DS5 Steering Clunk

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NotAnInterestingName
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 212
Joined: 11 May 2022, 12:58
Location: Lincolnshire
My Cars: DS DS5 2.0 180BHP Prestige 2016
Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1.6 90BHP XTR 2014
Both in black, we could start an economy brand undertakers
x 45

DS5 Steering Clunk

Post by NotAnInterestingName »

My recently bought used DS5 has had a clunk in the steering when manoeuvering at low speeds. It's barely audible, but you definitely feel it through your hands.

I had a look today. I'm 90% sure that it's down to rock within the telescopic section of the steering column, the sliding part that allows the steering reach to be adjusted. Looking into the end of it, it has plastic bushings - presumably to allow it to slide easily. I'm assuming that these have worn over time. My guess is that it may have had two drivers who insisted on changing the position to their preference each time they got in - I guess that this has a design life of x adjustments before it gets sloppy.

Here's a picture of the sliding joint where the two sections meet...
IMG_20220601_110117.jpg
Just as a diagnosis aid, I squirted a bit of PTFE spray into it - I wanted to see if this changed the nature of the clunk. But this also made the reach adjustment vastly easier. I'm tall anyway, so I just slid it fully out against its end stop and this seems to have greatly improved it.

Here's the parts diagram from CatCar...
00090965.jpg
However, this doesn't look right, as the tube is at the top - in the car the tube is at the bottom. This is for a Citroen DS5, mine is a DS DS5 so may differ.

Unfortunately this implies that the steering column is available only as an entire assembly, does anyone know if it's possible to buy just the lower (tube) section separately? I've seen the column for sale used on ebay without the lower tube, so I'm guessing that they do pull apart once removed from the car. I'm not going to buy used anyway, as it's obviously a wear and tear part.

Alternatively, I've had a potentially dodgy brainwave since looking at that photo... Do we think it would be safe and/or advisable to give those four bent over metal lugs a wallop with a punch and hammer?
NotAnInterestingName
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 212
Joined: 11 May 2022, 12:58
Location: Lincolnshire
My Cars: DS DS5 2.0 180BHP Prestige 2016
Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1.6 90BHP XTR 2014
Both in black, we could start an economy brand undertakers
x 45

Re: DS5 Steering Clunk

Post by NotAnInterestingName »

Well... a couple of taps with a hammer and screwdriver seems to have 90% eliminated it. I only did the two I could get to without turning the steering. Going for a long drive tomorrow, see how it goes but I'm cautiously optimistic it may be fixed.

Next time I'm in there sorting the brake pedal next week I'll do it all round, turning the steering to access them all.

Perhaps it had just got slid out a couple of mm from being tugged in and out, and just needed returning to where it was meant to be.
NotAnInterestingName
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 212
Joined: 11 May 2022, 12:58
Location: Lincolnshire
My Cars: DS DS5 2.0 180BHP Prestige 2016
Citroen Berlingo Multispace 1.6 90BHP XTR 2014
Both in black, we could start an economy brand undertakers
x 45

Re: DS5 Steering Clunk

Post by NotAnInterestingName »

I gave it a more thorough tapping on all four clips today, and it now seems to be totally rock solid.

I also thoroughly splodged up the top and bottom universal joints with spray grease, squirted in from every angle I could. My thinking is that any resistance from these joints will be translating into sideways force on the telescopic section. It basically drives like new now, with no worrying clunks that felt a lot like a loose wheel.

So hopefully a very cheap fix in the end. I'll update if things go downhill, but it appears that this is solved.
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