C5 Newbie Help, Please!

andyf117 · Post by **andyf117** » 04 May 2010, 17:35

Greetings All

New to the forum, but not to Citroens, having owned a number over the last 18 years - five BX's (A and B 1.6TRS's -> D 1.9i -> G and J 16v's) and two Xantia's (M 2.0i SX and R 2.0 Turbo Activa)....

After five years and 50,000 miles completely trouble-free, my beloved Activa was declared 'uneconomical to repair' a couple of weeks ago after a run-in with a mobile crane at a roundabout....

So just over a week ago I replaced it with an 02 plate 2.0HPi Exclusive C5 with 55,000 on the clock for £1,450 - drove it 50 miles home and then just half-a-dozen five-mile round trips to work last week. Parked up at 7.30am Sat, didn't touch it until 10.30pm last night...

Got it in to go to work, and as soon as I turned the key the headlights came on, wipers moved to vertical position and stopped, and various messages came up on the display, including 'anti-theft fault' and 'passenger airbag disabled' - and when I tried to start it, nothing happened. Volt meter showing virtually nothing - obviously dead battery.

Got out to take wife's faithful Micra, couldn't lock C5 with remote, had to use key. Got home this morning, unlocked with remote, greeted with a 'bong' on opening the door. Put key in and turned it, virtually nothing - no wiper movement, no screen display, just dash indications. Couldn't lock it with remote again....

Disconnected battery, and put it on charge in situ, as couldn't work out how to loosen the battery clamp to remove it (there's a 'bolt head', but it appears to be an integral part of a black plastic 'cover'?).....

I'm hoping 7-8 hours charging will be enough to get it going again in time for work tonight, but need some help, please! Do I need to follow any set procedures after reconnecting the battery? Or do I just allow a specific period of time for the system to reset itself?

Any advice warmly received! Thanks in advance....

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 04 May 2010, 21:54

Welcome to the FCF

Shame about your Activa though

Hopefully a charge will have it going again.

The battery is very easy to remove, not tools needed. There are quick release clips on both terminals and to the front of the battery there is a large plastic screw type thing which you turn by hand, sometimes a little stiff. Then it just lifts out.

You should need to do anything when refitting the battery, ive had mine out a few times with no problems when ive put it back in.

andyf117 · Post by **andyf117** » 04 May 2010, 22:18

Thanks! I did wonder if the plastic thing was the clamp release, but couldn't move it by hand.....

Have read various posts about holding down buttons on the remote whilst turning the ignition, locking and unlocking doors, turning the key a certain number of times, etc, etc - all very confusing! Good to hear it shouldn't need any of that....

Have just disconnected the charger and hooked thye battery back up prior to logging on, and left it to sit and hopefully reset whilst I get ready for work - moment of truth will come in about 10 mins after logging off!

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 05 May 2010, 14:42

Welcome to our troubles, Andy !

The bolt head on the battery clamp is a 19 mm hex to loosen it.
Even if you squirt it to make it move freely, next time it will be hard to twist by hand again.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 05 May 2010, 15:11

Yes, it is a little tight, seems to turn just before it breaks. Getting it closed again is harder i find.

Did the car go after its charge?

andyf117 · Post by **andyf117** » 05 May 2010, 16:03

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Yes, it fired up first time, and everything OK except that the SatNav appeared disabled - since discovered that it had spat the CD out....

Am guessing that the systems on the C5 use a lot more juice than I've been used to - never had a problem with making only short trips with the Activa and then it standing unused for a few days at a time.....

Just concerned now that this may be a recurring thing - as I work nights, the journey there is always made with lights, although at least the run home is now in daylight.....

Post by **myglaren** » 05 May 2010, 16:26

Shouldn't be a problem. I make mainly short trips in mine (4 miles each way) and until last week my lights, on auto, were on nearly all the time, even in bright sunlight.

I saw that the sensor was askew and reseated it (hoping it was the rain sensor as that has never worked) and jow the lights only come on when the streetlights do.

Haven't had any problems with the battery although from buying the car the starter always seemd a bit slow and I expected to have to replace it. Still soldiering on though.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 06 May 2010, 08:46

Might be new battery time, the C5s battery is pretty heafty as it powers the suspension too.

andyf117 · Post by **andyf117** » 06 May 2010, 15:17

As mentioned above, after reconnecting the battery, the SatNav was disabled - as in 'greyed out' on the display, and unable to be selected from the menu.....

I assumed this was simply because it had spat the map disc out - however, on re-inserting it last night, it still doesn't work. It sounded like it was trying to read it, but after a minute or so the disc ejected itself - it then sucked it back in and had another go, with the same result.....

Have just tried the software disc, which does exactly the same thing - sounds like it's reading then ejects, re-inserts, then ejects again. The SatNav and Map icons on the display remain unaccessible....

Any advice or suggestions, please?