C5 Tourer Road Noise

[Guest RAFM]

I have new C5 Tourer, done 5000 miles, 2 litre diesel. I have dreadful drumming noise from road on any surface except billiard table smooth tarmac. It's really annoying and uncomfortable. Tyres are standard Michelin Primacy and wheels are alloys, 17 inch. Has anyone had this problem and solved it please?

[paul.h]

I have seen reports that the new C5 has bad tyre noise and I drove a C5 exclusive with 18 inch wheels and that was bad. Not sure how this would be solved other than maybe different tyres.

[Guest RAFM]

Thanks Paul. I wish I had discovered this before buying! I'd welcome some recommendations on which tyres from anyone who has experienced this. I've searched online for low noise tyre advice but there's nothing that stands out.

[Guest tony k]

I too have a rumble , source seems to be the front drivers side/ The independent garage that I use ( citroen trained and very helpful) confirm that the noise is there and that their other c5 Tourer/ saloon customers do not have this problem.They have spent quite some time to try to trace the source without success, and a t no charge to me- great people to use.( ABCZM Servicing Lincoln -John Hannam 01522 500333) This has been the subject of significant numbers of letters to and from Citroen, who although replying have said amongst other things,that the noise will disappear as the tyres wear in ( mileage at that stage c19K and new tyres fitted at 23K - no change in noise) I offered to have my independent garage strip the front bearing on the drivers side at my cost if no fault, cost theirs if fault found. a precis of their reply. "Don't have any work done other than at a authorised citroen garage or your guarantee is invalidated" obviously not interested in satisfying a loyal citroen user (C5 tourer my 6th successive Citroen all new cars bar the first 2nd hand).

 

 

Should anyone identify the source of the problem then I strongly recommend that you only advise citroen for a fee!

 

 

A second problem. Diesel leaks- car had two leaks in the injection system, both " fixed" under warranty, but from time to time strong smell of burning diesel enter the car from engine compartment.My independent garage drew my attention to this problem when servicing the car.

This smell occurred the next day after a visit to main agents, under warranty, for a fix, when opening bonnet smoke haze rising from the rear of the engine. Contacted the garage to take it back-but next day no smell. But happens from time to time.

 

Seems to me that somewhere oil/ diesel building up and dripping onto a hot area. Any ideas? Have given up with main agents.

 

For balance I must add that in many other respects I am delighted with the car 2.2 Exclusive tourer now 30k on clock. returning c43 mpg overall and can achieve 46 on long journeys.

[Guest V6C5]

I too have this noise, mine's a 2010 3.0 HDI Exclusive tourer, now with 24k miles on the clock, although I do have the 19 inch alloys!! I have though tried 3 other C5 Tourers with the same size alloys and they are all the same!

 

Even with this, the car is by far the best I have ever owned and should there ever be a fix for this noise, the car would stay with me for life it's that good!

 

I did try different tyres, tried Michelins and Khumo's so far and there is a difference in noise between the two tyres with the Khumo's being a little quieter thus far.

 

I don't think it is bearing related although I appreciate why you might think that. I know of others that have had bearings replaced only to still have the noise. I'd say it's far more the tyres than anything else somehow transmitting noise up through the car???

 

I've always had low profile tyres on my cars with bigger alloy wheels from 17's through to 19 inch alloys and they've always been noisy.

 

When my Khumo's go, I'm hoping to try the new Goodyear Asymmetric 2's which have just been launched and are meant to be some of the quietest tyres now on the market.

 

Must admit on my last car a Volvo s60 R with 18 inch low profile tyres, I had Goodyear Asymmetric on and they were really quiet!!!

 

It's tough as tyres aren't exactly cheap and once you've tried a set you can't exactly take them back.

 

I can confirm that this noise is definitely evident in all mk 3 C5's I'v tested with some being worse than others, I have so far driven 5.

 

TONYK, in all the C5's I've driven, the noise is evident when sitting in either the passenger and drivers side while being driven or driving,....very odd???

 

Anyways, I thought there was a way of checking if it's a bearing by jacking up your car and seeing if you can rock the tyre forward and back towards you??

 

Bottom line, very good car Citroen, just a shame about this noise,..........

[Jonesy]

Bump!

 

Has anybody found an explanation/cure for this?

 

I recently bought a 2009 C5 2.0 litre 138 bhp Exclusive Tourer and have exactly the symptoms explained above. This one is running Continental Econtact 5 225/55's on 17 inch alloys at the front, which from reviews I have read are not particularly known as being noisy.

 

It's such a shame because other than this incessant noise the car is brilliant but this really spoils it. It is so bad that the immediate reaction is to turn the radio up to cover it, but you have to turn it up so loud that when you get home and switch off your ears are ringing, Not quite what I had expected from such a car.

 

Previously I had a 2001 Mk 1 and there was no such road noise. I had long dreamt of having one of these Mk 3's as a step up but this has really killed the dream for me.

 

I too suspected another cause could perhaps be defective wheel bearings, but from what I read on here am not too keen to pay to have them replaced with no effect. It has to be tyres, bearings or driveshafts, or some other unexplained 'Friday afternoon' batch of cars? It's almost as though there's an amplifier somewhere up scaling any road noise through to the car!

 

If there is anybody else in the Essex area with a similar car that they believe is WITHOUT this problem I'd genuinely appreciate a meet to test back to back.

 

If I don't find a solution to this I am very regrettably have to get rid of it because it is just not liveable with. I've had a long line of Cits building up from a 2CV to this, my ultimate dream car which is actually doing my head in!

[paul.h]

New tyre labels now give the noise levels so maybe you could look at ones for your tyres and alternatives to see if a tyre change may help. You can also get aftermarket sound insulation kits, I once fit one of these on a car about 20 years ago, but you would think a top range exclusive would not need one.

 

A quick look on black circles, assuming W speed rating, shows these tyres have the highest noise level at 72 dB vs say Michelin at 69 dB. This number difference may not seem much but decibles are a log scale. 10 dB higher is twice the noise level so 3 dB difference may be 30% louder (if I have got this right) and would be noticed - but how this noise level is transferred in to the cabin I am not sure.

 

On your V5C registration form the noise level is also given so you could compare this with other cars - our 2007 mark 2 C5 estate shows 74 dB(A) drive by sound level. This may not directly be the same as being in the car but may show if the mark 3 C5 is noisy as supplied on original tyres. Perhaps you will provide the value from your V5C for comparison.

[Parkesie]

Had brigestone potenzas on my c5 tourer when i got it switched to conti sport contact 3 and road noise and comfort were greatly improved. This is on 18s.

[Jonesy]

Thanks Paul H. and Parkesie for the responses.

I'll dig out the V5C when I get a chance and see what it says. But as you say Paul on a top range exclusive you would not expect to be having to fit an aftermarket sound insulation kit. Last time I did that was sticking sound deadening pads into my old Acadiane van!

Another thing I am toying with is adjusting the tyre pressures to see if this makes a difference. On the B pillar the sticker says 2.3 Bar, but the tyres do 'look' rather under-inflated at this pressure (large flat spot at the bottom), so far have increased it to 2.5 Bar but no difference in noise.

If anybody else has some more hands on experience I'd be pleased to hear.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Jonesy

[qman3428]

Interesting that Black Circles list all the tyres available and grade them, amongst other things, by the noise level you should expect

 

http://www.blackcircles.com/order/tyres/search

 

This is the search for my car and I dont have any tyre noise issues (saloon not the estate) but my tyres are listed as quiet.

[paul.h]

For some reason, the tyre size in the link is no longer there, what size/speed rating are they ?

[Manthony.h]

I own a 2008 C5 2.0 litre diesel Exclusive saloon. When I first bought it (at 34000 miles) I too thought it had wheel bearing problems until I read all the C5 forums. When I purchased it, it had cheap Malaysian tyres fitted and I thought these might be causing the noise. As soon as I could, these were replaced with Michelins thinking that as these were what the car was designed to run on by Citroen the noise would be minimised. I found there was hardly any noticeable difference in the noise level. Driving over gravel dressed roads the Citroen is considerable noisier than my wifes Mini which is fitted with 17" run flat tyres!

I have only owned hydraulic Citroens, GS, XM, Mark 1 C5 and all have been very quiet runners and I loved them all, which is why I bought this C5. What astonishes me is how Citroen could put a car on the market with such a fundamental design fault. Surely during development they must have noticed how noisy it was.

I too share the sentiments of Jonesy and will looking to sell it in the new year, maybe I should change back to a late model Mk2 C5.

[seefive]

Can't agree with this. I have a 2013 mk3 exclusive saloon  and it's as quiet as my previous mk1  and mk2,hatches  despite having silly 19 inch wheels.

 

Maybe the 2012 "facelift" (softer chevrons plus some technical mods I believe) improved things?

[paul.h]

seefive, what tyres are on your car ?

[seefive]

Michelins - oem spec I think

Didn't Michelin used to own Citroen?

[seefive]

245/40/19

[Parkesie]

The tourers should be noisier than the saloon but i really find my tourer very refined and only any real road noise on the worst of roads. That's after i binned the bridgestones it had when i bought it.

[coastline taxis]

my fix for this was to stop taking the wife out. this imediatley reduced the whining and moaning by about 70 per cent

[paul.h]

If you keep the children out of the car as well, I find the car stays nice and clean inside.

 

Have Citroen started fitting Bridgestones as standard now, they seem to be on a lot of newish Citroens ?

[seefive]

my fix for this was to stop taking the wife out. this imediatley reduced the whining and moaning by about 70 per cent

 

Brilliant!! Couldn't agree more...

[Clactonian]

I have a C5 2 litre HDi Exclusive Tourer, and yes it has the same problem, which appears to travel up through the steering column. It has just been in for its first service and the dealer (not the same as purchased through) just smiled when he heard my complaint and saw the 18" wheels, and told me that they were notorious. To be fair they did road test the car and check the bearings but found no faults.

Apparently the garage owner always runs top of the range C5s but insists on having the standard wheels and tyres fitted to keep the noise down!

Such a pity because it's a great car, despite a couple of other problems, and very good value for money. 

[Manthony.h]

I have just replaced my front tyres (Michelin Primacy) with Goodyear Efficient Grip. Whether it is because they are new or not I don't know but the Goodyears are noticeably quieter. (225/55/17, C5 Exclusive).

Is this road noise just related to hydraulic C5s or do the steel sprung C5s also suffer from it?

[paul.h]

Looking in a 2010 and a 2013 C5 brochure, the standard wheel size has been reduced to 16 inch for all but the exclusive when in the 2010 models the 16 inch was for the 1.6 hdi. Maybe cost cutting or part of measures to reduce noise. The mark 1 and 2 C5 uses 16 inch wheels as standard.

[Mike O.]

Greetings from Sydney Australia,

 

I am in the process of trading in my 2004 2.2HDi Auto Wagon (Estate) for an Exclusive 2013 2.0HDi

Auto Tourer. It will be my third C5, the first one was a 2001 2.0i Auto Wagon.

 

My back-to-back test drives confirmed, that the 2013 car on 18s is neither noisier nor quieter than the 2004 one on 16s. Rides a bit different, but again they are at the same level comfort wise.

Now,here is the catch: I have spent many hours noise deadening the inside of the 2004 car.

I have covered the whole floor starting at the back of the car and finishing at the vertical wall acting as the front of the rear bench base with Dynamat Extreme. I also covered the outside of the wheel arches (under the plastic covers), a large part of the firewall (engine side) and the bonnet (under the original mat). This made the car much quieter, especially on coarse chip surfaces that abound in Australia.

And this is the reason, that the 2013 car was not quieter than my 2004 one.

 

I am getting the "new" car (6,000km on the clock) with the 17s, not the 18" wheels that normally come with the Exclusive. This will reduce the road noise a bit, also will make the car ride softer and reduce the fuel consumption. Not huge improvements, but still...

I will also do the Dynamat trick - time will tell to what extent.

The car will be the quietest thing on wheels this side of $100-150K.

It will even beat the 2014 Subaru Outback 2.0D CVT in terms of quietness.

In terms of ride comfort it will have no competition.

 

BTW, I noise deadened the 2001 car as well - it brought huge improvement to noise levels.

 

I hope this is of some interest. If so, I will report on my progress.

 

Regards,

 

Mike O

 

 

[paul.h]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Yes, sound proofing is definitely of interest and looking at Dynamat prices it is probably lower cost than replacing tyres which might not help anyway. I think our roads in the UK must not generate as much noise as yours since I have found most cars to be quiet enough. Years ago I did sound proof a car using a kit that had bitumin pads and thick felt material with an adhesive backing and it did make a difference.