07 C5 Exclusive Hatch Service light

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Thanks James. Back to the dreaded service light. in changing the battery over for a week long trickle charged purchased in November for the xantia battery the service light did not show once for a total of seven journeys. Now it's back to its old tricks on again five mins after getting under way just for five seconds and that's it. It does seem to come on as soon as the nav screen flashes up "tyre pressures not monitored" could this be the cause? I know I know I've got to sort a lexia. But just wondered anyway.

[elma]

Welcome to the World of overcomplicated modern cars, they're great and convenient when they work but thats a rare thing as far as I've observed. The Lexia should help no end.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Why the hell did Citroen go down this route with so much electronics that you can't diagnose the problems without a computer? They built their name on good quirky ideas such a shame that they thought more of the garage business than the customers them selves there is no need to take the maintenance of a vehicle out of the hands of the customer who is likely to do services more frequently than any garage.don't they know that the classics are only classics because their owners put a lot
Of time into working on them? Still happy tonput a concourse condition classic in their showroom from time to time though. Perhaps it reminds them of a time when they were proud of their work.

[elma]

It's not just Citroen it's all modern cars. The EU legislation on car manufacture has ensured that cars are made this way and it isn't likely to change. Since EOBD was made mandatory we have been on a slippery slope towards computerified cars. It's why I have a real issue buying cars made from 1998 onwards. Of course they are getting so old now that my hand is being forced into driving the computer cars I don't really like.

[mickeymoon]

I much prefer computerised modern cars to old stuff. It's so much easier to diagnose in nearly every case I've come across. Plug in, diagnose... I served my time in a Citroen dealer workshop back in the late 80s and I still prefer the modern stuff.

[elma]

80s is a bit early for me, I think car design peaked around the mid 90s.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

I think it peaked when they stopped using a wind tunnel.
as I understand it the Xantia was the last Citroen to go into one.
so Midd 90's is about right then.
Thing is there has been nothing much revolutionary since then except computerization.

[elma]

Is the lack of wind tunnel testing due to the use of cad simulation? I was unaware that they were no longer used.

[GiveMeABreak]

I think they do it all with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) now.

[elma]

Computers designing computers, they'll be driving the cars next.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Ahhhhh your onto something there..................hahahaha.

[wurlycorner]

It's not European legislation that's driven electronic control and on-board diagnostics - that was happening anyway, driven by the manufacturers (cheaper, simpler, faster to assemble, less skilled maintenance etc).

What European legislation drove was a common standard (connection plug and comms protocol) that all manufacturers must install (OBD) - This was a GOOD thing, because it meant after-market code readers could be available to anyone, allowing independent (garages AND home mechanics) to continue to service and maintain cars, rather than the manufacturers being able to exploit a monopoly position of unique diagnostic equipment, only available to them.

As I said several pages ago falling-out-with-my-car... It's not Citroen, all modern cars are like this. And as others have said, it actually makes diagnosing faults so much quicker and simpler (although the complexity of the systems can indeed induce some as well )