Citroen C5?

[carlo]

Anyone had one of these? Pretty sure we've had a thread about them in the past so apologies for any repetition.

 

Thinking about an HDI 2.2 Automatic. I know there's horror stories about electrics but are they so bad? Any disadvantage to the bigger diesel engine? Am really getting a bit bored with the 406 at the moment and fancy something faster/more economical.

[tonedepear]

I had a povvo-spec manual 2.0 HDi a few years back. it was OK (although an aftermarket stereo sent it mental, and occasionally the dashboard shut itself down for a few seconds, which shits you right up - but "they all do that sir"). My memory of it is sullied by the fact the A/C compressor seized and wanked the pulley off/snapped the aux belt, so it wouldn't charge and I sold it for spares and there was no acceptable bodge to by-pass the a/c. That said, I only paid £500 more for it in the first place than it fetched for spares on ebay, and it was relatively new at the time. (Very new by my standards - iirc it was 02 reg in 2007/8).

 

It was like a xantia, but a bit bigger, and a bit shitter. But only a bit, it was still comfy. Having electric buttons for up and down instead of a manual lever didn;t inspire me with any confidence, but it never gave me any trouble apart from the multiplex bits and the a/c pulley.

[dollywobbler]

Put it this way - I love Citroens and I wouldn't own one. Drove an old-shape one to Paris and back and it was dreamy for that sort of driving, but despite being young, the electrics and shit quality were already kicking in.

[Shep Shepherd]

A friend of mine has had a 2001 2.2 HDi SX manual hatchback for a few years, and apart from the odd electrical glitch, the failure of the dual mass crankshaft pulley and the FAP filter needing cleaning (very easy if you have the right diagnostics kit), it's been fine. He considers the 1998 Xantia he had previously to be a better car, though.

 

I came close to buying one myself last year (a 2002 2.0 HDi SX manual Break), but stories of the high pressure diesel pump failing expensively put me off.

[scooters]

I'd get a Xantia instead - cheap comfortable, reliable and proven

[tonedepear]

Yeah, further to my previous post, I had a £400 1.9td boggo Xantia before the C5 and it was a much better car.

[dieselnutjob]

Any disadvantage to the bigger diesel engine?

 

yes

they have a DPF, though I know how to disable them now

also if the timing belt breaks on an 8V you are looking at a couple of rocker arms, if it goes on one of these you are looking at a new engine

 

also the auto box must only be topped up with Esso LT71141 and not anything else

my 607 has no dipstick for the auto so checking it is a pig

 

the auto seems to sap quite a lot of economy, expect 35mpg unless you do a lot of motorway cruising at 60

 

my 607 HDI auto is a very nice way of wafting around the M25 though

[trigger]

Sometimes there's a reason why a newish car is a very cheap second hand buy...

[Father Ted]

Thinking about an HDI 2.2 Automatic.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

 

Try thinking about it whilst you hit yourself repeatedly over the head with a large hammer. Then think about it some more whilst sticking pins in your scrotum, then dont.

Get a 2.0 HDi, preferably the 90bhp there is so much less to go wrong and believe me the 2.2 auto will shed its guts when you least want it to resulting in open wallet surgery. The 2.2 comes with FAP as standard, this comes with the lovely toxic and expensive blue goats piss ELOYS fluid. The 2.2 has a reputation for shedding its timing belt about 10 minutes before you were due to change it.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Isn't the 110 HDi just a 90 with an intercooler? That's probably the one to go for.

[Father Ted]

Isn't the 110 HDi just a 90 with an intercooler? That's probably the one to go for.

Nope, the 110 is very different.

Well, OK not VERY, but has intercooler, uprated clutch, piston liners, different cam and so on.

Also has delaminating DMF on the manual cars, wheras not on the 90 BHP.

[dieselnutjob]

the differences are:-

 

the dual mass flywheel, but you can get solid flywheel replacements

one exception is the Xantia 110bhp HDI which has a normal solid flywheel

intercooler

electronically controlled wastegate (the 90 has a mechanical wastegate)

stronger crank

bigger injectors and a different software load

see here for all the tech

 

Don't buy anything with a Seimens AL4 automatic transmission.

The 2.2 has a ZF transmission and it's much tougher

[Richard]

We have one, it's quite an acceptable car. We have had a few electrical glitches (bad connection on a brake light bulb stopped the car self-levelling ) but generally it's been pretty reliable. We've never felt the need but I believe you can get Chinese knock-off Lexias for around £60 on eBay to help diagnose any electrical problems.

[carlo]

So all this perhaps explains why there's quite a few 2.2HDIs floating around at cheapish prices?!

 

Presume the HDI 110 is the same in all PSA incarnations, i.e C5, 406, Xsara etc? Other alternative is the 406 HDI 110 Auto (has to be an auto). I just fancied a 2.2 as presumed it would be more rapid, unfortunately the 406 never came with the 2.2 in an auto although I'm starting to gather that's an engine to avoid. What's FAP?

[Richard]

It's the particle filter. It uses expensive mystery fluid and I think you need to have it reset on a computer when you top it up. It seems that DNJ knows how to delete this though, so that needn't be a dealbreaker.

 

My Xantia went much better with the HDi 110 than our C5 does, I don't know if that's normal or if it's just down to the individual cars. Both are 5 speed manuals.

[myglaren]

I have a '52' 2.0 HDi 110. Had it five years, on 143,000 miles.

It's OK.

 

 

I had a new clutch and DMF fitted at 120,000.

They were about shot but didn't actually need changing then. The engine was leaping about like a mad thing and the dealer said it would be the DMF. It wasn't, it was a dud injector.

 

Had a few other odds and sods done.

Been getting the old Antipollution warning coupled with revs limited to 3,000 and the turbo not coming in until 3,800 and it's hopeless until it has warmed up for a couple of miles, after which it goes well, the rev limit generally disappears and the turbo comes in earlier.

Got an untraceable whistle that is likely the reason for the reluctant turbo.

I thought the Antipollution warning was due to very slow starting and the primary suspect was the battery.

One new battery - no change.

After fitting the new battery the automatic lights work when it suits them - rarely when it is dark.

 

I do keep thinking of dropping it in favour of a CX, XM or possibly a V6 Xantia but find the thought rather scary.

It is certainly not as comfortable as a Xantia. Mine is a bit thirsty too, generally get 32mpg. Heavy foot/short journeys the underlying problem there. Does well on a longer run.

[dieselnutjob]

Other alternative is the 406 HDI 110 Auto (has to be an auto).

if it has the ZF gearbox then it would probably be a reliable combination.

Personally I can live with the problems of the 2.2 as I'm not afraid of electronics and spannering. I suspect that for most people the 2.0 is a more robust and simpler engine. Just make sure that it doesn't have a Seimens transmission because they are utter rubbish.