16th Mar 2015, 18:41
This happens on all the C5s I have owned or seen; it's just basically a mist of the suspension fluid that passes the seals.
Just give the area a wipe round before the MoT; never had one fail because of it.
16th Apr 2015, 23:04
Had similar problems with a Peugeot 407, which all stemmed from corrosion under an engine to body earth strap. It may be worth checking out all the earth straps you can find.
18th Jun 2015, 07:57
I have to agree - mine has now done 238k miles and has had nothing done apart from annual oil changes. It is an 8v HDi and has no FAP of course.
Regarding limp home mode - mine does this after every oil change, but clears itself after about 10 or so engine starts and stops. It doesn't record any error codes (I have a Lexia equipped laptop) and always sorts itself.
It makes me laugh when people whine about the engine in these cars. The same motor can be found in products from Land Rover, Ford, Jaguar, Mini and BMW. It is an evolution of the mighty XUD, an engine that was capable of massive mileages.
The problem is modern diesels are covered in eco-nanny electronics, which are causing cars to fail and increasing the rate at which vehicles are scrapped. So then we belch out more carbon to build a new one at 100k miles rather than running the car to its natural life end at 300k miles or more!
29th Jul 2015, 08:17
Hi, I know this is years later from your fuel system problems, but we have spent many hours investigating this fault that not even Citroen seem to be able to sort. We have found that fuel temperature is the critical issue on these petrol cars, and have now found a way of curing the fault. We can modify the fuel system and cool the pump temperature, thus stopping the pump from overheating and causing the fuel to evaporate, and therefore cutting the fuel supply pressure to the pump, making it look like the pump is at fault. If anybody is still having trouble with these great cars, give me a call, Langport Motor Company. Good luck everybody.
5th Sep 2015, 09:07
Won't bore you with my C5 problem. Sufficient to say that the best Citroen mechanic I have ever known is baffled! Looks like one for the scrap yard.
My son had a taxi business and always used Peugeot or Citroen diesels - same engine. Taxi drivers loved the old 405, 406 range - they did ridiculous trouble-free mileages (one we sold running well at just under 400 000 miles). Between us we must have had twenty or so with these great 2L diesel engines in them. Everything changed about year 2000. It has to be the arrival of electronic management systems. The engines are pretty much the same, as are most of the other mechanical bits. Garages hate the current situation. They don't enjoy failing and dealing with angry customers. I doubt Citroen are much worse than other makes (research newer VW Passat under reliability. You might get a surprise). In my retirement I am seriously thinking of spending real money on a restored Morris 1000!
3rd Jan 2016, 09:41
My 2001 2.0 HDi has now done 245k miles and I've had it for ten years. Here are some interesting observations that may help others!
Fuel pressure problems turned out to be a dirty fuel pressure regulator (FPR) missing one "O" ring. Ten minutes to fix and £5 for the parts. The FPR body had also corroded and pushed out from the high pressure pump to which it is mounted, causing a leak. The symptom was like a petrol car misfire, running on three cylinders, sounding very sick.
Refusal to start. If you cannot hear the lift pump whining when you turn the key to position two, check the under bonnet fuse box, middle of three 16 pin connectors with red latches, pin 11 is the lift pump and over voltage causes arcing. You can usually push the pins back together and get it going again, then replace the whole connector or just that pin depending on how bad the arcing was.
Also check all of the wires coming from all of the sensors. I had to repair exposed wires on the crank position sensor and the FPR. These caused the car to cut out and go into limp home mode, but cost nothing to fix.
Various electrical funnies can be caused by a poor battery. Often just charging it and then rebooting the car using the right procedure (Google for that) will reset everything until you can get a fresh battery.
Sunroof switches wear out, as do the contacts on the Comms 2000 unit, causing a variety of electrical problems, including fog lamp problems (an MOT fail).
Steering racks. The input shaft isn't treated and corrodes, taking out the input shaft seal. Mine looses 300ml a year (25k miles) and it isn't an MOT fail. The fix involves dropping the subframe and replacing the seal.
Air-con. Leaves jam between the fan and the air-con radiator; eventually they wear through causing a leak. A new air-con radiator and recharge is around £300 (or just open the sunroof).
Rear calipers corrode where mounted to the steel axle components and push out, contacting the inside of the wheels. This cost £400 at a non-dealer Citroen specialist.
Rear suspension arm bushes fail (mine just creaks a lot); not an MOT fail, and only matters if you worry about what other people think of creaky cars! Grease cures it for a bit.
Apart from that, mine has been really reliable and has never had a clutch, head gasket or anything else go wrong with the engine or transmission. The bodies do not rust and the interiors seem robust.
My biggest tip is to go get yourself a Lexia (Peugeot Planet 2000), because it often gives you exactly the problem, saves you £100 in dealer diagnosis fees each time you get a fault, and allows you to recode keys and radios.
Mine cost £120 and I use it on an old, cheap Windows XP laptop, to diagnose faults on my Peugeot 407 Coupe as well as my Citroen C5. Without it you (or your mechanic) are just guessing, and when a garage starts swapping parts because they can't figure out the problem, the bill can really rack up fast!
17th Mar 2016, 00:50
Hi, the anti pollution fault is the exhaust air getting in. I had the car just shutdown completely on me going down a hill, but it started again.
I would not worry about the airbag fault; that comes up on my car too.
20th Nov 2016, 17:19
I bought Michelin wipers and they don't fit with the ends which were in the kit. Only one 'tp3' with a hole on the middle looks suitable, but it doesn't fit in the arm, because it was wider, BUT I cut with knife the parts above and under and it's fitted nice. Just make it wide like the original ones.
27th Nov 2016, 16:11
I have had 2 C5s now over 5 years, and being a lady driver on my own, they have never let me down. There are problems as the radio isn't working at the moment, but that's OK, I can sing. As long as it gets me about, what does a radio matter?
16th Dec 2016, 21:40
Congratulations on rising to the Citroen Challenge. I greatly admire your can do attitude. I myself have changed spheres and felt capable until my C5 1.6HDI would turnover but not start. Your info was very helpful and encouraging. Did you trace each wire or do you possess the circuit diagrams as those in my Haynes manual are inaccurate. I do not have a Lexia, but your suggestion is convincing.
The car started again after I checked all the connectors; having deemed the the fuel tank pump was suspect, it measured o/c.
I believe that Citroen would be well served if they provided a comprehensive Haynes type manual + a Lexia with their cars to inhibit the 'repair' ripoff.
27th Dec 2016, 19:45
The only radio signal for anything with these cars are the tyre pressure sensors, and the radio itself. These alone will not be a source of any problem as they will have been designed to work to strict EMI standards.
Any problems is down to bad wiring or grounds. I have one and I'm tearing it apart now hunting down my weird power problem.
28th Jul 2014, 23:59
If you change the oil and filters using all Citroen recommended parts and oils, your D.P.F. will be trouble free. My taxi still runs like a dream after 240,000 miles. I take my plastic oil can to my local Citroen dealers and get it filled for £35.00 for 5 litres.