Power steering pipes C5 Mk1

[sjc204]

Hi all,
The garage tells me my trusty and much loved C5 (Exclusive 2.0HDI Estate 2006) (VIN VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]) has a leak from the low-pressure power steering pipe. Apparently a corrosion crack in one of the metal sections.
Is its possible to repair this (alloy) section of pipe? Has anyone found a source? Is there a supplier out there who can make up a new pipe, possibly using the end fittings which are supposed to be ok? It's just a hose!
Unfortunately I don't have a garage/ workshop so I can't take the pipe off and spend time on it or copying it. I have bought one from a scrapyard based on year and model and the garage tells me it is wrong. Any advice on part numbers would be welcome!
This is an excellent car otherwise, only just run in at 100,000 miles and an excellent ride of course, no rust I can see, and I want to keep it going!
Many thanks
Steve

[mickthemaverick]

Possible confusion here. You said the car is Mk1 but year 2006 which is usually the Mk2 Facelifted Mk1. As such this is the diagram for a RHD (your location is unknown to me) 2006 MK2 since the RPO number on the top right of the diagram. I have guesstimated your RPO from the year to find the diagram but if it is wrong then if you confirm your location and hence driveside and RPO, which is on the tyre pressure sticker on the door pillar, I will have another look. The part numbers are on the table below the diagram!

C5 II - 0601 03 440544B - HP_BP PIPING.pdf

copied from Servicebox backup

(163.1 KiB) Downloaded 44 times

[Dunkah]

I feel your pain, I’ve had exactly the same on my c5, 2008.

I did repair it using a similar pipe from a berlingo, the berlingo has exactly the same end but is only about a foot and a half long, I chopped off the cracked section of mine and spliced the new piece on with a high pressure rubber pipe and pipe clips. It’s a bit Frankenstein but it has been ok for well over a year now. It’s seems that fixing them like this is our only option as new pipes are not available at all.
To chop off the old pipe the only option really is a copper pipe cutter as that’s the only way of chopping it without swarf getting into the system, plus when the pipe is still on the car there really is at any way to get ant type of grinder or saw to the pipe.

Pirtek and similar pipe manufacturers may help but I think they can only do it if you have the correct ends to work with.
Taking the whole pipe out and replacing it is a major task and getting a new pipe in without bending it is near impossible

My old corroded pipe

New section ready to go in

[sjc204]

Possible confusion here. You said the car is Mk1 but year 2006 which is usually the Mk2 Facelifted Mk1. As such this is the diagram for a RHD (your location is unknown to me) 2006 MK2 since the RPO number on the top right of the diagram. I have guesstimated your RPO from the year to find the diagram but if it is wrong then if you confirm your location and hence driveside and RPO, which is on the tyre pressure sticker on the door pillar, I will have another look. The part numbers are on the table below the diagram!

C5 II - 0601 03 440544B - HP_BP PIPING.pdf

Hi Mickthemaverick,
Sorry, yes I am a little confused with Citroen numbering. I believe the car is a Facelifted Mk1, I didn't think that was the same as Mk2. Yes it is Right hand drive. If this is an RPO number, this is it: 10783CJ. That is slightly later than the one on your diagram, so I guess that means the diagram is right and the part I need is probably the 4012C0.
Many thanks for your help, now I just have to find one!

[sjc204]

I did repair it using a similar pipe from a berlingo, the berlingo has exactly the same end but is only about a foot and a half long, I chopped off the cracked section of mine and spliced the new piece on with a high pressure rubber pipe and pipe clips. It’s a bit Frankenstein but it has been ok for well over a year now. It’s seems that fixing them like this is our only option as new pipes are not available at all.

Hi Dunkah,
Many thanks for this. At least that shows a solution is possible. I would be happy to have a go at doing it something like that, however I don't currently have a garage where I could raise the car up and do it myself, so ideally I need to get my hands on a part so I can go back to my local friendly mechanic and ask them to fit it. They are really good and I have used them for years, but they won't risk having their lift occupied for days by a car they can't (easily) move. Maybe I need to persuade them to cut out the leaky section and replace with some hose and jubilee clips, but they were unwilling to get involved with anything other than swapping the part.
In fact I have got a hose that isn't right, they have tried to fit that but couldn't - they probably didn't consider just using a section cut from it. I'll keep thinking for a bit and see if anything comes up!

[aspire_helen]

I had this. The corrosion occurred where the return pipe passes just in board of the front left wing. Annoyingly, the corrosion (and leak) was disguised under the sheath of foam rubber intended to protect the metal pipe from stone impacts. Unfortunately, the sheath promoted the corrosion. I got an equivalent piece of rubber hose from some other scrapped car and spliced it in. I used the original style hose clamps, rather than jubilee clips, so that it would look original. It is the low pressure return piping so jubilee clips should be OK. Took me a couple of hours on the drive with front on axle stands.