C5 Annoyances Specific To Second Hand Cars

[Randombloke]

C5 annoyances specific to second hand cars

• The previous owner does not have the card with the confidential code. You'll need this for new keys and Citroen now charge for re-issuing it.
   
  
• The previous owner has only one key. Maybe consider just getting a garage key without the expensive “plip” bit on the back.
   
  
• The previous owner does not have the manual. You'll have to get a new one from Citroen or eBay. More annoying is the people who have bought a manual for the Mk 2 version but own a Mk 1, like the guy who sold me mine.
   
  
• There is no evidence of cam belt changes (c. 100k) or DPF changes/Eolys replenishment (50k, 72k). This affects mostly 2.2 HDi cars. If buying a car with about 90+K on it factor in the belt change. If buying a car with 50k, 72k or 100k on it check via RPN when the Eolys/DPF is due, and if it has been done.
   
  
• The rear screen is incredibly unlikely to still work. Have you got the gaffa tape, soldering iron and wire?
   
  
• The corrosion inspection at four and six years will probably not have been done.
   
  
• The sun roof sticks (intermittently) or does not work. Without the manual you will not know that pushing and holding the control upwards into the roof over rides the pinch protection and will let you shut the sun roof in an emergency if it has stuck or got out of sync with the control.
   
  
• The reporting valves tell you the tyres are under inflated or flat/damaged when they are fine.
   
  
• The car has 4 random brands and treads of tyre.
   
  
• The central locking will not work on one or more doors.
   
  
• The pinch prevention on the windows might need recalibrating, and without the manual you will not know that there is a procedure you can try yourself.
   
  
• The aerial has rusted on and will not unscrew with getting broken. New aerial and base needed.
   
  
• The headlights are wickedly expensive and worth buying acrylic covers for.
   
  
• Most of these are problems caused by people, and are not problems with the C5 itself.
  

I've simply mentioned them to help others avoid or haggle over these issues, and hopefully thrown some solutions into the pot.

 

For those looking to DIY, the French manual mentioned elsewhere is an enormous help, and can replace the Drivers manual if your French is good enough.