Citroenmads Citroen blog.

[Deanxm]

im back ran low on fuel and forgot my wallet
had to try a little road i thought the activa would like, seems there are lots of them though.


D

[Citroenmad]

Ah, thas not good Dean, I did think you would have been gone for the night!

The Activa likes most roads ... there is one which im really wanting to try. Its about an 80 mile trip and the road is excellent - because of this is very popular with bikers, so ill go on a weekday! Steep hills, tight turns, flowing turns, bumps (have got the C5 in the air on one of them!) and twists, some fast sections, over taking sections. Its excellent. One I take every new car on to see what its like so it will be good to try it on more familiar roads.

Well, thats one of the roads I want to take the Activa too, there are many!

Ive wanted a nice driving car for a good while. The Xms are good but not great and the C5 is a great everyday car but would rather you kept the pushing around to a bearable level.

[KevMayer]

I had written down a summary of all the service history I got with the car when I first owned it just so I could work out what needed to be done first.

The list above is the most relevant history. There was other stuff about sphere changes but they've all been changed again since then so I didn't include it.

[Citroenmad]

Thanks Kevin, yes, I think i know about all of the service things I need to now. It does appear to have been regularily serviced going by the condition and Ill be working through the car to get things done anyway.

I collected the car yesterday after its cambelt change, its running just as well as it was before, so no issues with the timing as I first imagined. The cambelt was looking a bit aged and was not of great quality, the water pump looked fine however the AUX belt was knackered. So thats peace of mind now I know that its done and running well.

Ive not had much chance to drive it since then, I took it for a quick blast but other than that ive just been pottering around town in it.

Ive been enquiring about a new key. I have one remote key which works the remote locking and alarm, however the key blade on it does not fit the car, I need to use a normal key to work the locks and ignition. I went to Citroen to see how much they could get me a new blade for to fit the remote key, around £50 they said. I then went to a local locksmith who did not have those blades in stock but gave me the number of a mobile key cutter who should be able to give me a new key blade for the remote locking key and cut it too. So ill get onto him and find out if that is possible.

Ive got the mix match of tyres thought out and ill need to get the wheels and tyres swapped around ready for new tyres so I have a matching pair on the front.

This Saturday I plan to give it a service and fit the exhaust clamp which Gareth gave me with the car.

Its front height corrector does appear to be working more often than not now. This morning it pumped up to normal height with no prompting from the height lever. Though I will take a look at it sometime soon and also set the level, as it leans slightly to the passenger side, so that needs setting up.

I think ill write a list of its jobs and then I can tick them off as I get them finished

[KevMayer]

About the keys...
When I got the car all it had was the one 'normal' key (known as the 'service' key).

I got the remote key off ebay and linked it to the remote sensor. That's why the key doesn't work on the car, but, it's good to have the remote function working.

The lock on the drivers door was worn, so, I took it off and had a look at it. I cleaned it with WD40 and oiled it but it wasn't much better when I put it back on.

You needed to push the key hard in to get it to engage with the lock mechanism.

There was also an intermittant fault with the central locking on the rear door on the passenger side. When locking the Activa, sometimes I found that this door was still unlocked.

[Citroenmad]

Thanks for that Kev.

When I asked at the Citroen dealer for a new key, the parts guy said "has it had its locks changed?" No I dont think so, its just had a replacement key as they are always breaking "Ok, well if i order one and it doesnt fit ..." Got me thinking but thanks for clearing that up. Ill be getting a new blade cut for the remote key soon

Well, I first decided the remote key didn't work, but it was just the battery that was getting weak. So for the first few days of owning it I just used the key to manually open the cars central locking in the drivers door lock. I don't find a problem with the lock though, you always do have to push the key in before you turn as it has a security feature where the key just spins if its not pushed it. It doesn't seem to work any different to others ive used.

I have noticed the rear door sometimes not locking with the remote locking. Its something ill look at, though it does work more often than it doesn't. Ill take a look at it, its on my list


Ive not been able to do much with the Activa yet, as ive had two assignments due in for today so ive been working on those.

I have been using the Activa around town and the odd trip out of town, not very far. It has been 20-25 degrees these past few days, I notice the Activa gets quite warm when in traffic, the fans then cut in. Is this a normal thing on the Activa?

This afternoon I got both side repeaters working again, the bulb fitting connectors had become slightly corroded. Ive cleaned them up and they are now working again. The lenses had condensation in them so ive dried them out, though i no doubt need to replace those.

Ive fitted some new front wipers, aero styles ones to replace the rather aged normal ones. They look and work so much better.

I got its NSF tyre swapped around on its rim (its a directional tyre) and fitted to the back, giving it matched pair of Fulda rear tyres. Though it now has a worn Firestone on the NSF and an almost new Kumho on the OSF, so ill get another new Kumho for it soon. Then its tyres will be matched across the axles, far better than the odd mixture which it did have.

I plan on doing a service on it tomorrow, possibly having a look at the height corrector and adjusting its ride height as its leaning to the passenger side slightly. Just depends how much of the day is left after mountain biking around a forest ...

Im very much enjoying the car, even just pottering about round town or on the motorway its such a pleasure to drive. It really comes alive when you show it a corner though, I doubt ill get bored of that! Ive not really had too much of a chance to try it on more familiar twisties but its impressing so far. Im also enjoying its performance, quite a lively performer to say the least, im sure ive surprised a few people already!

A few observations vs the C5 ive had: There is a massive size difference between the C5 and Xantia, it feels far smaller to drive, narrower and shorter, however it only became apparent when I had them parked next to each other. The C5 dwarfs the Xantia. Ive got my C5 and the Activa in the garage tonight, usually with two C5s its a tight fit, with the Xantia in there there is plenty of room to walk around them. The boot is much smaller but interior space seem similar, if a little less spacious. The seating position in the Xantia is not as good as the XM of the C5, its not uncomfortable but its a bit odd, the steering wheel angle seems a bit wrong. On the whole I like them both as cars, however in my opinion the C5 has many advantages and ill not be swapping it to a diesel Xantia! Ill just enjoy having both.

In other news, the air conditioning has packed up on the 52 C5 SX, perfect timing when I was stuck in traffic with it today sat in 25 degrees heat, then having to drive on the motorway with the windows down, i hate that! Im not a fan of cars without AC, which is why I was so interesting in this Activa having AC. Ill get the C5 booked in to a AC specialist and get that sorted out asap. Im taking that C5 to Scotland in two weeks, so it must be working for then. Id have taken the Activa but I need a towbar for the bikerack, only the 52 C5 has one. Ill also get the Activas AC regassed, its working but it could be better. My C5 is like sitting in a freezer, excellent!

Ive been wanting to post some interior pictures of the Acitva, however as ive been running around in it I need to hoover it, so perhaps tomorrow.

[myglaren]

Chris - what are the symptoms of the AC fail?
If the buttons don't do anything then it will be the module that lives above left of the clutch pedal.
It's an easy fix. TCC will have the module. I paid £45 for mine a couple of years ago. Ten minutes to change it (with the right nutrunner).

Alternatively you can pull it and examine it - more than likely it's the output transistors burned out. Replacements from Aitken Bros., High Bridge or possibly Maplins (Grey Street IIRC) Cheaper option but more time consuming if you are needing it in a hurry.
Alternatively pinch the one from your dad's estate and keep quiet about it

[Citroenmad]

Hi Steve,

The AC was working before the cold weather, it was very cold. However now when hitting Auto (its usually pressed onto 'ECO' most of the time when AC is not needed) the AC does not cut in. I was thinking the gas has escaped, though the thought did cross my mind that it might be a computer or other problem.

Would this unit stop the AC from working? I have heard it can make it blow hot or hot on one side and cool on the other when they are both set to the same temp etc.

[myglaren]

Mine just stopped altogether.

If it is low on gas you could check and see if the clutch is cutting in - I believe it is inhibited if the gas pressure is down.

I often wondered what the 'clonk' was on my car a few seconds after starting it (you have to be outside the car to hear it) then realised it was the aircon cutting in (leave it on Auto most of the time)
I did wonder whay it wasn't very cold when I left work in the searing 26 degree heat this evening - Eco button must have been pushed wile I was stowing all the crap I seem to drag around.
Killed the Eco and luvverly cold air filled the cabin

[Citroenmad]

Yes, this one has just stopped altogether. Last time it was used it was very chilly, and now nothing. The clutch on the AC compressor is not being pulled in. So that unit you mentioned can cause that problem then?

I was thinking it was strange going from good AC to nothing.

Yes, I got back home in the SX C5 and jumped in mine which is set to Auto most of the time, it was bliss!

[myglaren]

It might be worthwhile borrowing your dad's AC module to check, before buying another.
The display generally shows some 'fan blades' but the fan itself does nothing.

[Citroenmad]

Ah, well the fan is working perfectly, just the AC isn't functioning.

Im not sure if either my dads or my C5s heating module will work, as they are both facelifts with different climate control panels.

[myglaren]

Looking more like a gas shortage then.

I had a mobile autoelectrician do mine and my son's 306 at the same time. he was very thorough about it and well priced.

He is Lee Snowdon, East Durham Autoelectrics.
0 7 9 4 9 4 6 4 5 6 2 or 0 1 9 1 5 1 7 2 5 8 8

When I phoned him he was here in 20 mins - was working in the next street

[Citroenmad]

Yep, think ill get the gas redone and go from there, it could probably do with it anyway. There is a place around here which will do it for about £70-£80.

The mobile autoelectrician regassed your AC? Pretty handy if so as id like my Activa doing too.

[myglaren]

He did it for a lot less than the price above.
Both cars re-gassed and he fixed my tailgate glass switch while Bob's car was being evacuated. For not much more than the price quoted above £105 IIRC.