C5 X7 Engine Vibration at Certain Revs

[GiveMeABreak]

I've been noticing over the last month a vibration under acceleration at about 2-3000 RPM on the C5 X7 2.0 HDi. It's almost as if something isn't done up tight enough for a not too technical description.

I'm booked in this morning with the Dealership for a test drive with the Service Manager to see if he can identify it. I know when I had the clutch and DMF changed that I had a clunk when picking the car up and something wasn't tightened up properly - so after having the clutch done again and the crankshaft oil seal and the steering rack replaced I'm wondering if something has not been tightened up properly. I would say it comes from the front centre of the car if I had to guess. It's not a wheel alignment of steering issue as it only happens under load at a certain rev range.

So I'm also thinking engine mount (s) or something not put back right and vibrating against something else...

So I'll take my Diagbox printout of the list of repeating fault codes as per my post here: to see if these are ghost faults at the same time.
http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 23#p481107

If anyone has any suggestions between now and 12:00 today, I'll be picking them up by phone whilst doing the Nürburgring!

[GiveMeABreak]

Stress over - seems it is likely to be one of the engine shields vibrating so will get it seen to next service. As for the codes - they are going to run these past Citroen UK to see if they are erroneous or not.

[RustyUK]

I've noticed my X7 2.0HDi has some sort of vibration, but it's at the lower end of the revs. Far too many times now, I've thought my phone's vibrating in my pocket, but it's coming through the seat of the car and/or my leg at low speeds / revs. It's exactly that sort of vibration.

I'm not sure if this is 'normal' - my only frame of reference is a 2.2HDi C5 (which I understand had balancers on the crank to reduce vibrations) and Xantias. The 2.2 C5 was silky-smooth.

Although minor, this is yet another item on a long list of niggles that makes me really not like the C5 MK3

[jgra1]

What engine, rusty.. 136 or 160?

[RustyUK]

136.

Or 138 or 140 depending where you look - not the 160 anyway! It's also had a few occasional bouts of clutch-slip if I floor it, so I'm wondering if there's a clutch or dual-mass flywheel issue causing the phone-like vibration.

Numerous things rattle inside too, some of which I've sorted, but maybe could be traced back to a particular vibration frequency from the engine. I'll say it - I hate this car. Certain things I love, but overall, I still regret buying it. I want my C5 MK1 back A real Citroen.

[jgra1]

Ahh. My 160 can feel a bit rough and noticing a vibe a bit..

I.miss mine too not giving up yet on the new one

[GiveMeABreak]

136.
Or 138 or 140 depending where you look - not the 160 anyway! It's also had a few occasional bouts of clutch-slip if I floor it, so I'm wondering if there's a clutch or dual-mass flywheel issue causing the phone-like vibration.
Numerous things rattle inside too, some of which I've sorted, but maybe could be traced back to a particular vibration frequency from the engine. I'll say it - I hate this car. Certain things I love, but overall, I still regret buying it. I want my C5 MK1 back A real Citroen.

Mine's the 140. What year is yours Rusty & mileage? I had that sort of vibration before having clutch and DMF done. At idle speed in neutral, if you very lightly touch your foot on the clutch pedal - if it really vibrates then could be a sign the DMF is on the way - they all vibrate through the clutch pedal to some degree, but if you can really feel it, then it could be a sign... Once you start getting slip in 5th and 6th then I would start to think about getting it done. If left too long the DMFs can break up causing attrition to surrounding areas. When they showed me my old DMF it was really loose and the clutch plate was badly scored. If I had left it too much longer they said it could of caused a lot more damage. Mine was changed at about 40-45k miles and the clutch again at 60k (but that was due to contamination caused by the crank case oil seal leaking, so was done under warranty).

Don't want to depress you - but be prepared for that job.

[RustyUK]

Mine's a 59 plate and mileage is around 93k-ish. I bought it last year at 88ish.

The whole point was to rid myself of weekends spent tinkering on cars but it didn't work out that way. From a second hand dealer (first and last time ever), I had the aircon condenser promptly replaced under their dubious warranty, but it took me a while to figure out the turbo was stuck in low-ish boost. Not sure it was at first. I sourced my own recon turbo and got another garage to replace it, and they had a nightmare time doing the job (fortunately didn't charge me the hours and hours it took, they must have hated me!). But then they didn't use the new oil pipe or other parts I supplied, refit the steering rack badly so it was only half bolted down (they fixed), and then it sounds like a lower ball / frip joint is wonky (more clunks). I haven't bothered yet fitting the new one.

It was when driving back with a new turbo the clutch started to slip when I floored it to see what happens. I've been to Cornwall and back a couple of times since with no major problems, but I knew instantly the moment the revs shot up I'm going to have a gearbox-off job ahead of me Sometimes there's an odd 'whirr', a rotating noise, or an odd beat note, I wouldn't be surprised if the DMF is failing. Possibly it's causing odd vibrations too. I did the clutch and flywheel on my old 2.2HDI C5 before feeling forced to let go of it, so I know it's a pig of a job but do-able (although, I took the engine out on the old C5 to do other things). There's some vibration through the clutch pedal but not anything I'd worry about yet. The vibration feeling is more through my seat / body, and every damn time I think it's my phone!

I also worry it sounds a bit 'tappy' (Despite hydraulic tappets) but there's a point where I'm unsure if I'm just descending into paranoia.

I won't even begin to drone on about all the rattles and creaks and p**s-poor choice of materials used inside and out, but it's probably on a par with most other modern cars in that respect. Cheap as chips.

[white exec]

DMFs still remain the work of the Devil, it seems. Controversial subject.
Had two fail on RAV4 D4D, and now fitted with a SMF (4-piece kit from Blueprint).
Valeo produce similar kits (but not for Toyota).
Car now drives as it should, with perfect clutch control.

[GiveMeABreak]

Hi Rusty - I feel for you... last thing you wanted really and it's really hit and miss second hand. I was really lucky to find mine from Citroen Approved at SB Wakefield, so had the initial 12 month warranty on it and they have invited me to renew it a further 2 years on the trot - which of course I've done to be on the safe side and boy, I'm glad I did as all these jobs bar the DMF and first clutch was under warranty.

Re the clutch skip - makes sense now your turbo has got a bit of welly, you're getting the extra torque, so probably will notice the slip more often now. Just keep an eye on it, once they are on the slippery slope so to speak it will probably be on the rapid decline - especially now you have that extra torque kicking in. I forget to keep mine out of 5th and 6th until I really need it - and of course that doesn't help the DMF life!

That vibration through the seat - sounds obvious but when I had that type of vibration it was wheel balancing on the rears. The C5 can be bu**er to balance properly and I've had to take mine back on many occasions after having tyres fitted to get them re-balanced as they bol**xed it up. If it's the fronts - you usually get the vibes through the steering wheel as I'm sure you already know.

May be worth a check - it's not uncommon for one of the stick-on weights to come off the alloys and there you go!

[RustyUK]

I think my purchase was a "more money than sense" moment. Second hand car dealer in the middle of nowhere, while on the way to visit someone. It seemed great on a test drive, but then having driven the runabout-spare-car Aygo for weeks / months before hand (old C5 was sat on my drive over winter with a bust hydraulic pipe) - any car might have seemed great!

The vibration is definitely related to engine revs anyway, wheels are actually pretty well balanced. If you blip the revs to the right point it feels like a phone call in my pocket (a bunch of words which sort-of makes no sense, but, you'll probably know what I mean!)

The mystery plasticy vibration from something in/around the passenger door seems to have about the same frequency.

[GiveMeABreak]

Annoying I know - it's not as if you can even plug the Lexia in and say - 'right tell me where that damned vibration is coming from' either. Mine kicks in at a certain rev, but they think it's just one of the shields and nothing mechanical engine wise. I wouldn't put is past a mechanic moving something out the way to get at another part and leaving it like that! So I'm not going to stress as I thought I was being paranoid too. I'll wait now until the next service - unless of course the floor pan drops away in the meantime and it turns into a Flintstone mobile!

[Xantippa]

I've got vibration also on my automatic. It feels most at idle and D engaged - not very nice when waitiing at traffic lights. I think engine support rubbers are faulty - eventhough some of them have been changed. Before changing supports engine tilted heavily when lifting or applying throttle.

[Xsaradope]

Just read your problem of C5 automatic engine vibration, do you have an update, as I have the same problem in the rev range around
1000 to 1500 or so going up or down.
It feels a bit like going over the anti skid rumble strips as you approach roundabouts.
I've had a main dealer, a Citroen specialist and a general Fred in the shed mechanic all tell me they can find nothing wrong
but I know there is, I just don't know what though. It's the 2008 Mk3 2 litre HDI.

[hattershaun]

It could be the torque converter breaking up.
I've experienced this in a C6 (which uses the same gearbox).
Suggest going to an auto gearbox specialist.