Hi all,
My new (to me) C5 has developed a strange quirk, using the front windscreen washer will active the rear washer, and vice versa, its most distracting to try and wash the rear screen and have the front washers kick in. Not a major issue at all, but something I'd like to address.
As this is a multiplex (correct term?) car where does one start looking for this fault?
Thanks all
Confused rear washer on my C5
Moderator: RichardW
-
- Posts: 590
- Joined: 21 Apr 2009, 15:35
- Location: Hemel Hempstead (unfortunately)
- My Cars:
- x 2
Confused rear washer on my C5
Gone to the dark side.
Past Citroens
'99 Xantia HDi Exclusive
'99 Xantia 3.0 V6 Exclusive (Green Goblin)
'02 C5 Hdi 110 LX Estate
'98 Xantia 1.8 sx auto with LPG
'00 Xantia Hdi (110) forte
'97 Xantia 1.9D sx
'93 Xantia 1.9D lx (my first) R.I.P
Past Citroens
'99 Xantia HDi Exclusive
'99 Xantia 3.0 V6 Exclusive (Green Goblin)
'02 C5 Hdi 110 LX Estate
'98 Xantia 1.8 sx auto with LPG
'00 Xantia Hdi (110) forte
'97 Xantia 1.9D sx
'93 Xantia 1.9D lx (my first) R.I.P
-
- Posts: 8125
- Joined: 04 Dec 2008, 22:08
- Location: Northeast
- My Cars: 07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10 - x 110
I think your quite right to pinpoint it to the multiplexing, often switches start operating different functions when the unit fails. However, it might only fail in that area, the rest of the functions might remain unchanged.
I had one which, when i indicated right, would indicate three times them turn on the headlamps. It was he comms2000 unit which was at fault, i replaced that with new and its been fine since.
Its not a hugely common fault, thinking how many cars are multiplexed, relatively few owners experience problems with the comms unit.
Saying that, it might well be something more simple.
Something you could try is activating the washers with the wipers turned on, as this should make the unit send a different signal. It worked for me with the problem mine had, with the headlamps manually turned on, the indicators worked perfectly.
I had one which, when i indicated right, would indicate three times them turn on the headlamps. It was he comms2000 unit which was at fault, i replaced that with new and its been fine since.
Its not a hugely common fault, thinking how many cars are multiplexed, relatively few owners experience problems with the comms unit.
Saying that, it might well be something more simple.
Something you could try is activating the washers with the wipers turned on, as this should make the unit send a different signal. It worked for me with the problem mine had, with the headlamps manually turned on, the indicators worked perfectly.
Chris
07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
.
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10
07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
.
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10
-
- Posts: 590
- Joined: 21 Apr 2009, 15:35
- Location: Hemel Hempstead (unfortunately)
- My Cars:
- x 2
I think I explained that badly, what I mean is both washers come on simultaneously, when your trying to activate either the front or back washers.
Gone to the dark side.
Past Citroens
'99 Xantia HDi Exclusive
'99 Xantia 3.0 V6 Exclusive (Green Goblin)
'02 C5 Hdi 110 LX Estate
'98 Xantia 1.8 sx auto with LPG
'00 Xantia Hdi (110) forte
'97 Xantia 1.9D sx
'93 Xantia 1.9D lx (my first) R.I.P
Past Citroens
'99 Xantia HDi Exclusive
'99 Xantia 3.0 V6 Exclusive (Green Goblin)
'02 C5 Hdi 110 LX Estate
'98 Xantia 1.8 sx auto with LPG
'00 Xantia Hdi (110) forte
'97 Xantia 1.9D sx
'93 Xantia 1.9D lx (my first) R.I.P
- myglaren
- Forum Admin Team
- Posts: 25488
- Joined: 02 Mar 2008, 13:30
- Location: Washington
- My Cars: Mazda 6
Ooops.
Previously:
2009 Honda Civic :(
C5, C5, Xantia, BX, GS, Visa.
R4, R11TXE, R14, R30TX - x 4924
That is odd as the way they work is the pump motor is bidirectional and there are a couple of flapper valves that help to direct the flow.
Depending on the direction of rotation the fluid should flow through one pipe only.
Mine only goes to the front washers, the rear hasn't worked for a couple of years. Keep meaning to fix it but never do.
Depending on the direction of rotation the fluid should flow through one pipe only.
Mine only goes to the front washers, the rear hasn't worked for a couple of years. Keep meaning to fix it but never do.
- JamesQB
- Posts: 375
- Joined: 13 Aug 2003, 18:01
- Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
- My Cars: Citroen Xantia 1.8 - I miss this car a lot.
- x 5
This is a fairly common problem on the Megane that uses a bidirectional motor and valves. Mine currently does the same thing: washing both front and back regardless of which I activate. Apparently the valves are the trouble, allowing flow through both at the same time.
Solution is new pump. I can get an aftermarket for £7 but haven't bothered yet.
Solution is new pump. I can get an aftermarket for £7 but haven't bothered yet.
Honda Civic 2.2 CDTi 2006
Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 2007
Peugeot 407 2.0 HDi 2007
-
- Posts: 8125
- Joined: 04 Dec 2008, 22:08
- Location: Northeast
- My Cars: 07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10 - x 110
When both washers activate, do both of the front and rear wipers work too?
If it was a faulty pump valve that shouldn't turn on both front and rear wipers, only the washer. If its comms related id expect both wipers to functions, rather than just the washers.
If it was a faulty pump valve that shouldn't turn on both front and rear wipers, only the washer. If its comms related id expect both wipers to functions, rather than just the washers.
Chris
07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
.
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10
07 Citroen C6 V6 HDi Exclusive - Red
07 Citroen C5 HDi VTR - Red
09 Citroen C3 1.4i VTR - Silver
01 Citroen Saxo 1.1i Forte - Mango Orange
.
93 Ford Mondeo 2.0i GLX
19 Hyundai i10
-
- Posts: 590
- Joined: 21 Apr 2009, 15:35
- Location: Hemel Hempstead (unfortunately)
- My Cars:
- x 2
Just the washers have the simultaneous issue, the wipers work quite happily on an independent basis.
Gone to the dark side.
Past Citroens
'99 Xantia HDi Exclusive
'99 Xantia 3.0 V6 Exclusive (Green Goblin)
'02 C5 Hdi 110 LX Estate
'98 Xantia 1.8 sx auto with LPG
'00 Xantia Hdi (110) forte
'97 Xantia 1.9D sx
'93 Xantia 1.9D lx (my first) R.I.P
Past Citroens
'99 Xantia HDi Exclusive
'99 Xantia 3.0 V6 Exclusive (Green Goblin)
'02 C5 Hdi 110 LX Estate
'98 Xantia 1.8 sx auto with LPG
'00 Xantia Hdi (110) forte
'97 Xantia 1.9D sx
'93 Xantia 1.9D lx (my first) R.I.P
- mooseshaver
- Posts: 886
- Joined: 27 Apr 2006, 10:50
- Location: Cumbria
- My Cars:
My C5 did this and it needed a repalcement pump.
Mine would wash the front ones ant the same time as the back, which was fun on motorways becasue you have to suddenly use the wipers so you can see.
Its common on lots of cars my brother tells me.
Mine would wash the front ones ant the same time as the back, which was fun on motorways becasue you have to suddenly use the wipers so you can see.
Its common on lots of cars my brother tells me.
C5 III Tourer 2.0 HDi 163 Auto Exclusive
Gone cars.
C5 2.2 HDi Exclusive Estate auto 57. Awesome car. Sadly Could not be fixed by Citroen.
C5 1.6 HDi VTR Estate 56. Traded in.
C5 2.2 HDi SX Estate 02. Drowned in the floods of 09.
C3 1.4 HDi 92 SX 52.
Saxo 1.1 East Coast.
Gone cars.
C5 2.2 HDi Exclusive Estate auto 57. Awesome car. Sadly Could not be fixed by Citroen.
C5 1.6 HDi VTR Estate 56. Traded in.
C5 2.2 HDi SX Estate 02. Drowned in the floods of 09.
C3 1.4 HDi 92 SX 52.
Saxo 1.1 East Coast.
- Paul-R
- Donor 2023
- Posts: 6949
- Joined: 07 May 2009, 16:24
- Location: Wirral, NW England; Vaucluse 84, France
- Lexia Available: Yes
- My Cars: 2015 1.6 Blue HDi 120 Peugeot 308 Active SW
2013 2.0 HDi 163 C5 Exclusive Tourer
2003 2.0 HDi 110 C5 Exclusive Estate (Gone)
2001 2.0 HDi 90 Xsara Estate (Gone) - x 1383
Which means they all use the same crappy design.mooseshaver wrote:Its common on lots of cars my brother tells me.
My C5 didn't do the "two for the price of one" but instead would only spray the rear window. I took the pump off a few times to wash it through but in the end had to change it for one from a scrappy.
Out of interest I dismantled the pump and found a strange moving shuttle valve inside. This seems to be prone to jamming if there is debris in the water so make sure that the inside of the washer bottle is cleaned out before fitting another one.
I would have been a good idea if Citroen had fitted a filter into the filler neck like VW do. When I saw one on my daughter's Golf I though it was an excellent idea.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.
Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.
"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson
Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.
"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson