Advice/opinions Needed For New C5 Owner - 1.6 Hdi Turbo Failure

[griz]

Hello All,

 

Please can anyone offer any advice or opinions for me with the following?

 

I've just bought a 2005 C5 1.6 Hdi estate from a Citroen main dealer using their 'Citroen Approved' scheme. It's done 62,000 and I really like it.

 

I do have some issues and a couple of problems though. Firstly, and most worryingly, when accelerating I'm getting a large cloud of greyish smoke from the exhaust (enough to make tailgaters back off), this is sometimes accompanied by a sort or lurching misfire from the engine which I can drive through by either backing off or pressing further down on the accelerator. I do know diesels smoke having owned a few but this is a properly dense cloud and appears with anything other than a 'pootle' about. The misfires seem to occur mostly when the car is hot. Any ideas what this might be?

 

Secondly the drivers seat is shot, the support has nigh' on disappeared (the passenger seat is lovely and comfortable). I'm happy to change this myself and hope to get a replacement from someone on the forum, unless Citroen would change this?

 

Lastly, the car has not come with either a handbook or a full service history, it was delivered to my house by the dealer and I had stupidly assumed it must have a FSH and handbook coming from a main dealer. A citroen service book was all that I got which has 2 stamps in it, one at 52,000 from a Nationwide Autos branch and the other from the service that the Citroen dealer did before selling me the car. Is this normal or do you think it should have come with a handbook and a full service history?

 

I have contacted the selling dealer (only bought the car last week) but they have not replied to any questions about the handbook or the service history, I don't really want to take the car back as I do like it and unfortunatly the dealer is about 80 miles away.

 

Fire away, Simon.

[paul.h]

The service history ought to be on the Citroen computer system so your dealer should be able to give you a print out of it.

There should be a handbook with the car, your dealer should provide it (or maybe a more local one), in the meantime try asking on here for help, also have a look on ebay.

 

The excess smoke - the 1.6 hdi is known for turbo wear so it could be from that or possibly from an injector problem. Our 1.6 hdi C4 seems to smoke when accelerating but there are no running problems and the oil level is not dropping, it is on 45k miles so should not be too worn either.

 

I think under the Citroen approved scheme you can return a car if not happy within a certain time (30 days / 1000 miles) - have a look on their website (Approved used cars and vans, program details) - this may help the dealer respond a bit better.

[griz]

Paul.H,

 

Thanks for that, I'll call today and ask for a printout etc. Should be an interesting call!

[Johndouglas]

Please can anyone offer any advice or opinions for me with the following?

 

 

I find some of this conflicting. Is it possible for a driver's seat to become 'shot' in 61K miles? Mine is over 80K and it's fine - and I'm no light-weight. Have you checked the MOT history/Recorded mileages? See this:- http://motinfo.direct.gov.uk/internet/jsp/ECHID-Internet-History-Request.jsp

[qman3428]

From experience I would suggest that the EGR (Exhaust Gas recirculating) valve is stuck and I would have expected that the dealer would fix this under the sale of goods act which says the item sold must be of merchantable quality and fit for purpose

Phone them and lodge a complaint, advise them that if they dont respond satisfactorily you will advise both Citroen and the citizens advice bureau who will provide free legal assistance if required.

I would only expect a full service history if the car was advertised as having one. The car is out of warranty so I dont think they will fix the seat. Personally, despite the distance, I would take the car back and kick off in the showroom, preferably on a saturday afternoon when thay are busy and not allow them to move it to a side office.

Good luck

[paul.h]

I think I have seen on this site of a seat frame that was broken , so something to look for.

[coastline taxis]

Do yourself a favor and and the car back and get a 2 ltre. the 1.6 engine is seriously underpowered and virtually runs on he turbo and youl end up going through turbo after turbo. Phone any turbo suplyer/repairer and ask. In fact ford have just sent a memo to there dealers for the focus diesel(same engine) that the only way to repair the engine propely after turbo failure is to replace the whole engine.. We do about 2 a month

[mechcanico lee]

Good advise there from Mr. Coastline , we have bought some of these cars with the 1.6hdi engine..... focus, pug 407s , citroen c5s from auctions , even ones with full history are knacked ....turbos failed ,dpfs full of oil and clogged, sumps with the " black death " oil sludge and all the rest .

 

There not very good and you will have trouble, 2.0L alot better :)

[griz]

The turbo has failed, it's covered in black soot and more soot/smoke comes out directly from it in the engine bay. Tons of smoke out the back as well. Had an 'assertive' conversation with the dealer and now booked in with a local main agent for investigation. Now concerned that the engine is full of 'gunk' and that a replacement turbo will fail as well. Although I suppose that its Citroen UK who are going to foot the bill? I'll find out more in the next few days.

 

Thanks for all the feedback!

[coastline taxis]

I suppose that its Citroen UK who are going to foot the bill? I'll find out more in the next few days. youve got more chance of seeing a 3 legged cat bury a turd on a frozen lake than you have of citroen uk paying for turbo after turbo. the warranty will expired and youl be politley told to do one. Tell them you dont want it and get a 2 litre

[mechcanico lee]

Get out of that car as soon as you can ,the faults will go on and on .

[griz]

Citroen's 30 day exchange plan means that if I take it back to the dealer, I can choose another vehicle from the same garage's stock. They don't have anything like the car I need until I get into paying about £1800 more than I actually have. I could get a C3, but I don't suppose that my wife, three teenage boys and the dog will fit in one of them!

[DaveHerns]

Have a look at the small print ,What is the definition of " exchange " ? You may be better off exchanging you car for something more easily sellable and then p/ex'ing that against the car you want

[paul.h]

This limitation on the Approved Used scheme effectively means if you are not too sure about a car, then you have to make sure they have the car you may want instead already in stock. A bit of a nonsense really, why not remove it as a scheme benefit or reword so they will also try to source a car from across the Citroen network. My local dealer will do this if you want a particular car but you have to pay a deposit.

[paul.h]

Thought this may be worth pinning as an example of turbo failure - signs being clouds of smoke on accelerating and on a car with an exhaust particulate filter.

[MikeLane]

This post from 2011 is "Hot". The latest response was from Paul.h in 2013.

What does "Hot" actually mean please?

[Johndouglas]

What does "Hot" actually mean please?

Sorry - I haven't a clue. It can't be what I think it means because some topics are marked "hot" when they haven't had a response for several months.

[paul.h]

I think hot means there has been many replies, how many to trigger this I do not know, something for admin to tell us or we could do a test but it looks as if it is at least 12 to 14.

[MikeLane]

Thanks for that. Incidentally, having owned diesel Bxs and a Xantia (and reading the owner's manual) I always let the engine run for about 20 secs before driving off - and then not flooring it for at least a couple of miles. This lets the oil get around and perhaps is why I haven't had turbo trouble. (Now that's tempting fate!!)

[paul.h]

You should also let it idle before stopping the engine so the turbo has slowed down before its oil supply is stopped.

[MikeLane]

Thought this may be worth pinning as an example of turbo failure - signs being clouds of smoke on accelerating and on a car with an exhaust particulate filter.

I wonder whether this car has had its DPF (or FAP) drilled out or removed?