C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

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Longyear
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Longyear »

Hi all,

So yesterday, I cleaned the MAF with Halfords Electrical Contact Cleaner. I did my usual 60 mile round trip, that I do 4 times per week (twice per day on 2 of those), and where the car reported 31mpg previously, the figure was 32.5mpg for yesterday afternoon's trip..... in other words only an arbitrary improvement.

So............. this morning (before the rain arrived!) I cleaned the MAF connection plug with electrical contact cleaner, but also then applied some Dielectric Silicone Grease to the MAF plug connections.

On starting the car this morning, it sounded smoother and seemed to pull a bit more 'perkier'. From this morning's trip, I got 38mpg, so we're definitely getting there. A definite improvement with the Dielectric Silicone Grease, because I actually drove the car considerably harder on this trip, some of it in 'sport' mode on the autobox, some of it holding it in '3rd gear' to do a bit of passive regeneration for the FAP, and generally speaking just heavier with the right foot. So to drive considerably harder on the right foot and see MPG increase from 32 to 38 is encouraging.

Now, my next concern is that while looking under the bonnet, I noticed (to the left of the MAF, on the main engine block, just to the lower right of the engine cover), some sort of plastic 'arm' that appears to have snapped where it connects to a small plastic balljoint, on some sort of pivoting device (great description I know!).

To add to my poor description, here is a photo of appalling quality! ........ Hopefully my red text fills in the gaps :-

Image

Can anyone tell me what this is, why it might have snapped, and what the effect would be? ..... Is this the infamous swirl valve arm thingymajig?

:)
David.
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by waynedance »

This sounds lie the swirl arm, doh!!

Mine snapped and I ordered a new one and just change the ball joint as the valve seemed fine.
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Longyear »

waynedance wrote:This sounds lie the swirl arm, doh!!

Mine snapped and I ordered a new one and just change the ball joint as the valve seemed fine.
Would there be no other noticeable effect from this snapping? (the car appears to run fine).

And could this be a contributor towards the poor fuel consumption would you say?
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by SaabC5 »

The swirl arm changes the car from a 12 valve engine to a 16v at 2100rpm. Its another common failure, cost about £40 from memory buit a real pig to fit the thing cos of restricted access. See the link for my original post...

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... rt#p287273
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by mooseshaver »

SaabC5 wrote:The swirl arm changes the car from a 12 valve engine to a 16v at 2100rpm.
Is that the same on the twin turbo?
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Longyear »

SaabC5 wrote:The swirl arm changes the car from a 12 valve engine to a 16v at 2100rpm. Its another common failure, cost about £40 from memory buit a real pig to fit the thing cos of restricted access. See the link for my original post...

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... rt#p287273
Thanks SaabC5, that's a very insightful post, and yep this is definitely what has snapped on mine. Although not as good as changing the whole swirl valve, the 'snap' at the ball join bit was very clean and I have been able to rejoin it (for now) with some superglue. The glue is drying, after which I'll test it as off out to work at 6pm.

I am wondering whether my car has been operating on 12v only or 16v only! ..... I'm hoping for either a good economy or performance gain, depending! :-D

Thanks.
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by SaabC5 »

mooseshaver wrote:
SaabC5 wrote:The swirl arm changes the car from a 12 valve engine to a 16v at 2100rpm.
Is that the same on the twin turbo?
I wouldn't have thought so, twin turbo cars tend to be sequential. The second turbo is always spinning but really comes into play and spools up when you ask for instant power.
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Monkeyfeet »

Try Citroen for the swirl valve actuator, mine was £22 (July this year). Best bet for drive-ability in the meantime is with the arm cable tied back towards bulkhead.
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Longyear »

Monkeyfeet wrote:Try Citroen for the swirl valve actuator, mine was £22 (July this year). Best bet for drive-ability in the meantime is with the arm cable tied back towards bulkhead.
Thanks. However the supergluing operation was successful for now :) ... rod back in 1 piece and operating fine at the required revs. I can't detect any extra performance (as someone reported having repaired this break) but I did my usual 60 mile run and got 38mpg again.

I suspect that's as good as it's going to get from this car/engine. Definitely the most thirsty diesel I've owned (including a BMW 530d which just beat the C5!), but a lovely drive overall. Had I done my research, I think however I would have gotten a 1.8i or 2.0i petrol C5 over this HDi, given FAP considerations, fuel economy, servicing, etc.
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Peter.N. »

You should have got the 2.0 manual C5, no DPF and 60 mpg - I wish I had :(

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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Longyear »

Peter.N. wrote:You should have got the 2.0 manual C5, no DPF and 60 mpg - I wish I had :(

Peter
Yep, me too!

Or to be honest a petrol 1.8 or 2.0 would have been fine for me. I wasn't looking for a diesel model but this car came up and at £575 for a virtual minter, was too hard to resist! ........ But i've noticed some pretty good 1.8 and 2.0 petrol models are virtually being given away at the moment too.
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by jgra1 »

dunno.,,

my c5 man 2.0 is 45mpg on average, on open roads and motorways taking it fairly easy,, ;)
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Peter.N. »

I only paid £300.00 for my 2.2 estate - that's why I bought it, thought it was worth a try. I can get well over 60 mpg from my 406 on a run but I do drive like a grandad - well I am :? so I reckon I could get 60 from the C5 2.0 Hdi. We are doing a trip to Yorkshire next week, the outcome of that fuel wise will determine whether I keep it or not.

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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by Longyear »

Just an update ........ well the swirl valve actuator rod snapped again at the balljoint (where I'd superglued it!)..... so I am back on 16v only (without the 12v retarding below 2100rpm), so my average mpg is back down to 33mpg, but I've decided to leave it alone for now.

Just a question for you clever chaps and chapesses; we are thinking about getting a second C5 as a replacement for our aging Octavia... as much I love my C5 2.2 HDi Auto, I don't want another one with this engine, due to the fuel consumption and also because our current model has no DPF issues whatsoever, but considering how many of these cars do have problems, I don't fancy my luck on owning two!

So........... am I right in thinking that none of the, let's say pre 54 reg C5 2.0 HDi (110bhp) cars have a dreaded DPF? .... I will probs be looking at a 01-03 age range.

I will definitely go for a 2.0HDi for our second C5 as long as that engine does not have a DPF.

Many thanks in advance. :mrgreen:
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Re: C5 2.2 HDi Auto - High fuel consumption?

Post by jgra1 »

not sure on the years, but any C5 8 valve hdi is pre FAP :)
but.. I think 110 could be an 8 or a 16.. in the early years.. ? ..



John
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