Non Stop Nigles

[clarenceover]

It's been just about 7 months since I acquired the C5 having had a high mileage Xantia TD SX with 186k on the clock. The C5 (ebay) was a bably at 95k. I've had a few problems with it so far but they are starting to come a bit closer together.

The first of the latest batch of problems was a sudden onset of a metallic tinkle when idling and driving. This came out of nowhere. Noisiest by the right wheel arch. Took it to my local garage and after ten second Craig at the garage said.........."I know what that is, dodgey crank pulley from Citroen. They should have recalled these, there are thousands like this design. Are you keeping the car for long?" "NO!" I said as it's starting to get to be a pain. So they put a second hand pully on as this one has had it's rubber sandwich fall apart, they all do apparently. That cost £150 (£200 for a new pulley part alone!).

Next the old ESP/ASR Anti-pollution fault routine. Never lasts but a few days.

Next, passenger air bag warning. Just an afternoon that one. Next, the oil level LCD indicator. Worked again after a while when I last changed the oil. Now after my second oil change it definetly seems to have ceased working.

Next, an electric window problem. Driving home the other day, just opened the front passenger window a bit to dry the condensation that collects in the top inch. Now the window shuts but pops back down about 4 inches everytime. Not yet sorted itself as most things do.

The latest event. Last night parked in the drive and the cooling fan was going '19 to-the-dozen'. No reason, never stopped, cool night and both temp gauges fine.

Oh, one more thing my temp gauge occasionally drops to 'off' and comes up again to normal. Sometimes it drops back to an off position for minutes/miles at a time. Just a dodgey contact I suspected but sitting outside the Scout hut waiting for kids the other day I noticed 2-3 times the temp drop to an off position but co-incident with this was the revs picking up to over 1000rpm. Each time the two events occured simultaneously so must be connected. Not a problem but a bit bizarre.

 

So that's it really, 7 months down the line of ownership, smooth, comfortable, quite, quick, good on diesel, looks good apart from my smacked front bumper from a summer shunt (my fault, still not bothered to have the repair company fix it) but it's just starting to have a bit of a laugh with all these niggles. My Xantia never dreamed of such nonsense. I'm starting to wonder what's next.

 

Oh, one more thing. The screen washer pump failed. Got a cheapie on ebay. A single/double outlet problem then occured. Mine is single outlet, the only ones on ebay were double. So bodged a fix. Connect it all up, absolutley nothing. To cut a long story short, the female plug from the car would not talk to the male pump connectors at all. So soldered wires to the pump tangs and stuffed them into the car's female plug end...............................AAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[clarenceover]

I know, I didn't proof read and it says non stop Nigle's not NIGGLES

[Johndouglas]

£200 for a bottom pulley? You were ripped off:-

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Citroen-Peugeot-Cran...A1%7C240%3A1318

[Johndouglas]

Next, an electric window problem. Driving home the other day, just opened the front passenger window a bit to dry the condensation that collects in the top inch. Now the window shuts but pops back down about 4 inches everytime.

 

Try this for your windows. Disconnect the battery for five or ten minutes. Then reconnect. Lower every window - then raise it and hold the switch for a few seconds. This recalibrates the motors and you may find some of your other faults may be gone.

[ando7p]

I know what you mean with the electrics! Love the car and comfort. Good economy and not a bad looking machine, HOWEVER, regularly get stupid electrical problems.

 

Occasional Airbag warning. Windows sometimes play up. Oil level sometimes says empty when car parked on a level, even if it has sat for a few hours - once even went into economy mode. Heater blower resistor pack failure.

 

Was on holiday over the half term when I got a weird fault. Wife and kids still in car with keys out and nothing electrical on. Got back in car, put keys in and hey presto! Immobiliser fault. Dashboard lit up, front lights on, rear not on, key fob would not work. Engine would not turn over.

 

As always when I get a fault that can't be cured by removing the key then starting again, I removed the battery for 5 minutes, reconnected and et voila, all ok again.

 

The whole electrical system seems to be very fragile to the point where it is making me think of getting rid and never touching a Citroen again. Shame really, otherwise its a nice car (2002 110 HDI).

[Randombloke]

All this sounds like the problems you get when the battery is slightly low voltage, probably cranks well but it's low otherwise.

 

Worth doing some measurements on the battery both with and without engine running, plus leaving a small battery meter in the cigarette socket whilst driving.

 

Tried this? Helped me sort a problem on my BX:

 

Car cigarette lighter voltmeter

[Guest Dan Slatford]

I know how you feel :D

 

My 2.2HDi, while without question the smoothest, swiftest, economical and by far and away most comfortable / pleasurable car I've ever had, it's causing me to loose some serious sleep.

 

A week after it was found to have a loose injector, it's now starting to produce similar symptoms to your rattle. Intermittently, and sometimes rather loud - indeed it reminds me of the failed big end a 1.9TD Xantia once suffered, hence much panic :( But then it goes away again. Sometimes it also sounds like a massive hole in the exhaust up front somewhere, but I can't detect any evidence of leakage.

 

So far not heard anything unusual with the bonnet up. I think an independent I once used changed the pulley when I bought it (had a cambelt / waterpump change) - certainly it was mentioned, but I don't recall seeing it on the invoice. Hopefully it's "only" that breaking up as worst-case scenario and not about to shake itself apart as I most fear.

 

I don't know if it's normal either but it really vibrates at idle (smooths out with some revs).

[Randombloke]

I don't know if it's normal either but it really vibrates at idle (smooths out with some revs).

 

This is worrying. My 2.2 is much smoother than the 2.1 IDI that proceeded it. Could it be a problem with the dual mass flywheel or that the balancer shafts have slipped a tooth?

 

That, or there an injector not firing properly?

[Guest Dan Slatford]

This is worrying. My 2.2 is much smoother than the 2.1 IDI that proceeded it. Could it be a problem with the dual mass flywheel or that the balancer shafts have slipped a tooth?

 

That, or there an injector not firing properly?

 

It could be sun spots in a distant far galaxy for all I know. I only need to up the revs just slightly and the vibration at idle smooths out completely - I had assumed it was just idling around a resonant frequency.

[Ean]

;) i have to laugh or i think i would just cry

 

been a pain from the start got it in july went into the dealers and has not had a week away apart from the time i have parked it on the drive and just left it there doing my head in

 

the last thing is it keeps blowing a main wipper fuse was fine uptill it started to rain every day and wippers were on from home to work 3o min ride ????

 

do they not have rain in france will have to take it into my local but after xmas i just dont wish to think about it for now

[Randombloke]

the last thing is it keeps blowing a main wiper fuse was fine up till it started to rain every day and wipers were on from home to work 3o min ride ????

 

do they not have rain in france will have to take it into my local but after xmas i just dont wish to think about it for now

 

It's blowing a fuse because the motor is taking too much current.

 

Why is it doing this?

 

One or more of the spindles on which the wipers turn has become corroded or stiff, requiring more torque to turn it = higher current in the motor.

 

Something in the linkage is worn or sticking, again, making it harder to turn the whole assembly with more current being taken. It may also be that water has got into the motor or worm gear on the end of it, causing the same problem.

 

The motor has got too hot in the past and now has some shorted turns on the windings, causing it to take too much current.

 

The first two are easy to check. As per the logic of the main fixers on this forum like kfk or techbod, check all the simple and cheap to sort out things first.

 

If the wipers are off does it still blow the fuse?

 

Any one got any other ideas?

[Ean]

took the c5 to the road they had a look and the wiper stalk /switch no good

got a secondhand one but only come with three stalks not 4

 

q. is this just a standard set up two stalk/swith that fits all and you add cruise and radio control stalks ??? looks like i got the answer , the plastic surround is a four stalk set up but the electro board is only for a three on the back of the unit should have a red , grey, and blue cable plug in

 

if/when i get car back ,it will be like having a new car still not put 1000 miles on car i've had since july