paul.h

This is from my 2007 C5 handbook, page 123. For the hatchback tailgate, remove that cover, undo the nut next to the electrical connector and remove the lamp unit from the utside. Pull out the seal and then unclip the bulb holder. Replace the bulb and refit the assembly, making sure the seal is in place. The 2 bulbs are noted as a side lamp at the tailgate edge R5W and a reversing lamp P21W. If the bulbs are ok then check if the wiring between the body and tailgate is in good condition.

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum. You can read/print/save a copy of the handbook until you get yours on the service.citroen site, select your language, handbook pack and then your car http://service.citroen.com/pages/index.jsp Most people seem happy with their C5s, although forums tend to be full of people's problems and on the C5 Technical Section there is a pinned post with Common Problems although most are for the earlier models.

The hoses on the front struts are supposed to be a common failure plus you can check under the tank or the tank itself in case it has split.

Welcome back Sifaan. Did you manage to sort your air bag fault ? We had somebody a few weeks ago with something similar and I linked a reply to your posts but without knowing the outcome we could not really help. Air con problems on our C5s have been not cooling enough due to low gas after about 7 years with one side of the vents being a bit warmer than the other. As John says, here the old gas is removed and weighed, a leak test is done and then gas is put back to the correct weight. With enough gas the air con should cool to about 4°C out of the central vents, but if your outside air temp is very high then maybe it may not get that low. If your car is overheating the air con is automatically cut. The compressor will also have low and high pressure switches that stop it - low gas pressure being a sign of low gas and high pressure a sign the condenser (front radiator) is not removing enough heat to condense it. So you can check if the condenser is blocked externally or the fan is not running enough. The heat removal rate will depend on the air flow and outside temperature - the lower the temp then more heat can be removed. If the air con works at a low cabin fan rate but not high, this may indicate the condenser is limiting.

Welcome to the forum. You should be able to change to km through the menu button on the radio so no complicated diagnostics are required. It will be somewhere in the handbook. If you do not have a handbook these can be seen/printed/saved from the service.citroen site and you can also see the parts diagrams as a free service on this site if you register as another professional and a member of the Citroen Owners Club. http://service.citroen.com/do/changerParametres On the C5 Technical Section there is a pinned post with some Common Problems on the C5 that is worth looking at, although most apply to the earlier model.

Towing a caravan is like the good old days of motoring, nothing in front just nice open clear roads and nothing behind since you can not see anything :)

Welcome to the forum. It may not be a head gasket failure and could be just a cam cover gasket or a hose leak allowing oil to run down the engine and the mayonnaise on the end of the dipstick (and possibly oil filler cap) may be due to the engine not getting hot enough due to short journeys or the thermostat failing open. Or possibly a fuel injector seal leak giving fumes or maybe an exhaust leak. Or maybe a coolant leak from a hose/gasket/water pump or core plug. Obviously it is difficult to tell without seeing the car. If it is using oil, are there any signs of oil leaks down the engine and any oil drips on the floor ? Does the exhaust give any smoke on start up, when driving on accelerating or when the accelerator pedal is relased to indicate if the oil is being burnt due to piston rings wear or valve seals wear ? How much oil do you add and over how many miles ? Is the coolant level rising or falling and are there signs of oil in the coolant expansion tank ? Are there any light coloured stains down the engine left by a coolant leak as it dries ? Is the car used on mainly short journeys which do not let the engine warm up enough ? Is the cabin heater still giving hot air ? Are there any unusual noises from around the engine such as a chuffing noise ? Does the car still perform normally ?

Your car is not heavy enough to pull a twin axle caravan and none of the C5s are heavy enough. You need to be looking at a car around 1900 kg kerb weight since twin axles are about 1600 kg. The handbook will give the car towing weights but from a 2003 brochure it gives for the 2.0 hdi auto estate the kerb weight (not inc driver) 1464 kg, the max towing weight as 1500 kg but check this in the handbook since it may be reduced if the car is loaded to its max payload of 600 kg, the tow hitch load as 85 kg. Your V5C will give the mass in service which is the kerb weight plus 75 kg for the driver and is the weight now used in the 85% recommended limit by such as the Caravan Club for towing a caravan. If these weights are correct for your car - applying the 85% ratio, the MTPLM (maximum technically permissible laden mass) of a caravan your car can tow is 0.85 x (1464 + 75) = 1308 kg. Such a caravan is likely to have a MIRO (mass in running order) of about 1100 kg.

I think when the mark 3 2008 on model came out there were a few recalls but these would have been sorted on any car still around. On the C5 Technical section there is a pinned post of Common Problems to look at covering all C5s, the mark 1 2001 to 2004, the mark 2 (facelift) 2004 to 2008 and the mark 3 2008 on. Whatever C5 or other diesel you go for it is probably best to avoid the PSA 1.6 hdi engine unless going for a newish one with the Citroen 3 year warranty. If you do not do many miles then you should also consider a petrol one.

Did you check the interior light bulbs ? If you have a meter you can check for a 12 volt supply to one side of the bulb and for an earth at the other side of the bulb in each light.

Welcome to the forum. What year and model is your C3 ? We had a 2003 1.4 sx petrol and now a 2010 1.4 vti 95 hp vtr+ C3. Both are good reliable cars, low cost to run and easy to maintain. On the C3 Technical section there is a pinned post with a few Common Problems to have a look at.

Before agreeing to the repairs maybe have a look on Autotrader and look at another car and think if you had £4000 to spend, would you buy your car (repaired) or another car without the 1.6 hdi engine since the cost to you is about the same. What warranty are Citroen giving with the reconditioned engine including the turbo ?

I replaced the timing belt and all the other bits John mentions on our C3 petrol a few years ago. The parts including the water pump, coolant, thermostat, aux belt and its pulleys were about £300 but if I had paid for the work doing there would have been maybe £200 labour on top. If only the timing belt and its tensioner had been replaced these were about £65 but the labour would not have been much less since the aux belt has to be removed to get to the timing belt. The timing belt replacement mileage in a 2011 warranty /maintenance guide is 140k or 112500 for arduous duty or 10 years, whichever is first. Note that the mileage in the Citroen Maintenace/Warranty guide is for Citroen parts, if the car is using alternative ones they may have a different replacement frequency.

I would not spend about £4000 on a 1.6 hdi engine, especially on a car 6 years old. The 1.6 hdi is prone to turbo failure so you could be needing another new engine in a few years or even less if everything is not replaced. The 1.6 hdi might give a few more mpg but has higher maintenance costs (more services) than the larger engines and is prone to failure if not given frequent oil/filter changes with the correct oil - and that is not a guarantee of prevention. A quick look on Autotrader shows you can get another car for that sort of money and with the 2.0 hdi engine (or 2.2 hdi) which is not prone to turbo failure like the 1.6 hdi. If you went for a 2007 or 2006, it would be well under £4000 and does not need to be high mileage either. £4000 seems to be the starting point for the new version of C5 from 2008 but the miles would be high. Before commiting to the repairs, find out the scrap value of your car.

This impact wrench from Machine Mart is about the lowest cost high torque one I have seen without needing a compressor https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cew1000-electric-impact-wrench

The newer diesels do not need the glow plugs as much as before, so unless the weather gets cold you are unlikely to notice the glow plug light on your C5, and then it will not be on for long.

EOBD was not required on diesels until 2004 so you would need to check if one would work on your car. To see anything other than codes for sensors that set off the engine management light would need dealer type Lexia diagnostic equipment but there are Chinese copies of the Lexia available for around £100. Some members on here have these and on the C5 section there is a pinned post of members who are willing to help http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20345-diagnostic-help/ An ordinary code reader to consider after checking if it will work on your car http://www.gendan.co.uk/product_FXNT200.html A supplier used by a member of the forum of the Lexia to install on a lap top http://www.easydiagnostics.co.uk/#/shop/4584778814/citroen-peugeot-lexia-3-evolution-interface/8000814 When trying to lock the car, do any of the door locks sound different or slower than the others which could indicate the problem lock ? It could be the solenoid in one is a bit seized and possibly a spray with something like wd40 may help. Does the engine management light (a yellow light like an engine cross section) come on just before starting the engine to show that its bulb is working ?

Was the air bag warning light on before the diagnostics ? There is some info in this topic and the one attached on it which may be of use http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21959-airbag-fault-drivers-level-2-airbag-igniter-open-circuit/ If the mechanic was not a Citroen one and using Citroen diagnostic equipment, they may not have the Citroen definition of the code and its meaning. When having a diagnostic check it may be sometimes better to use Citroen or a Citroen specialist if there is anything other than the engine management light on. A google search on C1390 came up with this on Honest John for a C5 and a suggestion to check the steering angle sensor or its calibration: Can anybody tell me please what fault C1390 & C1391 ,means on a citroen c5,turbo diesel auto 2.1 ltr Thanks Joe Sat 24 Dec 2011 14:36 http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/images/forums/arrow_l.gifhttp://www.honestjohn.co.uk/images/forums/arrow_u.gifhttp://www.honestjohn.co.uk/images/forums/arrow_d.gif Citroen c5 TURBO DIESEL /AUTO - fault light C1390 - injection doc C1390 Lateral G sensor active check C1391 INCOMP.learn neutral (Yawrate) check steering angle sensor for faults and calibration.

Looking at the parts diagrams there are a few different locks (latches) depending on the car VIN and a new one seems to be about £80 but if you search on ebay with the Citroen part no. they are a lot less. The door inside panel needs removing to remove the lock but its fastening screws are on the outside edge. You would need to find out which one is giving the fault preventing the doors being locked (for each door, try using a screwdriver to close the door latch whilst that door is still open and then try to lock the doors). If this does not help then you may need a diagnostic check to find the fault. To get the right part no. from Citroen's parts diagrams (free service), register on the service.citroen site as another professional and a member of the Citroen Owners Club, then use your VIN (VIS) to find your car. The locks can be seen under Bodywork, Front (or rear) doors and trims, Front (or rear) door control. http://service.citroen.com/do/changerParametres There are two 2.0 litre diesels, is yours the 90 or the 110 hp engine ? With the MAF disconnected do you have the engine management light lit up ? You will also likely have the car in limp mode which will limit the performance. By turbo blanking plate do you mean the egr valve blanking plate ?

To check it, you will need to put a meter across the electrical terminals and then move the level float to see if it gives a resistance signal across the full range of movement - if not it will need replacing. But you can do this check without removing it with different amounts of fuel in the tank, particularly when the gauge is not indicating.

Next questions, what year, model and engine is your car ?

Welcome to the forum. If you are unable to connect to the indicators will your remote kit still work ? The indicators and remote locking on Citroens seem to be operated through the bsi unit so it may not be possible for your kit to work with this. Is your kit a Citroen supplied accessory or an aftermarket one ? If the output signal from your kit is a timed one but not pulsing, you could consider using a relay connected to the hazard switch in/out wires so that the kit effectively switches on the hazards for the time. So one side of the relay would take the kit output signal and a connection to earth and the other side of the relay connects into the hazard switch wires so it is in parallel to the hazard switch.

Changing the fuel level sender unit seems easy enough. - Lift the rear seat cushion, - remove the round rubber/plastic cover and you will see the unit, - if a petrol engine do the work outside, disconnect the battery, do not have any ignition sources nearby, keep the car doors open so petrol fumes will not build up, keep the old unit outside until any petrol has evaporated from it. All precautions so you do not ignite any petrol fumes. Diesel has a high flash point so there is little risk of igniting it. - disconnect the electrical connector and the fuel lines (there may be a button to push to release these) from the unit, - note the position of the unit markings against ones on the tank for when refitting, undo the large locking ring (a tool may be needed for this to grip it such as an oil filter removal tool or a u shaped bar), lift out the unit in to a bucket to catch any fuel drips and recover the seal (a new one may be needed). Cover the hole in the fuel tank if it will be a while before fitting the unit back.

baza2000 has not been on the forum since Jan 2010 so I suspect we will never find out if the problem was fixed. Does your Xsara indicate on the dash if the doors are not closed and if so when they are closed is the message/indication suggesting the doors are still open ?