72dudes

Also check if "PTY" is showing in the dispaly when radio or CD is on. This is the program type button, which may be searching for a particular type of programme (rock, news, plays etc). To disable, keep button TA pressed for more than 2 seconds. However, I don't think this or traffic news would cause the radio to switch itself on if the radio was off, so it may be a more serious gremlin unfortunately.

Re my 2001 2.2 HDi. Please can someone explain how this happens? I read ages ago on this forum that every time the filler cap is opened and closed, the "special magnets" inside it somehow cause a dose of diesel additive to be delivered to the tank. Is this right? How? So by only filling up when my tank reaches a quarter full, am I prolonging the amount of additive? Or does this black magic somehow sense how much fuel is in the tank!!?? If I fill up every 100 miles, will the additive be used up more quickly? If I take the filler cap on and off just for a laugh (!) will too much additive be delivered? I could get quite worried about this ... lol I asked the Service Manager at the local Citroen Specialist and he couldn't explain it (He said he was fine with old DS and CX models, but these new-fangled C5's!)

.......................... and it worked. Great colour match now!

I'm not a Citroen mechanic, but I think what the dealer is telling you is correct. Does the owners manual tell you anything? I don't remember seeing the glow plug lights on my older 2.2 HDi come on. I also had a 407 1.6 HDi (same engine as yours) for a month last year and don't recall the pre-heat warning light coming on either. I think maybe times have moved on from the days when pre-heat took about 3 seconds.

I tend to agree with iannez - the Passat is a "normal" car and will cost less if it goes wrong. I bought a 4.5 year old C5 last year because (a) I like the comfort, feel and quirkyness of them, and (B) the equivalent Passat, A4, Rover 75, even Mondeo, would have cost a lot more © I found a 2.2 Hdi SX with all the goodies like cruise control, Hydractive 3 adjustable suspension. All the things you suggest to keep it reliable are worthwhile of course, but actually the oily bits on a C5 are very reliable. It's the electrics and more annoyingly the electronics which will go wrong! I bought a Warranty Direct independent warranty for mine and within 3 months I had to claim for two central locking motors on the passenger doors which failed. This paid for the warranty! Subsequently the things which have gone wrong have not been covered - turbo pressure switch, egr valve/vac solonoid - all of which lead to the dreaded "Anti-Pollution Fault" message appearing on the computer readout, which can then take a while to correctly diagnose. Have a look at the Warranty Direct website (UK only) and they give a full database of how relaible each car is over here - the C5 would have fared very well if it weren't for the Electrics problems. Good luck whichever car you go with! ;)

Robbie, I guess you just have to bypass the intermittent position then, leave them off or select normal and fast speeds yourself - it seems as if you can't turn off the rain sensor (unlike the auto lights)!

My 2001 2.2 HDi also has this problem intermittently. Only happens on a long journey and normally when accelerating in 5th gear (like a hill or after slowing down for a wagon etc). It's been diagnosed as a faulty "vac solenoid" £27.74 plus VAT - but 2 hours Labour which is the killer. To date I've not had it done, but it'll have to be done soon. Each time it happens the ESP warning light comes on first and this cuts the power available. I have to stop, switch off, wait a few minutes, start again, power restored, but "Anti Pollution Fault" warning, "Service" and Engine Fault" lights stay on for 5 or 6 starts. I'll try Bish's method of doing this all at once next time. Inconvenient on a long run, but I think it's a case of the computer giving us early warnings!

Agreed, on my 2001 2.2 HDi SX, you have to activate them each time you start off by moving the stalk back to "off" or "normal speed" first, otherwise they don't come on when it rains. Maybe Robbie has a Mark II and they're different?

I recently had a similar problem with my C5 Touch Up. Mine is Hurricane Grey and the Touch Up (right code etc) seemed more like the Storm Grey (much darker). I took it back and they swapped it for another - this was slightly better but still not a good match. The Parts guy seemed to think this was quite normal. I'm going to mix it with some Halfords generic Aluminium Silver!!

I would advise you to check all the electrics carefully - windows, door locks, the LCD displays. Also that the steering wheel stalks operate correctly - they switch items on and off via radio frequency transmissions and can occasionally cause problems. Make sure the suspension rises and falls as it should using the control between the seats and that there are no warnings showing in the central multi-function display when you first start up. Your warranty should cover you for any major problems though - so once you've checked these things relax and enjoy the marvellous comfort and economy! Good luck.

Definitely sounds a bit low. My 2001 51 2.2HDi SX manual has done 51k miles, I've had it for 12 months and carried out brim to brim fuel consumption checks every time I fill up (as I do for all my cars - wifes, company cars when I've had them....). My average over the year is 44.2 MPG (government combined figure was 44.1 for this model!). I do have a fairly gentle driving style, I tend to cruise at around 75 MPH on long motorway journeys. The lowest individual tankfull was 40.1, the highest was earlier this month at 50.7. I find the computer is around 5% optimistic. For interest this 44.2 average figure is fairly consistent with other cars I've had over the last few years: Volvo V50 2.0D SE - 45.3 MPG Peugeot 407 SW 1.6 HDi - 45.9 MPG (but a bit underpowered) Rover 75 CDTi (131) - 44.8MPG Volvo S60 2.4 D5 SE - 43.5 MPG but as these were company cars I was covering larger distances with more motorway work, which makes the C5's figure all the more impressive. I'm very happy with the economy, comfort, driving experience and looks. I wish the electronics were less unpredictable and "gremliny" though! Cheers.