c5 brakes

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
boristhespie
Posts: 906
Joined: 07 May 2009, 19:51
Location: Angus
My Cars:
x 1

c5 brakes

Post by boristhespie »

My brakes appear to intermittently sticking on. The car feels like it is restained and occassionally there is a plastic burning smell. Yesterday at 70 there started being an intermittent brake noise squeel. Not very loud but clear.


Have had problem with caliper failing before and breaks remaining on. The smell is the same.

Anyway the garage has looked the car over and while the brake pads are nearly worn they said the caliper looked okay. If moved back and forth with handbrake and that the pads have a couple of millimeters left and enough for a couple of months.

Thing is the sqeal and smell has happened the day after. And the wheel while not hot like previous times the disk is hot although again it didn't take my skin of like previois times only too hot to hold fingers on.

Could this be a toeing in problem then with the pads being worn?

Anything I could do to avoid problems. Shouild I just get them changed. The garage didn't really thonk it necessary right now.
C'est pas possible!
User avatar
SaabC5
Posts: 765
Joined: 01 Aug 2011, 23:18
Location: SW London
My Cars: 09 C5 X7 2.0Hdi Exclusive
x 1

Re: c5 brakes

Post by SaabC5 »

What axle? There's known problems with the rear calipers pulling in causing issues.
09 C5 X7 2.0Hdi Exclusive in Perla Nera black (the best colour) :wink:
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25368
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 4889

Re: c5 brakes

Post by myglaren »

That sounds rather like the fairly typical handbrake failure of the front calipers.

However, if it is the rears and they have developed the out=of-alignment-due-to-corrosion that is so common and they need replacing then these look to be very good value.
boristhespie
Posts: 906
Joined: 07 May 2009, 19:51
Location: Angus
My Cars:
x 1

Re: c5 brakes

Post by boristhespie »

Front driver side. Rear calipers were replaced previously.

There is some play in handbrake. No tenssion.

Is this a cable issue or more serious?
C'est pas possible!
RichardW
Forum Treasurer
Posts: 10814
Joined: 07 Aug 2002, 17:12
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: MK2 '17 C4GP 1.6 BlueHDi 120
'13 3008 1.6 HDi GripControl
x 984

Re: c5 brakes

Post by RichardW »

It's essentially a cable issue Boris - but the back half the cable runs in a guide tube, and it is this that that seizes up. So you need to replace the cable and tube - which entails dropping the exhaust and heat shields :roll: making it about a 4 hour job :evil:
Richard W
dnsey
Posts: 1538
Joined: 20 Oct 2004, 01:39
Location:
My Cars:
x 19

Re: c5 brakes

Post by dnsey »

If there's no 'spring' in the initial handbrake movement, it's more than likely the usual caliper problem.
Regular lubrication and exercising of the lever at the caliper over a number of days may well effect a cure. Take care to get the lubricant behind the rubber seal on the lever shaft, but nowhere near the disc!
john alexander
Posts: 360
Joined: 12 Apr 2004, 00:43
Location: livingston west lothian
My Cars:

Re: c5 brakes

Post by john alexander »

Has everyone got money to burn. dont replace the rear calipers just swap right for left . simples ! You'll also notice that the sealant on the long bolts is no help in keeping the calipers from twisting . Mine are cleaned and copperslipped , like every other nut and bolt on my car.
boristhespie
Posts: 906
Joined: 07 May 2009, 19:51
Location: Angus
My Cars:
x 1

Re: c5 brakes

Post by boristhespie »

4hours is expensive. If that. The garage sis say they tried the handbrake and it seemed okay. Caliiper came on and went offas expected. That's why they said it was ok. At that point i began to wonder if i had forgotten to take brke off when driving but bow i know it aint that.

The rear calipers failed. In fact the garage put on another and it failed within a week so had to be replaced under warantee for nowt. The springs etc had snapped.

But this is a front caliper. So could be cable or could be caliper. Only time in garage will tell.

Would new pads actually bring this forward so that it could be seen quicker if there is problem?
C'est pas possible!
Gibbo2286
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 7172
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 18:04
Location: GL15***
My Cars: 2006 C5 2.0 Litre HDI VTR Automatic Estate.(now sold on)
Currently Renault Zoe 2014 ZE
x 2500

Re: c5 brakes

Post by Gibbo2286 »

I replaced the handbrake cables on mine in January (blo...... y cold out on the front drive).

The right hand side cable came out of the tube ok and was an easy enough job, the left side needed a new tube but although a bit of a Chinese puzzle to fit I managed to do it by just folding back the heat shield and without disconnecting the exhaust.

The right hand caliper lever was seized but some lube and exercising it with a tube spanner freed it off and all's well now.
Man is, by nature, a lazy beast, he does not need twice encouraging to do nothing.
boristhespie
Posts: 906
Joined: 07 May 2009, 19:51
Location: Angus
My Cars:
x 1

Re: c5 brakes

Post by boristhespie »

I envy you mechanical confident types.
C'est pas possible!
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25368
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 4889

Re: c5 brakes

Post by myglaren »

john alexander wrote:Has everyone got money to burn. dont replace the rear calipers just swap right for left . simples ! You'll also notice that the sealant on the long bolts is no help in keeping the calipers from twisting . Mine are cleaned and copperslipped , like every other nut and bolt on my car.
They can corrode so badly that they fall to bits when removed, as mine did.

The dealers just cut them off with an angle grinder and bin them.
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25368
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 4889

Re: c5 brakes

Post by myglaren »

boristhespie wrote:4hours is expensive. If that. The garage sis say they tried the handbrake and it seemed okay. Caliiper came on and went offas expected. That's why they said it was ok. At that point i began to wonder if i had forgotten to take brke off when driving but bow i know it aint that.

The rear calipers failed. In fact the garage put on another and it failed within a week so had to be replaced under warantee for nowt. The springs etc had snapped.

But this is a front caliper. So could be cable or could be caliper. Only time in garage will tell.

Would new pads actually bring this forward so that it could be seen quicker if there is problem?
When mine started sticking, the garage released them and advised that I avoid using the handbrake.

On occasion, before having them replaced, I found a temporary fix was to push the footbrake to the floor while stationary, this would release it most of the time.
They replaced the cables and guides but unnecessarily as it turned out, they were fine but the calliper internals were shot.
User avatar
spider
Posts: 3949
Joined: 05 Jan 2010, 14:28
Location: Derby.
My Cars: Soon, I hope...
x 77
Contact:

Re: c5 brakes

Post by spider »

One thing (not sure how much it will apply to this model though) its not unknown but rare thankfully for a flexible hose to collapse internally.

No outward symptoms are noticed from examining it but the effect is a one way valve, fluid can get to the calliper / wheel cylinder but not out again, well it does release slowly, this can cause the sticking wheel syndrome.
Andy.

91 205D-Turbo, gone but still missed
02 106D, TUD5B, gone but not really missed apart from the MPG
stu9
Posts: 257
Joined: 23 Oct 2012, 18:56
Location:
My Cars:

Re: c5 brakes

Post by stu9 »

Electric handbrake (if that's what it is) = pita
User avatar
myglaren
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 25368
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 4889

Re: c5 brakes

Post by myglaren »

No, they are not electric on these models, just the later ones.
Post Reply