C5 conundrum and long journey ahead.

[boristhespie]

Just as well I don't live there then eh?


In fact it Union Square car park that I stopped in with the stink. You're neck of the woods.

Incidentally my first c5 managed 5 years in Shetland without any problem and you can taste the salt there with the sea 10 yards from my door and regularly horizontal and midair.

Wonder if this could be done on warranty? No doubt garage may doubt the issue is calipers.

[qprdude]

OOoops, meant Angus.
Haven't been to Shetland since I worked on the old St Clair. (When it was black and cream, and run by the North of Scotland Orkney and Shetland Shipping company!)
Union square, yes but if I go there, I go on the bus. Market street can be a nightmare to get back onto from the car parks. If I drive, I park in the multi-storey at the other side of the station (Colledge Street) and walk over the rail bridge. It's a much underused car park and all automatic. Drive in and your number and time is logged. Pay at a machine ,put your regd in, go to your car and drive out. No barriers, wide spaces .

Hope you get the brakes fixed. Think Arnold Clark is still the Aberdeen Citroen agent, but I'm not recommending them.

[Citroenmad]

It does sound like the very common C5 problem of the handbrake mechanism sticking inside the caliper.

What was done to free off the sticking brake spreviously?

I have to say I have had little joy with finding a long term fix for the sticking handbrake mechanism. A full strip down and repair or a full replacement of the caliper, the latter is what I have been doing.

I had this problem on one of my C5s and very nearly set fire to the brakes, it was binding so badly. After that, until I had time to sort out the fitting of the new calipers and replacing the pretty burnt discs and pads, I drove it without using the handbrake. Not something I would recommend doing for long, obviously.

If you are thinking that the handbrake is binding the brakes, you should be able to pull it off using the lever on the caliper itself. With the wheel on full lock (or removed) reach infront of the wheel and locate the lever on the caliper (it has the handbrake lever attached to it ...). Pull the lever towards the front of the car, you might need pliers, and the brake will release. If the handbrake is not sticking then you will no be able to pull the lever, as it should sit in the most off position. Just don't try it with the handbrake applied If it appears to be sticking and you have manually released it, see if you can avoid using the handbrake until the caliper is sorted.

I have to say, I question a garage who only fits new pads to one corner of the car.

[boristhespie]

My mistake was that their bill said on set of pads but they did do the two fronts.

But i did have the calipers replaced twice. One set failed so that had to be replaced. It was and now that's the one which is binding i guess. So...

[Citroenmad]

If the caliper was replaced within a year you should have a warranty on it.

I had one of the replacement calipers fail, during an MOT actually, which I got replaced FOC as it was within the years warranty.

[boristhespie]

Hipefyully. My main problem is that this seems intermittent.

[boristhespie]

Got then nothing. Cold as ice.

[Stickyfinger]

It was stinking today after first journey of 14 miles. Scorching hot. The the next two journeys nothing. Cold as ice.

You really really should not be driving with it like it is m8.....please get the problem sorted.

Go on a fast drive with the windows closed and you will not know it till there is a BIG problem.....

PLEASE get it fixed ASAP....you know the problem areas.....keeping on using it like that NOT a good thing....I URGE you, please sort the problem before you damage your car more or worse, have a bearing failure or massive break fade on one side causing your car to swerve uncontrollably under braking on a wet road.

Personally I would rather you do not share the same road as me with you car in that condition, it is VERY dangerous

[boristhespie]

In garage last night. Looking at new car tonight too.

[Stickyfinger]

Seems like an extreme thing to do since it is a relatively small and known problem for which there is a simple solution...is the car really not worth the work ?

[craig_s_b69]

i had the issue on a 2003 c5, i found that it stuck on regular so freed off the hand break leaver on the caliper and stopped using the hand break untill i had time to change the caliper
simple job just make sure you bleed the system thoroughly when done

[boristhespie]

I have paid £260 to change the caliper already and had to have it done twice as the replacement was duff. Now the newest one is sticking. That'll be another best part of £300. I don't have the knowledge to be able to do this myself. I guess another new set of brake pade and or disc will be required. Then the handbrake may need to be disassembled which I read was a larger job than it should be.

To be honest, I cannot afford the days off work to have this thing in the garage yet again. So yeah may be easy if your techie skilled but I am not and frankly cannot be @rsed with garages and thongs continually going wrong any more.

[Stickyfinger]

I think you have been VERY badly let down by your garage, a replacement should be free (if it is the caliper) and should be free fitted if supplied by the garage, the cables are not hard.

It really is a very BASIC job and not at all "techie"....please do not recommend your garage if they struggle with a simple job like this.

I am sorry for your situation.

[boristhespie]

The replacement caliper was free as was it's fitting. Done on guarantee but time off work isn't really. Need car for it. It wasn't there fault the caliper they bought was duff but here's another one...how long will it go on.

[mikeC5]

Can't understand what's going on here! If the correct pads were fitted originally (or before you bought the car) there should have been no rust on the area swept by the replacement pads, so no rust interfering with them. (Used to get this problem with my BX REAR pads as the brake was seldom used (front/rear brake balance).) Also I had the tracking problem on my xantia as front track is wider than rear so the mech tried to make the wheels parallel - with his laser.
Took my son's C3 brakes apart and found that NONE of the disks were attached to the hub with C/S screws - just the wheel bolts!
A lot of garages don't read the manual!!