C5 2.0HDi (110bhp) LX Est - Trailer Electrics Let Down!

[CitroJim]

Excellent Work Iain and excellent writeups too. This is not a blog, it's a substitute BoL! Wee done sir!

[Xantianut]

Aha!

This gives me an idea. I had no idea that it was possible to fit cruise control to a diseasel. Got a Lexia on order so this gives me an idea for another upgrade on my old Otterchops.....

[CitroJim]

Since parting with my V6 Xantia, cruise is one thing I miss. I'll be fitting cruise during my V6 Activa conversion...

[myglaren]

I wished I had had it fitted on Sunday - those damned interminable 50mph stretches on the A(M)1

[wurlycorner]

Yep, had cause to go up the A12 for the first time in ages this weekend and discovered they've permanently installed sections of average speed camera's now

Cruise is handy, the only thing I would say is that I don't like the functionality (the way it engages) on the C5 compared to other cars that I've had. But hey ho, much better having it for long cruises.

Also meant to note that I got the A/C recharged and that's all up and running nicely

Collected the leather interior at the weekend, will get round to fitting that shortly.

[wurlycorner]

Over the course of a couple of evenings last week, the car had its latest spec 'upgrade':

No before pictures of the back, but here is after;

Everything needed a damn good clean under the rear seats and the replacements needed some scrubbing to remove stuck on remnants of boiled sweets etc.
The leather seats come with a few extra toys in the back I wasn't expecting;

Arm rest

With a cubby hole inside

And some pull out cup holders


(It's the little things )

Front before;


Lifting the seat (passenger side) reveals the plastic loom guide and cover over the plugs for the seatbelt clip sensor/side airbags (plus obligatory Maccy D's chip )

Under which are the connectors.

Blue is the connector ready for the electric seats, yellow is the airbag connector (which because I'm a rebel/lazy I just unplugged with the battery still connected but ignition off - I just couldn't face doing any BSI reset cobblers or potential ECU gremlins after).

Corresponding drivers side, which has 3 connectors (airbag connector hidden in this pic);

All stripped out, including the centre console, because I thought this was an opportune time to clear up the half a cup of coffee that I had emptied into it a month ago

Clean

No evidence of coffee runs any more



The breakers had been typically heavy handed when removing the looms, breaking the loom guides (plugs were intact though)

So I had to swap the loom guide over from the old seat


I assume this loom is for the autochanger, which annoyingly they had removed from the seat so I've left it out for now, hopefully pick one up soon and I'll fit it then (all the wiring being there for it);



So after the seats are installed, power to them is dead. The 4x30A fuses in the internal fuse box were already there on my car, but there's an 80A maxi-fuse that needs to be installed in the engine bay fuse box;

Having read guides on line, people said that looms need to be unplugged in order to lift it out, but I found that wasn't necessary - release the three clips with a screwdriver and it's possible to lift it up and tilt to get access;

Extra 80A maxi-fuse installed;

Table of the maxi fuses from my Citroen C5 Estate wiring manual, for info...

Sorted




Door cards are next, but they're not going in until I've painted the fake wood trim a nice silver (and picked up the bits to convert the rear door windows to electric operation).

[Stickyfinger]

C5.Mk1 are the Best seats I have ever had in a car.....now they are the best office seats I have ever had

[CitroJim]

They certainly look incredibly comfy

[wurlycorner]

So yesterday was not kind to the C5

Firstly, while chomping along the M25 at 'around' the speed limit, a nasty strong head wind gust (it was windy yesterday!) removed the top bonnet trim piece;

To be fair, I did know it was loose in the middle anyway (previously been removed/broken clips I think) but it was still not particularly welcome (left me with no washers!). The outer nut fixings were still intact and it clean snapped them off;


Been down to the scrapyard today to get a replacement (car needs to be driveable immediately, regardless of any other imminent fate - see below!).
It came off an 04 plate s1 and interestingly I notice they improved the design, incorporating a through-bolted fixing in the centre of the trim panel, rather than just a plastic clip.

Then as mentioned in another thread, my car had a coming together with an unmarked traffic island. It was just one of those things - dark, rainy and poorly lit, with road markings in typically s**t condition, so they're just invisible against the shiny road surface.
I was turning right at a cross-road, from stationary and there was a van turning right from the opposite direction across the front of me, with (I could see) the back end of another car behind him that was looking to squeeze up past on his inside, so I was being careful to watch that, incase it lunged forward and wiped me out (wouldn't have seen me till it was on me).
The traffic island had no bollard (the one behind it did, so I had seen that and was aiming to give it a wide birth!) and it just wasn't visible to me at all, so I just ploughed straight up it - I wouldn't have even got over 10 mph, but the first I knew was a massive clonk and the car stopping dead, smell of fireworks, bongs and lights on the dash

I assumed I would have ripped the sump off, so switched off and got out to have a quick check.
Wheels had gone either side of the island (so straight under the middle of the car) and the undertray/sump was up clear of the island, so I got back in, re-started and tried to reverse off so I could get clear of the junction asap - engine ran fine, all normal, but car wouldn't shift - properly beached
Citroen special trick suspension up and away we went
Got it off just clear of the cross roads and pulled over to check it over a bit more thoroughly, by smartphone light...
Undertray smashed (but still attached) no visible leaks, all fluids present and correct, front subframe cross-member obviously taken a nasty beating, but apart from that... Looked ok as far as I could see. Suspension back to normal, all vital signs normal... Took it for a little spin and drove ok (felt different, a bit 'tight', but perfectly safe) so with that, I headed the 44 miles home. (Avoided the M25, went through central London to keep speed down etc.)

I was hoping I would get away with just 2 new belts (pre-tensioners had gone off) , a front subframe cross-member and undertray, but was conscious that may well not be the case...

This is what I found when checking today in the daylight;

Cross-member bent down/back


Small scrape on the stiffener/skid bar


Passenger side sub-frame mount ok...

Same most definitely not true of the drivers side (the car would have hit with that part first);





As a comparison that it is not just 'superficial' type damage...
Passenger side;


Drivers side;




So, not well
Poor old girl.

[Hell Razor5543]

OUCH!!!

[wurlycorner]

Yep. Just another cm of height either way and could either have been rad, sump, or clean run over - all of which probably much less terminal outcomes for the car!

[CitroJim]

Gosh, that's shocking

I hope you're taking up the issue with the local authorities responsible for this traffic island...

[wurlycorner]

I have been pondering it, but probably won't.

Found today that the sump took the tiniest little scuff on the bit where it sticks down for the drain plug. Barely touched it, but it's dripping from the drain plug and it won't nip up, so looks like the hole must have been slightly deformed

[myglaren]

Agree with Jim that you should claim from the council for placing invisible hazards in the carriageway.
Going to be expensive for something that is not your fault.

[CitroJim]

Agree with Jim that you should claim from the council for placing invisible hazards in the carriageway.
Going to be expensive for something that is not your fault.

Absolutely so!

Try a Dowty Seal on the sump plug Iain...