C5 LCD screen / Consumer Unit

[LD]

The LCD screen on my C5 became intermittent, and eventually failed to light up at all. Mechanic advised that I need a new screen, suggested I look on ebay for a second-hand unit, which I did. When I took the replacement screen to the garage he expected to fit it while I waited, but the replacement was also intermittent. The car has now been there 8 days; when I phoned yesterday mechanic said he had

“taken it down the road to have the consumer unit looked at. It keeps losing its feed, which is VERY STRANGE”.

Please, what's a consumer unit? Is it the fusebox? Does “losing its feed” mean the supply from the fusebox is intermittent? Any any ideas at to what the problem might be?

Thanks!

[GiveMeABreak]

It sounds like a lot of Bull***t to me. For a start a consumer unit is fitted in domestic electrical installations! So with this terminology I'm already wondering if you should of let this chap loose on your car!

Sadly this is posibly a case of changing a part without looking at the cause. It really needs somebody with a Lexia to interrogate the system and see firstly if anything is being reported so you can troubleshoot. It may be the head unit, or something else that without a proper diagnostic is pointless guessing. I bet your 'mechanic' didn't know there is a corrct sequence of disconnecting the fibre optics to the head unit and screen, which could render the screen useless if not followed...

These units ae very expensive to replace if you can get them, so you need to be sure of the issue. If you can get it tested with a Lexia first, you may have a few pointers. If it does need replacing, which is the cheapest option there are a few specialist repairers for the magneti marelli units listed on the useful links section of the forum, post number 4 (RT3, RT4 RT5 Repairs/ Refurbs).

[vborovic]

@ Marc - You could've pasted the link ...

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 10&t=54055

[GiveMeABreak]

@ Marc - You could've pasted the link ...
http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 10&t=54055

I couldn't actually, as I was using a Bluetooth keyboard and remote pointer on my Smart TV to reply and that took 30 mins!! Was not going to attempt a link paste at that stage. I'm Beta testing IOS on my iPhone and that's typing Mandarin half the time, so back to the PC now we are in daylight hours again. Thanks for pasting the lonk

[LD]

My mechanic does use a computer for diagnostics – I've seen him do so on another customer's car, and in that case the fault reported was something to do with spark plugs/glow plugs (as you can tell I don't know much about the technicalities of cars!). These LCD units appear to have only electrical connections, though there may also be fibre optic connections which I didn't notice. Anyway it seems that I'll just have to get used to juggling walking, buses and taxis, until I get a phone call giving further information. Thanks for your thoughts chaps.

[GiveMeABreak]

No problems - do give the Clarion Centre a call - they are the Magneti Marelli authorised service centre in the UK. I'm sure they may be able to advise you on the phone, barring any other causes being identified. Regarding the diagnostics and your mech - many have some form of readers/ scanners, but these are limited in what they can do. The Diagbox / Lexia kit is specialised software for Citroen and should be able to delve a bit deeper. Just don't go replacing units without checking the cause as they are really costly to get wrong. My RT3 Navidrive on my Mark 2 started loosing satellites and the radio reception was getting crackled and finally all satellites went down. It was due to the 2 tuners in the Head unit going and I could of had a full refurb. of my unit for a fixed price - that included anything that needed replacing or servicing. A more cost effective solution if you are keeping the car for a while and not as much as replacing the screen or getting a second had head unit that will need to be coded to your car and may also be on the way out! Best of luck.

[Stickyfinger]

My mechanic does use a computer for diagnostics

BUT....is it the correct Cit/Pug LEXIA system, if not it will not report correctly/completely

[LD]

Next time something goes wrong with my C5 I shall post in this forum first – I've received so much good advice over the years, and no doubt some posters here are professional mechanics, or very knowledgeable people who happen not to work on cars for a living. We do have a specialist independent Citroen garage nearby, and I'm guessing that my chap has taken the C5 there. This is the first time my usual mechanics have seemed puzzled; I've been with them for years; really helpful people, and their rates are reasonable. The hydropneumatic C5s are the only “modern” cars I could be happy driving, as the Peugeot 504 had such superb suspension that everything since feels unbearably harsh. I can't drive mine at the moment because there's no power assistance on the steering, and I have to wait until my friend and his mate have time to fit the necessary bits to add this facility.

[myglaren]

Could he have said the "Comms Unit" rather than consumer unit.
There is a possibility that it is at least in part a sub-module to the comms unit.

[LD]

I don't THINK he said Comms Unit, but if he did, what is one of those? I suspect that he might be a bit dyslexic, as he often types Citroen instead of Citroen, Peugoet instead of Peugeot, and appears to think my C5 is a C4 – a vastly different animal! Still no further news of my beloved car – I'm becoming quite an expert on local bus routes . . .

[Hell Razor5543]

The comms 2000 unit is the unit on the steering column for the various stalks.

[cachaciero]

MK1 2.2 There are three items to consider for this failure the screen, the Nav computer / DVD box and the bit of electrical string that connects them and in this case the Lexia will tell you diddly squat, it not having any access to the screen and only very limited access to the Nav system. I have a similar problem on the same model car except in my case it just loses blue video, when I can work out how to extract the Navigation /DVD unit I may be able to get further until then ...../