New To Me C5

[Guest kimosabe]

Hi guys,

This is my first post after looking around in here for a few days.Great site.

Here goes, come wednesday I will be the (I hope) the new proud owner of a Citroen C5 2.2 hdi SX. 2001 plate (private sale) inc fitted towbar.

I test drove it the other day and thought this is the car for me.The car as far as i could see drove faultlessly and everything was working lights,a/c etc.

The reason I chose this car was I heard they had loads of power,ideal for towing our caravan.I currently have a 406 1.9 diesel which is a bit under powered.

I got the car at a very reasonable price. It has 107k miles on the clock with almost complete service history.But there is no mention of a timing belt having been fitted in the past.Should I upon getting the car have a new belt fitted (full kit) and a new water pump fitted at the same time.

Also is there anything else no matter how small i should be having looked at straight away.

Any help with my post greatly appreciated.

Ta in advance

Dave

[podpeeze]

Welcome to the fold Dave and I hope you enjoy your new drive :-)

 

Don't know about anyone else but whenever I buy a car, the first thing I do is get the cambelt sorted regardless of make, age and mileage. Way way cheaper than finding out the hard way!

I've had mainly trouble-free motoring out of my 2.0hdi estate and its still going strong after over 220,000 miles.

I've found fleabay to be a good resource for parts (new intercooler for £90 anyone??) and a more comfortable car you will not find for the money.

 

Hope this helps

Jon :-)

[Guest kimosabe]

Welcome to the fold Dave and I hope you enjoy your new drive :-)

 

Don't know about anyone else but whenever I buy a car, the first thing I do is get the cambelt sorted regardless of make, age and mileage. Way way cheaper than finding out the hard way!

I've had mainly trouble-free motoring out of my 2.0hdi estate and its still going strong after over 220,000 miles.

I've found fleabay to be a good resource for parts (new intercooler for £90 anyone??) and a more comfortable car you will not find for the money.

 

Hope this helps

Jon :-)

 

Hi Jon. Thanks for the advice.I was thinking I might do this anyway.,The cambelt may have been changed,then again maybe not...?

Does anyone else have anymore advice to offer.If i can get the cambelt/waterpump done for friday night we will hitch up the caravan on saturday morning

and b*gg*r off for a couple of weeks ( have taken out breakdown cover,just in case).It will be a good test to see just how good this car is.....Dave

[Guest kimosabe]

Well thats the car booked in for a cam belt and water pump and oil and filter change £230 all in.Good price or what.

Getting it done thru a mates mate who's an ex citroen spannerman.Should get the car back sometime on saturday then

it's off on a couple of weeks touring wi' the caravan,yippeeeeeeeee.Hope it doesn't rain.......................

[Guest kimosabe]

Well thats the car booked in for a cam belt and water pump and oil and filter change £230 all in.Good price or what.

Getting it done thru a mates mate who's an ex citroen spannerman.Should get the car back sometime on saturday then

it's off on a couple of weeks touring wi' the caravan,yippeeeeeeeee.Hope it doesn't rain.......................

 

Well I got the car back today,no worries I hope for a few thousand miles I hope.

Question.... The guy who did the work for me still works in a legit garage,He said because both me and him know the work

was done as per the book He can stamp my service book for me.(no comebacks to the garage of course).This would of course

keep my full service history up to date.Is this legal and ethical I wondered...????

[Johndouglas]

This would of course

keep my full service history up to date.Is this legal and ethical I wondered...????

 

I thought that all Citroen service work was held on a central computer. So even if you went to a different Cit dealer, they could still see a record of what you'd recently had done. If that's correct, anything that's been put in your service book should match the computer.

[Guest kimosabe]

I thought that all Citroen service work was held on a central computer. So even if you went to a different Cit dealer, they could still see a record of what you'd recently had done. If that's correct, anything that's been put in your service book should match the computer.

 

The thing is John he doesn't work in a Citroen garage anymore.He works in a small independent garage.

The work I have had done would not be on a Citroen computer.Just wondered if it was ethical as long as the book was stamped...???

[paul.h]

I think you realise you are in a bit of a minefield here and I am presuming your mechanic did the work as a "foreigner".

 

If the mechanic is going to stamp your book with his company stamp but did not do the work through his company, then maybe stamping the book could be considered as fraud on both your parts since you are both knowingly involved in a deception with presumably the aim of letting a subsequent buyer of the car think it had been serviced by the company (with all the protection, etc that this provides). What if there is a problem which involves insurance companies and they want to persue the company who did the work. Does your mechanic have liability insurance if not working for his company ? Are there tax implications for the mechanic ?

 

When I do work on our cars I do not fill in the service book but keep a separate record and keep the receipts for the parts. In your case, you should still have a detailed receipt for the work whether or not the service book is filled in and this is probably more important since anyone could stamp a book without doing the work. Also if you are keeping the car for a few years (and it is already 9 years old), a stamped service book I would not think is important especially since most jobs on older cars are outside the normal service list and somebody is more likely to later buy your car on its condition.

[Guest kimosabe]

I think you realise you are in a bit of a minefield here and I am presuming your mechanic did the work as a "foreigner".

 

If the mechanic is going to stamp your book with his company stamp but did not do the work through his company, then maybe stamping the book could be considered as fraud on both your parts since you are both knowingly involved in a deception with presumably the aim of letting a subsequent buyer of the car think it had been serviced by the company (with all the protection, etc that this provides). What if there is a problem which involves insurance companies and they want to persue the company who did the work. Does your mechanic have liability insurance if not working for his company ? Are there tax implications for the mechanic ?

 

When I do work on our cars I do not fill in the service book but keep a separate record and keep the receipts for the parts. In your case, you should still have a detailed receipt for the work whether or not the service book is filled in and this is probably more important since anyone could stamp a book without doing the work. Also if you are keeping the car for a few years (and it is already 9 years old), a stamped service book I would not think is important especially since most jobs on older cars are outside the normal service list and somebody is more likely to later buy your car on its condition.

 

Thanks Paul for your view in my dilema,it was never the intention to try and "fraud" or "deceive" anyone at a later date.I was only asking if it was ethical.

and I wholeheartedly concur with everything you have pointed out in your posting.I don't think now I will be going ahead with getting my sevice book stamped,but

I will be asking my mechanic for all the receipts for the work he did on my car.

Dave

[paul.h]

Forgot to mention, our C5 2.2 hdi VTR is brilliant pulling our caravan (probably about 1100 kg loaded, max 1300), always runs level due to suspension, plenty of power, returns about 30 mpg towing depending on weather conditions/no of hills, stable combination (Bulldog stabiliser fitted), sometimes use the suspension on the sport setting on uneven/bumpy roads to smooth the ride with the caravan. When you come to hook on/unhook the caravan it helps if the car doors are shut and keep a foot on the back bumper when winding down the jockey wheel or the car will rise with the caravan. I use the strap on door mirrors with the straps crossed over so they do not come off.