2003 Citroen C5 estate.....the end

[richardmorris]

10 minutes ago, Spurious said:Didn't the pumps only have a life of about 30-50k miles? 

That makes me feel a lot better, having got 85,000 out of it using primarily shell superunleaded. 55,000 miles, six years and depreciation £2750 so cheap in that respect.

But at least the same again in parts - aforementioned pump, fuel rail sensor and regulator, cam belts + tensioners, gear cables, full brake calipers and discs, two sets of plugs and coil packs, egr valve, four! Ac control modules, plus an entire engine wiring loom ( I didn't pay for this, the dealer it down as training, which is just as well as it didn’t help one bloody bit.). Oh and I nearly forgot that the exhaust fell off.

in comparison, the w124 I replaced it with has never left me stuck on the side of the road despite being 27 years old this year.

[maxxo]

here's a question

is it normal for the power steering to be absolutely insanely light?

honestly, i quite like it

tyre pressures are fine etc

[jamescarruthers]

1 hour ago, maxxo said:

here's a question

is it normal for the power steering to be absolutely insanely light?

honestly, i quite like it

tyre pressures are fine etc

I think my sisters is pretty light but I wouldn’t say insanely so. I’m sure yours is fine.
 

All I can think of is if the speed sensitive loading/unloading is something more clever than just engine speed related. 

[maxxo]

4 minutes ago, jamescarruthers said:

I think my sisters is pretty light but I wouldn’t say insanely so. I’m sure yours is fine.
 

All I can think of is if the speed sensitive loading/unloading is something more clever than just engine speed related. 

not complaining, certainly makes parking much much easier

speed sensitive system is quite good i've noticed

[maxxo]

still not broken

4k miles in

nothing, zero literally zero issues

alright a clonky drop link

and a beep when i turned on the ignition to tell me my engine was faulty but that was a split second so it's fine

also checked the front struts for leaks, no leaks so rainbow water must have been old stuff being washed off

[maxxo]

tweaked the settings for the auto wipers in lexia today

14 they were set at, god knows if that was sensitive or not

put 9 in as a new value, meant to rain today so i shall see how they perform

if the rain is light and constant then they're fine

on and off rain they panic

[beko1987]

Is the sensor dirty? 

On my lag2, the auto wipers were always shit, I just didn't use them as it was the least of that cars problem. 

Pulling it all out when I broke it for spares (they break nicely these high end French cars if you've got the space and the important bits work) and the sensor was filthy, had a haze all over it. Now it was sealed in well so I'd not have been able to clean it otherwise, so not too sure what you could do short of smash the windscreen in and grab 30 seconds when the new one goes on... 

[maxxo]

6 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Is the sensor dirty? 

On my lag2, the auto wipers were always shit, I just didn't use them as it was the least of that cars problem. 

Pulling it all out when I broke it for spares (they break nicely these high end French cars if you've got the space and the important bits work) and the sensor was filthy, had a haze all over it. Now it was sealed in well so I'd not have been able to clean it otherwise, so not too sure what you could do short of smash the windscreen in and grab 30 seconds when the new one goes on... 

there is no way on earth i am touching the rain/light sensors

we both know it will break the moment i even think about touching it

i want the auto lights to work, as they are extremely useful and surprisingly good

i can imagine it being filthy, it's a replacement windscreen too (which is chipped of course) so probably fitted badly

[jamescarruthers]

Is it possible that it didn’t bond correctly on both sides with the windscreen replacement? A big air bubble will bugger it right up!

I’d also be scared too touch it but it might be worth a little investigation to see it will come out with the windscreen in and then ask a friendly fitter supply the sticky gel pad that transmits the light from window to sensor.

 

Interesting to hear that Lexia has setting a for sensitivity to play with. I really must get one. 

[maxxo]

4 minutes ago, jamescarruthers said:

Is it possible that it didn’t bond correctly on both sides with the windscreen replacement? A big air bubble will bugger it right up!

I’d also be scared to touch it but it might be worth a little investigation to see it will come out with the windscreen in and then ask a friendly fitter supply the sticky gel pad that transmits the light from window to sensor.

idea of an air bubble would make sense, for the most part

but they do work, and they do respond to rain and don't just go off randomly

so that's the reason i believe they're just overly sensitive, i do wonder if it is perhaps not helped by a windscreen that might not be bonded the best

[beko1987]

It did look very fixed in tbh... The casing came off with the rear view mirror housing but the actual business bit was bonded with smoll wires... 

Polished the windscreen over it? 

I'd just set lexia to whatever number works, take the laptop for a drive on a raining evening if you dare... Then ignore it until nature takes its natural cause and you get a rock fly up

[Spurious]

On 5/10/2021 at 11:25 AM, maxxo said:

alright a clonky drop link

 

It'll be the ARB drop links, they don't last long. 

Lemforder if you're replacing them last the longest. 

[maxxo]

10 minutes ago, Spurious said:

It'll be the ARB drop links, they don't last long. 

Lemforder if you're replacing them last the longest. 

it's french they eat them

i will buy the cheapest ones i can find

same situation with headlight bulbs, no point getting nightbreakers when they last 6 months

[maxxo]

1 hour ago, beko1987 said:

It did look very fixed in tbh... The casing came off with the rear view mirror housing but the actual business bit was bonded with smoll wires... 

Polished the windscreen over it? 

I'd just set lexia to whatever number works, take the laptop for a drive on a raining evening if you dare... Then ignore it until nature takes its natural cause and you get a rock fly up

they are soooooooo much better! i dare say they work well 75% of the time now which is excellent

did some calculations with some brochures today and i've discovered it was £27,600 in todays money new, not cheap for a citroen!

for what is just a mid spec car i'm impressed with how much kit it actually has

mind you an exclusive with sat nav and heated seats would be lovely

of course they won't work

[beko1987]

Or they'll work but be useless! I remember the moment I sadly realised finding all the missing kit mine had to get the shit nav working again and leave me with a fantastic line drawing 2003 satnav that hadn't been updated since 2014 was a folly (and knocking on £400)

Used the dead (probably worked fine) screen to hold a sticky phone mount and bought my pioneer that I still have now, although the dab port broke moving it into the xsara sadly

[richardmorris]

29 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Or they'll work but be useless! I remember the moment I sadly realised finding all the missing kit mine had to get the shit nav working again and leave me with a fantastic line drawing 2003 satnav that hadn't been updated since 2014 was a folly (and knocking on £400)

Used the dead (probably worked fine) screen to hold a sticky phone mount and bought my pioneer that I still have now, although the dab port broke moving it into the xsara sadly

Mine was an exclusive but didn’t have satnav or leather. Even today, the satnav on my parent’s DS4 is the same rubbish.

[beko1987]

The expensive bits were removed from mine when it was a taxi, before Kiltox got hold of it. Satnav computer, carminat head unit and amp missing iirc, unknown state of everything else. 

Was obviously a popular rabbit hole to fall down, and I can see how. In the manual for my xsara is the rare shit-nav option on its 8 line matrix display. I mean I'd never use it but if I tripped over the full system for £30 I'd be fitting it for a laugh!

Then just put my phone over the tachometer where it sits mega handily in the gap between the steering wheel binnacle and dash and bash Google maps on as always... 

[maxxo]

Well a much better cup holder was fitted today

actually holds cans etc

you may notice i can't access the handbrake, normally this is no problem as it's pretty flat up north

going to get annoying taking the cup holder out to apply it whenever i need to park on a hill

this is a temporary solution until i think of something better

[Spurious]

The answer is already there.  Open up the rear ashtray, pop out the plastic bit where the ashes from cigs go and hey presto, you've got a deep cupholder that'll fit the largest Starbucks cup with ease.  Pleb passengers can hold their own cups.

[loserone]

1 hour ago, maxxo said:

pretty flat up north

Southerner.

[beko1987]

2 hours ago, Spurious said:

The answer is already there.  Open up the rear ashtray, pop out the plastic bit where the ashes from cigs go and hey presto, you've got a deep cupholder that'll fit the largest Starbucks cup with ease.  Pleb passengers can hold their own cups.

This, same on my psa! It's even handier when the lid for said box is already broken off and in the passenger door pocket... 

Best car I've ever had for drink holders was my 206, big deep holder that made a large mcd's milkshake dissappear inside! 

[maxxo]

rear ashtray turns out to be an excellent cup holder

nice a deep and secure

[Spurious]

29 minutes ago, maxxo said:

rear ashtray turns out to be an excellent cup holder

nice a deep and secure

Glad I could help 🙂

[maxxo]

6 minutes ago, Spurious said:

Glad I could help 🙂

i really appreciate it, surprised just how good it is

i was looking at these in the pound shop today, i have an idea

if i covered the edges in rubber tape, and if it's just the correct size to wedge in the actual cup holders then i believe this may be the ultimate cup holder

they're cheap enough might have to buy one and see how it fits

in theory it should be a snug fit

i'm quite invested in cup holders, as those provided cup holders are unnaceptably poor

it's not just that they're bad, if i brake anything more than lightly whatevers in them falls out and lands on the height buttons

had many car with x through it displayed on the screen when stopping briskly to let people out

[High Jetter]

I never drink and drive, avoids the whole issue.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Yes.. in my 25 years of driving, I've never felt the need to drink anything while I'm in a car.  Am I doing it wrong?!

[jamescarruthers]

Be careful of those big boy energy drinks amigo! They can be addictive and mess you up (lethargy and dependancy) from what I’ve seen, and even slightly experience a little myself! IMHO Okay as an emergency one-off but a horrible thing to rely on regularly  

Do you have the cup holder above the R/H dashboard cubby hole? If so, what do you think of it? My sister’s has a long defunct TrafficMaster button there instead. I’m tempted to change it (if possible) when I next go to Edwards & Sons. 

[maxxo]

On 5/15/2021 at 2:30 PM, jamescarruthers said:

Be careful of those big boy energy drinks amigo! They can be addictive and mess you up (lethargy and dependancy) from what I’ve seen, and even slightly experience a little myself! IMHO Okay as an emergency one-off but a horrible thing to rely on regularly  

Do you have the cup holder above the R/H dashboard cubby hole? If so, what do you think of it? My sister’s has a long defunct TrafficMaster button there instead. I’m tempted to change it (if possible) when I next go to Edwards & Sons. 

I want to keep trafficmaster as it entertains me and i can perfectly quote it now, first thing i push whenever i drive a C5

yes with the energy drinks, so bad but they taste really good and seem to actually hydrate me well (well gets rid of a dry mouth due to the sugar etc)

[maxxo]

On 5/15/2021 at 1:56 PM, Rusty_Rocket said:

Yes.. in my 25 years of driving, I've never felt the need to drink anything while I'm in a car.  Am I doing it wrong?!

i drink constantly, always have a can/bottle of water with me

hate having a dry mouth

[maxxo]

i had a headlamp out today

so that means i had to change it

access is very citroen, battery is right in the way and i love how far away the actual bulb is from the place you access it

took me about 40 minutes

dropped the clip several times

but it's done!

they were replaced just before i got the car apparently, so it's one of those that eats them.,.....great

i will only use the cheapest possible bulbs i can find