place but you will need to unbolt it from the subframe and hold it in place with some wire or rope. Make sure it's secure as you don't want it dropping on your head later!!!

The anti-roll bar needs to be disconnected from the suspension both sides but do not undo or remove the anti-roll bar fittings from the subframe nor the suspension height adjuster. Leave them all attached and they can be removed with the subframe. If you take it off separately or disconnect the height adjuster linkages then it messes up your front suspension height when you put it back together and it's a pig to sort out.

The drivers side drive shaft will need to come out so you will need to separate the lower ball joint and will need a 32mm socket for the hub nut. Be aware that when you remove the drive shaft you will need to bung up the gearbox or all your gearbox oil will run out of the drive shaft hole!

The turbo itself is surrounded by heat shields which are fiddly to remove as they are complex pressed shapes but once the subframe is out then access is much better. The turbo has a pre-cat fitted to it which can be difficult to disconnect and remove on its own. You can leave the pre-cat and turbo as a single assembly and split them out of the car. The turbo itself has a long 11mm bolt which is almost impossible to get at, as it is fitted through the top of the exhaust manifold. I managed to get a small socket with several extensions and universal joints on to it but had to remove the water pipes and loosen the shiny thing (can't remember what it is!!!!!) above the manifold which is fitted to the EGR valve.

Are you renewing the whole turbo or just the central CHRA assembly as that will make a difference as to what you do as well?

As I say I will dig out some of my other notes when I get a chance later but hopefully that helps for now.

Happy to answer any questions on this. Whereabouts are you?

Rob

[stevebikescars]

many thanks for your help, i will do whatever is the easiest. we are in north london. any other help would be very helpfull, many thanks steve

[Gibbo2286]

The question to be asked is 'why do you need to remove the turbo?' Has a proper diagnosis been made? Quite a lot of turbo problems turn out to be caused by the control mechanisms not the turbo itself.

[Northern_Mike]

Yes, Gibbo is right. What are the symptoms you're facing with it? I believe it's quite rare for turbo failure to affect the 2.0HDI. Indeed, there was someone posted on here recently who replaced a turbo on a 2.016V 07 plate C5, only for it to make no difference. It was, as it turned out a 50p fix (but we don't know what the fix was.. perhaps give Malc at Savoy a ring and 50p and he will tell you)

[stevebikescars]

Hi to you all, thanks for your help.

The car has for sometime, been occasionally running rough with lots of thick smoke. On the last drive it sounded like a police siren which changed note with engine speed, fault code p0299. AA relayed it home, and their guy thought it was the turbo too.

I removed the pipe from intercooler to turbo, and engine oil ran out(fair amount) i suspect turbo oil seals and bearings have failed.

cheers

Steve

[hamster99]

Those symptoms do suggest oil seal failures, although not as catastrophic sounding as mine, where the turbo sucked all the oil out of my engine and was effectively running on engine oil not diesel. That was fun!!!

If it is the seals and bearings which are knackered then you will only need to replace the central core housing rota assembly (CHRA) and re-use all the other bits, unless you find when you strip it that the internal variable geometry vanes/mechanism is damaged too, in which case a whole new turbo will be needed.

Whatever repair you're doing, you must replace the oil feed pipe between the engine block and turbo and make sure there is no plastic oil strainer in the banjo bolt fitted to the engine block end. If the flexible rubber oil return pipe from the bottom of the turbo is a bit stubborn to get off then persevere and do not cut it off like I did.....bizarrely, the replacement from the dealer is more expensive than the oil feed pipe, around £40 I think from memory!

If you are only replacing the CHRA then before you strip the turbo make sure you clearly mark the relative positions of both the "snail shell" housings for the inlet and exhaust sides to each other and the CHRA so that you can fit them all back together in exactly the same place. This is important otherwise you won't be able to fit the various pipes and the turbo may not line up with the oil pipe fittings or the inlet pipe work which is fixed to the turbo air outlet with a bolt rather than a jubilee clip.

You will also need to clean the oil from the air inlet pipe work and inter cooler and from the electro valves on the inlet body if it's badly oiled up. Doesn't need to be spotless as long as it's not "oily", if you know what I mean.

How many miles has your car done?

Rob