Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

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Mdon
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Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Mdon »

So after 4 months of ownership the C5 is being threatened with the scrap yet again. It still has the fault that the 3rd brake light stays on all the time but very dim, still lights up nice and bright with a press of the brake pedal. According to another Citroen forum it's a BSI fault? Anyone else had this?

More importantly it still has the annoying squeak when going over bumps or if I sit in the boot and bounce up and down. The squeak is coming from the brake discs, from BOTH sides (no squeak when braking though.) so far it's had new discs and pads and one rear calliper which cured it for a couple of days, it's had the drivers radius bearing replaced which again cured it for a few days and now it's back just as bad. Seems to come and go though. Any idea what it might be? I'm going to unload a full can of brake cleaner on it on Wednesday to try and lubricate the squeak but if that doesn't cure it I might just remove the damn brake pads. The sodding thing is really getting on my nerves.
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2010 peugeot 3008 1.6 HDi exclusive
2007 Citroen C5 20.HDi estate exclusive

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2000 Xantia HDi 90 Forte
2002 C5 HDi 110 LX
2002 Renault laguna 1.8 16v
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by BenC5HDi »

Sounds like the rear arm bearings are wearing out, that's your noise, not the brake discs.



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Mdon
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Mdon »

As I've said above I've replace one, no effect. The squeak is both wheels equally.

Edit to add, the rear end does sink a cm or two when the car is turned off and locked, and in doing so it creeks and squeaks. Could this be connected?! I'm really at a loss with this car. Perhaps this is why Citroen is doing away with this delicate suspension system.
Current vehicle
2010 peugeot 3008 1.6 HDi exclusive
2007 Citroen C5 20.HDi estate exclusive

Past French cars
2000 Xantia HDi 90 Forte
2002 C5 HDi 110 LX
2002 Renault laguna 1.8 16v
2008 Renault laguna estate 1.5dci
Hell Razor5543
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

My C5 estate used to creak from the back end, and when I turned the engine off and she sank slightly, she would creak then as well. If I then grabbed hold of the roof rails and rocked her, Creak creak, etc.. I recently had both sets of radius arm bearings replaced, and now there is no creaking, and the rear suspension is much smoother.

Simple questions. Did YOU replace the O/S radius arm bearing, and, if you did (as opposed to a garage), did you pack it with a load of grease (LM is supposed to be best)? Why did you only do the one side (I had both sides done, as I felt it very likely (based on noise, mainly) that both sides were equally worn)?
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Mdon »

Garage replaced it under a third party warranty. They only replaced the one as it was only one that had gone. It's over £200 per side for the bearings. And I'm finding it hard to justify spending £400 on a car that I'm only going to keep till end of this year, the headlamp washer only works on one side so will fail the MOT and I can't get the bumper off to check it. I've already spent a fortune on This car already.

Does anyone know of a Citroen specialist in Cumbria? If I can find a specialist garage to look at it I may have it checked out. But to be honest if it's going to cost a lot it's getting traded in in the next week or two hopefully for a 4x4 of some sort.

I honestly hope someone burns it out tonight.
Current vehicle
2010 peugeot 3008 1.6 HDi exclusive
2007 Citroen C5 20.HDi estate exclusive

Past French cars
2000 Xantia HDi 90 Forte
2002 C5 HDi 110 LX
2002 Renault laguna 1.8 16v
2008 Renault laguna estate 1.5dci
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

I do not know how far it would be for you, but Savoy Garages in the Preston area has a justifiably good reputation;

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 15&t=42544
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ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Stickyfinger »

Err.....how can you not get the bumper off ??, it is a few screws and a some clips

bork at £200 to fix a car ? really ?

A used 4x4 can and most likely will cost you more to keep on the road vrs a old C5.
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Mdon »

Hell Razor5543 wrote:I do not know how far it would be for you, but Savoy Garages in the Preston area has a justifiably good reputation;

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 15&t=42544
Cheers for that, the link to the garage isn't working at the minute but I'll trying ringing them tomorrow, only issue is its near 2 hours drive away. Thanks again.
Last edited by Mdon on 07 Mar 2016, 21:22, edited 1 time in total.
Current vehicle
2010 peugeot 3008 1.6 HDi exclusive
2007 Citroen C5 20.HDi estate exclusive

Past French cars
2000 Xantia HDi 90 Forte
2002 C5 HDi 110 LX
2002 Renault laguna 1.8 16v
2008 Renault laguna estate 1.5dci
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Mdon »

Stickyfinger wrote:Err.....how can you not get the bumper off ??, it is a few screws and a some clips

bork at £200 to fix a car ? really ?

A used 4x4 can and most likely will cost you more to keep on the road vrs a old C5.
Because all of them just spin and since ones inside the wing, I can't get to the rear of it. So unless I kick it off, it ain't coming off for me, needs a garage.

A Bork at spending £400 (it has two bearings and since both sides are noisey I'm guessing both need done) plus the washer repair plus the track rod end and steering rack that are also worn and would need replaced if I was to keep the car, add all of that to the over £500 I've already spent on a £1500 car. but since you know anything about the situation I'll disregard your comments!

As for the 4x4, Yep it would cost more to run but I'm not bothered about that as I need a higher car eventually anyway for my wife to lift our toddling in and out due to her back problems. I'd rather spend a few grand on a RAV4 or grand vitara that I'll keep for a couple of years.
Current vehicle
2010 peugeot 3008 1.6 HDi exclusive
2007 Citroen C5 20.HDi estate exclusive

Past French cars
2000 Xantia HDi 90 Forte
2002 C5 HDi 110 LX
2002 Renault laguna 1.8 16v
2008 Renault laguna estate 1.5dci
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Stickyfinger »

If you cannot get a spinning screw undone then really do not ever contemplate doing other wok yourself, thus expect to pay money to have your cars fixed.

3rd brake light, have you checked the wires in the tube to the tail gate ?

The £400 would fix the car for 75k more miles.

A drop wink is a service item.

Old cars cost money if you don't fix them yourself.

Citroen suspension can raise itself up at the touch of a button

2k will get you a 4x4 that will likely cost as much to keep on the road.....with the RAV4 at that age gearboxes and drive shafts and shock absorbers are very problematic.

Disregarding me is not a problem, I am a git.

to prove that
Perhaps this is why Citroen is doing away with this delicate suspension system.
...LOL....how many miles has the car done ? It is a bearing failure which is a mechanical part, hardly unique to Citroen Hydro-Active is it
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Mdon
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Mdon »

Stickyfinger wrote:If you cannot get a spinning screw undone then really do not ever contemplate doing other wok yourself, thus expect to pay money to have your cars fixed.

3rd brake light, have you checked the wires in the tube to the tail gate ?

The £400 would fix the car for 75k more miles.

A drop wink is a service item.

Old cars cost money if you don't fix them yourself.

Citroen suspension can raise itself up at the touch of a button

2k will get you a 4x4 that will likely cost as much to keep on the road.....with the RAV4 at that age gearboxes and drive shafts and shock absorbers are very problematic.

Disregarding me is not a problem, I am a git.

to prove that
Perhaps this is why Citroen is doing away with this delicate suspension system.
...LOL....how many miles has the car done ? It is a bearing failure which is a mechanical part, hardly unique to Citroen Hydro-Active is it
I could drill it out but I'm not that inclined to do it as it is only a stopgap car until I got a 4x4 or mini mpv (which will be lot more than £2000!!!)

The brake light isn't a wire as I've already said in a post to you previously. Ive checked all wiring. I've found on other forums it's a bsi fault (hence my above post).

The car has done 77k with full service history. I bought the car on a whim as I had a nostalgic want for another C5 after having one when it was newer and having a old xantia. Perhaps it was just time I ended up with a lemon. I'm not spending another £500 on a car (plus at least another £500 more for the other three faults!) that I've had only 4 months that I've already spent £500 on to keep it another 8 months. I'd rather send it to the scrap yard.
Current vehicle
2010 peugeot 3008 1.6 HDi exclusive
2007 Citroen C5 20.HDi estate exclusive

Past French cars
2000 Xantia HDi 90 Forte
2002 C5 HDi 110 LX
2002 Renault laguna 1.8 16v
2008 Renault laguna estate 1.5dci
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Re: RE: Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by BenC5HDi »

mdon wrote: I need a higher car eventually anyway for my wife to lift our toddling in and out due to her back problems. I'd rather spend a few grand on a RAV4 or grand vitara that I'll keep for a couple of years.
Seriously? Have you gone any distance in a Rav4 or Vitara? I've owned both and the ride is awful. I'd certainly not have one for someone with back problems


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Re: RE: Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by Mdon »

BenC5HDi wrote:
mdon wrote: I need a higher car eventually anyway for my wife to lift our toddling in and out due to her back problems. I'd rather spend a few grand on a RAV4 or grand vitara that I'll keep for a couple of years.
Seriously? Have you gone any distance in a Rav4 or Vitara? I've owned both and the ride is awful. I'd certainly not have one for someone with back problems


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Yeah, found them both fine but they wouldn't be used for distance, just my commute, the Peugeot would be used for distance due to economy. Thanks anyway. Other option is a ix35 4wd.
Current vehicle
2010 peugeot 3008 1.6 HDi exclusive
2007 Citroen C5 20.HDi estate exclusive

Past French cars
2000 Xantia HDi 90 Forte
2002 C5 HDi 110 LX
2002 Renault laguna 1.8 16v
2008 Renault laguna estate 1.5dci
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by mooseshaver »

There is http://www.ushersgarage.co.uk
They are Peugeot folk. Not used them but my brothers wife
Used to use them when she had Peugeots.
There used to be a guy in Carlisle who I think was called David Edgar. He did citroens. He declined to work on a electrical fault on my facelift c5. But he may do the suspension.
I cannot find him online but he was on Brough road industrial estate.
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mooseshaver
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Re: Lemon of a C5 is annoying me again.

Post by mooseshaver »

Does the brake light matter? I think I remember my 02 doing that and it never caused me an issue. No blown bulbs or flat battery's. Or economy mode before its time.

When my facelift c5 squeaked it was the trailing arm bearings. Before it was very bad the rain made the noise go away for a bit. And someone shoved grease in and that helped for a little while.
C5 III Tourer 2.0 HDi 163 Auto Exclusive
Gone cars.
C5 2.2 HDi Exclusive Estate auto 57. Awesome car. Sadly Could not be fixed by Citroen.
C5 1.6 HDi VTR Estate 56. Traded in.
C5 2.2 HDi SX Estate 02. Drowned in the floods of 09.
C3 1.4 HDi 92 SX 52.
Saxo 1.1 East Coast.
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