2003 Citroen C5 estate.....the end

[Spurious]

21 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Your 75 review is accurate, but I will add that I'm yet to drive a Rover 75 or MG ZT that has a pleasant clutch pedal. They're all creaky, stiff and horrible. The C5 wins for that and gearchange. I reckon the BMW engine does a better job at pulling below 1500rpm though. 

We've Skoda Octavias in work, they're our response cars. They're the 160bhp (or 170bhp) 2.0 TDI ones. 

If it's representative of a modern <5yo diesel, than I don't like it. It hated slow speed work, there's horrific turbo lag and it really can't do slow speed work in second and I'd be stalling it all the bloody time. 

The C5 was far different when I got in it to go home. It did have a useful amount of low down torque, and it would happily pull away at speeds that the Skoda would need first and a lot of throttle to manage. 

of course it was slower at the top end, they were seriously rapid cars the Skoda. 

[montytom]

5 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Your 75 review is accurate, but I will add that I'm yet to drive a Rover 75 or MG ZT that has a pleasant clutch pedal. They're all creaky, stiff and horrible. The C5 wins for that and gearchange. I reckon the BMW engine does a better job at pulling below 1500rpm though. 

Oh I fully agree hence me only having 2 manual 75s the gear change isnt pleasant in my experience. Had 2 diesels and wouldn't have another the v6 2.5 is a lovely thing with an auto it really does suit its character 

[lexi]

On 4/20/2021 at 9:29 PM, maxxo said:

you see, i've been doing some tests and it massively depends on the speed bumps

the softer ones i don't even slow down for

i must admit i do like the electric pump etc, it works really very well indeed

i'm quite a fan of the ride, i would like hydractive3+ for the adaptive suspension, but normal 3 is good enough

i'd be interested in seeing how it rides in comparison to a xantia (suspect very similar tbh)

Well I think the standard C5 is a better car than similar Xantia.  Bigger and actually easier to work on and less leaks and trouble. The 2 Xantia V6 I had though rode better than the 4 sphere C5.  They soaked more up.  Perhaps the X7 3+ with wishbones may be best of C5 ride wise?  They are tight inside though and troublesome.

[maxxo]

2 hours ago, lexi said:

Well I think the standard C5 is a better car than similar Xantia.  Bigger and actually easier to work on and less leaks and trouble. The 2 Xantia V6 I had though rode better than the 4 sphere C5.  They soaked more up.  Perhaps the X7 3+ with wishbones may be best of C5 ride wise?  They are tight inside though and troublesome.

for a starter car to get into hydro's the first 2 c5's before the X7 seem like the best bet

i would like to try a 3+ X7, despite the fact i don't like them much

[Rocket88]

I'm actually amazed how well my Mazda 6 rides.........It's to Mazda's credit that they spent the R and D money on proper suspension, with a fine compromise between ride and handling, instead of splurging on totally spurious gizmos that nobody ever a] uses or b] considered necessary

 

[maxxo]

fianlly got round to replacing the suspension return pipe today

so, gearbox in park, handbrake on (and i never use the handbrake on an auto!!!) and a brick behind the back wheels cos french and handbrake is on the front

suspension on high and LDS cap removed, of course, the clips holding the plastic cover have broken so that's now in the boot

no locking wheel nuts, i doubt these wheels are in high demand to be stolen tbh

car lifted on a surprisingly good jack! £25 i think from screwfix? can't remember now

clip removed with some fancy clip pliers i bought for this job (they are very good!)

the old pipe was rock hard, i managed to snap it more by moving it around so it needed replacing

also had to cut down the new one so it didn't foul on moving parts

if you're curious as to what the part where the fluid comes out of on the strut looks like here it is

just a hole, and i the pipe wedges around it, making a surprisingly poor seal however thinking about it i believe it may use it's own fluid as a seal and just the force from the clips? not sure but doesn't seem to be leaking that badly

and here we go, job done, was extremely easy!

only done the passenger side for now, couldn't be bothered doing the other side tbh

LDS topped up and road tested, very good as always

i'm very impressed with how easy this system seems to be to work on, way better than fucking around with spring compressers (i refuse to ever use them!)

[Dan302]

Does the C5 have this?

 

[beko1987]

I can't wait for the posts where you clean those wheel arches! I cleaned my car (and my stepdad) today (13 months since mine was last done equally I've done about 4000 miles so meh) and the mud that came out was glorious! 

Once upon a time I had a nifty angle attachment for my nilfisk. Went on the lance before rhe end bits and pivoted. Was amazing until it burst one day after a few years, should get another really... 

[lexi]

11 hours ago, colc said:

I'm actually amazed how well my Mazda 6 rides.........It's to Mazda's credit that they spent the R and D money on proper suspension, with a fine compromise between ride and handling, instead of splurging on totally spurious gizmos that nobody ever a] uses or b] considered necessary

 

What suspension does it have? Mac strut or double wishbone?

[OM646]

On 24/04/2021 at 01:49, maxxo said:

for a starter car to get into hydro's the first 2 c5's before the X7 seem like the best bet

i would like to try a 3+ X7, despite the fact i don't like them much

I was a passenger in a 2011 X7 with the 163hp 2.0 HDI, manual transmission, and the 3+ suspension. The ride was superb and the interior was damn near top notch. Only bad choice were the piano black door trims that creaked 

[maxxo]

On 4/24/2021 at 7:45 PM, beko1987 said:

I can't wait for the posts where you clean those wheel arches! I cleaned my car (and my stepdad) today (13 months since mine was last done equally I've done about 4000 miles so meh) and the mud that came out was glorious! 

Once upon a time I had a nifty angle attachment for my nilfisk. Went on the lance before rhe end bits and pivoted. Was amazing until it burst one day after a few years, should get another really... 

i'm somewhat reluctant to jetwash the arches, don't want to ruin anything

mind you it does need doing desperately

unfortunately i have to wash it with a single bucket and avoid a jetwash and it has some form of water ingress in the tailgate which causes the glass to cease working

and i need the glass to open as i don't want to put constant strain on the wiring harness by opening the entire tailgate when i don't need to

[Fumbler]

On 24/04/2021 at 19:45, beko1987 said:

I can't wait for the posts where you clean those wheel arches! I cleaned my car (and my stepdad) today (13 months since mine was last done equally I've done about 4000 miles so meh) and the mud that came out was glorious!

Glorious, you say?

That's approximately 20 year-old filth. Absolutely glorious.

5 minutes ago, maxxo said:

i'm somewhat reluctant to jetwash the arches, don't want to ruin anything

mind you it does need doing desperately

unfortunately i have to wash it with a single bucket and avoid a jetwash and it has some form of water ingress in the tailgate which causes the glass to cease working

and i need the glass to open as i don't want to put constant strain on the wiring harness by opening the entire tailgate when i don't need to

Do you have a garden sprayer? Set it to the highest pressure you can and wash that way. It worked wonders on both the BX and the Micra.

[maxxo]

6 minutes ago, Fumbler said:

Do you have a garden sprayer? Set it to the highest pressure you can and wash that way. It worked wonders on both the BX and the Micra.

yes but it's broken cos i crashed my dads new civic into it a few days after he got it.....

might get another one tbh

paintwork is actually pretty decent on the C5 so it's worth doing it properly

[Spurious]

3 hours ago, maxxo said:

i'm somewhat reluctant to jetwash the arches, don't want to ruin anything

mind you it does need doing desperately

 

I've a variable power Lance for the little Karcher.  I turn it down to a point where I can run my hand under it and through a combination of scrubbing brush and the lance I can clean arches really well. 

[beko1987]

I've never been too scared of smashing the pressure washer under the arches, I'd rather discover something there and then than whilst doing a big stoppo on the m40 another day... 

I've not washed my arches in ages but I do pole all the compacted shit off everything and wave a soft wire brush around, that makes a difference. 

To wash it t h you don't need pressure so much, a good garden hose will ldo it, it's the big floppy brush and chemicals that'll do the work. Removing front wings is also satisfying, I bet that bx is like a compost heap inside! My front wing may well be on the drivers side as its very very crispy 

[Fumbler]

1 minute ago, beko1987 said:

 I bet that bx is like a compost heap inside! My front wing may well be on the drivers side as its very very crispy 

I'll find out eventually! I doubt I'll find much, there was tons of filth behind the arch liners of the Micra. It's a good job they actually painted everywhere inside!

[maxxo]

Well, that's the C5 in the garage for some work today (Martinet motors in thornaby of course)

ATF, AC recharge and creaking investigation.......forgot to ask how much it will cost which is fun

looking forward to seeing what the transmission is like when i pick it up, hopefully tonight

got a lift home in a sprung car, now i had been wondering recently if it really rode better than a sprung car

yes it does, tons better, way smoother

said sprung car as an 09 plate xsara picasso so hardly a firm riding thing

[Leyland Worldmaster]

On 4/26/2021 at 1:07 AM, Spurious said:

I've a variable power Lance for the little Karcher.  I turn it down to a point where I can run my hand under it and through a combination of scrubbing brush and the lance I can clean arches really well. 

I used the Pressure Washer at the local garage when I first bought Alison back in 2014. Ever since then, I use a dedicated bucket and sponge and keep the arches and springs clean as shown. 

This has enabled me to identify faults quickly and also helps slow corrosion; important given the design of the Pressed Steel Control Arms... 👍 👍 👍 😎 😎 😎 

[beko1987]

35 minutes ago, Leyland Worldmaster said:

I used the Pressure Washer at the local garage when I first bought Alison back in 2014. Ever since then, I use a dedicated bucket and sponge and keep the arches and springs clean as shown. 

This has enabled me to identify faults quickly and also helps slow corrosion; important given the design of the Pressed Steel Control Arms... 👍 👍 👍 😎 😎 😎 

Blimey if you keep them like that just a Rinse and foam must keep them spotless! 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

18 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Blimey if you keep them like that just a Rinse and foam must keep them spotless! 

TBH, I got some stick from a good friend and neighbour who told me about the importance of cleaning the whole car, not just the top side! 

Bloody bloke would run his hands under the arches and shit loads of mud would fall out... 

It really doesn't add much time to cleaning to be honest and the garage seems to appreciate it too! 👍 👍 👍 😎 😎 😎 

[maxxo]

i shall be washing out the arch liners when i clean it next, as they are absolutely horrific

also haven't heard anything from the garage yet

starting to get a little concerned if i'm being honest

better not have burst my LDS tank lol!

[lexi]

Dirt also gathers inside those plastic sill liners. Good to get them off and clean, check for rust.

[maxxo]

Car now collected

£139 for the AC and atf, which i'm happy with

now, the autobox fluid was black....literally the filthiest fluid i've ever seen, they showed me some of it

all i can say is wow! it literally feels like a new transmission! goes into drive much more quickly and the shifts are extremely smooth and it doesn't slip slightly from 3rd to 4th now

not 100% sure what fluid they used, suppose if it was the wrong one then i'd have known about it by now

then again it's much better than the fluid that was in there

i can't believe how much of a difference it's made, need to check it when it's cold to see if it still struggles

they also gave me some advisories

drop links (knew about that)

parking brake travel (only used it a few times and i did sort of notice it)

also £402 for the rear arm bearings and drop links, to avoid the faffing around i'll get them to do it cos if i did it i'd fuck it up

[jamescarruthers]

Good to hear you are still loving it and it is driving well. I’m living my hydropneumatic dreams through your and Fumbler’s blogs at the minute! 
 

Did they just drop the fluid once (getting only a portion of the fluid out) or did they do it 3 times in quick succession, ensuring a good fluid exchange? 

Those handbrake cables are a nightmare for seizing in the tubes. It might be worth thinking along the lines of “use it or loose it”! When mine were changed Chevronics pointed out that they piled/greased the tubes up on installation to try to prolong the life. I think you can access the tubes in the wheel arch and pump/pour some light oil down. 
 

I think that is a good price for the rear arm bearings. I’m sure Pleiades quoted more, but my memory is fuzzy. 

[maxxo]

fluid change i'm not 100% sure how they did it, doesn't matter as such as it's better than how it was

handbrake cables is a job right at the back, it holds the car in drive so that's fine with me, does get used on hills etc

indeed, will probably do it round june time tbh, gives it time to develop further and for me to see if any other issues come up

still seriously considering replacing all 4 spheres, mainly out of curiousity (want to cut one of the old ones in half and take a nosy)

[maxxo]

apologies if it's a stupid question, but will this stuff be alright for the strut tops?

just concerned as there is rubber in that area

[jamescarruthers]

Vactan is basically inert and best used on cleaned up metal. I would say that you will need something acidic to eat through the rust. 
 

I will be following on your footsteps this summer hopefully. 

[maxxo]

9 minutes ago, jamescarruthers said:

Vactan is basically inert and best uses on cleaned up metal. I would say that you will need something acidic to eat through the rust. 
 

I will be following on your footsteps this summer hopefully. 

Good thinking, they're still solid at the moment so i shall spend some time researching it

they are wonderful cars, really fantastic things

[Dick Cheeseburger]

10 minutes ago, jamescarruthers said:

Vactan is basically inert and best uses on cleaned up metal. I would say that you will need something acidic to eat through the rust. 
 

I will be following on your footsteps this summer hopefully. 

I thought it was a decent rust 'killer' and was most effective on surfaces with rust already exposed? That's my interpretation of it anyway. I use it fairly regularly following recommendations for the stuff on here. 

[jamescarruthers]

51 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I thought it was a decent rust 'killer' and was most effective on surfaces with rust already exposed? That's my interpretation of it anyway. I use it fairly regularly following recommendations for the stuff on here. 

That’s what I thought until I used it and saw rust coming through about a year later! I wasn’t that impressed and will go back to acid based and then maybe bantam on top as a neutraliser.