A Bit Flat?

[bobtuck]

Hi all, first post so please be gentle. This looks to be a great place for helpful advice and guidance.

 

Got a 2002 2.2 Hdi Saloon C5 last week (NE England) and I'm loving it!! (big difference to the 14 year old Jeep cherokee I've been driving/bouncing around in for the past four years!)

 

There is no history with the car unfortunately but it does appear to have been well cared for. However a couple of questions if I may....

 

1> I intend to get the timing belt/water pump replaced as soon as possible (currently at 128,000 miles) but I've noticed upon starting the car that

the spanner symbol appears with the figure '8500' (although it doesn't seem to be going down in value I guess this is 'miles till next service' or am I being too optimistic?).

If the serivce indicator had been previously reset manually (as described in the handbook) in order to perform 'own servicing' will this display still appear? or

does it look like a genuine 'Dealer service' prompt to anyone? i.e. car's been serviced and the indicator reset via software by a dealer??

 

2> Not complaining but are these cars noted for 'leisurely acceleration'? Maybe I'm just used to the torque and low gearing of the jeep (2.5td). In lower gears the car seems fine

but I often find myself dropping down into third on a hill if I haven't hit it at pretty high speed or failed to keep the revs up high'ish (i.e. 5th gear in particualr doesn't seem to

provide much, if any, acceleration except for on a flat road and then only if above 50mph).

 

....that's all I can think of for the moment (we'll get into the drivers door electric window controls not putting the passenger windows up (they go down ok) later maybe?) :)

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Bob

[bobtuck]

Many apologies for the triple post! :(

 

Can a moderator please delete others?

 

Had problems posting....page often goes and stays blank after hitting 'post new topic'

 

??????

 

Bob

[paul.h]

The timing belt is every 100000 miles so it probably has been done. However, for your own benefit maybe you should change it anyway since I think I have read here that they are prone to failure on the 2.2 hdi. It is possible to remove a bit of the top timing belt cover to see part of the belt without much effort, as a stop gap to have an idea of its condition.

 

The normal service interval is 12500 miles and counts down so the car has done 4000 miles since it was last reset. Resetting can be done by anyone and is covered in the car handbook so is not proof of a service. If the car has been dealer serviced then its history should be on their computer systems so you could check at your local Citroen dealer.

 

We have a 2.2 hdi and that accelerates well from low revs (peak torque is about 1800 rpm) in all gears so you may have a problem. 0 to 60 mph is supposed to be about 10 to 11 seconds so should not be slow. Usual one to check is at the top left hand end (gearbox end) of the engine is an actuator linked by a plastic socket on a metal ball (Citroen call it a diaphragm) that breaks off. Replacement has been covered on this site so a search should find it. Often a pollution warning message will appear but not in my case.

 

Not sure about the window switch, maybe it needs an internal clean of the contacts, maybe broken wire at the door to pillar section.

[bobtuck]

Many thanks Paul. Wouldn't say the car was slow exactly (I'm probably being unfair there) but just a little 'gutless' when in 5th (the torque on the jeep probably spoilt me).

 

I'll have a look for that diaphragm though!

 

Many thanks again m8 :)

 

Bob

[Randombloke]

Check MAF sensor is not dirty and that there are no air leaks in the inlet to lose turbo pressure.

[bobtuck]

Thanks fellas.

 

MAF is clean as a whistle.....very slight discolouration of the two fine wires only....gave a short blast of brake cleaner nevertheless.

 

Can't find any leaks anywhere (but I don't profess to be an expert at leak finding). Looked at and felt all the pipes/tubes/rubber junctions

I could find....nothing.

 

Plastic rod/ball joint from diaphragm still securely attached....watched it rotate into position on engine start. Didn't find the attached pipe

in order to perform a 'suck test' (steady now) but moving the plastic rod carefully in and out (engine off obviously) I can hear, or to be mnore precise 'feel', a very faint 'bellows' sound so I'm assuming that's OK?

 

No error messages.

 

At a bit of a loss now (was really hoping to find a sooty, gunged up maf) but that engine looks like new....has obviously been well cared for.

 

Took it out again today....drives lovely in all gears, but hit a bit of a hill in fifth with the speed/revs slighlty low (around 50'ish) and it just

runs out of steam very, very quickly and necessitates a change down (sometimes into third).

 

It'll pull like hell in 1st, 2nd, 3rd.....

 

Confused!!!

 

Bob

[paul.h]

Something else to consider is the exhaust particulate filter (FAP) may be blocked up and need cleaning out or replacing or, as some have done, removing its internals. There are a number of posts on this, some have water jetted the filter and got a lot of ash out and then put it back. Dealer costs for changing the filter and refilling the eolys fluid are many £100s so on an old car are not really economic. Service interval for this work depends on the model year but may be 50k or 75k miles and seems to give an anti pollution error message if not done.

[bobtuck]

Thanks Paul. Have no warning messages on the car (not a given that it's fault free I know).

 

It's something to think about (is the filter an integral part of the exhaust or seperate?....already spotted the eolys tank).

 

I tried the egr blank off/disconnection trick last night. Made maybe a very, very slight difference...probably normal and to

be expected....so I don't think it's that.

 

MAF....although clean is there a way of testing it with a multi meter for correct operation anyone?

 

Thanks again.

 

Bob

 

P.S. this forum is really starting to pay up with me....search results go to 404 errors, link to this C5 area dead etc. etc. ??

[paul.h]

Sometimes I think the site is not available and returns errors but is ok for most of the time. Just have to keep trying each day until it comes back. I do not usually have problems with searches as long as suitable words are used. Aussifrogs and Frenchcarforum are 2 other sites sometimes mentioned on here.

 

The FAP is part of the exhaust just after the catalyst and bolts in place.

[Stu63]

The FAP is part of the exhaust just after the catalyst and bolts in place.

 

 

Paul I dont think he has FAP at that year, it's the same year as my 2.0 hdi and I was told by I dont have one, unless they changed things during the year and he does have one. I know what he though about loosing power even on slight hills in 5th, mine's the same, bloody hellish and like him, dropping alot of the time into 3rd....it's a pita!

 

And that was after getting a remap to a seemingly 135hp!....but the mapper said the egr needed either cleaned or replaced as I got an "antipolution fault" on the dash.