paul.h

Welcome to the forum. There are a lot of C5 owners here so you are in good company. To change the mpg screen readings the button on the end of the wiper stalk is pushed. A quick push changes the readout and a long push resets the values to zero. On tyres, I have tended to use Michelins since they give a high mileage, about 30k, but are expensive initially. Do you have a record of the exhaust dpf filter being changed and the eolys fluid being topped up at about 70k miles ? Also a look at the Common Problems post on the C5 Technical section will give you a few things to check for. One warning though is to not go under the car without using axle stands. If a height sensor (on front and rear anti roll bars) is knocked, the suspension can quickly drop to a low level. If you do need to jack the car up, in the handbook it says to first raise the car suspension to max height. This can avoid possible suspension problems and the car wanting to adjust itself level whilst doing it.

Welcome to the forum. We had a 2.0 hdi (90hp) Picasso a few years ago and it was a good car - great for transporting teenagers about and also moving things with the rear seats out. They can be prone to water ingress so check the rear floor cupboards - the rain can get down the inside of the rear door membranes, run over the floor and into the cupboards. Ours also gained a leak into the right footwells under the carpet but I did not manage to sort this. Sometimes the remote did not lock/unlock the doors but this also happened to our C3 so may have been radio interference. There were no other problems over 3½ years and about 40k miles. There is a sister forum for the Picasso with a link to it from the home page - this will be worth a look and joining.

There is an article on the BBC news site today saying that since the amount of bio-fuel has increased in diesel, in colder weather, the fuel filters are blocking up more leading to sudden power loss. Due to some rules, the amount of bio-fuel has to increase each year and now averages about 5% - so could be more in some areas. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25321913

Welcome to the forum. I am not sure about this, but the air flow meter measures the temperature of the air going to the engine so maybe this has a fault but not bad enough for the engine malfunction light, but enough to affect the fuel/air ratio. The other temperature measurement is the coolant, I think on the left end of the cylinder head, maybe this has a fault. However, it is also possible the new thermostat is faulty - I had this once after replacing one. A code reader that gives live data so you can see these 2 temperatures would be useful and you could check the temp at which the thermostat opens. 5 miles seems a bit far for the temp to start rising, 2 should be enough to get close to normal temp. If you think it is the egr valve and you have a replacement or the old one, you could try plugging the connector to the spare which would stop the installed one opening but let the car think one is installed - then it should be as though the egr valve has been blanked off.

The model type may be on a badge on the rear sides, just behind the rear door windows - could be lx, sx, exclusive. You will probably need to know this to get the right parts. You can also use the car VIN (seen at the passenger side of the windscreen from the outside at the bottom - will start VF7) in the service.citroen website (register as another professional, member of the Citroen Owners Club) to see the free parts diagrams and in a column on the left under Characteristics, you will see all the car details/options/etc when the car was made. If the alarm was a factory fit it will be listed. Thoughts on the problems - The remote key may just need to be re-initialised to the car. In the handbook it will say how to do this where it has the remote key battery replacement section. It is often something like - put it in the ignition switch and push a button on the remote for a few seconds. The car battery will need to be connected to do this so follow the connection procedure in the Common problems post. The alarm constantly going off may be the bonnet is not fully shut due to the crash, or the bonnet alarm switch has moved out of position. To switch off the alarm will need the remote to work or the engine to be started. Also the alarm could have movement sensors if it is an aftermarket one, which may be at fault. Under the left wing is the abs modulator, you need to check this has not been damaged and is not leaking brake fluid - do the brakes work to stop the car (the servo will not be working though until the engine runs). We had a C4 that had a bump on the left front wing and the modulator (in the same location as the C3) had to be replaced and programmed at a dealer - cost was part of the repairs on the insurance but I think was about £600. You should not have any problems with the airbags whilst working on the wing area.

Just tried the Comma link for our current C5 and previous one - both 2.2 hdi with a dpf but one a 2007 173 hp and the other 2004 136 hp. It did not come up with a low saps oil for the older car or mention it had the dpf, so I do not know if I would 100% trust the recommendation. No mention of LDS fluid either for these cars, so I guess it could be since they do not make it. I noticed in the Citroen Maintenance and Warranty book that if you do not use an approved oil you should use the severe service intervals and it only mentions Total oils in the book. In a recent Car Mechanics article on oils, it said many companies do not seek approval for their oils due to the cost of testing but will say they meet car manufacturers specifications. This could be a problem with warranties.

I am not sure but I would think there are connectors under each seat.

Sometimes the air bag light can come on if the front seats are moved and checking the connections under the seats can be the fix. Do this with the key out of the ignition to help avoid an air bag going off. Is it just the mark 3 C5 that has the tyre sensor problems with them crumbling, I can not remember a mark 2 or 1. The stem replacement kit sounds like a good fix - I will add this to the common problems post, thanks Robhall77.

Which engine is it and how many miles ? I have had head gasket failure on many cars over the years as the mileage went up and replaced it diy. If this is the cause of water loss, look for mayonnaise in the coolant tank, on the oil dipstick, oil filler cap, more steam than usual from the exhaust pipe, coolant stains down the engine block, bubbles in the expansion tank. Other possible leaks are the hose connections, air vents (may look like tyre valve caps), the radiator, the cabin heater matrix (there may be a burnt curry smell in the cabin), the water pump, the expansion tank cap not holding pressure. If it is the head gasket and you have a diesel, there are often problems removing the fuel injectors so some garages will not touch them. There are posts on here about it.

I am still a bit unclear. Exactly which model and engine size is it e.g 1.4 hdi SX 8 valve engine. Was the central locking working before the crash ? Do you not have a remote key for the car ? We had a C3 2003 1.4 petrol SX without an alarm, only the immobilser but with central locking. I think an alarm was an option. The remote locking buttons were on the key, but if the key was used in the door lock it would only lock the driver's door - there is a procedure in the handbook for locking the other doors. This was the same on a 2005 Picasso we had but also the optional alarm was fitted - if the key and not the remote was used to unlock the driver's door, the alarm would go off until the engine was started. Something to be aware of, Citroens do not like the battery being quickly disconnected/reconnected since odd electrical problems can result if the bsi is not allowed to shutdown. There is a battery disconnection/reconnection procedure in the Technical section Common Problems post that has worked for me. If you look in the handbook there may be a collision fuel cut off switch under the bonnet somewhere which needs resetting. In our 2007 C5 handbook it is mentioned in the back under the user precautions section and listed in the contents. Did an airbag go off since a quick internet search for its location suggests it may part of the air bag system ? If you need to go to a garage, you may be better using a Citroen dealer since they will have the correct diagnostic equipment.

Welcome to the forum.

If you keep the children out of the car as well, I find the car stays nice and clean inside. Have Citroen started fitting Bridgestones as standard now, they seem to be on a lot of newish Citroens ?

Welcome to the forum. Quite a few people on here have had the dpf removed/knocked out/drilled through and the software changed to remove references to the dpf/eolys fluid. You could also try to jet wash the filter clean. Costs seem to be a few £100 when paying somebody else to do it. Searching the C5 section should pull up lots of posts.

Is there anything that can be done to prevent turbo failure, other than regular oil/filter changes or should it be recommended to replace it as a service item before it fails to minimise costs ?

The engine has to run for the eco mode to clear. Whilst it is on, some things like the radio and inside lights will not work. It is a Citroen and Peugeot thing to prevent the battery going flat if something is left on. However, it is nothing to worry about and will not be affecting your efforts to get the engine running.

A link to the C5 post with the faulty crankshaft pulley, post 16 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20707-c5-knocking-when-cold/

Running on easy start must be a good sign and suggests a fuel problem. I once had a fuel pump fail on a petrol Saab and the RAC did some tests, ran it on easy start and then checked for a 12 volt supply at the in tank fuel pump - concluding the pump was at fault/not running and needed replacing. In this case a new pump worked. I would do the fuel filter before putting any new fuel in the tank - if the filter contents look bad it may need the tank emptying. Some time back, coastline taxis found water contamination in the diesel tank of a van (may have been a leaking fuel cap) had led to bacterial growth like jelly in the fuel. Apparently this is common in marine engines. I do not know if there can be problems on the Xsara due to quickly disconnecting/reconnecting the battery, on some such as the C5 there can be and I have been using the following (copied from the C3 Common Problems post) - If you need to disconnect the battery and not do a BSI reset procedure, I have found the following has not given me any problems on a 2004 and 2007 C5 and a 2003 C3: - remove the ignition key from the car - open the bonnet - wait a few minutes for the BSI to shut down - disconnect the battery negative terminal When reconnecting - ignition key out of the car - reconnect the battery - wait a few minutes - insert the key in the ignition and wait a minute - turn the key to the first position and wait a minute - turn the key so the dash lights come on and wait a minute - start the engine - take the windows down and up to reset the anti pinch - reset the clock (and radio on the C3).

Welcome to the forum herrsandher. A quick look at the English version of the handbook on the service.citroen site for the latest one from 1/6/2012, on page 63 only mentions recalling a stored position for ignition on or engine running.

Steering column air bag - could this be an optional knee one if not the driver's one on the steering wheel ?

Welcome to the forum. What year/model/engine is the car/which side is the damage ? Are you saying the key remote is not unlocking the car so you are having to use the key in the door lock ? If so, only using the key would not be expected to switch off the alarm until the engine is started. Does the dash mounted switch lock all the doors ?

The Haynes manual says it is just a removal (2 screws and electrical connector) and refit of the part.

I did a search on HP24w bulb and a few things came up on other forums on LEDs, such as a Peugeot one and a C6 one, but I was really looking at the cost of bulbs. So it would be worth you repeating this. I think a few people on here have replaced side lights with LEDs so you may get a response on this option. I would check in your handbook it is the right bulb.

This is to remove the central console so it may help, possibly just to remove the gear lever surround so you can feed the wires to the armrest. Again it says to disconnect the battery but that may not be needed - 2. Removing2.1. Preliminary operationsMove the front seats as far back as possible.2.2. Central console ( manual gearbox )Unclip the gear lever gaiter at its base.Remove : the audio system (2 U shaped clips in holes or 4 blade like clips in slots) and then pull out. the air con control (unclip and pull out). Unclip and remove The glove box below the audio system.Unclip and remove the handbrake gaiterUnclip and remove (pull up) the facia of the central console around the gear lever and disconnect the connectorRemove the 4 bolts in the opening at the front of the central consoleSlide the front seats as forward as possible.Electric seats : - Reconnect the battery - Slide the front seats as forward as possible - Disconnect the battery Unclip and remove the blanks at the rear sides of the central console then remove the revealed boltsUnclip and remove the stiffener across the console behind the gear leverOpen the central armrest.Unclip and detach the diagnostic socket.Lift up the rear of the console and then pull backwardsDisconnect the 12 V socket connectorRemove the central console. If you want to remove the main glovebox, you also have to first deactivate the air bag system since the passenger air bag switch connector is undone. So whilst it may seem simple enough to just remove the light, undo all the glove box bolts, pull the box out a bit, quarter turn a ram at the side, disconnect the switch, pull out the box and disconnect a connector - the air bag part adds complications. For info, this is all taken from the Citroen service box dvds (3) which are available from such as ebay. They are worth having since the only other source of a workshop manual that I know is the RTA French one from such as Amazon.

Welcome to the forum. It looks as if the bulb is supplied fastened to a mounting, available from a dealer, and screws in to the bottom of the headlight unit. To change it the bumper needs to be partly removed and a torx driver used to unscrew it a quarter turn. Approx 1 hour at a dealer to change the bulb. The Citroen part no. may be 6216 F6 and it may be a 12v HP24w white bulb - about £40 on ebay. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PEUGEOT-3008-5008-Daytime-Running-Light-Genuine-6216f6-/280918371645?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item41680a2d3d So, if you have to pay for the bulb to be replaced, it would be about £100 at a dealer including a bulb - I would be simply turning the day running lights off. Edited 13/2/2014 and 11/5/2016 (had T40 bit) - apparently it is possible to replace the bulb without removing the bumper, from inside the engine bay. A T45 torx bit in a right angle holder will help to slacken the bulb holder and a towel underneath will help stop it dropping down the bumper.

Welcome to the forum. According to the Citroen procedures, once all the relevant pipes in the way have been removed then - Disconnect the electrical connector.Unscrew the screw under the valve several turns.Remove :The 2 bolts at the topThe 2 bolts to the connecting pipeRemove the EGR electrovalveThe sealThe bolts are tightened to 10 Nm. I have not done this so do not know how good the procedure is and it does not mention if it sticks in place.