Just bught a 2005 new form C5 - need help with some issues

[omrio]

Hi, i just bught it, it is perfect.
i love it in every way
but few issues, i am used to Full-Mechnical xsara. so , please be paitent with me.

About the AL4 rubbish gearbox, When changing from 1nd gear to 2nd gear it changes fine, but the revs go up lets say to 2500 then in lets say 1.5 secs go down to 2000 (remmber, im still in 2nd gear) is it normal? there is no knocking, weird noise , on the car computer everything is clean, also using OBD-II everything is clean (no problems)
the car has done 80K km. should i change the gearbox oil? it never beein changed or filled up.

Another question is , i it is a 2.0 litre SX petrol, i dont have a sport suspension button only up / down) but in the car trip computer i can see Veichle configuartion, it says Sport suspension deactivated. do you think that if i will put a button from a car that has the middle button (Sport) it will work?
on the car plastic when you open the bonnet is says Hydroactive III
Thanks, sorry for the long post.

[addo]

The AL4 is not actually "rubbish". It has some oddities but if you use it normally and look after it, you'll be surprised.

An oil change is good practice, and covered well on the internet. Use only the dealer supplied type fluid, no substitutes. Use of an incorrect transmission fluid can destroy the box or severely shorten its life. You'll need access to someone with the correct equipment to reset the transmision wear counter appropriately for the volume of new fluid added.

The RPM issue you notice is simply explained. The converter has a locking clutch that is engaging; prior to the clutch closing the converter experiences "slip" and that's why your revs rise. Once the clutch is locked, you have a direct 1:1 relationship between revs in and revs out - just like a manual car with the clutch let out.

For city driving, you may prefer the transmission to be in Sport mode. It allows more engine braking by holding a lower gear longer - saves on the foot brake wear. For whatever reason, I find it shifts more smoothly, too!

Final note on the auto - ensure your motor's cooling system is in good health. Scale buildup inside it, will foul the heat exchanger which cools your transmission fluid. You can buy a new cooler and hollow bolt from the dealers; if you do this get the biggest unit and the long bolt to suit.

Someone else may have ideas on the suspension issues.

Cheers, Adam.

[omrio]

im taking your tips , and you are right, i tried it with sport mode it is much better.
also in manual it is even better.
about the slip thing, on the 2nd gear for a second or two, is it normal? or it is a fault starting?
no errors on the dash/computer
i will replace the oil, but i think only 2 litres will come out, what about the rest?
i have friend working for 10 years for citroen in a dealer garage, he will take care of changing oil and resetting the timer . i will buy 4 litre of Peugeot gearbox original oil.

[addo]

That's correct; you only get about 2 litres each time. If it appears exceptionally "used" you may choose to drain and replenish the oil a second time shortly after the first. You're doing well to have a dealer contact for the service procedure.

A friend is working on ways to completely pressure flush the system, but it has not yet been tested.

Your second gear experience is "normal" to the AL4. I think it's for maximum economy. All automatic gearboxes have converter slip; what they have done with the AL4 is to use one with a great deal of slip for smoothness when starting off. Naturally, because this is inefficient the gearbox tries to restore optimum efficiency by locking the clutch soon as possible.

Regards, Adam.

[pete_wood_uk]

Another question is , i it is a 2.0 litre SX petrol, i dont have a sport suspension button only up / down) but in the car trip computer i can see Veichle configuartion, it says Sport suspension deactivated. do you think that if i will put a button from a car that has the middle button (Sport) it will work?
on the car plastic when you open the bonnet is says Hydroactive III
Thanks, sorry for the long post.

I wondered about that too, mine also has the "sport suspension de-activated" message on the trip computer, but no, it has been de-activated by not being fitted, I'm afraid

Hydractive III is the basic C5 suspension - electric powered up/down, drops the car at high speed, etc. It is not Hydractive in the same sense that Hydractive II was in the XM and Xantia, with the extra spheres and the hydraulic switches and the sport mode button, etc. For that, you want Hydrative III+ - that "+" is very important.

If you still want to check with your own eyes, then look at the hydraulic pipes going into the front corner sphere mounts. If they're thin, it's hydrative III. If they're quite fat, then it's III+.

Best regards
Pete