c5 particle filter

[rod]

hi all,
has anyone had experience of topping up the pdx 42 tank, for the particle filter?
my c5 2.2 hdi has now done 50000 miles and i wondered if the tank can be topped up, before the ecu tells you the fluid is low, thus saving a visit to main dealer for a reset.
does the ecu tell you when the filter itself needs sevice/changing.
is it a poss diy jb>

rodders 8)

[KevMayer]

Here is a couple of pics of the filter housing under my C5...

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c242/ ... 0_2026.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c242/ ... 0_2025.jpg

Details of how the thing works can be found at

http://www.citroenet.org.uk/

look under 'passenger car'... 'C5'.... 'Diesel Engine' or something like that. There is a great description and a few diags.

A post here recently had a comment from one guy who said he cleaned his Silicone Carbide filter matrix out using a garden pressure washer.

I would have thought you'd need some kind of solvent to do it properly.

You can buy the Eolys oil from Citroen.... but it may take a while to get it from France or wherever they keep it.

By the way, does your turbo make a very loud whistle at low speed (noticable with the window open) ? ... Mine does... but I think its normal !??

Cheers, kev

p.s. The Blue Xantia at the end of my C5 in the photos is my Activa

[rod]

thanks for ypour help. i have seen a large plastic cover under the rear o/s seat. do i assume this is the access to to diesel tank?
having refilled the Eolys tank, will i need to have the ecu reset.
my turbo does whistle when starting from cold, it dissappears when hot.
thanks again

rodders 8)

[KevMayer]

I believe that if you top up the oil before the low level alarm comes up then you don't need to have it reset.

I'm not sure where the top up point is, but I would think its got to be accessible ?? The Eolys Oil container is near the diesel tank according to the diagram on the Citroenet website.

Cheers, Kev

[rod]

thanks kev,
i have been onto the site you gave a link to.
the filter is cleaned by high water pressure at the dealers.
i have seen an another forum, that you can fill the tank from underneath, using tubes.
the additive is pdx 42 for my model and costs £78.00, for 3 lts.
i would like to know if there is a need to reset the on board computer, which tells you if the fluid is low.
anyone else know?
the cost of the service at a cit dealer ranges from £350 to £425.
don't know why there is a difference

rodders
8)

[mooseshaver]

When my C5 hit 50000 miles, the dealer insisted that the particulate filter had to be replaced, not justt topped up. I pointed out that it said in the book it just needs topped up but they insited the whole thing had to be replaced. Could do without doing that every 50000 miles.

[rod]

thanks kev
i will see if i can do it.
will post results later.
rodders 8)

[rod]

hi mooseshaver.
according to the site on the post by kev, the filter has to be cleaned.
does not mention replacement.

rodders 8)

[mooseshaver]

hi mooseshaver.
according to the site on the post by kev, the filter has to be cleaned.
does not mention replacement.

rodders 8)

I can imagine my dealer would be wrong, can't remember how much it was, but it was not cheap.

[KevMayer]

When I looked into this I was told that you need special equipment to clean the filters properly and UK Citroen dealers don't have it. So, the dealers take out your dirty filter and fit either a new one or a pre cleaned filter. they then send your old filter off back to france to be cleaned properly.

Citroen and Peugeot then have a pool of filters moving around.

PSA in France probably have a barrel they throw the filters into and give them a good old squirt. Uk dealers don't have the barrels obviously. So, they just change yours to save them the trouble.

I bet they'd fit a pre used and cleaned filter to yours. Not that this is a problem. But the price may be different to a new one ?

[rod]

hi all just had a look under the car and found the eolys tank.
has two tubes at the back.
could perhaps fill through these.
i have access to a pit so i may have a go next week.
( or might change the car) hee hee.
anyone know if a suzuki g v hdi, has a particle filter?

rodders 8)

[mooseshaver]

[quote="KevMayer"]When I looked into this I was told that you need special equipment to clean the filters properly and UK Citroen dealers don't have it. So, the dealers take out your dirty filter and fit either a new one or a pre cleaned filter. they then send your old filter off back to france to be cleaned properly.

quote]

Someone did tell me that to clean the filter the ECU had a special mode where it sat on its own idleing the engine really high for a couple of hours.
Nevermind. Maybe ne day I can get a v6HDi. They only need the filters changed every 200000 miles?

[KevMayer]

The filter has inlet and outlet pressure sensors which can tell the ECU if the filter is getting blocked.

I've read that If you do a lot of low speed urban driving, stop starting a lot, the engine would naturally produce a lot of particulates which the filter would trap. The ECU would see the build up through increased pressure drop and give an alarm. The way to clean up the filter would be to drive at above 40 mph (65 Kph) for a while so the higher running temperature would self clean the filter (presumably by enabling the Eolys Oil to do its job as a liquid catalyst to incinerate the particulates).

So, higher speed running is a way to clean the filter to reduce the pressure drop and, hence, exhaust restriction. The 50,000 mile clean up must be a recommended 'Spring Clean' to give it a regular thorough cleaning.

To tell you the truth, I have wondered for a while now whether my C5 would run better if the filter was removed altogether !

[mooseshaver]

To tell you the truth, I have wondered for a while now whether my C5 would run better if the filter was removed altogether !

I too have wondered this, the 2.2 is often said to be the worse engine between it and the 2.0 110. Maybe its like catalitic convertors, they always used to sap a cars power.

[JohnD]

I'm told that they're fitted on the 2 litre engines as well now,