Smerflet

One further question please. My 2007 C5 has been off the road for five weeks over the summer whilst I dismantled and cleaned out the dreaded 1.6HDi engine after encountering lubrication failure due to coke in the oil from the injectors. I'm sure you know the story! Anyway, the front end of the C5 was supported on axle stands for 5 weeks during which time the front axles were suspended on mid-air, for better or worse with the suspension set in the lowest position: don't ask me why I did this - it's been a long and very frustrating summer! Anyway on completion, the pump is now much noisier than previously and it takes longer to get up to full height, sometimes not making it at all. Further, I've had a couple of occasions after driving for while - time for the LDS fluid to get hot - when I've heard a pop and hiss from under the bonnet after which the top of the LDS fluid reservoir is wet with oil. Back in May I changed the spheres and topped-up the LDS fluid but not excessively - see above. I now suspect that through hanging the wheels up in the air for so long I've caused air to get in somewhere and mess with the bled state of the Hydractive suspension. I'm yet to attempt to bleed the system again, but I'm concerned that I might have damaged the pump which certainly doesn't sound as smooth and effective as it did before. However, as far as I can see, at least the reservoir doesn't seem to have split with the pressure therein. Please can anyone advise me what might have happened? Thanks, Stu

Thanks Paul. Will investigate when I've rebuilt the engine!

Thanks Paul. Close to a solution now at the engine end, but struggling to find a route for either tube or wire from the engine compartment into the vehicle. Any ideas on the best routing please? Stu

I fitted Monroe spheres to my 1.6 HDi C5 MkII Estate after 120k. I have no other experience of typical C5 ride comfort but, in my assessment, from abysmal, the ride is now superb. Stu

I also have this annoying flatspot/hesitation or whatever it is. After reading this thread and repeating it elsewhere, someone informed me my EGR doesn't have a vac solenoid and on checking the car (and Haynes) I see he's right, it's opened and closed by a stepper motor. In my case, I plan to remove and clean my EGR as there's a lot of soot deposited around the cooler that needs fixing too, otherwise I have no idea what else could be causing this problem as it's not confined to low rpm (it'll manifest around 3krpm if I apply more throttle and hold for higher revs before gear change). ie, it seems to correlate more to the brief "off-throttle and back on-throttle" period when changing gears, rather than a specific rpm zone on acceleration. Additionally, in #28 re the assertion "The egr valve should only work when warmed up..." etc. I was prompted to check this as I was sure I've seen live data from my EGR before it was fully warmed up and sure enough found out I was right. Okay, we're in the middle of summer but I have a recording showing coolant temp on startup was 16C and the EGR was being commanded to open almost instantly. It's certainly fully active from cold. Regarding EGR and hesitation, I changed the valve on my 1.6HDi 2007 C5 which solved the problem only for it to return a few days later. In the end I determined that there was intermittent electrical contact within at least one channel of the connector to the EGR valve. From what I could see, none of the contacts had lost their 'springiness' and I cleaned both ends of the connection as well as I could however the problem kept returning after each connection/disconnection. Ultimately I slightly twisted each flat pin on the EGR valve connector using fine-nosed pliers, not by much, just a couple of degrees, and this seems to have given a longer term solution to the problem. Go easy on the twist though as the pins could shear off at their base. Hope this helps. Stu

Hi all, Recently experienced total blockage of the oil pick-up strainer on my 57 reg 1.6 HDi C5 Estate and received the usual STOP warning. Of course this happened right in the wilds of Scotland! The first indication I got of reducing oil pressure was a noisy engine top end which I'd put down to the cam timing chain tensioner wearing-out. However, now that it's sorted - replaced the pick-up tube - the top end seems back to normal again. My question is, has anyone implemented some form of oil pressure monitoring to pre-warn of this issue? I have seen a guy on YouTube measure pressure at the turbo oil feed point - easiest point to access - using an industrial gauge. However I wonder if this would stand the vibration in the longer term. Ideally I'd manifold a pressure transducer onto the M16 x 1.5 threaded pressure switch port, but I think that access is very restricted. Then again getting a compact transducer of sufficient robustness and a matching gauge, all at a reasonable price, feels like a tall order. Any thoughts or ideas? Stu

Thanks Paul, I'm thinking the same way - put the suspension on the lowest setting and draw off excess. I think it likely that when the pressure is relased in the tank there's a bit of a maelstom with air bubbling back through the LDS, throwing it up to the cap. I certainly don't drive sufficiently vigourously to throw it around too much. Regarding expansion, I think it is possible that if the level - after topping-up - is just below the fill line when cold then thermal expsnsion could then fill the ullage. Are split tanks a reality? Seems odd that there's not a pressure relief valve somewhere - there's one in the coolant system so why not on the LDS? Thanks again, Stu

Paul, Please can I request your view on the following. Today I decided to recheck the LDS fluid level immediately after a 1.5 hour drive. The reservoir seemed to be under a fair bit of pressure and as I released the cap, fluid was ejected around the cap. I could also hear a fair bit of 'bubbling' in the system as I released the pressure. The level of fluid in the reservoir (at normal ride height) was quite high but not quite up to the hole in the side of the filler. Having heard stories of reservoirs splitting under pressure, I'm a bit concerned that now there's too much LDS in the system: could this be the case? I don't understand why the level is so high now, the level having not even been visible when I filled-up immediately after the sphere change. I'm sure that expansion due to heating could not have resulted in such an increase in fluid volume, or am I wrong? Also if I drop the ride height with it potentially over the MAX level marker, will this result in more fluid returning to the reservoir, again risking splitting under pressure? Should I do this with the cap off and allow the LDS to overflow? Sorry for so many questions, but I want to get this right! Thanks, Stu

Thanks Paul, Any guidance as to what degree of leakage then justifies taking action please? Stu

Paul, Thanks for that. Regarding the vent pipe, please can you clarify: does the pipe vent into a closed volume which then acts to retain leaking fluid to stop it landing on the deck? If so does ot have a large capacity? Thanks again, Stu PS are you aware whether a system low on fluid will 'self purge' if the level is filled? PPS the pump def. sounds different now. Any thoughts why please?

Finally got around to replacing all four spheres today. Once I'd loosened them - cheap tool from eBay absolutely invaluable - the process was pretty straightforward, and bleeding was surprisingly simple. The result? Well, I'd say that the ride has been pretty much transformed: the pitching and wallowing appears to much better controlled and the car now feels 'right'. The big surprise for me was, having lost perhaps 200cc of LDS through bleeding and dismantling, I needed a full 2 litres of LDS to fill the tank to the minimum level. This raises the question, previously hinted at by paul.h: was it necessary to change the spheres, or was the system just short on fluid? I'd assured myself that if the LDS level was critically low then the car would not assume the 'high' position, and I'm still unsure of this. However with the quantity of LDS in the reservoir the pump 'sounds' different, but this might just be the effect of fresh oil? Ah well, it's done now, and I've ordered some more LDS to keep topping-up the system to counteract the slight wetness on the N/S rear strut. Thanks for your comments. Stu

Please see the following image: http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af17/GiveMeABreak2/FCF/Sphere%20Info.png http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af17/GiveMeABreak2/FCF/Sphere%20Info.png

Mike, My other car is a 2001 VW Passat so, yes, I might be judging it by the wrong standards! I've also had 2.0HDi mk2 Xsara estates x2 - conventional suspension of course. I'm almost certain that damping is achieved on the 'wet' side of the sphere, as shown in certain images on Google. That is unless it's Hydractive 3+ where, from what I can see, the damping is variable and in the strut body.

For better or worse I ordered the Monroe versions from Germany today, plus 2 litres of LDS too.

The last time I had to buy a locking wheel nut tool from a Citroen Main dealer it was £59. I used it once to remove the remains of the bolt I'd messed-up trying this and that, then I replaced all locking nuts with another set of PSA originals off eBay for £20. I then sold the tool I used only once on ebay for £32. Moral of the story for me: don't mess about with these. Just bite the bullet and pay for the proper Citroen tool. The only fly in the ointment was that the dealer wouldn't sell me one unless I had the full V5 in my name which, having just bought the car (with a moderately fast rear wheel puncture!) I hadn't got. Once I had the V5 away we went....

If removing the sump then it's worth taking the strainer/dip tube off the oil pump and checking that out too. I think PSA recommend changing this along with the oil feed pipe to the turbo, but that seems excessive to me: a good clean through ought to suffice.

My 2007 Mk2 Estate was hesitating on acceleration and yielding pretty poor mpg. I finally bit the bullet and fitted a cheapo eBay replacement EGR valve which, I thought, had fixed the problem, however the problem returned. But each time I fiddled with the electrical connection the problem seemed to go away for a while but then recur. I examined both ends of the electrical connection and they looked fine. As is the way with 'cheapos' the loom connector didn't quite fit so crisply into the EGR valve as that originally fitted, but I thought it was good enough. I cleaned them as best I could, then applied Nyogel 760 electrical contact grease (highly recommended) but still the problem kept coming back. Finally in desperation I gave each flat pin on the EGR valve connector a slight twist with snipe-nosed pliers, and this seems to have done the trick. I can only assume that one or more of the spring contacts in the loom connector has slackened with age and was not gripping the pin with sufficient force to maintain a reliable electrical connection. Obviously don't go too far with the twisting, otherwise you might shear the pin off. But it worked for me. Hope this helps.

Agreed: changing the tubes has to be one of the worst jobs I've ever attempted. I changed my cables as the interface with the tube at the wheel arch end was getting tatty, and the job became an unnecessary ordeal. Not sure whether anyone else has left this advice elsewhere on the forum but, if I'm ever in need to changing the handbrake cable again, the first thing I'm going to do is cut off the fork at the handbrake end before even attempting to draw it through the tubes. Then I'm going to blow it through with the air line and flood it with WD40 to make sure the old cable comes out along with any dirt and rust. Don't even consider drawing out the cable with the fork still attached: "Oh I'll just see if it will pull through". Yes, well, it will but only so far and then no further amount of force will budge it, and by then it will be out of sight. If you insist on trying your luck then you could secure a wire to the fork to draw it back out as and when you encounter difficulties. But the cable's scrap anyway so cut the end off and don't take the risk. Alternatively you could snip the cable at the wheel arch end and draw the remnant into the car I suppose: not sure that gains you anything but don't do owt without snipping one end or the other! One further point: I fitted aftermarket replacement cables and L and R had differing sizes of ferrule to engage into the dreaded tubes at the wheel arch end. One was so sloppy that I had to construct a ferrule to fill the gap. Otherwise I think there was a severe risk of articulation at the interface, and that would damage the darn things where I first had the problem. Hope this helps.

I'm still unsatisfied with the ride and now I'm seriously considering exchanging the spheres. Please has anyone had any particular experiences with specific brands of OEM or aftermarket spheres? I see them available from Monroe, Febi/Bilstein: do they all have the same longevity? And does anyone know who made the OEM units please? Those from 'sphere-shop' IFHS look tempting, and they offer a set of four 'freshly-charged' units for around £200. I also see that they offer 'comfort' versions, but as I'm looking for a firmer ride I suspect that these are not for me. Again, has anyone used these? Thanks for your input.

It is possible to replace the tubes with the car on axle stands, cause I did it. However it was a close-run thing! Not sure whether this advice has been given on other threads but I'd say if anyone is changing the handbrake cable, I believe it is essential to cut off the 'fork' at the handbrake end (inside the car) before even trying to pull the old cable through. I'm not sure why both mine jammed - they didn't appear to be full of muck, but jam they did and no amount of force would draw the old cable through. A precautionary exchange of the handbrake cable then escalated into a nightmare struggle under the car to replace those tubes.

Mike, Thanks, that's interesting. My C5 has H3 not H3+. Paul, Thanks for that. I'll check the reservoir level and the amount I'm losing and decide from there. Q. Am I right in thinking that if the system were low on LDS then on high position, if indeed this could be reached, the pump would keep operating? Cheers, Stu

Thanks for your suggestions. Randombloke: >>>The damping as far as I understand it is done by the LDS, which is constantly being refreshed. I'd agree: it has to be the fluid which damps, but it must be the action of the LDS passing through some valves somewhere in the system. Please can someone confirm where such valves are located, be they in the spheres or elsewhere? I thing that links and rubbers etc are fine - it sailed through the last MOT - but I will have another look. There's certainly no knocking. Paul:>>> ...LDS fluid level I'll check this. Is there a fluid level warning system which kicks-in before the level gets critical? The gaiters are a little wet at the back so I might be losing some fluid. Thanks again, S

Hello and thanks for adding me to the group! We've had the C5 for about three years now during which time I've done loads on it (handbrake caliper, handbrake cable pipes, heater flaps, turbo fix, EGR fix, tailgate window, hi-level brake light etc. etc.) However the main issue for me which remains is the quality of the ride. This is the first Citroen I've had with fancy suspension, let alone Hydractive 3, and so I've nothing to compare it with, but I can't help feeling that the ride is way too soft/uncontrolled. When driving my usual thought is "surely they didn't design it like this" as it pitches and wallows. It has what I believe to be the usual floating ride, but on anything other than a billiard table road I can't abide it. It seems somewhat better when heavily loaded, but that's seldom how I use it. Obviously there is much discussion of the opposite problem when a sphere goes flat and the suspension goes rock hard, but how common is it after 117,000 miles for the damping elements within the spheres to be shot whilst the charge pressure remains OK? Talked to one independent Citroen specialist and he reckoned that he'd never changed a C5 sphere. OK so I could exchange them, but I don't want to do it speculatively due to the cost and inconvenience involved. BTW the levelling function/suspension pump appears to be working OK, and I have no suspension-related fault codes. Any assistance would be most appreciated! Stuart