paul.h

I will copy this to the common problems post.

AIT or IAT is the engine inlet air temperature which before starting the car with a cold engine, should be the outside air temperature about 10°C depending on where you are and time of day, etc. When the engine has been running it may go up a bit due to heat from the engine, maybe 40°C but never as high as 217°C. The MAF needs the air temp so it can calculate the mass of air entering. So, it looks as though the new MAF sensor may be faulty.

I just tried an internet search on fault code P2143 and it came back with a few things to try for egr valve control circuit open. Some suggest a clean of the egr valve but one on a Kelsey forum on a 2004 2.0hdi C5, after replacing parts and the fault remaining, it was eventually found the problem was a fuse that had failed in the fusebox beside the battery - so try looking for this first but it did not say which fuse.

When the injector failed on our car, the engine management light came on and the car ran with a very bad misfire. If you do a diagnostic check on the injectors, for some reason they are numbered from the gearbox end, so if it indicates a problem with no. 2, do not replace no. 3 by mistake and think you have fitted a faulty injector - I may have read this in Car Mechanics. Have a look at the injectors - there are 2 small holes at either side of the coil on them - this is where the water gets in and they rust - so if you can see rust it may help the diagnosis. I put a bit of sealant in these holes once our car was fixed, as well as stopping the water leaks. Early on in the life of the car, I replaced the accelerator pedal since it would not accelerate smoothly at low revs making setting off difficult. The new one was about £40 and did not take long to fit. I think an injector may be a couple of £100, so as coastline has said, start cheapest first and if the spark plugs have not been changed in the last couple of years (40000 miles service schedule may be a bit much) they needed doing anyway (I also tried this as well as a check on the air filter, throttle body clean, check for any air leaks, a look at the spark plug ignition coil - before it went back to the dealer since it was a weekend). If petrol is going unburnt to the exhaust catalyst, there is a chance it may not do it any good and shorten its life, so better to sort the problem soon.

When the mechanic looked at your car, did he read the fault code and clear the management light - the code should give a good indication of the fault and what needs to be fixed. Possibilities could include the fuel pressure sensor, the fuel pumps (one in the fuel tank and one at the engine end), a fuel injector, crank position sensor, etc. The best option may be to get a Citroen dealer or independant specialist to have a look with the right diagnostic equipment - if using another garage, make sure they have the right equipment for your model/year of car before booking it in. Years ago we had a 2.0hdi Xsara Picasso that cut out but then all the electrics were lost. It turned out to be a maxi fuse that had failed but for no apparent reason since on replacement it never happened again. To find the problem it ended up being towed by the RAC to a Citroen garage as he could not find it since the maxi fuses are hidden in the engine fusebox under the top layer of fuses.

On all the Citroens we have had, the fan has used the engine temp sensor on the end of the cylinder head. So if the engine temp gauge is working normally then it could be a fault elsewhere such as a relay, bad earth, bad electrical connector on the fan. Just to check the fan works, you could try wiring it from the battery for a test.

I do not think a dealer needs to be involved. If you look in the handbook it will say what to do for battery disconnection/reconnection and it is unlikely to need a dealer - when doing this on our C3/C5 there has not been any problems. There may be a sticker on the radio with its make. The radio may need 2 bent wire clips (there will be 2 holes each side) to be pushed in the holes to release it and then pull out, or it may be held in by small torx screws (I have not seen the Picasso radio). It is probably a good idea to disconnect the battery, then if any of the electrics inside the radio are touched there will not be a risk of blowing a fuse or affecting the radio electrics. I have found the following procedure on our C3 and C5 has not given any problems: - 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 (Our C4 did not have this position) - 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).

It may be something fuel related, when was the fuel filter last changed, should be about every 40000 miles ? Or something like the crank position sensor - symptoms of these failing are cutting out once they warm up but then letting the engine start again once cooled down. This would not give an engine management light. Have you had a diagnostic check at a Citroen dealer ? If not, it could be cheaper than keep changing lots of parts.

The map in our 2007 C5 is 2006/2007 version. I think it may be a dealer update so not free.

Was it Landrover/Range Rover that had a problem with aluminium panels on steel frames and lots of corrosion many years ago ? Due to the same problem - galvanic corrosion due to dissimilar metals, also occurs on the rear brake calipers on C5s to 2008 and other Citroens so they should be wise to this. I will have to check our C4 and C5 bonnets now and add it to the common problems list.

If you just need to get to the back of the radio, then you could pull the radio out and leave it connected up and then no need to bother about the battery. I had to do this when removing the ashtray to repair it. 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). As for routing a cable, once you know where you want to end up, by removing the gear lever gaiter, you may be able to push a wire through with a rod towards the front and reach behind the back of the dash to feed it to the radio area.

If going under the C5 the body should be supported on axle stands since if a height sensor is caught the suspension can quickly drop to a very low level, faster than you can get out of the way. If the car is to be jacked up, the suspension should first be raised to maximum height to avoid possible suspension problems. Also on the C5 (X7) the suspension fluid LDS tank cap should be slackened first before jacking up to prevent the tank possibly splitting and then the cap tightened once the car has been lowered back on to the ground. Note that tyre fitters may not be aware of these requirements and may need to be told. This does not apply to the C5 (X7) with normal suspension coil springs. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Under this post we can put together a list of problems common to the C5. I will add to this post as more common problems are found from the forum and elsewhere, so do not read it as a one off. Note that the posting date is not changed when it is edited but the revision date will be in the title. Can other members also post their own experiences. The following happened to either our 2004 2.2 hdi VTR hatchback (sold in 2012 at 47000 miles) or 2007 2.2 hdi VTX estate or has been reported as a common problem. 1. Alloy wheels stick to the hub. This applies to any car with alloy wheels. Rust on the hub can make it difficult to remove the wheels. When I first got the cars, with each wheel in turn jacked up and axle stands used, I had to knock off the wheels using a piece of wood against the inner side of each tyre (not the alloy wheel) and hit it with a 4lb hammer until they came loose. Then before refitting, the hub and wheel were cleaned up and a smear of copper grease applied to the contact points. 2. Rear brake squeal. This is usually caused by corrosion between the rear brake caliper and suspension arm which if left, will push out the caliper and can even catch the inside of the wheel. The caliper needs to be undone, (it is not necessary to disconnect the brake pipe) the corrosion cleaned off and grease or another barrier applied. This may need to be done every 2 years and should be considered as part of normal servicing. There is a pinned note on this. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/6881-removal-of-rear-brake-calipers-pad-replacement-c5-to-2008/ 3. Rear brake pads clunk when the brakes are applied. If the brakes are kept well serviced, they may be heard to clunk when going slowly. Citroen supply an extra shim to attach over the pads on the retaining springs (part no. 442701) and this worked on the hatchback. Shims £14, new springs £2. 4. Corrosion of the rear brake calipers at the pad cover bolt holes. This has not happened on our cars but prevent this by applying copper grease to the holes/bolts when servicing the brakes. 5. The rear brake caliper fastening bolts are difficult to remove. On all but the earliest cars, loctite is injected along the bolts inside the calipers. To DIY remove a bolt (doing one at a time and refitting for the second so the caliper does not split in to its 2 halves), undo the bolt to clear the suspension arm threads, then whilst still turning the bolt, lever under the bolt head with a crow bar to get it to move further out - it helps to use a large washer behind the bolt head and some blocks of wood under the crowbar. This takes forever so allow half a day to do both sides of the car. Once the bolt is out, clean the hole out with a long 10mm drill, being carefull not to go into the suspension arm threads. Officially, new loctite should be used when the bolts are refitted but I coated them in copper grease - I suspect this is to avoid corrosion between the alloy caliper and steel bolts. Note the bolts are 10.9 high tensile and are not readily available other than from Citroen. 6. Front suspension struts appear to leak oil. A slight dampness is normal and should be wiped off before an MOT test in case the tester is not familiar with C5s. If replacement is needed, expect a dealer to charge about £440 - a new strut is about £340, 2 litres of LDS fluid about £32 and 1 hour labour. 7. Rear suspension strut gaiter leaks oil. It may just need a new gaiter - £7, fastening clip £10, LDS fluid £16, or a new strut. Gaiter replacement is a DIY job but a dealer would need to fit a new strut to guarantee the repair, probably about £230. The rear may also sink a little bit overnight indicating a new strut is needed. 8. Estate high level brake light glows dimly until the BSI shuts down. The official fix is to live with it or solder a resistor (3.9kohms, 0.25 watts) across the light circuit board +/- connections. The fault also occurs on new parts so it has not been designed out. The hole in the light to solder the resistor is about 1 inch square so there is little room to work so I am living with it. 9. Estate high level brake light fills with rain water. I broke the lens whilst trying to separate the lens and body to dry it out and repair the seal so I just put black silicone sealant on the replacement one (£50) in the gap between the lens and body. 10. The air conditioning only gives cold air at one side or does not cool much. The evaporator matrix cooling the air on the C5 is long and if the amount of refrigerant is low then there will not be enough to cool all the matrix for both sides of the cabin. First step should be a regass then if that does not work and there are no leaks then look at replacing the air flap control motors. A regass may be about £50, a flap new motor about £60. It could also be damage to the air flap shaft motor fitting - see this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21119-c5-2002-aircon/ . I had to have both C5s regassed when about 7 years old, on the second one there was a printout that showed there was only 93 g of refrigerant left and that 525 g were put back in yet the air con was working and gas could be heard going through the pressure control valve but the air was not cooling much. The C5 estate had to be regassed again at 11 years old but it turned out the condenser had a leak and needed replacing. Also have a look at this topic for a possible fix to a broken heater flap connection http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22652-c5-v6-problems-and-fixes-exhaust-heater-flap-motor-air-bag-ecu/ Have a look at this topic for alternative ways to fix the broken flap connection by extending the motor spindle using one from another motor or buying a motor already with an extended spindle http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22667-c5-04-estate-air-circulation-aircon/ Have a look at this topic for a case where a new comms 2000 unit fixed the manual air con not working http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20433-manual-aircon/ In the May 2015 Car Mechanics magazine there is an excellent article by Rob Marshall where he dismantles a 2004 to 2008 C5 heating system with climate control to replace broken heater flaps (the shaft on one had broken completely and the other was breaking). This involves removing the dash and then the heater unit from the car and then fitting new flaps from a dealer (6480E3 for dual zone and 6480E4 for mono system, both £58.53). There are 63 photos showing all the steps. This topic has some tips on replacing these flaps http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24103-2005-c5-dual-climate-control-problem/page-0 11. C5 2.2 hdi 136 hp only, swirl plate diaphragm actuator ball cup breaks. Vacuum leak/turbo fault codes (any engine). Located at the left end of the cylinder head. Symptoms may be loss of acceleration, engine management light, increased fuel economy. The plastic ball cup may be replaced on its own (10 mins) or the complete actuator replaced (several hours DIY), about £20 but the cup is not available separately. This topic has a few notes on how to replace the part http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/8259-antipollution-esp-asr-fault/?hl=diaphragm&do=findComment&comment=40936 There is a diy fix here if not able or want to get the dealer part http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22417-swirl-valve-broken-plastic-actuator-tip-repair-an-how-to/?do=findComment&comment=82945 I read in Car Mechanics a case where the actuator had a vacuum leak which resulted in the engine management light and limp mode and fault codes for over boost and turbo regulation fault. The slow loss of vacuum reduced it also to the turbo wastegate so turbo boost level dropped, the ecu then increased the boost control duty cycle which then deactivated the swirl control increasing the vacuum boost and tripping the EML/limp mode. These fault codes have also been reported here and it turned out to be a split in the vacuum pipe to the egr valve actuator - so any cause of a vacuum leak should be looked for before touching the turbo. 12. Wet driver's footwell, mark 1 C5 (2001 TO 2004 model), mark 2 C5 (2004 to 2008 model) and mark 3 C5 (2008 on model). Rain from the windscreen and the middle grommet of the wiper arm drips in to the cabin air intake, runs down the inside of the cabin firewall and soaks the carpet. It is a bad design of the air intake, not carried over to the mark 2 C5. I fixed this on our hatchback by putting a plate under the wiper grommet over the air intake to direct water away, put holes in the air intake to drain water before reaching the firewall, used lots of sealant behind the holes and at the firewall. This problem has also been reported on the mark 2 C5 due to a build up of debris below the bulk head - see this topic from Mike Lane http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22925-c5-mk2-2004-2008-water-ingress/?do=findComment&comment=85106 This problem has also been reported on the mark 3 C5 - see this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21911-rain-water-getting-in/ Problems others have reported. 13. Corrosion of the bonnet. Not a problem on our C5s or our 2008 C4 but has been reported by scimitargtc on his 2012 C4 and happened on our 2011 C4. Corrosion of the aluminium bonnet possibly due to a steel frame, although our C4 frame was not steel (magnet did not stick to it) and the dealer bodyshop says the problem is due to a defect in the metal so simply touching up the paint would not last. The dealer has seen a few of these. One to check for the C5 which also has an aluminium bonnet. 14. Rear door will not open from the inside and outside. This has not happened to our C5s but it is a common problem. To fix: remove the door card, it is awkward with the door shut but can be done once removed, follow the rod to the door lock and remove the white plastic cover now try to look into the door and you will see the insides of the lock use a screwdriver and push the lever down on the inside of the lock and the door will open replace the lock with a different one. This topic by aspire_helen gives a detailed procedure with photos on how to unlock a rear door if the lock does not work. It involves removing the door card and then using a small soldering iron to put a hole in the lock cover and in this hole using a small screwdriver to operate the lock. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25000-how-to-open-a-rear-door-that-will-not-unlock/ 15. When using the rear wiper washer, the water comes out at the front wipers. The front and rear wipers use the same washer pump but it runs in opposite directions. It has 1 inlet but 2 outlets. If the outlet or the piping to the rear blocks, then the water will use the other outlet and go to the front wipers. It can apply to many Citroen models. 16. Odd electrical problems caused by wrong battery disconnection procedure. 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). 17. Odd electrical problems after jump starting another car. This occurred on a Peugeot 406 but could apply to a Citroen. When jump starting another car a power spike caused the BSI software to become corrupt and the headlights would come on after the car was switched off and locked, causing the battery to go flat. It was possible to reprogramme another BSI to use but this may not always be the case, requiring a new BSI to be needed. The problem is when you are jump starting, the regulator on the running (good) car senses a drain on itself and allows the regulator to put out more power to maintain 14.4v and if you just pull the jump lead off you are causing a power surge until the regulator adjusts itself. 9 out of 10 times it is fine but the 406 customer was just unlucky. To help avoid this possibility when jump starting it is recommended to - connect jump leads making sure you put the negative lead onto the engine of the flat car - once the flat car is started do not take the leads off - go into the good car and switch on the rear demister, headlights and foglights. - then remove the jump leads - now switch the headlight and demisters off one at a time. This allows the regulator to catch up and regulate the power output. We are not talking about seconds here, its actually miliseconds for it to alter itself but its long enough to fry things. 18. Front window anti pinch stops it closing (comes back down a few inches). Check the bottom rubber seal on the window as these start to corrode and apply pressure on to the runner. However, thanks go to Bobster for the following fix on a passenger window 2003 2.2 hdi sx hatchback. Window fault is cured. A general search on the internet found Vauxhall and Saab owners had the same fault. The cure was to put the key in the ignition, remove the fuse to the passenger door then the fuse to the driver's door console, then replace both fuses and the problem was cured. So, I put the ignition key in and turned it to accessories, then I removed fuse 4 from the passenger glove compartment and checked the passenger window switch which was dead, removed fuse 9 and checked the driver's door switches which were also dead. I then replaced both fuses, pressed the passenger window button to 'raise' and the window moved to the top and stayed there! I tried lowering and raising the passenger window using both passenger and door switches and all worked perfectly, job done! This fix also worked for Mike Lane whose window would only go up in increments and after cleaning the switch which did not help, this fix was successfully used. See here http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/14863-electric-windows/ 19. Speedometer stops working. The motor at the back of the speedo can be replaced to fix this - see http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/15043-speedometer-repairs/ 20. EGR, MAF fault codes, engine hunting/pulsing, lack of power, blocked dpf, blocked catalyst. Before replacing any parts, make sure the rubber hose connected to it or any other sensors do not have a small split since this can be the fault. See this post as an example http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21171-a-little-knowledgediagnosticsp0402-egr-flow/?do=findComment&comment=77310 Blanking off an egr valve fixed the hunting/pulsing for Gary 180259 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22909-c5-hunting/ It could also be caused by a blocked dpf http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22909-c5-hunting/?do=findComment&comment=95329 Lack of power, poor running, apparent MAF and EGR faults turned out to be a blocked exhaust catalyst in this non turbo diesel Berlingo. See this topic by heraldsteve http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25063-berlingo-diesel-engine-problem/ 21. Crankshaft pulley failure - noisy tappet noise. This has been reported on a 2.2 hdi 136 bhp engine but can happen on other engines. Symptoms are a tapping noise from low down on the engine but may initially be thought to be a worn/sticking tappet. The noise increases with engine revs. The pulley is an anti vibration type which can separate and need replacing - it is possible to fit a solid type - approx cost at a garage is £200 including a new auxiliary drive belt. See this topic from aspire_helen where the noise was initially thought to be a tappet but was the pulley http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25016-2001-c5-22hdi-noisy-tappet-crankshaft-pulley/ A new pulley was £55. 22. Blocked windscreen washer. The following fix is from Floyd. The washer pump would run but no water came out of the jets. The washer problem.....disconnected the hose where it joins the bonnet, blew back down it which cleared it to a dribble of water coming through. I then pinched the end of the hose whilst operating the washer stalk and the pressure it built up suddenly cleared the blockage. This may or not work for a blocked rear washer since there are joints in the piping that could split and it may still be necessary to clean out the washer bottle. 23. Seat massage does not work. On a couple of the new C5s the seat massage would not work. Fully inflating the lumbar support was the fix. 24. Fuel flap indicates open. On cars with a dpf there are 2 magnets in the filler cap which tell the car when it has been filled as part of the eolys injection system. These also are used to indicate if the flap is open although it really indicates if the filler cap is in place. If a cap without magnets is used the flap open message comes up. Also if one of the magnets is missing the warning may show if the remaining magnet is not lined up with the sensor - in this case turn the cap 180° so the other magnet works the sensor. 25. New C5 (mark 3/X7) steering rack oil leaks - at least 8 cases so far. We have 2 members jefflad and Howiec with steering rack leaks that are proving difficult to fix. Where the supply and return pipes join the rack, the seals are leaking fluid. It seems Citroen want to replace the pipes to fix this and that just replacing the O-ring seals does not work. Citroen also do not sell the seals separately. An additional 2 members, Parkesie and johnfing, have found a leak from the steering column shaft input seal on top of the steering rack, which initially was thought to be the pipe seals. This seal also is not available so replacement racks have been fitted. The column shaft has badly rusted so may be the cause of the leak - applying grease could possibly prevent this. See http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20872-power-steering-leaking-fluid/?do=findComment&comment=75684 . See also this topic for info on replacing the rack http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22147-c5-2008-rack-leak-and-replacement/?do=findComment&comment=81594 There are 2 more cases here and one being caused by corrosion of the rack where the alloy oil pipes connect http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22577-leaking-fluid/ Have a look at this topic from C5greener for another leak point in the piping near the rack http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22970-power-steering-leak/ This topic from taximan61 for his 2011 C5 (X7) had the leaking rack and pipes repaired in Wakefield. This is the youngest C5 with a leaking rack so it is not just the early ones that leak. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24038-c5-tourer-2011-power-steering-leak/ The company in Wakefield also recommend replacing the low pressure pipe since it is alloy at the end but is held by a steel clamp which causes corrosion. Another to add to the list from twoseefives http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24900-x7-power-steering-failure/ Another to add, from Gazh who sent his rack to Wakefield for repair for £180 which seems a bargain http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25036-reconditioned-steering-rack/?do=findComment&comment=95306 26. Tyre pressure sensor failure. This seems to be a particular problem on the mark 3 C5 (2008 on) where the valve stems can crumble. It is possible to just replace the stems with a repair kit for £9.99, ref Robhall77. See http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20608-tyre-deflation-sensor/?do=findComment&comment=75957 Plastic caps instead of metal will also help. 27. Flat spot/hesitation. A flat spot/hesitation at about 1500 rpm on a 2009 1.6 hdi was fixed by replacing the turbo vac solenoid. See this post by Nrog http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21033-c5-16hdi-flat-spot/ A hesitation / misfire on a 2010 C5 (X7) 3.0 hdi V6 at low revs when the outside temperature was above 18°C seems to have been fixed by replacing the egr valve. See this topic by dflflack http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21918-c5-30-hdi-v6-hesitationmisfire-at-low-revs-and-torque-when-outside-temperature-exceeds-18-degrees-c/?do=findComment&comment=85711 28. When warm, hesitation under acceleration and steady running - egr valve. The egr valve should only work when warmed up, so running problems once the engine is warm could be the egr valve. See this post by John.A.S http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20999-c5-hdi-irratic-loss-of-power-when-engine-hot/ See post 14 below, the connector pins should be checked and possibly need twisting slightly to give a good contact. 29. 2008 on C5 daylight running light bulb replacement and LED bulbs. The normal HP 24w white bulb is expensive, about £38 and the front bumper needs removing to replace one. However, using a torch and mirror plus a small ratchet and torx bit to fit the bulb holder underneath the light unit with a towel under the light so the parts are caught and not dropped into the bumper area, it has been reported the bulb can be replaced from inside the engine bay and the bumper not removed. One member has replaced his with G4 LED bulbs - see this topic by sillyme and dflflack http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20984-daytime-running-lights-bulb-replacement-and-led-option/?do=findComment&comment=76329 30. Suspension does not self level, pump sometimes kicks in when stopped/moving slowly. This is a common problem that can be caused by the height sensors sticking. They are located in the middle of the front and rear anti roll bars and giving them a dose of such as wd40 and raising and lowering the suspension a few times can cure it. As an example see this post by Alix776 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21071-rear-suspension-problem/?do=findComment&comment=76365 On our 2007 C5 estate sometimes the suspension pump would kick in and raise the car slightly whilst stationary or moving slowly. It had been doing this for years but seemed worse recently so I raised the car to max height, disconnected the battery, used the jack and axle stands under the car body and then removed/levered off the height sensor arms and put a 5 mm drill in the sensor pivot/body hole. I also marked the arm/sensor pivot/sensor body position with paint so they were not put back wrong with the pivot 180 degrees out. The rear can be done without lifting the car more than the suspension max height but the front needed the car jacking up further so there was enough room to slide under the car. The arms had seemed free enough but I still cleaned the ball and socket joints and applyed a bit of grease before putting them back. Now the suspension seems to be a lot smoother and the pump kicking in seems to have stopped apart from the normal times of getting in/putting things in the car/when unlocking the doors. See also 62 below. Parkesie has also reported the rear height sensor linkage arm had corroded and broke on his mark 3 exclusive C5 causing the rear suspension to drop. See http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21060-rear-end-sitting-on-its-arse/ Axle stands should always be used when going under the car since catching or playing with the height sensors can cause the suspension to drop to a very low level so the car is only a few inches above the ground. 31. Front end rattle or knocking - brake pads and anti roll bar drop links. The Citroen front brake pads have a rubber backing on them - if this is missing the pads may rattle and the source of the noise may be difficult to find. Thanks to John.A.S. for this fix. Worn anti roll bar drop links can also cause knocking noises from the front as the joints wear. They are not difficult to replace. This is also a cause on the C3 and C4. 32. C5 (X7) tourer high level brake light not working / boot lock switch not working / damaged rear wiring. There have been 2 recent reports of the brake light failure caused by the wiring between the body and tailgate breaking at the top of the tailgate. The high level brake light wires are in a separate duct to the other wires. This should be checked before attempting to remove the light. In one case the boot switch would not unlock the boot, it turned out a wire was damaged under the dash. See this topic from robskiing http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22861-boot-lock/ . Unfortunately he also had the steering rack seal fail. 33. New C5 (mark 3/X7) very low engine oil pressure warning and cuts out. Also warning messages for depollution fault and eps fault and possibly dpf full. This may be a common problem and appears to be a fault with the fuel pump relay needing the engine compartment fuse box to be replaced, or possibly cleaned. See these posts http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21260-2008-new-shape-20-hdi-very-low-engine-oil-pressure/ and http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21517-2008-c5-20-hdi-cut-out-dpf-full-eps-fault-low-oil-pressure/?do=findComment&comment=81090 34. Trip computer does not work or does not display on the screen. This could be due to damage in the switch at the end of the wiper stalk. A copper strip can break but it can be repaired, see http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/5972-c5-trip-computer-fault/?hl=%2Bwiper+%2Bswitch&do=findComment&comment=30402 and http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21512-trip-computer-question/ 35. Front parking sensors do not work after using a Lexia to check for a rear sensor fault. It has been reported a few times that after using a copy Lexia to diagnose a rear parking sensor fault, and then replacing the faulty rear sensor, the rears then work but the front then do not work. The cause is a glitch in the Lexia messing up the sensor programming which then needs to be redone using different equipment. See this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21491-parking-sensor-problem-bit-strange-this/ 36. Estate tailgate does not stay up. This is caused by the struts needing replacing, see this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/14998-replaced-tailgate-gas-struts-on-mk-1-estate-myself/ 37. New C5 (X7) window regulator cables break. I have read that the cables can rust and break. Replacement cables are readily available through such as ebay and possibly Citroen giving a low cost repair. This fault has now appeared on the forum - see this topic by Shane Peet http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22900-window-regulator/ 38. New C5 (X7) rear washer pipe broken. It appears that the rear washer pipe can break. See this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21975-broken-rear-washer-pipe-on-c5-tourer/ 39. Rear wiper not behaving. The wiper not working normally could be caused by broken wires between the back door and the body or possibly a motor problem. See this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22007-c5-rear-wiper-has-a-mind-of-its-own/ 40. New C5 (X7) 1.6 hdi cutting out on motorways. This is a comment from new member WakeyTiger: 2009 C5 Tourer 1.6 VTR+ NAV This car was fine, after an EGR valve change at 80k - as it kept dying on the motorway, which was scary! Something to watch out for, but if you get a reconditioned EGR fitted it can save you loads. 41. LDS leak from the front suspension strut hoses. The hoses can split, the clamps can come off losing lds fluid - see this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22060-massive-lds-leak-at-front-driver-side-wheel/ 42. Estate tailgate window does not open or opens on its own when not wanted. This topic contains a fix so it will open. Citroen can supply a repair kit for about �15, part no. 653898. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/2030-estate-rear-screen/ This topic includes some photos and a fix to stop the window opening on its own (disconnect the solenoid) http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22643-april-2006-c5-estate-tailgate-window-opening-fix/ 43. New C5 (X7) front wipers not working properly. Before replacing one of the 2 wiper motors, it may be possible to do a fix to the motor wiring pins - see this topic from c5vtr http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22587-c5-08-x7-wiper-motor/ 44. How to check the suspension spheres. This topic contains useful information from coastline taxis on how to check which sphere is at fault if the suspension is hard http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22616-c5-20-hdi-exclusive-suspension-issues/?do=findComment&comment=83812 45. 2001 to 2008 C5 handbrake cable and guide tube replacement. This topic contains useful information from coastline taxis on how to remove and refit the handbrake cable tubes http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22618-handbrake-guide-tube/ See also 56 below. 46. New C5 (X7) wind whistle noise. Thanks to seanodwyer for this fix, apparently a common problem and there have been posts about this before but no fix reported until now http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22588-wind-whistle-solved/ 47. Early C5 diesel fuel filter giving running problems and filter housing bi metal strip failure . This topic contains links to other topics on filter problems that can cause cutting out/running problems http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22650-running-on-runaway/?do=findComment&comment=83994 48. Remote key repair. If the remote does not work it could be a solder joint on the pcb that needs resoldering and a new remote is not needed. See this topic by Old Mosher http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22798-aftermarket-remote-locking-kit-remote-repair/ 49. Wheel bearing failure. This may not be common but deciding on which wheel has the faulty bearing is not easy, have a look at this topic from RichCliff http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22727-loud-humming-noise-from-front-drivers-side-wheel/ 50. ESP/ASR system faulty. This could be the battery needs replacing, have a look at this topic from mickrochip http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23136-espasr-system-faulty/ I had the ESP/ASR fault message just after starting our 2007 C5 but the battery was down to 12.1 volts since the car had not been used for a few weeks. This was the day after changing the brake fluid and the diesel fuel filter which needed the engine turning over a lot to prime the filter. After charging the battery the message did not come back. 51. Front side light bulbs are difficult to replace. It is possible to replace them without removing the front bumper, look at these topics http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/5301-near-side-side-light-bulb-replacement/ http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/9402-side-light-bulb/?do=findComment&comment=87314 52. New C5 (mark 3 / X7) heater blower only works on low speed. This is usually considered to be the blower speed control resistor is faulty. However, it could be the car battery is low voltage and needs replacing so this should be checked first http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23445-c5-2009-heater-blower-not-working/ 53. Odd electrical problems or something electrical is not working normally. The first thing to check should always be the car battery since if it is low voltage electrical things can be affected, as examples see 50 and 52 above. Before starting the car the battery should be about 12.5 volts, any lower and it needs charging or replacing. With the engine running it should be about 14.4 volts from the alternator. 54. Suspension pump not running, suspension does not rise from low level. Before replacing the pump, check the relay first. See this topic by danshrekman76 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23527-c5-suspension-pump-command-wire-relay-fault/ On the C5 (X7) 2008 on model, check the pump fuse in the battery fuse box http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23633-c5-x7-suspension-pump-failure-battery-fuses-list/ If the suspension does not raise from low level, it could be the pump fuse has blown. See this topic by alphaeagle where the brake pads/discs were replaced but then the suspension would not rise from low level. The technician had not first raised the suspension to max before doing the work which could have caused the blown fuse. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25075-hydroactive-suspension-on-lowest-level-wont-raise-pump-fuse-blown/page-0 In this topic by 3001pv, the pump fuse kept blowing. The pump motor end plate was removed and a black mess of grease and carbon brush dust was cleaned out and the pump now works normally http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23976-c5-suspension-fault-pump-maxi-fuse-blowing-fault-code-p1351/ Here cleaning the pump did not work but something was causing it to stick, post by jaysams80 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24609-suspension-problem-fixedkind-of/ 55. C8 2.2 hdi turbo replacement and also lack of power sorted. In this topic Bigbruv replaced a failed turbo but still found a lack of power which turned out to be a kink in a pipe to the intercooler area located boost sensor (possibly electrovalve part 1628LQ) http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23870-now-my-turbo-has-blown/page-0 56. Handbrake cable replacement. Some info here on replacing the handbrake cable and guide tube for a mark 1 and 2 C5 from muttontop http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23999-c5-handbrake-cable/?do=findComment&comment=90391 See also 45 above. 57. Seized handbrake lever or pistons C5 2001 to 2008. This seems to be quite common, see this topic on how to free it http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/15045-seized-caliper-fix/# See also this topic from aspire_helen, Mk1 Binding Front Brake - Worth Checking Routinely For Hot Brakes http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25011-mk1-binding-front-brake-worth-checking-routinely-for-hot-brakes/ 58. Boot lights not working. If not the bulb or a fuse it could be a damaged wire between the tailgate and the body. The tailgate lock provides a signal to the bsi the door is open and then the bsi puts on the lights. There may also be problems with the door lock / central locking not working or the car saying the tailgate is not closed. See this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22088-c5-boot-lights-not-working/?do=findComment&comment=91445 59. C5 X7 front discs warping. Something to check, copied from a post by taximan61: Got the car October 2015 when it was 4 years old and had 115k on. One owner and with a full dealer history, paid £4500 for it. Had a recurring problem with front discs warping, 2 sets only lasted a couple of months. Garage eventually sorted it, inside the caliper pin rubber guides there are plastic spacer rings, these go brittle with the heat and jam the caliper, used to be a problem on the old AX models I'm told. These were removed and all is well. 60. Rear suspension drops overnight. This could be the anti sink valve, a strut leak or if the X7 model, it could be the hydraulic pump - see this topic from lyallp http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24488-rear-suspension-droops/ 61. C5 X7 1.6 petrol THP - air con / radiator fan not working. The cause of this may not be obvious but could be a fault with the electric cooling pump which then blows its fuse L21 which also cuts the supply to the radiator fan controller. A new pump from BMW for the mini is a third of the cost of it from Citroen. See this topic by Brian50 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24682-cooling-fan-not-operating-electric-cooling-pump-fault/ 62. Suspension goes up and down whilst parked. This could be the height sensor arm joints are a bit seized. Spraying the joints with something like wd40 and raising/lowering the car a few times may help. Use axle stands to support the car body if going under the car since touching the height sensors can cause the suspension to quickly drop to a very low level. The problem could also be due to wear in the suspension bushes, see this topic by UVG http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24959-why-does-my-car-want-to-drive-in-circles/ 63. Front seat lumbar support repair, 2001 to 2008 C5. If the lumbar support handle moves easily without altering the lumbar support then it is likely the pivot cable retaining clip has broken. Fortunately the pivot has a spare position so if one breaks the cable can be moved to the second position. To remove the cable from the pivot needs pliers to pull the sleeve out and then the pivot handle moving so the cable end can be removed. The repair can be made without removing the seat, just the flap at the back needs elastic unhooking from underneath and the flap lifting up and hooking up to keep it out of the way. I also had to replace the cable end clip in the seat frame which broke whilst moving the cable in the pivot. Order of refitting is to put the cable in the frame clip, position the clip in the frame (a loose fit), fit the cable to the lumbar support strap, hook the support spring to the frame, put the cable end in to the pivot but then the spring needs to be stretched to allow the cable sleeve at the pivot end to be put back in the pivot - I managed to do this using some brake spring pliers hooked to the lumbar support strap and frame to take up the spring tension. If both positions on the pivot are broken then it will need a new pivot but unfortunately it is riveted to the frame so could need the seat cover removing at the side to replace it. It helps access if the seat is raised to max height and the suspension raised to max height. Parts - pivot 8957LG rh seat, 8957LF lh seat, cable frame end clip 8957LA. 64. Suspension pipe wears through. It has been found on several mark 2 C5s (model up to 2008) that the small diameter hydraulic pipe is touching the side undertray where it emerges just in front of the fuel tank. If not found early it will wear through the pipe and can be expensive to replace. See this topic from MichaelDavis http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25015-important-mark2-c5-front-to-rear-hydraulic-pipe-check/?do=findComment&comment=95209

Under this post we can put together a list of problems common to the C4. I will add to this post as more common problems are found from the forum and elsewhere, so do not read it as a once off. Note that the posting date is not changed when it is edited but the revision date will be in the title. Can other members also post their own experiences. Our 2008 1.6 hdi VTR+ 110hp only had a few problems and was sold at 47000 miles in 2012 to be replaced by the 2011 version of the same car. 1. Air doser valve leaked oil which dripped on to the alternator. The air doser valve controls air flow through the intercooler and the casing is 2 plastic sections but the joint can leak oil carried in the air flow from the turbo. Sealant may provide a temporary fix but in the end we had to fit a new one. There is a risk of alternator failure from the oil if not fixed. The same engine on the new C4 has a one piece case so the problem has been designed out. 2. The bracket on the cover over the coolant tank broke. This was at the thin section which allows it to bend. The 2 halves were joined with a strip of steel and bolts. 3. Alloy wheels stick to the hub. This applies to any car with alloy wheels. Rust on the hub can make it difficult to remove the wheels. When I first got the car, with each wheel in turn jacked up and axle stands used, I had to knock off the wheels using a piece of wood against the inner side of each tyre (not the alloy wheel) and hit it with a 4lb hammer until they came loose. Then before refitting, the hub and wheel were cleaned up and a smear of copper grease applied to the contact points. 4. Windscreen steaming up. The windscreen was prone to steaming up. Checks on the aircon drain at the left of the driver's footwell did not find any blockage and there was no evidence of water ingress. 5. Clock and date keep resetting. On the 2011 C4 this would happen maybe once a month as the door was opened/the engine was started. At the recent service (10/2013) a software update was installed to prevent this and I have read elsewhere that this is a successful fix. The update has also changed the auto locking - when the car is stopped and a front door opened, the rear doors do not unlock, then when the remote is used to lock the car it will not work until first it is used to unlock the rear doors. 6. Engine fusebox lid clip broken. This fusebox lid on the old and new C4 are the same but on the new one a fastening clip had broken off so the lid was loose. A new lid was £19. 7. New C4 engine air inlet loose giving a rattle heard in the cabin. The end of the air inlet duct at the front of the car, if loose, can give a rattle heard in the cabin that appears to come from the left back of the engine. It appeared after a service. The fix was to tighten the joint with tape but then a buzz at about 2500 rpm was heard but further tightening with a tie wrap stopped this. The mechanic said they are having a few problems like this. Problems reported by others. 8. When using the rear wiper washer, the water comes out at the front wipers. The front and rear wipers use the same washer pump but it runs in opposite directions. It has 1 inlet but 2 outlets. If the outlet or the piping to the rear blocks, then the water will use the other outlet and go to the front wipers. It can apply to many Citroen models. 9. Turbo failure. This did not happen to our car but may be a common fault on the 1.6 hdi engine. The service interval is 12500 miles or annually, whichever comes first. Before stopping the engine, it should be left to idle for some time to give the turbo time to slow down, as for any turbo car, and the handbooks have a note on this. 10. Corrosion of the bonnet. This has been reported by scimitargtc on his 2012 C4. Corrosion of the aluminium bonnet possibly due to a steel frame. The dealer has seen a few of these and there are many cases on the internet. One to check for the C5 which also has an aluminium bonnet. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20246-c4-paint-quality-2012-model/ After 3 years 9 months a 1cm long paint bubble appeared on our 2011 C4 bonnet at the front at the V. The defect warranty for paint is 3 years but we still reported it to our dealer. The bonnet frame is not mild steel since a magnet does not stick to it. Our dealer put in a claim to Citroen and fortunately Citroen paid for a new bonnet to be fitted at a cost to Citroen of around £900. We were told only repairing the paint would not last since the problem is a defect with the metal. There is a recall on the bonnets which affected our 2015 C4 so may apply to all of the 2010 on model C4. We found out when it went for its second annual service at the Citroen dealer, they had not contacted us. First the bonnet is inspected in the area of the hook and then the bonnet is either replaced or if not corroded it involves putting grease filled stickers around the hook on the bonnet where it joins the bonnet. This is to prevent corrosion if the paintwork splits. The dealer said about 3% of bonnets recalled have been replaced so it is hoped the stickers will prevent too many needing to be replaced. At a guess, if not done and it corrodes, the hook could come off and the bonnet fly open. A search came up with this from the driver and vehicle standards agency https://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/expand.asp?uniqueID=765D700C4EEA4E8E8025804F003C0EAE&freeText=Blank&tx=0.684669 We have now had a letter from Citroen / Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency saying it needs to be done so they are contacting owners. They have given it operation reference NUH, the same as in the link so it covers 2015 C4s as well as ones in the link. Our VIN is ***FY504*** so is within the range in the link. 11. Odd electrical problems caused by wrong battery disconnection procedure. 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). In the handbook for the 2015 C4 it says to wait at least 2 minutes after switching off the ignition before disconnecting the battery and when reconnecting, to wait at least a minute after switching on the ignition before starting the engine. 12. Odd electrical problems after jump starting another car. This occurred on a Peugeot 406 but could apply to a Citroen. When jump starting another car a power spike caused the BSI software to become corrupt and the headlights would come on after the car was switched off and locked, causing the battery to go flat. It was possible to reprogramme another BSI to use but this may not always be the case, requiring a new BSI to be needed. The problem is when you are jump starting, the regulator on the running (good) car senses a drain on itself and allows the regulator to put out more power to maintain 14.4v and if you just pull the jump lead off you are causing a power surge until the regulator adjusts itself. 9 out of 10 times it is fine but the 406 customer was just unlucky. To help avoid this possibility when jump starting it is recommended to - connect jump leads making sure you put the negative lead onto the engine of the flat car - once the flat car is started do not take the leads off - go into the good car and switch on the rear demister, headlights and foglights. - then remove the jump leads - now switch the headlight and demisters off one at a time. This allows the regulator to catch up and regulate the power output. We are not talking about seconds here, its actually miliseconds for it to alter itself but its long enough to fry things. 13. Tailgate electrical faults - rear wiper, lock. Caused by wiring between the car body and tailgate in the rubber sleeve breaking. The broken wires need joining, possibly with new sections. Some cars may have been repaired with Citroen paying. 14. Car Mechanics used car guide August 2015. An article on buying a 2004 to 2010 C4 lists some things to check that may be common failures: - 1.4 litre petrol engines can suffer head gasket failure and oil leaks from the head gasket and top cover gasket. - VTI and THP petrol engines have timing chains but these can wear and fail but may get noisy first. - 2.0 hdi injector seals can leak causing engine runaway. These engines had a dpf from the 2008 facelift. - A chirp at idle could be a failing water pump with red dust around the timing belt cover. - The 1.6 hdi can suffer failed injector seals. - The 1.6 hdi can suffer clogged oil passages starving the turbo so the turbo fails. Starved turbo bearings may be noisy and there may be oil leaked on to the exhaust. - The 1.6 (not clear if this is the petrol or diesel) timing belt replacement is 150k miles but due to belt failures 60k miles may be more sensible. - DPF faults are common with the filter needing cleaning/replacing and the eolys fluid topping up. - The diesels have dual mass flywheels so listen for a rattle. - The 1.6 litre exhaust heat shield can fail and rattle. If ignored it can cause problems with the oil cooler. We had this on our 2003 C3 but it was easy to fix it back using large washers to cover the bolts holes that had become enlarged. - The bonnet is aluminium and there can be paint reaction issues at the front edge. - The tailgate wiring loom can fail where it enters the tailgate and some C4s had a recall for this. This affects the rear lights/wiper/heated screen. - If the car has self levelling headlights the load sensor can fail and the lights point down. - Manual gearboxes are robust but the gear change was never particularly pleasant. - The automatic with paddles is prone to problems - clutches can wear out quickly, listen for a whining noise indicating failed bearings, electrical gremlins can afect gear changing ability or refuse to engage a gear. - On suspension check for broken coil springs (these may be relpaced free of charge by a Citroen dealer so it is worth asking - this was the case on our 2003 and 2010 C3s). - The power steering pump can fail, usually intermittently at first. - Glovebox failures involving the handle are common but replacement latches are less than £10. - The heater flap control cogs can fail so only hot or cold may blow and if dual zone heating check both sides work. - Fan speed resistors are a common failure. - Seat belts had a recall so make sure they retract properly. - Make sure the electric windows and central locking work. - If the boot pops open when unlocking the car it may need a new lock mechanism. - The cruise control can be prone to niggling faults due to switches on the clutch/brake pedals and steering hub. 15. Lack of power - battery fuse box failure. Our 2015 C4 1.6 hdi 115 hp was suffering from poor acceleration at low revs, noticed just after a service but this was a coincidence. I could push down on the accelerator pedal and it barely accelerated until the revs got to about 1800. This also made it a bit difficult when setting off, needing to rev the engine more than normal before letting the clutch pedal up. The engine management light was not on but a diagnostic at the dealer found a Citroen specific U fault code which showed an open circuit in the fuse box on top of the battery. A known symptom for the fault included a lack of power. This has now been replaced under warranty and the car is back to normal. Other names for this fuse box seem to be BPGA supply management and protection control unit, power relay unit. 16. Aux belt tensioner recall. When our 2015 C4 1.6 hdi had its 2018 service at the dealer, they replaced the aux belt tensioner as a recall without charge to us. It is not classed as a safety recall so you are not contacted and if the car had not gone to a Citroen dealer it would not have been done. It looked as if the old belt was re-used so possibly they just inspect the belt and if ok will not replace it. See also http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24258-2014-c4-16-ehdi-selection-alternator/ and http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24101-20-hdi-aux-belt-tensioner-failure/

My towbar is also has a flanged towball but I found that pivoting the 13 pin electrics socket down a bit was enough to stop the reversing sensors seeing it. Before doing this I checked that the reversing sensors were correctly positioned. I did not use a dedicated wiring kit. 2007 C5 2.2 hdi VTX estate.

Under this post we can put together a list of problems common to the C3. I will add to this post as more common problems are found from the forum and elsewhere, so do not read it as a one off. Note that the posting date is not changed when it is edited but the revision date will be in the title. Can other members also post their own experiences. These have happened to our 2003 1.4 sx petrol. 1. Front suspension coil spring snapped. Both sides replaced free by our Citroen dealer. See 28 for a rear spring failure. 2. Petrol injector failure. Replaced free by our dealer under warranty. The engine had a very bad misfire and the engine management light came on. Caused by water dripping on the injector from the washer pipe connections and through the bonnet washer jet holes. Prevention is to put sealant under the washer jet and to change the plastic washer piping to flexible rubber to seal better and move any joints to the side of the bonnet. If the engine is only a bit juddery without the management light coming on, it may be worth replacing the spark plugs before condemning the injectors. 3. Rear wiper failed to park correctly. Cured when the rear wiper motor was changed when the tailgate was replaced with a s/h one due to a large dent but this also included the wiring to the body. So it could have been a motor or wiring problem although checks on the wiring did not find any faults. There are 2 cases on a C5 caused by damaged wires between the door and body - see this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22007-c5-rear-wiper-has-a-mind-of-its-own/ 4. Windscreen washer pump fuse blows in freezing temperatures. Fuse access is not quick so using an additive in the water helps prevent, but if the water does not spray after a quick twist of the washer switch then it is best to leave it until the weather has warmed. I have also moved the fuse to outside the engine fusebox so it can be changed quickly. 5. Front suspension drop link wear causing a knocking noise. Quick to diy replace, about £30 each side. 6. Plastic roof rails lift at the ends. Glue may provide a temporary fix, in the end we replaced them and the new ones seem better made. About £40 for both. 7. The original car battery is a bit underpowered so it is slow to turn the engine in winter. When replacing it we got a higher capacity one, 450 vs 300 amp. 8. Loss of air conditioning refrigerant. Apparently the lower connection to the condenser matrix at the front of the engine compartment can corrode and leak - applying grease can prevent this. 9. Exhaust tail box hanger around the box rusts through and a replacement is not available from Citroen. This is common to a few Citroens. Our hanger out lasted the box but a Citroen full exhaust is about £300 so I fit a Klarius one which has a hanger welded to the box, about £100 from Eurocarparts. However the replacement resonates internally, even after 2 years, at certains revs. This noise has also been reported by another owner. An internet search may bring up a suitable universal exhaust bracket to clamp on that will do a repair. This one MB5 from Clampcouk is a direct fit for the C2 and C3 http://www.clampcouk.co.uk/exhaust-repair/exhaust-brackets-straps/mb5-citroen-c2-exhaust-silencer-back-box-band.html 10. Number plate light bulbs only last a few months. 11. Sometimes the remote key fob fails to lock or unlock the doors. May be caused by radio interference from such as a mobile phone, but the key will work and after some time the locking returns to normal if you come back to the car. I have not tried to find a solution to this. There is a pinned note about this. One other owner reported replacing the comms 2000 unit which contains the remote receiver. A C3 Picasso 2010 driver's lock was not working on the remote and using the key in the key hole in the side of the door provided the fix. 12. When trying to start the car, occasionally, the starter seems to jam and not turn the engine as though it has not engaged. I have not yet tried to sort this. 13. Alloy wheels stick to the hub. This applies to any car with alloy wheels. Rust on the hub can make it difficult to remove the wheels. When I first got the car, with each wheel in turn jacked up and axle stands used, I had to knock off the wheels using a piece of wood against the inner side of each tyre (not the alloy wheel) and hit it with a 4lb hammer until they came loose. Then before refitting, the hub and wheel were cleaned up and a smear of copper grease applied to the contact points. 14. Occasionally the clock resets when starting the car. This has happened a few times on the C3 and also the C4. Nothing obviously wrong, battery voltage ok and just accepting it. The 2011 C4 was cured by a software update. 15. Jerky acceleration at low revs making setting off difficult. This was fixed by replacing the accelerator pedal, about £40 and ½ hour. There may have been a recall of some early cars. 16. Front brake caliper broken bleed screw. When changing the brake/clutch fluid I managed to snap the driver's side bleed screw. Fortunately a new caliper from Citroen was only £76. A used one was about half this but there are no guarantees of condition. Possibilities to remove the remains of the screw were considered but appear to usually be unsuccessful so not worth the effort. Problems reported by others. 17. When using the rear wiper washer, the water comes out at the front wipers. The front and rear wipers use the same washer pump but it runs in opposite directions. It has 1 inlet but 2 outlets. If the outlet or the piping to the rear blocks, then the water will use the other outlet and go to the front wipers. It can apply to many Citroen models. 18. Power steering fails. This has not happened to our car but has been noted elsewhere. If it is an electrical glitch, turning the ignition on and off a few times may fix it. 19. Headlight condensation. This has not happened to our car but if the rear cover and seal are not replaced properly then water can get in. If so, leaving the cover off in warm weather, using a hair dryer, etc. may help to dry it out. I read somewhere an owner cut a small section out of the back cover and glued a mesh in its place to keep dirt out and this worked. When refitting the back cover after bulb replacement, check the seal is in place in the cover and the tags on the bottom of the cover are inserted into the cut out in the light unit. 20. Odd electrical problems caused by wrong battery disconnection procedure. 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). 21. Odd electrical problems after jump starting another car. This occurred on a Peugeot 406 but could apply to a Citroen. When jump starting another car a power spike caused the BSI software to become corrupt and the headlights would come on after the car was switched off and locked, causing the battery to go flat. It was possible to reprogramme another BSI to use but this may not always be the case, requiring a new BSI to be needed. The problem is when you are jump starting, the regulator on the running (good) car senses a drain on itself and allows the regulator to put out more power to maintain 14.4v and if you just pull the jump lead off you are causing a power surge until the regulator adjusts itself. 9 out of 10 times it is fine but the 406 customer was just unlucky. To help avoid this possibility when jump starting it is recommended to - connect jump leads making sure you put the negative lead onto the engine of the flat car - once the flat car is started do not take the leads off - go into the good car and switch on the rear demister, headlights and foglights. - then remove the jump leads - now switch the headlight and demisters off one at a time. This allows the regulator to catch up and regulate the power output. We are not talking about seconds here, its actually miliseconds for it to alter itself but its long enough to fry things. 22. Window switches fail to work properly. Thankyou to Roders21 for this solution. My windows stopped working correctly, to shut or open finger had to be kept on button or they would stop halfway. Solution, replace switches £20 each from Citroen dealer. Pop the top of the central console around the gear lever and get your hand under the switch and squeeze the catches either end of the switch, pull switch out and unplug it. 23. New C3 front fog lights not working. Thankyou to gazard for this solution. Front driving lamps on my 2009 C3 Exclusive 1.6HDI stopped working and the fault was traced to a leaky washer on the screen wash which allowed screen wash to flow through the wiring and all the way to the other side of the engine compartment to corrode the fuse box. As far as I know the leak occurred at the bottom of the tank and liquid must have got in to the loom via the pump wires. The dealer was very specific that the liquid has traveled from the tank to the fuse box. I've been presented with an £1100 repair bill which has so far been been reduced by 60% with contributions from Citroen and the dealer that sold the car to me. However, Citroen covered the full cost since the owner was a good customer and the car had a full service history. 24. 1.4 petrol engine oil leaks. This engine is known for oil leaks from the head gasket (near an oil way) and one has been reported on a 2010 new C3, needing a new head gasket under warranty. Our 2010 C3 1.4 VTI 95 bhp petrol engine had an oil leak down the back of the engine which was where the oil pump solenoid wiring enters the block - a new solenoid was fitted under warranty. At 5 years old, 28k miles there is evidence of a slight oil leak at the timing chain end of the engine from high up. I need to remove the right wheel arch liner and possibly the engine mounting to find/see the source but internet searches suggest the timing chain tensioner seal can leak. There is also oil over the right drive shaft inner cv joint which may be a differential seal leak or possibly it is from higher up. Our 2010 C3 1.4 VTI 95 bhp petrol engine also has an oil weap from the timing chain tensioner bolt. An internet search found there was a period including 2010 where the bolt was not fully tightened to 75 Nm leading to oil leaks on the EPC engines with the solution being to tighten it or replace the metal washer seal or replace the tensioner and seal. So I have today (18/9/2016) found that the bolt was not that tight and have done it up using a torque wrench. To access it though needed a lot of other bits removing (air filter box, throttle body) since the bolt is not accessible otherwise - start to finish was 3 hours with the throttle body retaining screws being very awkward to get to. If the seal or tensioner was to be replaced it needs the cam shafts locking in place so the chain does not risk jumping a tooth - a dealer quote to replace the tensioner was about £180 (parts about £40). Our 2010 C3 1.4 VTI 95 bhp petrol engine had an oil leak from the driver's side differential/driveshaft seal. I had this repaired at a dealer for £157. 25. Camshaft position sensor failure - 2010 C3, 1.4 VTI petrol. This happened on our C3, 15k miles. The engine management light came on, anti pollution message, went in to limp mode so the performance was poor. Fault codes were read as P0341, 0342, 0343 camshaft position sensor A bank 1 or single sensor range, low, high. Both the inlet and exhaust sensors were replaced as I thought if one has failed the other may not be too far behind. On checking, the inlet one gave a resistance measurement between all of the 3 pins and the new and exhaust only did on 2 pins. £47 for 2 sensors, they come with new O-ring seals. 26. Leakage of eolys fluid - red goo drips on the floor. This appears to be a common problem and needs the fluid bag replacing since the original can deteriorate. Cost about £120. See this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21641-eolys-fluid-leaks/ 27. Comms 2000 unit reset method to fix wipers/washers not working. This topic by vectratot includes a method to reset the comms 2000 unit after the wipers and washers stopped working http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22284-wipers-washers-stopped-working/?do=findComment&comment=82270 28. Rear suspension coil spring snapped - 2010 C3, 1.4 VTI petrol. This happened on our C3, 22k miles, 4 years 4 months. The right side top coil broke off, discovered by finding the bit on the floor but the handling did not seem afffected. Fortunately both sides were replaced without charge by our dealer even though the car was no longer under warranty since Citroen will pay for spring failures. 29. Air flow meter fault - check the wiring first. This topic by Zony found that a fault code indicating a problem with the air flow meter was finally traced to a wiring loom when replacing the meter did not give a fix. So it is recommended that if an engine management fault indicates a low or no output from the air flow meter, then first the wiring loom should be checked for damage http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22657-c3-engine-management-light/?do=findComment&comment=83973 30. High temperature warnings. This topic by Skyman fixed the problem using a dealer supplied temp sensor after trying a low cost ebay one which did not work http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22595-temp-high-temp-warnings-fixed-by-new-sensor/ This occurred on our 2010 C3 1.4 VTI 96 bhp. A check on live data showed the engine coolant temperature was normal yet the high temperature warning was lit and the engine fan was running continually. A visit to the Citroen dealer for a new temperature sensor however brought up that Citroen had just issued a recall for faulty temperature sensors on the EP engines so it would be fixed without cost to ourselves. This is done by replacing the temperature sensor with a new one or as in our case where the temperature sensor is not removeable from the thermostat housing, the housing bleed screw is removed and the temperature sensor is put in its place along with a short wiring loom. 31. 2010 C3 1.4 VTI 95 bhp petrol engine oil consumption. Our car is on about 27k miles now and it is using engine oil at varying rates but may be around 1 litre in 2000 miles. The oil is not leaking on the floor so it must be being burnt. This is with the recommended Total INEO ECS 5w30 oil. An internet search indicates oil use by this engine is common and is a reason the Citroen cars with it have an oil level indicator. There are reports of this engine failing on other makes of car when the oil level was too low. The oil dipstick has a plastic section at the end which makes checking the level difficult since the oil does not wet it very well but also as it is moved up and down the dip tube it picks up oil and then shows as though the level was high. The dipstick max to min level is about 1.2 litres. The car is now on about 45k miles and the oil consumption has continued at a similar rate, about 1 litre in 2000 to 3000 miles. When the level does get a bit low there is a message on the dash to check the oil level which goes once the oil has been topped up. 32. 2010 C3 heater warm air flap sticking. This may be a bit early for a common problem but we had to replace the heater unit (£1352 by the dealer) since the warm air temperature rotary switch cable kept bending instead of moving the warm air flaps so the cabin could not be heated. Something to check on a 2009 on C3, if the temperature control rotary switch does not move easily over its full travel then the heater unit may need replacing. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24205-heater-warm-air-flap-sticking-2010-c3/ An internet search could only find one other reference to this but the dealer said they had done a few when replacing the cable did not provide a fix. To change the heater unit needs the air con refrigerant removing/replacing so this is not a diy job. 33. 2010 C3 1.4 VTi 95 bhp timing chain wear. Our C3 was showing signs of timing chain wear from about 50k miles 7 years old, being noisy and then giving fault codes for cam timing. We part exchanged the car with the fault for a 1.6 hdi Cactus since a car with more internal space was needed. Timing chain wear on the VTi engines is common and at a dealer can cost around £600 to repair if all the parts are needed including the cam shaft gears and not just the chain/tensioner/guides. In September 2017 all the parts were about £300 from a Citroen dealer, maybe about £250 on-line but from eurocarparts about £600. If doing the work DIY, a timing tool kit is needed to lock everything in place and this can be £50 upwards. 34. 2010 C3 1.4 VTi 95 bhp exhaust front pipe bracket replacement. The bracket that is part of the front pipe rusted off at the welds on the pipe. At the 2017 MOT it still passed but was an advisory since the exhaust was still secure. The dealer offered to weld it back on for about half an hours labour (£48) but I managed to get a repair bracket that just clamped on for £25. As an example https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-C3-1-4VTi-16v-1-6-VTi-16v-Front-Exhaust-Hanger-Mount-Repair-Kit-50mm-/282603239496

On occasions our 2003 C3 will fail to lock or unlock with the key remote but some time later will then work. The key will work in the door. May be due to radio interference from such as mobile phones. It has done this all the time we have had it, probably the technology in the older cars is not that good since our newer C4 and C5 have not suffered this. On another post the owner replaced the comms 2000 unit below the steering column for a fix - this contains the receiver for the key remote.

New members are warmly welcomed to the forum. In this section members can introduce themselves, add details of their cars and anything else relevant they wish to share. It helps if you could put your car details in your signature by editing your profile, then each time you do a post it saves others having to guess what car you have if not mentioned in the topic. Problems requiring help or discussion should be posted in the relevant section for the model of car - under the model type and then within a subforum since if placed just under the car model the post will not show after a few days and will not be seen by members unless moved by a moderator. Please provide as much information as possible about the problem including car model type and year, engine size/petrol/diesel, any recent work carried out on the car before the problem or work to try and fix the problem. Whether a solution to the problem is found or not, it is important that a follow up post is made to help other members. Often new members do one post with their problem, many people give possible solutions but the new member never returns. Thus nobody knows how the problem was fixed, the helpers may think they have wasted their time and may be reluctant to help again. Please note that advertising is not allowed unless permission is granted (including signatures and profile) and such posts will be edited and if deemed as spam will be deleted and the poster will be banned from the forum. Anyone who posts abusive comments will also be banned and prevented from posting. After registering, if you do not receive your validation e-mail, it may be your e-mail system spam filters see the site as potential spam and are stopping you receiving it. Please read the disclaimer http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/6882-disclaimer-please-read/

The Citroen manual does not show how to do the job but gives 6-7 hours for the 1.4 petrol version, so it looks like a long job. The parts diagram shows 2 o-ring seals where the matrix pipes connect, chances are new ones will be needed. Parts diagrams can be seen on the service.citroen website if you register as an other non professional and a member of the Citroen Owners Club. From experience of replacing one in a Saab 9000, try not to spill any anti freeze in the cabin since it will smell for ever and remove any paint on the floor. Also clean up any leaked anti freeze in the ducting.

In the June 2013 Car Mechanics mag there is an article showing DIY replacement of the clutch and dual mass flywheel with a solid flywheel kit. The car seems to be a 2.0 hdi, 2004 model mark 1 C5. Took the owner 16 hours over 4 days, the kit was £172 from Car Parts For Less but does not give the make (they are up to twice this at Eurocarparts website). Plus £87 for a puller (9780.84) to remove the clutch fork shaft from Citroen since levers did not work, plus gearbox oil and a new crankshaft oil seal. The owner has found accelerating hard at around 1500-2500 rpm there is a noticeable amount of vibration but not if accelerating smoothly and there is no difference setting off and changing down gear.

At a guess, the rubber will stop the pump touching the metal car body and being earthed, which if correct, would prevent it running all the time as you have found.

I wonder if it is still a problem within the pump. The RTA manual wiring diagram shows the pump motor has a permanent 12v supply via the maxi fuse, an earth wire connected via what may be a relay in the motor, the other side of this relay connects to the control unit on top of the pump - which if interpreted correctly means the pump runs when the control unit switches the relay and to connect the earth. May be the pump electrical connector needs a clean or the wiring earth point needs cleaning. The car level switch is operating the front and rear valves so a bit independant of the pump although still using the control unit on top of it and the BSI. I would not allow the pump to run for too long to prevent any problems with it over heating.

Try coastline taxis on this site, he often has parts available. Haynes manual covers pump replacement. You will need a lot of new LDS fluid, last year it was about £17 a litre. If depressurising the suspension from under the car (as opposed to undoing the pipes at the pump and getting sprayed) it will drop very low so need to use axle stands - this should also minimise oil loss keeping the suspension on max height rather than letting it sink down.

The bonnet on our 2011 C4 seems to be aluminium, a magnet does not stick to it (just tried), like our C5. The paint is ok with no problems so there is clearly something wrong in your case - should not be any rust, maybe not primed properly, maybe a bad respray for some reason - check the rest of the car just in case.

If it is from the fan belt end of the engine, it could be a fan (auxiliary) belt pulley or timing belt pulley that needs replacing. If you have not replaced the timing belt yet then it is likely to need doing as well as the pulleys, tensioner, water pump if in any doubt about its condition, and do the auxiliary belt and pulleys at the same time. If a pulley does fail it can result in engine damage and far more expense.

I would check the handbook to see which fuse it could be but it may be a problem with the blower speed control resistor module - located front left footwell, behind the right plastic panel, behind the blower to the right of the coolant pipes - from pictures in the French RTA manual for the C4. You may also need to remove the dash panel above the footwell to help access. Says to disconnect the battery, remove the panels, remove the module wiring connector and unbolt the module, rotate anti clockwise and remove the unit. Refitting, an arrow on the module points to the top. Also have a look on the c4owners.org forum.