C5 Trip Computer Fault

[mac150369]

Hello everyone, new to all this so if i make any mistakes please excuse me.

 

I have a 2002 C5 estate Exclusive SE HPI, the problem I have is that I can't reset the trip computer.

 

I know it should work by pressing the button on the end of the wiper stalk but nothing happens, it wont reset either trip 1 or 2. I have had it into the main dealer who told me it would need a new computer costing around £700! and a local garage who said it would need a new stalk £200, then they said it might be a diode £200.

 

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Also can anyone recommend an independent mechanic in the greater Manchester area?

 

many thanks

 

mark

[myglaren]

Welcome mac150369,

 

Mine packed up on the first trip, never bothered to do anything about it but if you search through the forums you will see that this is a common problem.

 

The stalk can be removed and cleaned, which sometimes works.

 

It could also just be the button stuck in with accumulated muck/polish and the like, a carefull application of contact cleaner on the button and cleaning with a soft cloth may fix that - see that it actuallt depresses fully and releases to the end of it's travel - compare with someone else's know good one to be certain of the operation. If it doesn't release it won't cycle through the functions available.

 

A replacement stalk may be obtainable from a breakers yard.

 

Replacement with a new one is indeed expensive and if it is the computer you need to have it done at a dealer as they will have to download the appropriate software for it to function.

£700 will no doubt include this but do make sure they give you a quote for the full price before going ahead with that.

 

Also ring around a few dealers for quotes as the price does vary from one to another of them.

 

An independent with the right tools may be able to do the job at a greatly reduced cost. Not all software is available outside the main dealer network though. The computer module itself is around £230 so the rest is labour and - hopefully - include VAT, which you can get a much better deal on at an indie.

[Guest Allan's-C5]

Hello everyone, new to all this so if i make any mistakes please excuse me.

 

I have a 2002 C5 estate Exclusive SE HPI, the problem I have is that I can't reset the trip computer.

 

I know it should work by pressing the button on the end of the wiper stalk but nothing happens, it wont reset either trip 1 or 2. I have had it into the main dealer who told me it would need a new computer costing around £700! and a local garage who said it would need a new stalk £200, then they said it might be a diode £200.

 

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Also can anyone recommend an independent mechanic in the greater Manchester area?

 

many thanks

 

mark

 

Mark

I had the same problem as you some time ago, and realise it was the switch contacts themselves which were at fault. So I endevered to take the stalk apart as follows:

 

1. With two fine instrument screwdrivers, prise the end button off the stalk. This has an extended plastic arm which passes through the wiper switch housing and there is a 12mm spring behind it which also comes away.

2. With pliers, nip together the two plastic central clips to remove the wiper switch housing. Be careful if your car is an estate as the assembly has two shiny spring loaded plungers which lock the switch in the two positions for the rear window wiper.

3. Remove the wiper switch housing to expose a small pcb and a circular brass switch which detached itself from the switch housing in my case.

4. Again with pliers, nip the centre plastic clips to remove the plastic twin plunger housing. The circular brass switch can now be removed.

 

It was then I could identify the problem, a small piece of the brass contact which the end button arm pushed against had broken off, which needed some delicate soldering to fix it back.

When replacing the switch, assemble the plastic twin plunger housing and brass switch in the wiper switch housing before pushing it back over the extended centre plastic clips. The end button just pushes onto the end with a ‘click’.

 

This is all a bit ‘fidgety’, but think of the price of a COM2000 unit and persevere.

 

Regards

Allan

(‘02 Exclusive SE 2.2 HDi Auto Estate 122k-miles)

[mac150369]

Mark

I had the same problem as you some time ago, and realise it was the switch contacts themselves which were at fault. So I endevered to take the stalk apart as follows:

 

1. With two fine instrument screwdrivers, prise the end button off the stalk. This has an extended plastic arm which passes through the wiper switch housing and there is a 12mm spring behind it which also comes away.

2. With pliers, nip together the two plastic central clips to remove the wiper switch housing. Be careful if your car is an estate as the assembly has two shiny spring loaded plungers which lock the switch in the two positions for the rear window wiper.

3. Remove the wiper switch housing to expose a small pcb and a circular brass switch which detached itself from the switch housing in my case.

4. Again with pliers, nip the centre plastic clips to remove the plastic twin plunger housing. The circular brass switch can now be removed.

 

It was then I could identify the problem, a small piece of the brass contact which the end button arm pushed against had broken off, which needed some delicate soldering to fix it back.

When replacing the switch, assemble the plastic twin plunger housing and brass switch in the wiper switch housing before pushing it back over the extended centre plastic clips. The end button just pushes onto the end with a ‘click’.

 

This is all a bit ‘fidgety’, but think of the price of a COM2000 unit and persevere.

 

Regards

Allan

(‘02 Exclusive SE 2.2 HDi Auto Estate 122k-miles)

[mac150369]

thanks Allan, your instructions were spot on, had it not been for my ham fisted attempts at soldering, I could have don the job in 20 minutes! all seems to be working now

[Big Al]

Mark

I had the same problem as you some time ago, and realise it was the switch contacts themselves which were at fault. So I endevered to take the stalk apart as follows:

 

1. With two fine instrument screwdrivers, prise the end button off the stalk. This has an extended plastic arm which passes through the wiper switch housing and there is a 12mm spring behind it which also comes away.

2. With pliers, nip together the two plastic central clips to remove the wiper switch housing. Be careful if your car is an estate as the assembly has two shiny spring loaded plungers which lock the switch in the two positions for the rear window wiper.

3. Remove the wiper switch housing to expose a small pcb and a circular brass switch which detached itself from the switch housing in my case.

4. Again with pliers, nip the centre plastic clips to remove the plastic twin plunger housing. The circular brass switch can now be removed.

 

It was then I could identify the problem, a small piece of the brass contact which the end button arm pushed against had broken off, which needed some delicate soldering to fix it back.

When replacing the switch, assemble the plastic twin plunger housing and brass switch in the wiper switch housing before pushing it back over the extended centre plastic clips. The end button just pushes onto the end with a ‘click’.

 

This is all a bit ‘fidgety’, but think of the price of a COM2000 unit and persevere.

 

Regards

Allan

(‘02 Exclusive SE 2.2 HDi Auto Estate 122k-miles)

[Big Al]

Mark

I had the same problem as you some time ago, and realise it was the switch contacts themselves which were at fault. So I endevered to take the stalk apart as follows:

 

1. With two fine instrument screwdrivers, prise the end button off the stalk. This has an extended plastic arm which passes through the wiper switch housing and there is a 12mm spring behind it which also comes away.

2. With pliers, nip together the two plastic central clips to remove the wiper switch housing. Be careful if your car is an estate as the assembly has two shiny spring loaded plungers which lock the switch in the two positions for the rear window wiper.

3. Remove the wiper switch housing to expose a small pcb and a circular brass switch which detached itself from the switch housing in my case.

4. Again with pliers, nip the centre plastic clips to remove the plastic twin plunger housing. The circular brass switch can now be removed.

 

It was then I could identify the problem, a small piece of the brass contact which the end button arm pushed against had broken off, which needed some delicate soldering to fix it back.

When replacing the switch, assemble the plastic twin plunger housing and brass switch in the wiper switch housing before pushing it back over the extended centre plastic clips. The end button just pushes onto the end with a ‘click’.

 

This is all a bit ‘fidgety’, but think of the price of a COM2000 unit and persevere.

 

Regards

Allan

(‘02 Exclusive SE 2.2 HDi Auto Estate 122k-miles)

 

Allan,

 

I also have the identical problem problem on my '03 2.2 HDi Exclusive estate. It's great to see a probable fix. One question - do I have to remove the stalk from the steering column first, or can it be done in situ? Apologies if this seems like a daft question.

 

Regards

 

Al

[Guest Allan's-C5]

Allan,

 

I also have the identical problem problem on my '03 2.2 HDi Exclusive estate. It's great to see a probable fix. One question - do I have to remove the stalk from the steering column first, or can it be done in situ? Apologies if this seems like a daft question.

 

Regards

 

Al

Sorry for the delay, thought this topic was old news.

 

Yes you can strip the stalk switch in situ, as I believe it is attached to the COM2000 and you dont want to disturb this.

Obviously, with the switch mechanism removed, the soldering can be done away from the car.

I did mine in 2006 and is still working fine. I think we all suffer from being heavy handed with the button as the computer does not react immediately, we must give it time to think!

 

Regards

Allan

[Big Al]

Sorry for the delay, thought this topic was old news.

 

Yes you can strip the stalk switch in situ, as I believe it is attached to the COM2000 and you dont want to disturb this.

Obviously, with the switch mechanism removed, the soldering can be done away from the car.

I did mine in 2006 and is still working fine. I think we all suffer from being heavy handed with the button as the computer does not react immediately, we must give it time to think!

 

Regards

Allan

 

Hi Allan - thanks for the reply. I should look at the site more frequently to keep up with topics better.

 

I'll have a go at doing it in situ. Excuse my ignorance - but what is the COM2000?

 

I think you're right about being heavy handed with the button.

 

Regards

 

Al

[techbod]

com2000

 

 

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&am...m2000&gbv=2

 

 

this one shows you how to do it excellent how 2

 

 

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...v%3D2%26hl%3Den

[Big Al]

com2000

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&am...m2000&gbv=2

this one shows you how to do it excellent how 2

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...v%3D2%26hl%3Den

 

Very useful - hopefully I won't need to take the whole lot out, but if I do.....

 

Regards

 

Al

[Big Al]

Sorry for the delay, thought this topic was old news.

 

Yes you can strip the stalk switch in situ, as I believe it is attached to the COM2000 and you dont want to disturb this.

Obviously, with the switch mechanism removed, the soldering can be done away from the car.

I did mine in 2006 and is still working fine. I think we all suffer from being heavy handed with the button as the computer does not react immediately, we must give it time to think!

 

Regards

Allan

 

Allan - I tackled this last night and now have a working trip computer. You were right about some fiddly soldering! But your instructions were spot on, so thanks for pioneering this fix.

 

Regards

 

Al

[ando7p]

Allan - another one fixed thanks to your kind post! Only had the car less than a week so wasn't even sure it had a trip computer fitted. After a bit of looking through the posts I established that it has and that it didn't work.

 

Min had broke in two places. The tab that located the contact strip and the same part as above. Unfortunately for me both pieces could just be seen slipping into the body of the stalk and had no chance of reaching them.

 

Searched the garage for something to use and decided to use solid copper wire. The clearances in the body of the stalk suggested that even though the wire is thicker than the original copper, it would fit.

 

Used a small length of the centre core from some coax, doubled up for strength. When this was soldered in place the thing was rock solid. Also using the wire meant I could clamp the copper piece and hold the wire in place leaving the other hand free to control the iron.

 

The wire could then be gently tweaked to compensate for being slightly different and cut to length. Replaced the broken tab in the same way. Computer now works fine.

 

Many thanks.

[aspire_helen]

Hi, this happened to my 2001 2.2hdi many years ago. All i have to add is that i did not try to repair the very fine terminal ring. I replaced it with one taken from a scrapped peugeot 205 for 50p. Many citroens and peugeots of that vintage had the same switchgear.