New C5 owner with a few questions already

[GiveMeABreak]

Just throwing in my 2p worth. The tension rollers are often omitted when the timing belt service is done. This can cause the squealing noises. Citroen do just the belt, or the belt and the water pump kit or the complete belt, water pump and tensioner roller kit. I paid about £158 inclusive from Citroen for the complete original kit when I had the (age-related) timing belt replaced and it got rid of the squealing I had.

I just checked and the price has gone up from when I had mine done to £224.46 for item (20).

[aerodynamica]

Hm back off again with the auxiliary belt to give it a closer comparison with the old belt before I blame the tensioner and on closer looks the new belt is longer. Ebay supplier but was supposed to be correct for this model

[GiveMeABreak]

Your original accessories belt is 5750XN with reference (K6 - LE 1217), so length 1217. They are £41.00 from Citroen OEM original or you can get a cheaper Citroen-recommended alternative one (part: 1612163180) for £15.91. I'd never use ebay for these sorts of parts as their databases are invariable useless as you've found out Graeme.

[aerodynamica]

Hiya Marc, yes thanks for the ref numbers. I'll see about getting the right belt.
With the cambelt I replaced the belt and both tensioners as a kit. I skipped the water pump because it was done already (actually the full lot had been done in the recent past but no record and you cannot see anything on this engine until you've got everything out) so at least it's done anyway albeit unnecessarily.

I just spent an hour removing the two centre rear spheres in anticipation of the new ones arriving but they are late. The old ones were immensely hard to remove - the RH one came off using super strength and a breaker bar. The LH one however was so tight and so rusty that I actually thought the sphere would crumble and shear off... my longest breaker bar was bending and I thought the chain wrench (a hefty HGV one) was going to break. It finally came off but I thought the subframe would be snapping first....

I'm quite alarmed at how rusty the suspending regulator and L and R pipes are... again, I'm wondering why the equivalent parts on my old citroens were not like this. If (when) i replace these two rear pipes I think the full regulator will have to be changed too as I can't see how the pipes can come off without it all crumbling.

There's a rusty bit on the rear floor directly behind the fuel tank that seems to have been the same area that the front to rear hydraulic pipe failed with the previous owner. I also question the use of all these metal to flex to metal again pipes everywhere on this car: suspension, PAS pipes... the crimped part is really rusty on all of them.
Annoyingly slow progress with the C5, I was hoping to have the xantia off the road and tucked up in storage but not yet..
Good news though! The PAS pipe arrived from the breakers and it looks in good condition ( i.e not corroded) so my plan is to have a good think about how I can protect it before changing it over.

[Hell Razor5543]

Might I suggest that, every six months or so, you go around loosening all of the spheres, and then doing them back up hand tight. That way it should be fairly simple to replace any spheres in the future.

[aerodynamica]

Might I suggest that, every six months or so, you go around loosening all of the spheres, and then doing them back up hand tight. That way it should be fairly simple to replace any spheres in the future.

It's a good idea and I already do that! I check the pressure over time to see how the spheres fare.

[aerodynamica]

I tested the rear spheres and they're 40 bar each, down a bit from 52 but not severe.. the rear regulator isn't making a sound like the front when fitted are opened... I think the trouble lies elsewhere..

[aerodynamica]

The full rear regulator block is made of rust. I think it was kept at the bottom of the sea. I can't see how the electrovalve is removed from the block and if that's what is not working then I feel the whole block has to be changed. All of the pipes look rusty. Are these pipe union fittings different from the old LHM system fittings?

[oscar]

Get yourself a litre bottle of ACF50 comes with a trigger squirty bottle souse everywhere with it sorts corrosion out motor cycle guys love it.We use on boat gear plus fishing gear it sticks and coats parts

[KennyW]

Graeme,

Yes they are all the same fitting, I think I have photos of them are on my thread you had a look at.

The new pipe I fitted had an adapter fitted and a standard brake flare fitting unfortunately I don't know what type of flare. But the good news was the pipe I had to remove came off after I gave it a good soaking with penetrating spray.

Kenny

[aerodynamica]

Get yourself a litre bottle of ACF50 comes with a trigger squirty bottle souse everywhere with it sorts corrosion out motor cycle guys love it.We use on boat gear plus fishing gear it sticks and coats parts

Thanks! I'm going to get some. I think this block though is past it though

[aerodynamica]

Graeme,

Yes they are all the same fitting, I think I have photos of them are on my thread you had a look at.

The new pipe I fitted had an adapter fitted and a standard brake flare fitting unfortunately I don't know what type of flare. But the good news was the pipe I had to remove came off after I gave it a good soaking with penetrating spray.

Kenny

Hi Kenny, just to check - are you saying the small hydraulic pipe unions here are the same as the 3.5 and 4.5 mm Citroen pipe flare as on the Xantia back to the DS? This would be good because I have the flare making tool and I can make up pipes for this.

It's funny, the C5 with its Hydractive 3+ has far fewer pipes and is hydraulically simplistic compared to all the old LHM citroens but it's certainly not 'simple' Ha, there is a single pressure pipe front to rear unlike the old system where there were 4 and a few plastic returns too. And yet! the ONE pipe failed!

Anyway despite all this I absolutely love the C5

[aerodynamica]

I discovered that the electrovalve solenoid actually does unscrew and I'd actually chance swapping this over instead of the full thing initially - to try and get the rear regulator switching. Does anyone know if this solenoid can be got separately, part no?
It's odd that the diagnostic didn't show this dead electrovalve as a fault. It did show the height sensor as a fault that I cleared and hasn't returned. Perhaps all the scan does is verify the continuity and maybe that was confirmed.

[KennyW]

Graeme,

They are NOT the same as the Xantia and older hydraulic citroens, new design and different size.

The pipes are 4.76mm or 3/16" and other sizes.

Kenny

[aerodynamica]

Ah! Kenny, I just sent you a PM about this! I missed your post here. Where did you get these fittings? I guess the pipe diameter is different too from the old ways?