shallishanti?

Are these lights Halogen or Xenon? Is the A/C running?

That sounds like the hydraulic pump cutting in and out to me. C'est normal.

Yes, sorry.....was just looking at my 2.0 HDi and the handbrake was way over adjusted. Might help explain why I'm only getting 40ish to the gallon.

Would an over-adjusted handbrake affect fuel consumption?

How do you know it's not working?

How often? Like a regular beat? On - off -on - off? Or just a flicker now and then? It's fairly well documented that the lights flicker when the hydraulic pump cuts in.

I don't think that a VW is any more reliable these days, just their reputation is. My experience of modern VW engineering suggests that they are bloody awful.

thanks - appreciate your help

Thanks for all the input. It's very helpful. Overtaking will not be an issue, but simplicity and familiarity will be. The car will only go beyond town driving if I use it for work - her current Micra has covered a whopping 5k miles in 3 years! She's already panicking about a Senso.......what do I do if etc.....so an auto I think it will be. iannez.. do you get many problems on auto C3s coming through your workshop?

My wife has set her heart on a C3 in Tuscan Blue. She will only drive an auto. Are there many issues with the auto box on the 1.4 SX? How does it compare to the Sensodrive for reliability? There is an 02 plate auto with 40k miles on it in a dealer near where I work. Approved Used Citroen car with 12 month warranty. The right colour. £5k. Any opinions?

May not be well documented on this forum but the power to the solenoid is supplied through tracks running left from the wiper mounting along the lower edge and up the left edge to the hinge I believe. The tracks tend to fail where they sit against the rubber window seal. There are 2 solutions (3 including a replacement £400 window). You can open the window by removing the interior trim of the tailgate and pulling the solenoid down. You can then check for bad tracks on the window with a meter and when you find the breaks paint over them with a HRW repair paint. Comma sell one for a few quid. This probably won't last forever. Alternatively you can run an extra wire from the HRW supply plug to the power connection at the bottom of the glass. These are all hidden until you take the trims off. Or, like me, live with it. I have a document somewhere detailing all this, that I lifted from another website. I can mail it to you if want it.

Don't confuse luxury with build quality. Cars have problems. My Merc had more than its fair share, and that really was a luxury car - and cost a small fortune to put right, constantly. I've not had my C5 long enough for it to misbehave, but it is the only car I've ever had that is as comfortable as (in fact more than) the Merc I had. For what these C5s cost secondhand, they're a bargain. You will never get anywhere near what you pay for a car when you trade it in. My previous car, a Ford Galaxy, was a poorly built, unrefined, noisy, uncomfortable pile of junk. Designed by VW. Having read your posts you don't seem to have had that many problems, but then of course you may well not have posted about them all.

I had cause to visit my dealer today and collect some parts so I enquired about service costs. My next service is 75k miles, which the dealer quoted at £362. Chevronics have quoted £230, so methinks the C5 will be going there!

Thanks Carlos. May give them a try come service time.

Cut my premium in half, from £455 with NU, for the same cover.

Thousands of cars arriving from Europe are held at Gefco in Corby, so yours is probably one of them.

Well the nice man at Duxford was awake enough to answer the phone this morning after I finished nightshift. Very friendly and helpful. Even seemed to understand which parts I wanted from my semi-conscious description. And left a detailed message on the answerphone as requested. Parts now ordered and will be in on Tuesday - even had some of them in stock which was a pleasant surpise. How is it that car parts are so cheap compared to bike parts? I'll maybe try them for a service when it's due, and spend the day at the Air Museum.

Has anyone used any of these: Central Motors, Bedford Peter Hedges ,St Ives Borocars, Peterborough Duxford Service Station Any experiences, good or bad? Any recommendations for customer service? Just trying to find a decent dealer for parts or servicing. No axe to grind.

thanks kfk

Does anyone have a torque setting for the caliper mounting bolts?

I've just had a look at the rails on my car and they appear to be bolted on in 3 places, into a threaded fitting in the roof. Can't be that hard to do. I think the dealer is making easy money at £130 labour!

Now would be a good time to be eating some Humble Pie, dontchatink? Back to the topic..... Do you need the rails? There are bars available that clamp onto the top of the door frame....would save a few quid but unlikely to be anywhere near as sturdy as fitted rails. Guess it depends on the size of load you'll carry on there. Thule also make roof bars that fit into the mounts for the rails. Some here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/THULE-ROOF-BARS-FOR-...VQQcmdZViewItem This would also save a fair few quid. My father in law has some like this, on a Mundano admittedly, and these attach by a bolt through the foot into a threaded insert under the plastic cover in the roof.

Band B is £50 per annum http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Ownin...cle/DG_10012524

Well I've taken the plunge and have purchased a 52 plate 2.0Hdi SX Estate. Pick it up on tuesday. It drives very nicely, full service history etc. Hopefully won't have to come back for too much advice!

100k miles - wow that IS good news!!! Many thanks - helps me no end.