Common Problems (Rev 16/10/2018)

[paul.h]

If going under the C5 the body should be supported on axle stands since if a height sensor is caught the suspension can quickly drop to a very low level, faster than you can get out of the way.

 

If the car is to be jacked up, the suspension should first be raised to maximum height to avoid possible suspension problems. Also on the C5 (X7) the suspension fluid LDS tank cap should be slackened first before jacking up to prevent the tank possibly splitting and then the cap tightened once the car has been lowered back on to the ground. Note that tyre fitters may not be aware of these requirements and may need to be told. This does not apply to the C5 (X7) with normal suspension coil springs.

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Under this post we can put together a list of problems common to the C5. I will add to this post as more common problems are found from the forum and elsewhere, so do not read it as a one off. Note that the posting date is not changed when it is edited but the revision date will be in the title. Can other members also post their own experiences.

 

 

The following happened to either our 2004 2.2 hdi VTR hatchback (sold in 2012 at 47000 miles) or 2007 2.2 hdi VTX estate or has been reported as a common problem.

 

1. Alloy wheels stick to the hub.

This applies to any car with alloy wheels. Rust on the hub can make it difficult to remove the wheels. When I first got the cars, with each wheel in turn jacked up and axle stands used, I had to knock off the wheels using a piece of wood against the inner side of each tyre (not the alloy wheel) and hit it with a 4lb hammer until they came loose. Then before refitting, the hub and wheel were cleaned up and a smear of copper grease applied to the contact points.

 

2. Rear brake squeal.

This is usually caused by corrosion between the rear brake caliper and suspension arm which if left, will push out the caliper and can even catch the inside of the wheel. The caliper needs to be undone, (it is not necessary to disconnect the brake pipe) the corrosion cleaned off and grease or another barrier applied. This may need to be done every 2 years and should be considered as part of normal servicing. There is a pinned note on this. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/6881-removal-of-rear-brake-calipers-pad-replacement-c5-to-2008/

 

3. Rear brake pads clunk when the brakes are applied.

If the brakes are kept well serviced, they may be heard to clunk when going slowly. Citroen supply an extra shim to attach over the pads on the retaining springs (part no. 442701) and this worked on the hatchback. Shims £14, new springs £2.

 

4. Corrosion of the rear brake calipers at the pad cover bolt holes.

This has not happened on our cars but prevent this by applying copper grease to the holes/bolts when servicing the brakes.

 

5. The rear brake caliper fastening bolts are difficult to remove.

On all but the earliest cars, loctite is injected along the bolts inside the calipers. To DIY remove a bolt (doing one at a time and refitting for the second so the caliper does not split in to its 2 halves), undo the bolt to clear the suspension arm threads, then whilst still turning the bolt, lever under the bolt head with a crow bar to get it to move further out - it helps to use a large washer behind the bolt head and some blocks of wood under the crowbar. This takes forever so allow half a day to do both sides of the car. Once the bolt is out, clean the hole out with a long 10mm drill, being carefull not to go into the suspension arm threads. Officially, new loctite should be used when the bolts are refitted but I coated them in copper grease - I suspect this is to avoid corrosion between the alloy caliper and steel bolts. Note the bolts are 10.9 high tensile and are not readily available other than from Citroen.

 

6. Front suspension struts appear to leak oil.

A slight dampness is normal and should be wiped off before an MOT test in case the tester is not familiar with C5s. If replacement is needed, expect a dealer to charge about £440 - a new strut is about £340, 2 litres of LDS fluid about £32 and 1 hour labour.

 

7. Rear suspension strut gaiter leaks oil.

It may just need a new gaiter - £7, fastening clip £10, LDS fluid £16, or a new strut. Gaiter replacement is a DIY job but a dealer would need to fit a new strut to guarantee the repair, probably about £230. The rear may also sink a little bit overnight indicating a new strut is needed.

 

8. Estate high level brake light glows dimly until the BSI shuts down.

The official fix is to live with it or solder a resistor (3.9kohms, 0.25 watts) across the light circuit board +/- connections. The fault also occurs on new parts so it has not been designed out. The hole in the light to solder the resistor is about 1 inch square so there is little room to work so I am living with it.

 

9. Estate high level brake light fills with rain water.

I broke the lens whilst trying to separate the lens and body to dry it out and repair the seal so  I just put black silicone sealant on the replacement one (£50) in the gap between the lens and body.

 

10. The air conditioning only gives cold air at one side or does not cool much.

The evaporator matrix cooling the air on the C5 is long and if the amount of refrigerant is low then there will not be enough to cool all the matrix for both sides of the cabin. First step should be a regass then if that does not work and there are no leaks then look at replacing the air flap control motors. A regass may be about £50, a flap new motor about £60. It could also be damage to the air flap shaft motor fitting - see this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21119-c5-2002-aircon/ . I had to have both C5s regassed when about 7 years old, on the second one there was a printout that showed there was only 93 g of refrigerant left and that 525 g were put back in yet the air con was working and gas could be heard going through the pressure control valve but the air was not cooling much. The C5 estate had to be regassed again at 11 years old but it turned out the condenser had a leak and needed replacing.

 

Also have a look at this topic for a possible fix to a broken heater flap connection http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22652-c5-v6-problems-and-fixes-exhaust-heater-flap-motor-air-bag-ecu/

 

Have a look at this topic for alternative ways to fix the broken flap connection by extending the motor spindle using one from another motor or buying a motor already with an extended spindle http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22667-c5-04-estate-air-circulation-aircon/

 

Have a look at this topic for a case where a new comms 2000 unit fixed the manual air con not working http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20433-manual-aircon/

 

In the May 2015 Car Mechanics magazine there is an excellent article by Rob Marshall where he dismantles a 2004 to 2008 C5 heating system with climate control to replace broken heater flaps (the shaft on one had broken completely and the other was breaking). This involves removing the dash and then the heater unit from the car and then fitting new flaps from a dealer (6480E3 for dual zone and 6480E4 for mono system, both £58.53). There are 63 photos showing all the steps. This topic has some tips on replacing these flaps http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24103-2005-c5-dual-climate-control-problem/page-0

 

11. C5 2.2 hdi 136 hp only, swirl plate diaphragm actuator ball cup breaks.

      Vacuum leak/turbo fault codes (any engine).

Located at the left end of the cylinder head. Symptoms may be loss of acceleration, engine management light, increased fuel economy. The plastic ball cup may be replaced on its own (10 mins) or the complete actuator replaced (several hours DIY), about £20 but the cup is not available separately. This topic has a few notes on how to replace the part http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/8259-antipollution-esp-asr-fault/?hl=diaphragm&do=findComment&comment=40936

 

 There is a diy fix here if not able or want to get the dealer part http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22417-swirl-valve-broken-plastic-actuator-tip-repair-an-how-to/?do=findComment&comment=82945

 

I read in Car Mechanics a case where the actuator had a vacuum leak which resulted in the engine management light and limp mode and fault codes for over boost and turbo regulation fault. The slow loss of vacuum reduced it also to the turbo wastegate so turbo boost level dropped, the ecu then increased the boost control duty cycle which then deactivated the swirl control increasing the vacuum boost and tripping the EML/limp mode. These fault codes have also been reported here and it turned out to be a split in the vacuum pipe to the egr valve actuator - so any cause of a vacuum leak should be looked for before touching the turbo.

 

12. Wet driver's footwell, mark 1 C5 (2001 TO 2004 model), mark 2 C5 (2004 to 2008 model) and mark 3 C5 (2008 on model).

Rain from the windscreen and the middle grommet of the wiper arm drips in to the cabin air intake, runs down the inside of the cabin firewall and soaks the carpet. It is a bad design of the air intake, not carried over to the mark 2 C5. I fixed this on our hatchback by putting a plate under the wiper grommet over the air intake to direct water away, put holes in the air intake to drain water before reaching the firewall, used lots of sealant behind the holes and at the firewall.

 

This problem has also been reported on the mark 2 C5 due to a build up of debris below the bulk head - see this topic from Mike Lane http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22925-c5-mk2-2004-2008-water-ingress/?do=findComment&comment=85106

 

This problem has also been reported on the mark 3 C5 - see this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21911-rain-water-getting-in/

 

Problems others have reported.

 

13. Corrosion of the bonnet.

Not a problem on our C5s or our 2008 C4 but has been reported by scimitargtc on his 2012 C4 and happened on our 2011 C4. Corrosion of the aluminium bonnet possibly due to a steel frame, although our C4 frame was not steel (magnet did not stick to it) and the dealer bodyshop says the problem is due to a defect in the metal so simply touching up the paint would not last. The dealer has seen a few of these. One to check for the C5 which also has an aluminium bonnet.

 

14. Rear door will not open from the inside and outside.

This has not happened to our C5s but it is a common problem. To fix:

 

remove the door card, it is awkward with the door shut but can be done

once removed, follow the rod to the door lock and remove the white plastic cover

now try to look into the door and you will see the insides of the lock

use a screwdriver and push the lever down on the inside of the lock and the door will open

replace the lock with a different one.

 

This topic by aspire_helen gives a detailed procedure with photos on how to unlock a rear door if the lock does not work. It involves removing the door card and then using a small soldering iron to put a hole in the lock cover and in this hole using a small screwdriver to operate the lock. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25000-how-to-open-a-rear-door-that-will-not-unlock/

 

15. When using the rear wiper washer, the water comes out at the front wipers.

The front and rear wipers use the same washer pump but it runs in opposite directions. It has 1 inlet but 2 outlets. If the outlet or the piping to the rear blocks, then the water will use the other outlet and go to the front wipers. It can apply to many Citroen models.

 

16. Odd electrical problems caused by wrong battery disconnection procedure.

If you need to disconnect the battery and not do a BSI reset procedure, I have found the following has not given me any problems on a 2004 and 2007 C5 and a 2003 C3:

- remove the ignition key from the car

- open the bonnet

- wait a few minutes for the BSI to shut down

- disconnect the battery negative terminal

 

When reconnecting

- ignition key out of the car

- reconnect the battery

- wait a few minutes

- insert the key in the ignition and wait a minute

- turn the key to the first position and wait a minute

- turn the key so the dash lights come on and wait a minute

- start the engine

- take the windows down and up to reset the anti pinch

- reset the clock (and radio on the C3).

 

17. Odd electrical problems after jump starting another car.

This occurred on a Peugeot 406 but could apply to a Citroen. When jump starting another car a power spike caused the BSI software to become corrupt and the headlights would come on after the car was switched off and locked, causing the battery to go flat. It was possible to reprogramme another BSI to use but this may not always be the case, requiring a new BSI to be needed.

The problem is when you are jump starting, the regulator on the running (good) car senses a drain on itself and allows the regulator to put out more power to maintain 14.4v and if you just pull the jump lead off you are causing a power surge until the regulator adjusts itself. 9 out of 10 times it is fine but the 406 customer was just unlucky.

 

To help avoid this possibility when jump starting it is recommended to

 

- connect jump leads making sure you put the negative lead onto the engine of the flat car

- once the flat car is started do not take the leads off

- go into the good car and switch on the rear demister, headlights and foglights.

- then remove the jump leads

- now switch the headlight and demisters off one at a time.

 

This allows the regulator to catch up and regulate the power output. We are not talking about seconds here, its actually miliseconds for it to alter itself but its long enough to fry things.

 

18. Front window anti pinch stops it closing (comes back down a few inches).

Check the bottom rubber seal on the window as these start to corrode and apply pressure on to the runner. However, thanks go to Bobster for the following fix on a passenger window 2003 2.2 hdi sx hatchback.

Window fault is cured.

A general search on the internet found Vauxhall and Saab owners had the same fault. The cure was to put the key in the ignition, remove the fuse to the passenger door then the fuse to the driver's door console, then replace both fuses and the problem was cured.

 

So, I put the ignition key in and turned it to accessories, then I removed fuse 4 from the passenger glove compartment and checked the passenger window switch which was dead, removed fuse 9 and checked the driver's door switches which were also dead. I then replaced both fuses, pressed the passenger window button to 'raise' and the window moved to the top and stayed there! I tried lowering and raising the passenger window using both passenger and door switches and all worked perfectly, job done!

 

This fix also worked for Mike Lane whose window would only go up in increments and after cleaning the switch which did not help, this fix was successfully used. See here http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/14863-electric-windows/

 

19. Speedometer stops working.

The motor at the back of the speedo can be replaced to fix this - see http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/15043-speedometer-repairs/

 

20. EGR, MAF fault codes, engine hunting/pulsing,  lack of power, blocked dpf, blocked catalyst.

Before replacing any parts, make sure the rubber hose connected to it or any other sensors do not have a small split  since this can be the fault. See this post as an example http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21171-a-little-knowledgediagnosticsp0402-egr-flow/?do=findComment&comment=77310

 

Blanking off an egr valve fixed the hunting/pulsing for Gary 180259 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22909-c5-hunting/

 

It could also be caused by a blocked dpf http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22909-c5-hunting/?do=findComment&comment=95329

 

Lack of power, poor running, apparent MAF and EGR faults turned out to be a blocked exhaust catalyst in this non turbo diesel Berlingo. See this topic by heraldsteve http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25063-berlingo-diesel-engine-problem/

 

21. Crankshaft pulley failure - noisy tappet noise.

This has been reported on a 2.2 hdi 136 bhp engine but can happen on other engines. Symptoms are a tapping noise from low down on the engine but may initially be thought to be a worn/sticking tappet. The noise increases with engine revs. The pulley is an anti vibration type which can separate and need replacing - it is possible to fit a solid type - approx cost at a garage is £200 including a new auxiliary drive belt.

 

See this topic from aspire_helen where the noise was initially thought to be a tappet but was the pulley http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25016-2001-c5-22hdi-noisy-tappet-crankshaft-pulley/ A new pulley was £55.

 

22. Blocked windscreen washer.

The following fix is from Floyd.

The washer pump would run but no water came out of the jets. The washer problem.....disconnected the hose where it joins the bonnet, blew back down it which cleared it to a dribble of water coming through. I then pinched the end of the hose whilst operating the washer stalk and the pressure it built up suddenly cleared the blockage.

This may or not work for a blocked rear washer since there are joints in the piping that could split and it may still be necessary to clean out the washer bottle.

 

23. Seat massage does not work.

On a couple of the new C5s the seat massage would not work. Fully inflating the lumbar support was the fix.

 

24. Fuel flap indicates open.

On cars with a dpf there are 2 magnets in the filler cap which tell the car when it has been filled as part of the eolys injection system. These also are used to indicate if the flap is open although it really indicates if the filler cap is in place. If a cap without magnets is used the flap open message comes up. Also if one of the magnets is missing the warning may show if the remaining magnet is not lined up with the sensor - in this case turn the cap 180° so the other magnet works the sensor.

 

25. New C5 (mark 3/X7) steering rack oil leaks - at least 8 cases so far.

We have 2 members jefflad and Howiec with steering rack leaks that are proving difficult to fix. Where the supply and return pipes join the rack, the seals are leaking fluid. It seems Citroen want to replace the pipes to fix this and that just replacing the O-ring seals does not work. Citroen also do not sell the seals separately. An additional 2 members, Parkesie and johnfing, have found a leak from the steering column shaft input seal on top of the steering rack, which initially was thought to be the pipe seals. This seal also is not available so replacement racks have been fitted. The column shaft has badly rusted so may be the cause of the leak - applying grease could possibly prevent this. See http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20872-power-steering-leaking-fluid/?do=findComment&comment=75684 . See also this topic for info on replacing the rack

http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22147-c5-2008-rack-leak-and-replacement/?do=findComment&comment=81594

 

There are 2 more cases here and one being caused by corrosion of the rack where the alloy oil pipes connect http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22577-leaking-fluid/

 

Have a look at this topic from C5greener for another leak point in the piping near the rack http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22970-power-steering-leak/

 

This topic from taximan61 for his 2011 C5 (X7) had the leaking rack and pipes repaired in Wakefield. This is the youngest C5 with a leaking rack so it is not just the early ones that leak. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24038-c5-tourer-2011-power-steering-leak/

 The company in Wakefield also recommend replacing the low pressure pipe since it is alloy at the end but is held by a steel clamp which causes corrosion.

 

Another to add to the list from twoseefives http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24900-x7-power-steering-failure/

 

Another to add, from Gazh who sent his rack to Wakefield for repair for £180 which seems a bargain http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25036-reconditioned-steering-rack/?do=findComment&comment=95306

 

26. Tyre pressure sensor failure.

This seems to be a particular problem on the mark 3 C5 (2008 on) where the valve stems can crumble. It is possible to just replace the stems with a repair kit for £9.99, ref Robhall77. See http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20608-tyre-deflation-sensor/?do=findComment&comment=75957

 Plastic caps instead of metal will also help.

 

27. Flat spot/hesitation.

A flat spot/hesitation at about 1500 rpm on a 2009 1.6 hdi was fixed by replacing the turbo vac solenoid. See this post by Nrog http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21033-c5-16hdi-flat-spot/

 

A hesitation / misfire on a 2010 C5 (X7) 3.0 hdi V6 at low revs when the outside temperature was above 18°C seems to have been fixed by replacing the egr valve. See this topic by dflflack http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21918-c5-30-hdi-v6-hesitationmisfire-at-low-revs-and-torque-when-outside-temperature-exceeds-18-degrees-c/?do=findComment&comment=85711

 

28. When warm, hesitation under acceleration and steady running - egr valve.

The egr valve should only work when warmed up, so running problems once the engine is warm could be the egr valve. See this post by John.A.S http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20999-c5-hdi-irratic-loss-of-power-when-engine-hot/

 

See post 14 below, the connector pins should be checked and possibly need twisting slightly to give a good contact.

 

29. 2008 on C5 daylight running light bulb replacement and LED bulbs.

The normal HP 24w white bulb is expensive, about £38 and the front bumper needs removing to replace one. However, using a torch and mirror plus a small ratchet and torx bit to fit the bulb holder underneath the light unit with a towel under the light so the parts are caught and not dropped into the bumper area, it has been reported the bulb can be replaced from inside the engine bay and the bumper not removed. One member has replaced his with G4 LED bulbs - see this topic by sillyme and dflflack  http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20984-daytime-running-lights-bulb-replacement-and-led-option/?do=findComment&comment=76329

 

30. Suspension does not self level, pump sometimes kicks in when stopped/moving slowly.

This is a common problem that can be caused by the height sensors sticking. They are located in the middle of the front and rear anti roll bars and giving them a dose of such as wd40 and raising and lowering the suspension a few times can cure it. As an example see this post by Alix776 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21071-rear-suspension-problem/?do=findComment&comment=76365

 

On our 2007 C5 estate sometimes the suspension pump would kick in and raise the car slightly whilst stationary or moving slowly. It had been doing this for years but seemed worse recently so I raised the car to max height, disconnected the battery, used the jack and axle stands under the car body and then removed/levered off the height sensor arms and put a 5 mm drill in the sensor pivot/body hole. I also marked the arm/sensor pivot/sensor body position with paint so they were not put back wrong with the pivot 180 degrees out. The rear can be done without lifting the car more than the suspension max height but the front needed the car jacking up further so there was enough room to slide under the car. The arms had seemed free enough but I still cleaned the ball and socket joints and applyed a bit of grease before putting them back. Now the suspension seems to be a lot smoother and the pump kicking in seems to have stopped apart from the normal times of getting in/putting things in the car/when unlocking the doors.

 

See also 62 below.

 

Parkesie has also reported the rear height sensor linkage arm had corroded and broke on his mark 3 exclusive C5 causing the rear suspension to drop. See http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21060-rear-end-sitting-on-its-arse/

 

Axle stands should always be used when going under the car since catching or playing with the height sensors can cause the suspension to drop to a very low level so the car is only a few inches above the ground.

 

31. Front end rattle or knocking - brake pads and anti roll bar drop  links.

The Citroen front brake pads have a rubber backing on them - if this is missing the pads may rattle and the source of the noise may be difficult to find. Thanks to John.A.S. for this fix.

 

Worn anti roll bar drop links can also cause knocking noises from the front as the joints wear. They are not difficult to replace. This is also a cause on the C3 and C4.

 

32. C5 (X7) tourer high level brake light not working / boot lock switch not working / damaged rear wiring.

There have been 2 recent reports of the brake light failure caused by the wiring between the body and tailgate breaking at the top of the tailgate. The high level brake light wires are in a separate duct to the other wires. This should be checked before attempting to remove the light.

 

In one case the boot switch would not unlock the boot, it turned out a wire was damaged under the dash. See this topic from robskiing http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22861-boot-lock/ . Unfortunately he also had the steering rack seal fail.

 

33. New C5 (mark 3/X7) very low engine oil pressure warning and cuts out.

Also warning messages for depollution fault and eps fault and possibly dpf full.

This may be a common problem and appears to be a fault with the fuel pump relay needing the engine compartment fuse box to be replaced, or possibly cleaned. See these posts http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21260-2008-new-shape-20-hdi-very-low-engine-oil-pressure/ and http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21517-2008-c5-20-hdi-cut-out-dpf-full-eps-fault-low-oil-pressure/?do=findComment&comment=81090

 

34. Trip computer does not work or does not display on the screen.

This could be due to damage in the switch at the end of the wiper stalk. A copper strip can break but it can be repaired, see http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/5972-c5-trip-computer-fault/?hl=%2Bwiper+%2Bswitch&do=findComment&comment=30402 and http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21512-trip-computer-question/

 

35. Front parking sensors do not work after using a Lexia to check for a rear sensor fault.

It has been reported a few times that after using a copy Lexia to diagnose a rear parking sensor fault, and then replacing the faulty rear sensor, the rears then work but the front then do not work. The cause is a glitch in the Lexia messing up the sensor programming which then needs to be redone using different equipment. See this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21491-parking-sensor-problem-bit-strange-this/

 

36. Estate tailgate does not stay up.

This is caused by the struts needing replacing, see this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/14998-replaced-tailgate-gas-struts-on-mk-1-estate-myself/

 

37. New C5 (X7) window regulator cables break.

I have read that the cables can rust and break. Replacement cables are readily available through such as ebay and possibly Citroen giving a low cost repair. This fault has now appeared on the forum - see this topic by Shane Peet http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22900-window-regulator/

 

38. New C5 (X7) rear washer pipe broken.

It appears that the rear washer pipe can break. See this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21975-broken-rear-washer-pipe-on-c5-tourer/

 

39. Rear wiper not behaving.

The wiper not working normally could be caused by broken wires between the back door and the body or possibly a motor problem. See this post http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22007-c5-rear-wiper-has-a-mind-of-its-own/

 

40. New C5 (X7) 1.6 hdi cutting out on motorways.

This is a comment from new member WakeyTiger:

2009 C5 Tourer 1.6 VTR+ NAV

This car was fine, after an EGR valve change at 80k - as it kept dying on the motorway, which was scary! Something to watch out for, but if you get a reconditioned EGR fitted it can save you loads.

 

41. LDS leak from the front suspension strut hoses.

The hoses can split, the clamps can come off losing lds fluid - see this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22060-massive-lds-leak-at-front-driver-side-wheel/

 

42. Estate tailgate window does not open or opens on its own when not wanted.

This topic contains a fix so it will open. Citroen can supply a repair kit for about �15, part no. 653898. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/2030-estate-rear-screen/

This topic includes some photos and a fix to stop the window opening on its own (disconnect the solenoid) http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22643-april-2006-c5-estate-tailgate-window-opening-fix/

 

43. New C5 (X7) front wipers not working properly.

Before replacing one of the 2 wiper motors, it may be possible to do a fix to the motor wiring pins - see this topic  from c5vtr http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22587-c5-08-x7-wiper-motor/

 

44. How to check the suspension spheres.

This topic contains useful information from coastline taxis on how to check which sphere is at fault if the suspension is hard http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22616-c5-20-hdi-exclusive-suspension-issues/?do=findComment&comment=83812

 

45. 2001 to 2008 C5 handbrake cable and guide tube replacement.

This topic contains useful information from coastline taxis on how to remove and refit the handbrake cable tubes http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22618-handbrake-guide-tube/ See also 56 below.

 

46. New C5 (X7) wind whistle noise.

Thanks to seanodwyer for this fix, apparently a common problem and there have been posts about this before but no fix reported until now http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22588-wind-whistle-solved/

 

47. Early C5 diesel fuel filter giving running problems and filter housing bi metal strip failure .

This topic contains links to other topics on filter problems that can cause cutting out/running problems http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22650-running-on-runaway/?do=findComment&comment=83994

 

48. Remote key repair.

If the remote does not work it could be a solder joint on the pcb that needs resoldering and a new remote is not needed. See this topic by Old Mosher http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22798-aftermarket-remote-locking-kit-remote-repair/

 

49. Wheel bearing failure.

This may not be common but deciding on which wheel has the faulty bearing is not easy, have a look at this topic from RichCliff http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22727-loud-humming-noise-from-front-drivers-side-wheel/

 

50. ESP/ASR system faulty.

This could be the battery needs replacing, have a look at this topic from mickrochip http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23136-espasr-system-faulty/

 

I had the ESP/ASR fault message just after starting our 2007 C5 but the battery was down to 12.1 volts since the car had not been used for a few weeks. This was the day after changing the brake fluid and the diesel fuel filter which needed the engine turning over a lot to prime the filter. After charging the battery the message did not come back.

 

51. Front side light bulbs are difficult to replace.

It is possible to replace them without removing the front bumper, look at these topics

http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/5301-near-side-side-light-bulb-replacement/

http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/9402-side-light-bulb/?do=findComment&comment=87314

 

52. New C5 (mark 3 / X7) heater blower only works on low speed.

This is usually considered to be the blower speed control resistor is faulty. However, it could be the car battery is low voltage and needs replacing so this should be checked first http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23445-c5-2009-heater-blower-not-working/

 

53. Odd electrical problems or something electrical is not working normally.

The first thing to check should always be the car battery since if it is low voltage electrical things can be affected, as examples see 50 and 52 above. Before starting the car the battery should be about 12.5 volts, any lower and it needs charging or replacing. With the engine running it should be about 14.4 volts from the alternator.

 

54. Suspension pump not running, suspension does not rise from low level.

Before replacing the pump, check the relay first. See this topic by danshrekman76 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23527-c5-suspension-pump-command-wire-relay-fault/

 

On the C5 (X7) 2008 on model, check the pump fuse in the battery fuse box http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23633-c5-x7-suspension-pump-failure-battery-fuses-list/

 

If the suspension does not raise from low level, it could be the pump fuse has blown. See this topic by alphaeagle where the brake pads/discs were replaced but then the suspension would not rise from low level. The technician had not first raised the suspension to max before doing the work which could have caused the blown fuse. http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25075-hydroactive-suspension-on-lowest-level-wont-raise-pump-fuse-blown/page-0

 

In this topic by 3001pv, the pump fuse kept blowing. The pump motor end plate was removed and a black mess of grease and carbon brush dust was cleaned out and the pump now works normally http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23976-c5-suspension-fault-pump-maxi-fuse-blowing-fault-code-p1351/

 

Here cleaning the pump did not work but something was causing it to stick, post by jaysams80 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24609-suspension-problem-fixedkind-of/

 

55. C8 2.2 hdi turbo replacement and also lack of power sorted.

In this topic Bigbruv replaced a failed turbo but still found a lack of power which turned out to be a kink in a pipe to the intercooler area located boost sensor (possibly electrovalve part 1628LQ) http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23870-now-my-turbo-has-blown/page-0

 

56. Handbrake cable replacement.

Some info here on replacing the handbrake cable and guide tube for a mark 1 and 2 C5 from muttontop http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/23999-c5-handbrake-cable/?do=findComment&comment=90391 See also 45 above.

 

57. Seized handbrake lever or pistons C5 2001 to 2008.

This seems to be quite common, see this topic on how to free it http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/15045-seized-caliper-fix/#

 

See also this topic from aspire_helen, Mk1 Binding Front Brake - Worth Checking Routinely For Hot Brakes http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25011-mk1-binding-front-brake-worth-checking-routinely-for-hot-brakes/

 

58. Boot lights not working.

If not the bulb or a fuse it could be a damaged wire between the tailgate and the body. The tailgate lock provides a signal to the bsi the door is open and then the bsi puts on the lights. There may also be problems with the door lock / central locking not working or the car saying the tailgate is not closed. See this topic http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/22088-c5-boot-lights-not-working/?do=findComment&comment=91445

 

59. C5 X7 front discs warping.

Something to check, copied from a post by taximan61:

Got the car October 2015 when it was 4 years old and had 115k on. One owner and with a full dealer history, paid £4500 for it. Had a recurring problem with front discs warping, 2 sets only lasted a couple of months. Garage eventually sorted it, inside the caliper pin rubber guides there are plastic spacer rings, these go brittle with the heat and jam the caliper, used to be a problem on the old AX models I'm told. These were removed and all is well.

 

60. Rear suspension drops overnight.

This could be the anti sink valve, a strut leak or if the X7 model, it could be the hydraulic pump - see this topic from lyallp http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24488-rear-suspension-droops/

 

61. C5 X7 1.6 petrol THP - air con / radiator fan not working.

The cause of this may not be obvious but could be a fault with the electric cooling pump which then blows its fuse L21 which also cuts the supply to the radiator fan controller. A new pump from BMW for the mini is a third of the cost of it from Citroen. See this topic by Brian50 http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24682-cooling-fan-not-operating-electric-cooling-pump-fault/

 

62. Suspension goes up and down whilst parked.

This could be the height sensor arm joints are a bit seized. Spraying the joints with something like wd40 and raising/lowering the car a few times may help. Use axle stands to support the car body if going under the car since touching the height sensors can cause the suspension to quickly drop to a very low level.

 

The problem could also be due to wear in the suspension bushes, see this topic by UVG http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/24959-why-does-my-car-want-to-drive-in-circles/

 

63. Front seat lumbar support repair, 2001 to 2008 C5.

If the lumbar support handle moves easily without altering the lumbar support then it is likely the pivot cable retaining clip has broken. Fortunately the pivot has a spare position so if one breaks the cable can be moved to the second position. To remove the cable from the pivot needs pliers to pull the sleeve out and then the pivot handle moving so the cable end can be removed. The repair can be made without removing the seat, just the flap at the back needs elastic unhooking from underneath and the flap lifting up and hooking up to keep it out of the way. I also had to replace the cable end clip in the seat frame which broke whilst moving the cable in the pivot. Order of refitting is to put the cable in the frame clip, position the clip in the frame (a loose fit), fit the cable to the lumbar support strap, hook the support spring to the frame, put the cable end in to the pivot but then the spring needs to be stretched to allow the cable sleeve at the pivot end to be put back in the pivot - I managed to do this using some brake spring pliers hooked to the lumbar support strap and frame to take up the spring tension. If both positions on the pivot are broken then it will need a new pivot but unfortunately it is riveted to the frame so could need the seat cover removing at the side to replace it. It helps access if the seat is raised to max height and the suspension raised to max height. Parts - pivot 8957LG rh seat, 8957LF lh seat, cable frame end clip 8957LA.

 

64. Suspension pipe wears through.

It has been found on several mark 2 C5s (model up to 2008) that the small diameter hydraulic pipe is touching the side undertray where it emerges just in front of the fuel tank. If not found early it will wear through the pipe and can be expensive to replace. See this topic from  MichaelDavis http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/25015-important-mark2-c5-front-to-rear-hydraulic-pipe-check/?do=findComment&comment=95209

[Parkesie]

A handy little guide that Paul nice one.

[coastline taxis]

great idea paul. its now printed laminated and stuck up on the wall of the garage

[Bry]

Hi I also had the stearing rack leak, citroen Carcasonne gave me 2 o rings of 2 differant colours and size but in the end i had a replacement rack fitted by a freind,  bought from Euro parts, another freind had the same trouble,with a 2009 modle, but had to go to citroen as the newer modle is fixed on differantly, mine is a 2007,10000mls non Citroen garages would not touch the new modle as this replacement could need cutting off due to corrosion apart from the sub frame having to be removed, This is only what i have been told so dont take this as gosple :)

Edited December 13, 2014 by Bry

[Drummer1]

No.26 Valve stem crumbling

 

I read the link but it doesn't mention where to get the item (apart from saying ebay but I couldn't find one there) or what it is.

I have this problem on one wheel and I can't inflate it. Any ideas where to get one and does t really work ok?

 

Oops...found one...for some reason I can't copy and paste the link but if you simply enter 'citroen c5 stem valve' on ebay there are a few to choose from...

 

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2014 by Drummer1

[MikeTC5r]

27. Flat spot/hesitation.

A flat spot/hesitation at about 1500 rpm on a 2009 1.6 hdi was fixed by replacing the turbo vac solenoid. See this post by Nrog http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21033-c5-16hdi-flat-spot/

 

28. When warm, hesitation under acceleration and steady running - egr valve.

The egr valve should only work when warmed up, so running problems once the engine is warm could be the egr valve. See this post by John.A.S http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20999-c5-hdi-irratic-loss-of-power-when-engine-hot/

 

 

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.

[Scotty23]

Excellent is all I can say gold star top of the class thanks paul

[silverownerme]

Can anyone help with central locking issues please C5 09,remote needs two presses to open all doors.Is this an easy fix.Thanks.

[paul.h]

You may have your door unlocking set up so 1 press opens the driver's door and the second press opens the rest. On our previous C4 this was set up via the radio menu and possibly configuration. This feature I had on other cars and is to prevent other people getting in your car as a security measure.

[andrew99]

Excellent article - thank you.

 

My C5 mk 3 Tourer (2008) had the top seal on the steering rack go  - lots of fluid all over the place over several months. Nasty.

 

The excellent Hearn Bros in Brixton did the general service but as noted above Citroen will not just supply the replacement seal, will only supply a replacement rack. £1300 quote for supply and fit.

 

Hearn Bros  referred me on to Power Steering Services in Greenwich who took the car, stripped and rebuilt the rack for £480 incl VAT.

[paul.h]

Welcome to the forum.

[cookiemonster]

Excellent article this. Thank you. It was a great help to me as the proud new owner of a 2011 C5 Exclusive tourer with the no.25 steering rack issue. My local mechanic wasn't interested in fixing it so I ended up going to the folks in Wakefield last week who replaced/re-manufactured the pipes and rack for a fraction of what the main dealer wanted. Apparently they see an average of 2 x C5s a week with this problem. They provide a good service in my experience. As for longevity, only time will tell I guess.

[paul.h]

Welcome to the forum.

[Smerflet]

 

27. Flat spot/hesitation.

A flat spot/hesitation at about 1500 rpm on a 2009 1.6 hdi was fixed by replacing the turbo vac solenoid. See this post by Nrog http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/21033-c5-16hdi-flat-spot/

 

28. When warm, hesitation under acceleration and steady running - egr valve.

The egr valve should only work when warmed up, so running problems once the engine is warm could be the egr valve. See this post by John.A.S http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20999-c5-hdi-irratic-loss-of-power-when-engine-hot/

 

 

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