Advice on purchasing a HDI C5 circa 2004/5

[ebod]

Hi all,

My morals have got the better of me and I am paying to get my Xsara's heater matrix replaced before I put it up for sale. So in the meantime I would like to get as genned up as possible in readiness to swoop in and get a bargain.

My target C5 would be a high mileage ex-fleet facelift 2.2HDI saloon in Exclusive/VTS? or at least SX format. I would even have an automatic but its not a critical factor.

Mileage doesn't worry me. Its the trick of buying with the 'right' high mileage such that all the major jobs have been done , eg clutch . exhaust , timing belt/pulleys , brake discs etc.

So then....bring it on and let me know what to look for and what to avoid. I'll start with my own queries :-

1. If I bought a manual, this would be my 1st DMF clutched car. How long do they last and whats the approx cost for a replacement job at a private garage.
2. I've seen a few Auto's going cheap in ebay with problems. Maybe it was coincidence, but could I be right in assuming C5's have fragile auto boxes.
3. Is the 2.2 16V HDI a good lump, or should I stick to 2.0HDI 16V ( plus why does the early 2.2 16V still only have 136HP like the old 8V ?? )

4. I've never had a hydraulic suspension car. I've read the early C5's had glitches with the computers controlling level, but assume these kind of problems went away with the facelift version. .....or are there still problems?

5. Any notably expensive jobs ( DMF clutch noted ) that I need to check have been sorted on a potential car, such as fancy belt pulleys , pumps/motors.

Thx

[bencowell]

Firstly, the 2.2 16v engine was a 136bhp both the early and the revised models. The early had both gearboxes, the facelifted models were just in automatic.

The 2.0 HDI 16v 138bhp is manual only on the old shape C5's (2004-2007 models).

In 2006 Citroen made a new 2.2 engine with 173bhp and twin turbos, this was available in both gearboxes. It's a gem to drive.

I'm not the best person to advise on specific problems to the later models, but I understand they are much improved. There are plenty of high mileage old C5's around so they can't be as bad as some fear!

Ben

[RichardW]

The 2.2 has a bit of reputation as a dog AFAIK. They are fitted with FAPs which cost ££££ to overhaul every 70k miles. There are numerous other running faults, and the economy is not great (like under 40mpg), and the power isn't all that apparent. I'd avoid it! You can't really avoid the DMF since the C5 2.0 HDi are fitted with that as well. Life of DMF is anywhere from 5k miles upwards although oddly Citroen seem to figure less in DMF problem reports than other cars. The cost to replace? A lot.

[mooseshaver]

The early 2.2s need their particulate filters changed every 50000 miles and the Eolys fluid topped up every 25000.
needs

[red_dwarfers]

Didn't I see something on the forum a while back about problems removing injectors on the 2.2 HDI for the Head Gasket change?
On the particular topic the user had to mash the injectors to get them out so it might be worth making sure that the coolant has definatly been changed regularly.

[E H Shaw]

My 2001 2.2HDi does 44-47 mpg and about 30mpg towing my caravan. EOLYS fluid needs filling every 50k miles (early models not 25k) and uses 5 litres of liquid. Its quite expensive but to spread the cost I put in 1 litre every service (its an easy job). My particulate filter hasn't been changed nor cleaned yet at 98k miles but I get the occasional message "clean diesel filter" which in fact refers to the particulate filter. This message comes more often when I drive economically so occasionally I give the car a quick thrash to get the exhaust really hot and allow the EOLYS fluid to do its job. Apart from a few quirky electrical niggles (external temperature sensor and window opening automatically to half open (the latter easily remedied) its been absolutely reliable. Its cost me nothing other than tyres, cambelt change at 87k miles and servicing parts in 4 years.

In short, to date, its the best car of many I've owned in the last 40+ years.

[wheeler]

The injectors are very prone to welding themselves into the cylinder head, in most cases removal of the (very expensive) injectors will ultimitly lead to their destruction and a lot of the time the cylinder head also. They dont even need to be high milage for this to happen.
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/in ... 226AAIhTy4

[KP]

I thought there was an option to replace the DMF on some cars??

[ebod]

sorry to shock you all but I'm about to make a big confession...

I've been looking in the car ads at what available and I'm veering towards ~54 plated Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 cdti's.

Having had my bug eyed mk-ii Xsara for 3 yrs, I don't want to look at a phase 1 C5 as it looks too similar. I only like the >54 plated C5's and there don't seem to be too many examples around going cheap. On the other hand there seem to be a decent qty of Vectra's about.

Having read the review's the Vectra certainly doesn't get Jeremy Clarkson vote , but there certainly isn't anything scathing to be read about it. ( I can handle the fact its mundane and doesn't corner quite as well as a mon'deo )

An interesting thing I've just learnt is that the VX 1.9 cdti engine shared with the SAAB is actually the Fiat 1.9JTD unit ( the only thing I heard to watch for is somthing about butterfly valve swirls....or summut like that )