paul.h

A look at Parkers.co.uk car reviews suggests your old car should give about 37 mpg, so with your driving conditions which gave 34 mpg, you are likely to get about 10% worse fuel economy than predicted for any car you consider. This suggests your C3 combined official figure would drop from 64 to 58 mpg. In the following it gives a Citroen C1 1.4 hdi may give 67 mpg but reducing this by 10% drops it to 61 mpg - but would you want such a tiny car ? A google search came up with http://www.buyacar.co.uk/car_news/buying_a_car/archive_buying_a_car/article_best_for_fuel_economy_top_20_2527.jhtml As well as mpg though, I would include other costs such as a diesel costs more than a petrol to buy but should have a higher resale value, car tax differences, maybe insurance cost differences, an old diesel may have higher maintenance costs than a petrol due to the exhaust particulate filter (dpf or fap), possibly more frequent oil/filter changes, fuel filter changes and if the diesel pump or the turbo fails any fuel savings are wiped out. With your high annual mileage of about 19000 miles, a diesel should cost less overall than a petrol provided it does not have any problems. If you do the costs on about 10000 miles though, a petrol and diesel cost about the same for the same model car if both are kept for about 3 to 5 years - any less and the petrol is cheaper. You also need to consider what size of car you need.

You can get the part number from the service.citroen site (register as another professional, member of the Citroen Owners Club) using your VIN (VIS) and then the price from citroencarparts.net using the part no. top left (keyword) and then search. A new comms unit may also need the steering angle sensor calibrating using a Lexia. There is also the second hand route. http://service.citroen.com/do/changerParametres http://www.citroencarparts.net/

There is probably nothing wrong unless you have done something to let air in to the calipers or a faulty brake hose is balooning. Is the brake pedal different to before replacing the pads ? What happens with the engine on and if you quickly push the brake pedal - you may find it does not go down as far since the pedal/braking assistance responds to how quickly you are braking (unlike old cars). The new pads will need bedding in over the next few days and then the pedal will seem a bit harder and the brakes will work better. I have found it is best to not brake too hard during this time since the pads seem to bed in better. Also the old pads were probably seized in place due to dust/rust and the new ones will be able to move freely when the pedal is released. At some point you will need to replace the caliper with the broken nipple to allow the brake fluid to be changed - at the 2 yearly fluid change, the nipple could have been broken since 2011 and the fluid in that caliper never changed/bled out, so it may be 5 years old.

Welcome to the forum. Can you see the pressure sensor values either side of the FAP on the Lexia ? If both are high then maybe there is an exhaust blockage problem. How many km has the car done ?

Just found I made in note in the Haynes manual - the radio is held by T9 torx screws.

Welcome to the forum. At the end of the 2 holes are small torx headed screws which need a long torx bit. I can not remember the size but it may be T9, T10 or T15. I used this from Machine Mart - http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/pro141-8pce-torx-key-set?da=1&TC=SRC-8%20piece%20torx

Once the problems are fixed your car should perform better, so maybe wait until then to see what mpg it can achieve since it should improve. You could also see if the air filter is clean. Premium fuels may help improve mpg but the extra cost may not pay for any improvement. What car did you have before the C3 and what mpg did that give ?

I did a write up on cleaning the front pads on a C4 and the TEVES ones look very similar to the new C5 ones as shown in the RTA manual for the 1.6 and 2.0 hdi from 2008 - see http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21408-new-c4-front-brake-pad-clean-or-replacement/ The caliper on the C4 was held by bolts needing a 7 mm hex bit, the caliper support bracket needs a torx bit but I do not know the size. From the RTA manual on the C5 there are also 3 bolts/screws to remove to free what looks like the brake pipe and some wiring before starting on the caliper bolts. The torque settings from the RTA manual are; - caliper bolts 27 Nm - caliper support bolts 115 Nm - flexible on caliper 40 Nm (not sure which bolt this is unless it is the brake hose) - flexible support 20 Nm - bleed screw 12 Nm - disc screw 6 Nm but suggests a new one is used. Usually a torx bit is needed and since the wheel bolts hold the disc in place, it may not matter if the old one is used. - the piston does not need turning to push it in (the rear ones do)

Another option to consider is to fit a towbar with a flanged towball and then a bike rack to that. Example, towbar http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Towbar-Flange-fit-Citroen-C4-Picasso-C4-Grand-Picasso-7-Seater-Tow-Bar-Kit-/130552471704?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Touring_Travel&hash=item1e6588a098 and bike racks http://www.towsure.com/category/Towbar_Cycle_Carriers

Also see this post for some more methods http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/9999-locking-wheel-bolts/

After reading this it is probably not air in the system and hopefully the new sensor will sort it. I had a leaking rear strut on our C5, just a small amount from the end of the gaiter. At first I tried replacing the gaiter thinking it may have been leaking but it continued to leak a small bit of fluid. Eventually I had the strut replaced nearly a year later at the dealer at MOT time. Throughout this time the rear suspension continued to go up and down as normal.

The driveshaft is supposed to be held in the wheel end of the cv joint by a round clip with a cut out which fits in a groove in the shaft. To help the shaft go back into the cv joint, a jubilee type clip can be put on the clip to hold it in the groove and then the shaft knocked in. It is recommended a new clip is used but Citroen list it only with a new gaiter. However, when I have replaced gaiters on other cars, I have not used new clips and had no bother.

When coastline taxis is back on the forum he will probably be able to help due to his extensive experience on the C5. I still suspect it is air in the system that needs bleeding out. Jacking the back up is not likely to suck oil through the pump and in to the rear strut, more likely to suck air in from the tank through the oil return pipe, so once the jack is removed the back will drop back down. If you try the pump with the back jacked up there will probably just be more air that needs bleeding out. If the new height sensor does not work (the one on the front is the same part), some things to try may be: - slackening the rear drain screw may help let the air out. - slackening the lds pipe at the strut may let the air out - undoing the oil return pipe at the gaiter may help let the air out - was the gaiter already on the strut since it should be fitted with the wire clip so the square lump on the gaiter is positioned over the hole in the strut and the clip wires do not block the channel around the strut.

Doing the calcs on the above: 1. 50 miles a day plus 65 miles a day at weekends gives 380 miles a week. Using £50 of diesel a week at 133.9p a litre is 37.3 litres = 8.21 gallons (1 gallon is 4.54 litres). Hence 380 / 8.21 = 46.2 mpg. 2. 75 miles to a bar of fuel on the gauge which is about 7.5 litres, gives 45 mpg. 3. 180 miles from 15 litres is 54.6 mpg. 4. The salesman said 380 miles a week for £15 (11.2 litres) requires 154 mpg - I do not think such a car exists ! 5. The fuel tank is 45 litres so if you are filling it half full so just under 4 bars on the gauge are lit up, then to running out may give about 220 miles at 45 mpg or about 300 miles at 61 mpg. I think the only way you will get the accurate mpg being achieved will be to fill the tank and note the mileage on the speedometer as mentioned above. The trip computer average mpg is since it was last reset, there may also be the current mpg which jumps about a lot and the miles of diesel left at the current mpg, which will also jump about a bit. Until the tank is filled, if you reset the trip computer so the previous owner's driving is not included, this may give you a better idea than putting in a few pounds in the tank and I have found that the trip computers on our cars have not been too far out. However, the different cars have shown different distances for the same trips with the 2003 C3 showing a few percent more than the C4 and C5.

If there is a problem with the cruise control switch below the steering wheel, then this is part of the complete switch block including the wipers and indicators and replacement choice is a used one or a new one, but to see if that is the fault would need a diagnostic check. Is the car from a dealer/garage with a warranty - if so it should be returned to them for fixing ? Since the fault is still there though, the fault code should be there again and could be read. Note that low cost code readers only show engine fault codes and other faults probably need the dealer type of diagnostic equipment.

Howiec has just reported the same fault which is to be diagnosed on his car - 2008 2.0 hdi tourer, so must be a very common fault.http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21596-low-engine-oil-pressure-warning/ I have altered the topic title to help when searching.

Welcome to the forum. At a guess, the wire connector is a bit like the ones on radios and if so, may be for a radio option. For the cruise control you may have to go to a Citroen dealer to see what is wrong. Have you got a list of all the problems with the car to post here just in case they are related to the cruise control and if you include all the fault codes that will be a help. Even if they are not related, members may be able to help with them. Sometimes people have fault codes deleted without noting them or checking the freeze frame data that would be logged when the faults occurred and could help diagnose the problem - hopefully you have not done this. Also which engine do you have ?

Have you tried using the hand priming pump to remove the bubbles ? Our C5 (2.2 hdi 2007) does not have a clear pipe from the filter to the hp pump but has a clear pipe to the hand pump from the filter. This clear pipe often has an air bubble in it which can be cleared with the hand pump.

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of C5 owners here so if you have any problems or are able to help others then post away.

Welcome to the forum.

The orange engine management light is supposed to be an engine shape and if this is on all the time it means there is a fault with the engine control/emissions systems. It needs the fault codes read to see what is wrong so it can be fixed. Until it is fixed the car may be running in limp mode which will limit the rpm and engine performance. Certainly do not do anything to the engine systems such as tuning boxes or induction kits until this is sorted since it will complicate fault diagnosis and repairs and if there is a warranty with the car it may invalidate it. The gearchange cables can not be adjusted so possibly there is some wear in them or elsewhere. The 45 mpg mentioned above is just a best guess without knowing the actual miles you are doing for your £50 since you have not said, nor the cost per litre for diesel you are paying which could be about 5p a litre more than elsewhere. It could be you are achieving the 61 mpg but to do a thorough check you need to fill the fuel tank to the top, note the mileage, drive around for a few days and then fill up to the top again and note the mileage and amount of diesel put in. At the same time reset the trip computer when you first fill up and see what mpg that shows over the few days to see if they are the same. The fuel gauge can be misleading, being 6 orange bars. Each bar I think is about 7½ litres but a bar will not go off until the 7½ litres it shows has been used - so in reality a bar represents 0 to 7½ litres. So if you are getting about 13 miles a litre (61 mpg) then a bar can give about 100 miles.

Have you put in extra LDS fluid to replace the amount lost and then taken the suspension up and down on the switch near the handbrake to bleed out any air ? In the Haynes manual it says to do this in the suspension low position, remove the LDS reservoir cap, top up the LDS fluid if needed and apply 0.5 bar of air pressure to the LDS reservoir, then start the engine, set the suspension to the high position, once settled set it to the low position, then check the level again and top up if needed. If you put it back on axle stands, you could try freeing the rear level sensor since these can seize and need something like wd40 to free it. However, it is most likely due to air in the system and not the sensor or BHI. When the pump is running, all it is doing at the rear is compressing the air until it is all removed. I also vaguely remember somebody on here who had a similar problem and overnight the fairies fixed the car and the suspension was back to normal height the next day - so may have been air in the system.

A good indication if the dpf internals have been removed could be to check the end of the exhaust - on the 2 C5s I have had with a dpf, inside the end of the exhaust has been clean whereas other cars without a dpf, the exhaust has been covered in soot.

The official fuel consumption for the manual 1.6 hdi 92 bhp in the handbook is given as 49.6 / 76.3 / 64.2 mpg urban / extra urban / combined. So depending on the accuracy of the numbers given in the first post and any later checks from filling the tank, at best you are going to get around 64 mpg in warm weather and less in winter. To reset the car trip computer, press and hold the button on the end of the wiper stalk. The roads in Cumbria are also not the best for good fuel economy - lots of hills, bends, narrow roads, queues through the towns and also possible need to overtake wagons doing their national speed limit of 40 mph. Often better fuel economy can be achieved by modifying driving style - leaving more room in front so no need to use the brakes often, not accelerating quickly, using as high a gear as possible, keeping the speed down. You could try different driving styles to see if your economy changes. Something to be aware of, the 1.6 hdi can be prone to early turbo failure so do not skimp on oil and filter changes. Check your maintenance book but I think your interval may be 12500 miles, so at your 60 miles a day that will be at least 2 oil/filter changes a year. Use the oil recommended in the maintenance book. I may also have read that an oil flush should be done. If there are any early signs of turbo failure such as a lot of smoke, then it may be best to sort it rather than risk bits of metal going in to the engine.

Did he manage to remove the bleed screw that snapped off - if not, that brake will not have been bled and the only realistic way to sort it will be a new caliper. If the smell is not from the front brakes, then possibilities from my experience include: - the handbrake not freeing off the rear brake shoes - polythene from some rubbish on the road has stuck to the exhaust - an exhaust leak or exhaust manifold leak - a split in an engine breather hose - an anti freeze leak - check the coolant level to see if this is happening - fuel injector seal leak - an oil leak on to the exhaust. Is the engine temperature gauge showing its normal position or is it going high, just a thought in case the radiator fan is not running when the engine gets hot ?