CITROEB C5 SUSPENSION WOES !!!NOT MUCH GAP BETWEEN ARCH

[gazzas c5]

I have a 03 c5 Hdi ,the front seems very low between the front wheel arch and the tyre which is not much gap between them,i notice that the rear of the car when driving goes up quite a bit high and the front goes up very slightly not much though,when i get out of the car when the suspension goes down the front is very low also i have brand new mudflaps to fit on it ,I cant fit them on the front due to like an inch gap between the end of mudflap and the road therfore i didnt go ahead to fit them,past C5s that i have owned had a much bigger gap on the front wheel arch and tyre,please help,Last month i got new spheres fitted on the front and it has been the same gap since i have bought it 4 months ago

Cheers Gaz

[cachaciero]

Check the front height sensor, failure of these appears to be quite common and may explain your problem, the front rise when you select high suspension?.

[gazzas c5]

Hi the suspension rises with the buttons but goes back down quite close when set to normal height thanks.

[dnsey]

Not recommended procedure, but I've had permanent success with carefully drilling a small hole in the sensor body, injecting switch cleaner, exercising the sensor, then refilling the hole. It's only a potentiometer (wirewound, by the feel of it) after all.
Worth a try, perhaps?

[gazzas c5]

Hi Dsney,How do i locate it and do the job?What was the problem with yours before u sorted it out>?many thanks Gaz

[cachaciero]

Before you drill holes in the sensor check it's set correctly it clamps onto the front roll bar by slackening the clamp you should be able to move the arm and the suspension should rise or fall as appropriate, ONLY DO THIS ON RAMPS.
As to where it is exactly the Haynes BOL should show you that, somebody might like to confirm that.

cachaciero

[dnsey]

My reasoning is that if nothing else has changed, the clamp position should still be correct, and any simple problem will be down to the sensor.

It's a matter of preference - personally, if in doubt, I'd swap front and rear sensors as a check (or substitute a standard pot for the sensor to test the effect) before upsetting the clamp position.

FWIW, to clean the sensor track, unbolt the sensor unit from the clamp (leaving the clamp in place), and unclip the 'dogbone'. Visualise the track and wiper within the sensor body and carefully drill a small hole in the plastic body where it will clear them. Inject some switch cleaner - the sort that won't attack plastics - and move the sensor through its full travel at least 20 times. Seal the hole with hotmelt glue or WHY. While you're at it, squirt the external connectors too.
Refit and try!

[cachaciero]

My reasoning is that if nothing else has changed, the clamp position should still be correct, and any simple problem will be down to the sensor.

Not an unreasonable position but the O/P has had the car for 4 months and it has been like that since he got it, trouble is he / we don't know what was done before he got it, theres lotsa cowboys out there

Changing the clamp position is no big deal, do like the idea of a seperate pot on a couple of feet of wire one could play with height from the side rather than underneath the car .

A lexia makes it even easier you can adjust the height just by writing in new calibration values

cachaciero.