Am I Having The Wool Pulled Over My Eyes By Garage?

[Guest Frankov2000]

I have a Citroen C5 Exclusive. . On some freezing morning a few months ago the battery on the Exclusive decided to pack up. D C5 SX esperate to get to a meeting, I had a new battery delivered by taxi, and in the pouring rain hastily put it in but back in, after burning quite a blister on my fingers I realised ......back to front! So conncected + to - and - to +. !!!

 

Once I had turned the battery around and put the terminals on the right way around, the engine would healthily turn over but would not start. I imagined this was the anti burglary system kicking in. Although the Sat Nav screen came on, as far as I could make out the radio and no other electrics seem to be wanting to work.

 

The first suggestion of the garage was to take out the central green fuse in the glove compartment, wait ten minutes and replace it. This might reset the electrics. This didn't work. To cut a long story short, the garage came out and did a computer diagnosis in situ. They said there was nothing they could do to 'reset the electrics'. The other option would be to recode the key to the car. Having obtained the code they now tell me that it still won't start, that I must have 'fried' the on board computer management system and it will cost in excess of £1,000.00 to repair, I was being pressurised for an answer as to whether I want the car worked on or scrapped.

 

A part of me can't help thinking that they are giving a drastic diagnosis and are angling to get their hands on the car, but without the technical knowledge I have little to base my hunch on.

 

So can anybody out there help with the following;

 

 

• 1. Should their diagnostic computer have indicated a 'fried' computer mangement system on the first time they plugged it in?

 

• 2. Can non Citroen garages obtain security codes? (Though this garage specialises in Citroen Peugot but it is not an official Citroen garage.)

 

• If so, is there any way I can check?

 

 

 

As I mentioned I am being pressurised to make a decision (less than twenty four hours from hearing the news) so any advice soon would be greatly appreciated. (Not to mention, without a car I am now commuting four hours a day by train!!!!!.)

 

 

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

Frankov.

[iannez]

the chances are you have damaged the ecu but c5's can be a nightmare to get started if the battery was removed without following the shut down procedure so this needs looking into first. if the ecu has gone down an ecu clinic will repair it for around £200 or you could buy a new non genuine ecu for a bit less. non genuine ecu's dont need coding in so just plug and play but you loose the immobiliser.

[Guest Frankov2000]

That's great. Thanks. I have just found an ecu clinic reasonably close by. Will ring them tomorrow. Would you know if the diagnosis the garage did would have shown up that the ecu was blown?

[iannez]

if the ecu was damaged the diag tool would not have been able to communicate with it.

[Guest Frankov2000]

if the ecu was damaged the diag tool would not have been able to communicate with it.

[coastline taxis]

Have you checked the maxi fuses on the side of the fuse box in the engine bay in fact get a multi meter and do a continuity test on all the fuses in the enginge bay. Also was the key in the ignition when your put the battery on if so try resyncronising the key ( put key in ignition barrel put ignition on and keep button 2 on key fob pressed for 10 seconds). If the indy your usiing has the right diagnostic tool he should be able to tell you wether the imobiliser is active or not.

[Guest Frankov2000]

Have you checked the maxi fuses on the side of the fuse box in the engine bay in fact get a multi meter and do a continuity test on all the fuses in the enginge bay. Also was the key in the ignition when your put the battery on if so try resyncronising the key ( put key in ignition barrel put ignition on and keep button 2 on key fob pressed for 10 seconds). If the indy your usiing has the right diagnostic tool he should be able to tell you wether the imobiliser is active or not.

[Guest Frankov2000]

Hi. Thanks for this. Firstly, really impressed with the site and the members. Second, yes I did try the key fob press on button trick, and went from full of hope to utter dissapointment. However, the garage now tell me that it is not the ECU but another box that controls the circuits...another three letter acronym beginning with B. I wrote down exactly what they said but have left the notes at work...any way seems I have been barking up the wrong tree. Will post again when I am clearer.

 

I was a taxi driver in Somerset. I still have a C5 SX Diesel I used. Got so attached over 5 years,that I couldn't let it go and it still goes beautifully. But Murphy's law, when I started using it again while the Exclusive has been at the garage the suspension pump went, so the garage have that one too!!! They tell me that pumps are £800.00 a piece and £400.00 + to fit so am looking at breakers yard for the pump.

 

Will post again when I am clearer. In the meantime thanks again.

 

Frankov

[Randombloke]

However, the garage now tell me that it is not the ECU but another box that controls the circuits...another three letter acronym beginning with B.

 

BSI.

 

Citroen BSI

 

But Murphy's law, when I started using it again while the Exclusive has been at the garage the suspension pump went, so the garage have that one too!!! They tell me that pumps are £800.00 a piece and £400.00 + to fit so am looking at breakers yard for the pump.

 

I don't think they cost anything like that, have a look at the BBA Reman site for C5 pumps.

 

Ask here for a price:

 

Citroen C5 - Active Suspension Pump

 

Other Citroen stuff:

 

Citroen - BBA reman online catalogue

[Guest Frankov2000]

BSI.

 

Citroen BSI

 

 

 

I don't think they cost anything like that, have a look at the BBA Reman site for C5 pumps.

 

Ask here for a price:

 

Citroen C5 - Active Suspension Pump

 

Other Citroen stuff:

 

Citroen - BBA reman online catalogue

[Guest Frankov2000]

BSI.

 

Citroen BSI

 

 

 

I don't think they cost anything like that, have a look at the BBA Reman site for C5 pumps.

 

Ask here for a price:

 

Citroen C5 - Active Suspension Pump

 

Other Citroen stuff:

 

Citroen - BBA reman online catalogue

[Guest Frankov2000]

Superb! Great links, extremely helpful. Many thanks. WIll keep you posted.

[Guest unclebob]

I have a Citroen C5 Exclusive. . On some freezing morning a few months ago the battery on the Exclusive decided to pack up. D C5 SX esperate to get to a meeting, I had a new battery delivered by taxi, and in the pouring rain hastily put it in but back in, after burning quite a blister on my fingers I realised ......back to front! So conncected + to - and - to +. !!!

 

Once I had turned the battery around and put the terminals on the right way around, the engine would healthily turn over but would not start. I imagined this was the anti burglary system kicking in. Although the Sat Nav screen came on, as far as I could make out the radio and no other electrics seem to be wanting to work.

 

The first suggestion of the garage was to take out the central green fuse in the glove compartment, wait ten minutes and replace it. This might reset the electrics. This didn't work. To cut a long story short, the garage came out and did a computer diagnosis in situ. They said there was nothing they could do to 'reset the electrics'. The other option would be to recode the key to the car. Having obtained the code they now tell me that it still won't start, that I must have 'fried' the on board computer management system and it will cost in excess of £1,000.00 to repair, I was being pressurised for an answer as to whether I want the car worked on or scrapped.

 

A part of me can't help thinking that they are giving a drastic diagnosis and are angling to get their hands on the car, but without the technical knowledge I have little to base my hunch on.

 

So can anybody out there help with the following;

 

 

• 1. Should their diagnostic computer have indicated a 'fried' computer mangement system on the first time they plugged it in?

 

• 2. Can non Citroen garages obtain security codes? (Though this garage specialises in Citroen Peugot but it is not an official Citroen garage.)

 

• If so, is there any way I can check?

 

 

 

As I mentioned I am being pressurised to make a decision (less than twenty four hours from hearing the news) so any advice soon would be greatly appreciated. (Not to mention, without a car I am now commuting four hours a day by train!!!!!.)

 

 

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

Frankov.