You're all happy with the C5, get the work done and keep it! If you get something else you could end up spending even more on it or it just won't be as good.👍
I agree, not only that but it seems to be a practical vehicle for you and your family which means it's worth spending the money on it to keep it running.
To fix the windows switches usually it's just a case of popping them out and cleaning the silicone mat inside with some paper towel. I think it "sweats" a bit causing improper contact. It's a 5 minute job. Some TV remotes have the same problem actually
I'd say invest in its' repairs, cos it'll get to a point to where you'll say "I wish I kept that car" after going through others that never meet the same level of like that you have got for it, it has value in its practicality, comfort and abilities, even if the current fiscal value doesn't match up to it...
Although I quite enjoy watching people tinkering with old cars, personally I've got better things to do than spend hours doing it myself. If an old car was costing me as much as the repayments on a much newer car, then I'd take the newer model any day. They are more reliable, safer and less polluting than an old heap anyway.
Ian, my father has had 2 of these c5s as taxis. The first clutch failed at 120k. We fitted a Valeo solid flywheel conversion. It's done another 130k since with no problems, and the clutch still feels better than the dual mass flywheel system ever did. Fair play, I'm a time served qualified Hgv mechanic and between myself and my father the job took about 10 hours working on the ground, but it was well worth the effort in the end. Parts were about £300. Dont believe the hype about fitting solid flywheels, I wouldnt hesitate to do it again.
I hate seeing a die due to a service job... However, I suspect a clutch job would not be easy on one of those --too involved to make interesting videos out of. Hopefully, a viewer will buy it and do the work, and it will run for many more years. Personally, I think that replacing the DMF is a bit of a myth that everybody uses to make a bit more markup, I once read some stats that more DMFs are sold in the UK than across what was the rest of Europe. The clutches I have changed with DMFs have had perfect DMFs. and are all still running smoothly many years later. However, I do not let a faulty clutch slip and get too hot.
My dad had a C5 that required a new clutch a few years ago and had the same issue as you.....cost, but he managed to get a single mass flywheel conversion for it and it worked and felt exactly the same and saved him a good couple of hundred quid for the job.
Ah, the mighty stick. Used that method myself for a while on my Golf station wagon. And come to think of it, there is a new clutch on the horizon for me, too... But enough about that. I'd recommend keeping this one, because it really does seem to be in good condition, and a clutch... Well, that's just maintenance, really. Completely malapropos, I saw a maroon and cream coloured 2CV today here in Trondheim. Very charming indeed :)
Thanks for another great video, Ian. It is a good family car, and worth keeping for the practicality of family use while other fleet members rotate. Throwing some money at it would allow it to become a decent background workhorse while the other cars get the airplay, and save the hassle of having to find a reliable budget family car every three months.
I changed the clutch on my C5 and it is a nightmare job. Took an entire weekend and half of the following Saturday and that was with a pit! About six months later the head gasket went & I decided to call it a day. It had a string of difficult jobs to do towards the end of its life and it was costing as much per month as having repayments on a loan for a new car so it had to go.
I think the automatic replacement of the DMF is slightly misleading. I only replace them if they appear to be on their way out. It would make the job a lot cheaper if you did it yourself. I did try to watch some of the main stream TV offerings, Secrets of the Transport Museum and Car SOS.tbis week. I managed about 10 minutes collectively and proved to myself that Hubnut beats them into the long grass in every department. Hubnut, keeping it real and not being a bus mechanic claiming to be a master mechanic 👍
You like it, Mrs Hubnut likes it and the mini Hubnuts like it. It meets your needs better than any other car you've had and I've seen HDi's with over 400k on them. Bite the bullet and get the clutch/DMF done and you'll have a reliable family car capable of hauling anything long distances in total comfort. I've owned a diesel Vel Satis, i loved I but always knew it would let me down at the worst possible time. The Scenic RX4 is small in comparison, the fuel economy is shocking and most of them have had the 4WD propshaft taken out because of issues. My C5 kept going, never let me down and everybody commented on how comfortable it was to travel in.
As others have said, get the struts reconditioned. In Australia I got a mobile guy to come to my house. So struts out, regassed and refitted in the same day. As for the clutch, as already mentioned, the Valeo conversion kit is proven to be worthy.
I must say. Miss HubNut did a sterling job guiding your strut back into that hole Ian. Good to have an extra pair of hands, especially when it's weighty at one end. BEHOLD THE MIGHTY STICK! I do like this C5.
keep it! I gave it away for a c4 grand picasso and immediately regretted it just half a year later. For me it was the same question to replace the clutch or spend the money for a newer car... spent quite a lot and had no luck with it. Today I will get a C5 estate again for my next car when I need it just because french! ;-) You will spend more and more whenever you change car... In Denmark I learned it is always better to keep and repair instead of exchange with another car you will need to repair any time soon as well!
Just spent £417 on my wife's little 2008 Suzuki Swift which has done only 69,000 miles. This is meant to cheer you up. I have to say there has been a huge difference in power when taking off and just in general.
@@Codzilla71 cars/vehicles in general are money pits fuel tax insurance servicing parking mots mounts up. iv got a bike and spent sooo much more than its worth in the ten years iv owned it just in running costs but fair bit on parts in first year but would never part with it its 33 years old still going only i paid £195 for it :)
I woud keep the C5. I think you can fit a single mass flywheel and clutch which would be much cheaper. If you have the same sort of luck as me, you'd get something else which would then break and cost even more to fix.
There is always a reason someone is selling a car, the knack is finding out what it is before you buy it LOL and decide if the reasons are going to bother you.- remembering a Ford Capri, the struts seemed expensive at the time( £30) as the car was only worth £100 but a 10 minute job to change.
I remember seeing it on Twitter, about the wrong struts being ordered But selling her would be a pity, in my opinion, I don't think there's another family car with such characteristics when it comes to the driving experience - the wafftyness you so much like. And if you buy a new car, I imagine that would also need some work. But of course, you know best.
Exact same process as a Mercedes 124 wagon. I clearly remember getting caught in the back changing mine out. I had shut the deck thinking I could get out after the install. Luckily, I had my cell phone on me. One quick call to inside the house, and mom came to my rescue!
Miss HubNut has impeccable taste in cars. If I can't find a nice Peugeot 605, or one of those legendary Talbot Tagoras, I would definitely consider a Vel Satis. Definitely.
As a owner of Citroen C5 Wagon 2006, facelift model I am facing the same issue with the trunk lid. However I'm about to fix it, because I've plenty of jobs awaiting me and I need trunk lid to function as it should, because I have been through simillar issue with other cars before C5 and I know just well, how annoying it can be for me, especially when I have full hands of stuff and have no time or wish to hold the lid with one hand or to carry a stick in winter time, when such problem occurs the most...but overall I'm pretty satisfied with my Citroen C5. It has all I need and even more that I wished for...
I don't think having two reasonably reliable cars that can be used for daily stuff (Ellie and the C5) would really be pushing the boundaries too much, Mr. Hubnut!
How about a 700-series Volvo estate? Pretty old-school as tech goes, plus comfy and vast inside, dead easy to see out of thanks to boxy styling. When we moved house some years back I bought a 760 GLE estate just for moving stuff from old house to new, a great old workhorse. Auto box was playing up so bought it for just £125. Added fluid, gearbox now AOK. Ran it for a few months, sold it for £100, probably still going somewhere or other. 👍
@@HubNut I wonder how bad this one is, 8hrs to go, windows are a bit gangster but I spy a towbar which is handy for ... caravans www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313552434875 (no involvement with seller etc)
Vel Satis’ are a rare old bus now. I remember going on a schooltrip to France in 2001 and seeing them on display in the eurotunnel terminal. I keep toying with the idea of one, solely the scratch the ‘French Itch’ I have!
MG TFs have large coiled springs on the hinges, looking like something from a giant's watch. After I've been working on Scotty's filters, I noticed the boot lid was heavy. The spring loaded leaver had slipped off a pivot that should have a E-clip on the end. Had to take the whole hinge off to flex it back onto the pivot. Of course, Whisky donated a replacement clip.
If the rest of it is holding together reasonably well, and most importantly, if it's still serving your needs, then I'd fix it. Or...you can ignore all the cost/benefit left-brain economics and fix it just because Miss HubNut likes it. The older I get, the more I realize this is the usually best solution in the long run.
I had a piece of wood cut to a certain length to keep the tailgate up on my Datsun Sunny - it wedged neatly between the body and the outer part of the gas strut to keep it aloft. I miss that car - and to think I hated it when I first got it, too.
I think you should keep the C5! It seems like a really good match for you and the family, and if you put a clutch in it, it’d be good for many more miles!
7:45 If they're a Murco petrol station, I've delivered fuel to them as I used to be a tanker driver for Murco. Out of my usual area though, as I was based at Bedworth near Coventry. Very nice people.
The piece of wood technique, is much more 'hubnut' than the struts!😁⚠️😯 Might be worth looking for a complete engine/clutch/ gearbox off a scrap or accident damaged car, you might be extra lucky and find one thats had a new clutch fitted and do a flywheel / clutch swap and have loads of spare bits left over for future hubnut tinkering! Ooerr!! Miss hubnuts comment about the strut being long, heavily weighted and struggling to fit it in a tight hole, went completely over my head, my innocent ears totally missed the innuendo! 😯⚠️😊 Definitely had me blushing when I figured out what she meant 😁
As others i'm quite a fan of the C5, however i would still love to see a Toyota Estima (or Previa) on the fleet one day!! (bonus points for Charme Pleasure wagon 😁) It may not have the 'waft' level of a Citroën like these, but as in family transport, it's pretty much perfect!
If it's a day ending in Y, Ian is thinking about replacing the current family transport. A Volvo 740 (avoid the 760 with the PRV engine). Long-lived, supremely comfortable, and easy to tinker on. Think about that: lots of potential tinkering videos, but none of the frustration.
I've heard that women have greater dexterity. That might be why Miss Hubnut got that strut back in. Either that or she's just more patient. Either way, good job Miss Hubnut.
Very similar to E39 touring tailgate, except you don't have to take half the headlining out to do it in the BMW. Clever design when it's all working, looks very 'clean'. Mostly a deleted design feature from modern estates in the interest of cheapness. Maybe some Volvos still do it, not sure.
Agree with Geeza; those first gen C5s are supremely good at being a comfy house on wheels. We had one years ago and it had to go because of major engine issues, otherwise we would have had it still (also with sagging tail gate).
Advice (for miss Hubnut) and everyone else on wrapping cables up on vacuums and other power tools with long cables........ Lay the cable out in one long straight line pick the plug up and take it to the tool Hold the plug next to where the cable comes out of the tool with one hand while with the other hand grasp the pair of leads and wrap them both around the tool. Doing this puts any twist into the cable in both a positive and negative way at the same time ensuring there is no overall twist. It also doesn't matter how the cable's removed again - lifted straight off the top or unwound, it will not have any overall twist in it.
Replace clutch I’d say. It’s just a service item on a good car. Had mine replaced on our Citroen Xm, @140000 mi. Not bad according to many. But way too early, I assume the previous owner wrecked it (bought it @95000 mi, and it does have a tow bar). We had a Peugeot 405 turbo diesel, 284k mi (455000 km) when we sold it, original clutch, no issues whatsoever. We actually went to the Pyrenees mountains just before it went. Volvo V40, same story, 305k mi (490000km).
We have a stick on our Almera Tino and as it is not an MOT failure 5 years in a row all is fine. Clutches are the difficult bit. Do you go for the investment in tools and equipment Plus of course the parts. Or do you save up and get the Garage to do the work. Love to you and your family. What a lovely assistant!! David and Lily Reading.
Replace the dual mass flywheel with a single mass and you will be replacing the gearbox soon. Also, replacing the clutch on a C5 2.0 HDi is nigh on impossible without a lift.
@@volvo480 to be fair, single masses can be OK. Not saying this will be XD but I've done 110k on my single mass and just fitted the 2nd clutch on it. But it's a 1.9tdi Audi A4. However citroen will probably implode the box
@@julianwright6106 there seem to be DMF to SMF conversion kits available and they're quite cheap (£ 175, VAT and P&P included), STATIM 110.140 is what you'll be looking for, but then again, the cheapest DMF clutch kit I've found is £ 245. I wouldn't want to run the risk to destroy the gearbox AND the ride comfort to save a mere £ 70. (Wow, those PSA parts are cheap, for my Mondeo-engined Volvo V70 I'll be looking at £ 750 for the parts alone, and no SMF conversion kit available!)
Ive seen quite a few VW diesels and avensis diesels converted to SMF at first clutch change then driven for 100k miles or more on them. It does make the car a bit feel a touch rougher at idle but nothing that would stand out if you didnt know
You are looking at between £1100 and £1500 spend on this Citroen between the clutch, struts and depending on the state of the air-con. You don't have to repair the air-con of course. If you like the car and intend keeping it for a couple of years, it would be money well spent.
If the car is in decent shape and you actually enjoy it does make sense to spend the money and fix it because at least then you'll know you'll have a sorted reliable family car if get something else then that can come with it's own share of issues and you may not even like it
The 6 speed automatic in these, being Aisin, is terrific. The 4 speed in the earlier ones,not so much...Lets say you have to spend £900 to get that C5 in tip top shape. Look around and see what £1000 will get you. You may find another C5 is a better proposition. As an aside, used cars are so cheap in the UK compared to here in Australia!
I will be collecting a 06 of these within a couple of weeks with quite high mileage (160k) 1.6 hdi, i want you to keep it or get another one just so I can see someone else tinkering on one 😅 I'm sure mine will give me more headaches than my current 94 Xantia...
@@johnf5817 Why is that? Gearing? Dont know much about those engines, but unless there are very eyebrow raising differences, I doubt there would be much of a difference in milage?
@@GoldenCroc no, the 1.6HDi is extremely economical but in my experience just not as robust as the more traditional diesels. Oil leaks and turbo failure seem to be worryingly common.
KEEP THE CAR, it is ideal and you still like it! £800 would only buy you another completely unkown vehicle, this one is going well. You need a reliable family car and this is it.🙂
You said it yourself...Citroens are your first love and I think this is a car you would regret selling 5 minutes after it had gone. Besides, I think it has great tinkring video potential.
Like you,I have bought about 40 cars over the years in various states of ( dis)repair. My logic for getting rid of them is very similar to yours and I have regretted my decisions very rarely. One I do regret is a 95 Mitsubishi Mirage coupe to which everyone replies Why? lol
Iam going to be in a similar position in a bit. Our 2013 fiesta ecoboost runs likes top and has just gone through the not with no advisories. However she has 108"000 and the timing belt change is 10 years or 150'000 miles. It's also a circa £700 job on a car worth £2300 on a good day.
108k is nothing unless those are very hard city miles. Any reasonable modern car can easily do the same again without any big issues unless you are unlucky. Better the devil you know.
Many times over the last 23 years, I've kicked myself for not sorting out the ignition problems on a Citroen XM Prestige; trading it in against a Merc W124, that promptly died on the way home. Better the devil you know dear chap; better the devil you know. 😉
The tailgate struts on a BMW E39 Touring are hidden in the roof as well, except there is no access from inside. It is like keyhole surgery with pry-bars, to change them.
You tape a chunk of foam on the side of the strut, then send it down the channel, it will then send the pin through the hole. You can leave the foam in situ. Also, the circlip should go in the slot not on the full width section of the pin else you’ll overstress it :-)
I'd look over the C5, rust, bushings, tyres, rubber CV boots etc and see if there's a good couple of years left in it. If so, what's £800? I'm coming up to a similar situation with my MK4 diesel Golf which will need a new DMF soon. Debating whether to go DMF or SMF and how financially viable it is on a car that's only worth a few hundred. I have a few electrical problems (nothing big, just typical VW central locking, door sensors etc), bushings are tired, need new shocks (but then it has for a couple of years now), will need a couple of wheel bearings soon. All money, but then I've driven it 45k in two years and it's only had a failed brake caliper and it still managed to tow another car with a seized on caliper. Other than that a £13 brake pedal switch needed replacing. Did 1500 miles in it last week and it's just comfortable unlike new cars. Regular servicing and it just keeps trundling on. Ah, cities and their fondness towards charging for diesels puts me off for the future too...
Very interesting video. The way I look at repairs is that if you spend less than the taxes on a reasonable replacement, the repair is essentially free. After all, any car you get for that small amount of money will have needs. A clutch is maintenance, after all. Any car will eventually need one. I still have trouble contemplating how inexpensive used cars are there. Here, a car like that Citroen in properly sorted condition would be $3,000 minimum, or roughly twice the cost of the repairs you are talking about. I have long held that it is cheaper on the long run to have a car with the bigger jobs freshly done than to buy a car that will need them in the middle future, and especially on a car you like and one that suits the purpose so well. There is more to the value of a car than just monetary constructions. How much it is worth to you is the biggest determine factor of value.
There is a freakish surplus of used cars in UK, thats why their prices are, as far as I know, the lowest in the world. People change cars often, and dont abuse them as much as in other markets where people change cars as often.
Using a pipe (or pipe wrench, or just socket nr 11 or 12... don't remember which) when refitting the strut would have given a bit more control. If you 'feel' with a finger how to navigate the strut further in (by putting a finger on the hole, the job is a bit easier. Please consider giving this one a chance: I seem to remember you were aware of the clutch from the start and it is basically the first major cost. One major point to consider keeping it for a few years: it is a Citroen and I don't think you should expect any further major issues for a bit - not on this mileage. BTW: yes, the right struts are quite expensive, but well worth it as it clears your head ;-)
Hi to the pair of you, another great video,with much pondering to do,I remember having the clutch replacement on my old 2,ltd diesel C5 was around 400 pounds, as Nd you could possibly get the boot struts from a car brakes.
I have similar with my golf plus that has a fly wheel rattle and that going to cost only problem is I like the car as dones my wife but going to cost a lot to get it fixed and have just spent £100 on it today for rear brakes and a CV joint and when doing that I have found another job that's ow need doing as the Bushes have started to go on the wishbone
I know exactly what you mean RE the paying more than the car is worth dilemma. It's a difficult one, but the question is will you find a family car better than the C5 for the same price, and if not maybe it is worth it. Then again, you could throw a new clutch in and then something else goes wrong, it's a total gamble with old cars.
You're all happy with the C5, get the work done and keep it! If you get something else you could end up spending even more on it or it just won't be as good.👍
I’d be keeping it as it’s actually in good condition. At least you can get the bits in Europe, it would be impossible here in Australia 🇦🇺
I agree, not only that but it seems to be a practical vehicle for you and your family which means it's worth spending the money on it to keep it running.
I think it’s worth keeping. Add the cost of a clutch to the car, and you’ve still got really good value, spacious, comfortable motoring.
2010 C5 owner here. It's not impossible to get parts in Australia, you just need to cultivate a Citroën specialist.
As I've found out
To fix the windows switches usually it's just a case of popping them out and cleaning the silicone mat inside with some paper towel. I think it "sweats" a bit causing improper contact. It's a 5 minute job. Some TV remotes have the same problem actually
3:28 @HubNut - Autodoc have a clutchkit (single mass conversion) for £175 or £289 for a Dual Mass one from LUK, I would do it for fuel money and Tea.
If you keep it longer, you may have lower cost in the long run. A different car will require new brakes, tyres, oil...
I'd say invest in its' repairs, cos it'll get to a point to where you'll say "I wish I kept that car" after going through others that never meet the same level of like that you have got for it, it has value in its practicality, comfort and abilities, even if the current fiscal value doesn't match up to it...
Plus you know what's done to the car and you know have a sorted reliable car you never know what another car may bring
Yeah, from someone who sold a Volvo 940 16v because of a fuel leak and leaky exhaust, you will regret it.
Although I quite enjoy watching people tinkering with old cars, personally I've got better things to do than spend hours doing it myself. If an old car was costing me as much as the repayments on a much newer car, then I'd take the newer model any day. They are more reliable, safer and less polluting than an old heap anyway.
@@catherinewilson3880 it doesn't sound like you are watching the right channel, you mentioned car payments. Who does that?
@@catherinewilson3880 Yer on the wrong channel Love !
Ian, my father has had 2 of these c5s as taxis. The first clutch failed at 120k. We fitted a Valeo solid flywheel conversion. It's done another 130k since with no problems, and the clutch still feels better than the dual mass flywheel system ever did. Fair play, I'm a time served qualified Hgv mechanic and between myself and my father the job took about 10 hours working on the ground, but it was well worth the effort in the end. Parts were about £300. Dont believe the hype about fitting solid flywheels, I wouldnt hesitate to do it again.
I hate seeing a die due to a service job... However, I suspect a clutch job would not be easy on one of those --too involved to make interesting videos out of. Hopefully, a viewer will buy it and do the work, and it will run for many more years.
Personally, I think that replacing the DMF is a bit of a myth that everybody uses to make a bit more markup, I once read some stats that more DMFs are sold in the UK than across what was the rest of Europe. The clutches I have changed with DMFs have had perfect DMFs. and are all still running smoothly many years later. However, I do not let a faulty clutch slip and get too hot.
My dad had a C5 that required a new clutch a few years ago and had the same issue as you.....cost, but he managed to get a single mass flywheel conversion for it and it worked and felt exactly the same and saved him a good couple of hundred quid for the job.
Ah, the mighty stick. Used that method myself for a while on my Golf station wagon. And come to think of it, there is a new clutch on the horizon for me, too... But enough about that. I'd recommend keeping this one, because it really does seem to be in good condition, and a clutch... Well, that's just maintenance, really.
Completely malapropos, I saw a maroon and cream coloured 2CV today here in Trondheim. Very charming indeed :)
Thanks for another great video, Ian. It is a good family car, and worth keeping for the practicality of family use while other fleet members rotate. Throwing some money at it would allow it to become a decent background workhorse while the other cars get the airplay, and save the hassle of having to find a reliable budget family car every three months.
My C5 estate had the same problem...after learning not to hit my head on the tailgate I found the organic strut worked fine... i.e. broom handle.
I changed the clutch on my C5 and it is a nightmare job. Took an entire weekend and half of the following Saturday and that was with a pit! About six months later the head gasket went & I decided to call it a day. It had a string of difficult jobs to do towards the end of its life and it was costing as much per month as having repayments on a loan for a new car so it had to go.
Possibly as difficult as changing the C5 on your clutch ;)
Brilliant video Ian 👍 great to see you back
Please can we have a Hubnut T shirt with ‘not my Sierras’ ? Would definitely sell a few of those
I have been thinking the same thing #notmysierras
Not my volvo was pretty good too 😂
I’m a big ‘because french’ fan myself.
Miss Hubnut should have a blooper reel channel called Carry On Hubnut, all you have to do is perfect the Sid James laugh😂😂
Sometimes it better the devil you know sort the c5 and keep it going until something major goes wrong.
I think the automatic replacement of the DMF is slightly misleading. I only replace them if they appear to be on their way out. It would make the job a lot cheaper if you did it yourself.
I did try to watch some of the main stream TV offerings, Secrets of the Transport Museum and Car SOS.tbis week. I managed about 10 minutes collectively and proved to myself that Hubnut beats them into the long grass in every department. Hubnut, keeping it real and not being a bus mechanic claiming to be a master mechanic 👍
Keep the C5 - it's practical and it's a future classic. I'm sorely tempted to get one myself
Buy my 2.2Hdi Exclusive SE estate then...
@@guyemmott4009 Mileage? Age??
@@stewartellinson8846 105k 2004 '54. 2 owners from new.
Just make the C5 estate Miss Hubnut's car, then it's not you keeping it.
And Miss Hubnut has a better chance of fixing it.
You like it, Mrs Hubnut likes it and the mini Hubnuts like it. It meets your needs better than any other car you've had and I've seen HDi's with over 400k on them. Bite the bullet and get the clutch/DMF done and you'll have a reliable family car capable of hauling anything long distances in total comfort. I've owned a diesel Vel Satis, i loved I but always knew it would let me down at the worst possible time. The Scenic RX4 is small in comparison, the fuel economy is shocking and most of them have had the 4WD propshaft taken out because of issues. My C5 kept going, never let me down and everybody commented on how comfortable it was to travel in.
Ooh Jowett Javelin!
My dad worked for Jowett - until they went bust! Then he worked for International Harvester (who took over the factory..)
I would dump the duel mass flywheel and go for a solid flywheel conversion. Changing the clutch on a C5 is not difficult; you can DIY.
As others have said, get the struts reconditioned. In Australia I got a mobile guy to come to my house. So struts out, regassed and refitted in the same day. As for the clutch, as already mentioned, the Valeo conversion kit is proven to be worthy.
My Avensis is still on it's original clutch @253000 miles !
I must say. Miss HubNut did a sterling job guiding your strut back into that hole Ian. Good to have an extra pair of hands, especially when it's weighty at one end. BEHOLD THE MIGHTY STICK! I do like this C5.
keep it! I gave it away for a c4 grand picasso and immediately regretted it just half a year later. For me it was the same question to replace the clutch or spend the money for a newer car... spent quite a lot and had no luck with it. Today I will get a C5 estate again for my next car when I need it just because french! ;-) You will spend more and more whenever you change car... In Denmark I learned it is always better to keep and repair instead of exchange with another car you will need to repair any time soon as well!
Sometimes the phrase "Better the devil you know " works wonders.
Just spent £417 on my wife's little 2008 Suzuki Swift which has done only 69,000 miles. This is meant to cheer you up. I have to say there has been a huge difference in power when taking off and just in general.
Awww, get a new clutch for it. It's a rare old car and will go for years longer.
@@Codzilla71 all old cars are money pits; this is a GOOD money pit
@@Codzilla71 cars/vehicles in general are money pits fuel tax insurance servicing parking mots mounts up. iv got a bike and spent sooo much more than its worth in the ten years iv owned it just in running costs but fair bit on parts in first year but would never part with it its 33 years old still going only i paid £195 for it :)
@@Codzilla71 I thought he collected those.
It's not just a stick it's a tailgate retaining stick! 😁 you two make a good team/double act. Cheers! 😊
I woud keep the C5. I think you can fit a single mass flywheel and clutch which would be much cheaper. If you have the same sort of luck as me, you'd get something else which would then break and cost even more to fix.
There is always a reason someone is selling a car, the knack is finding out what it is before you buy it LOL and decide if the reasons are going to bother you.- remembering a Ford Capri, the struts seemed expensive at the time( £30) as the car was only worth £100 but a 10 minute job to change.
I remember seeing it on Twitter, about the wrong struts being ordered
But selling her would be a pity, in my opinion, I don't think there's another family car with such characteristics when it comes to the driving experience - the wafftyness you so much like. And if you buy a new car, I imagine that would also need some work. But of course, you know best.
Exact same process as a Mercedes 124 wagon. I clearly remember getting caught in the back changing mine out. I had shut the deck thinking I could get out after the install. Luckily, I had my cell phone on me. One quick call to inside the house, and mom came to my rescue!
Miss HubNut has impeccable taste in cars. If I can't find a nice Peugeot 605, or one of those legendary Talbot Tagoras, I would definitely consider a Vel Satis. Definitely.
As a owner of Citroen C5 Wagon 2006, facelift model I am facing the same issue with the trunk lid. However I'm about to fix it, because I've plenty of jobs awaiting me and I need trunk lid to function as it should, because I have been through simillar issue with other cars before C5 and I know just well, how annoying it can be for me, especially when I have full hands of stuff and have no time or wish to hold the lid with one hand or to carry a stick in winter time, when such problem occurs the most...but overall I'm pretty satisfied with my Citroen C5. It has all I need and even more that I wished for...
I don't think having two reasonably reliable cars that can be used for daily stuff (Ellie and the C5) would really be pushing the boundaries too much, Mr. Hubnut!
How about a 700-series Volvo estate? Pretty old-school as tech goes, plus comfy and vast inside, dead easy to see out of thanks to boxy styling. When we moved house some years back I bought a 760 GLE estate just for moving stuff from old house to new, a great old workhorse. Auto box was playing up so bought it for just £125. Added fluid, gearbox now AOK. Ran it for a few months, sold it for £100, probably still going somewhere or other. 👍
Getting rare now, that's the trouble.
@@HubNut I wonder how bad this one is, 8hrs to go, windows are a bit gangster but I spy a towbar which is handy for ... caravans www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313552434875 (no involvement with seller etc)
Nicely fitted to by far best family vehicle of fleet..🌞
Vel Satis’ are a rare old bus now. I remember going on a schooltrip to France in 2001 and seeing them on display in the eurotunnel terminal. I keep toying with the idea of one, solely the scratch the ‘French Itch’ I have!
As my nickname is ‘stick’ I really liked the last 4 seconds of this vid 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
We didn't have a 'stick' at school, but we did have a 'sticky'.
No, I don't know why ;)
MG TFs have large coiled springs on the hinges, looking like something from a giant's watch. After I've been working on Scotty's filters, I noticed the boot lid was heavy. The spring loaded leaver had slipped off a pivot that should have a E-clip on the end. Had to take the whole hinge off to flex it back onto the pivot. Of course, Whisky donated a replacement clip.
If the rest of it is holding together reasonably well, and most importantly, if it's still serving your needs, then I'd fix it.
Or...you can ignore all the cost/benefit left-brain economics and fix it just because Miss HubNut likes it.
The older I get, the more I realize this is the usually best solution in the long run.
Arrghh! The Mighty Dacia shirt! I've wanted one so bad.
Enjoyable, informative vid. Let it go, the clutch is probably the first of many big spends.
I had a piece of wood cut to a certain length to keep the tailgate up on my Datsun Sunny - it wedged neatly between the body and the outer part of the gas strut to keep it aloft. I miss that car - and to think I hated it when I first got it, too.
I think you should keep the C5! It seems like a really good match for you and the family, and if you put a clutch in it, it’d be good for many more miles!
You can fit a single mass but if the dual isn't giving vibrations or rattles it may well be fine anyway.
7:45 If they're a Murco petrol station, I've delivered fuel to them as I used to be a tanker driver for Murco. Out of my usual area though, as I was based at Bedworth near Coventry. Very nice people.
Could get an old avensis for dirt cheap, they're pretty good.
I have one for sale in Oxfordshire if interested
Thought a B5 Passat Estate would be great for Ian and family too, but they're just a bit bland...
@@SuperFIFTHGEAR B5 Passat estates are a lovely car, I don't find them too bland
The piece of wood technique, is much more 'hubnut' than the struts!😁⚠️😯
Might be worth looking for a complete engine/clutch/ gearbox off a scrap or accident damaged car, you might be extra lucky and find one thats had a new clutch fitted and do a flywheel / clutch swap and have loads of spare bits left over for future hubnut tinkering!
Ooerr!! Miss hubnuts comment about the strut being long, heavily weighted and struggling to fit it in a tight hole, went completely over my head, my innocent ears totally missed the innuendo! 😯⚠️😊
Definitely had me blushing when I figured out what she meant 😁
Well Done Miss Hubnut putting the New struts in. Bit of a quandary with the C5 I personally would put a new clutch in.
Fiat multipla it’s coming I can feel it 😀
That would be HubNutty.
A mark 1 please. Properly ugly.
@@johnwinters4201 obcviously - accept no slightly less odd looking alternatives!!
@@johnwinters4201 yeah has to be pre-facelift
That would be the end of it in so many different ways...
Any hatchback over 20 years old in Canada must be equipped with a hockey stick.
😆 definitely Hubnut. Good job you don't get bored with women as quick as you do cars Ian
As others i'm quite a fan of the C5, however i would still love to see a Toyota Estima (or Previa) on the fleet one day!! (bonus points for Charme Pleasure wagon 😁)
It may not have the 'waft' level of a Citroën like these, but as in family transport, it's pretty much perfect!
If it's a day ending in Y, Ian is thinking about replacing the current family transport.
A Volvo 740 (avoid the 760 with the PRV engine). Long-lived, supremely comfortable, and easy to tinker on. Think about that: lots of potential tinkering videos, but none of the frustration.
Brilliant. It does amuse me how often I hear you say "...because this is hubnut..." in relation to anything that has gone wrong, lol.
lol miss hubnuts lucky shes a keeper
you change cars so often hard to keep up with you hubnut
I've heard that women have greater dexterity. That might be why Miss Hubnut got that strut back in. Either that or she's just more patient. Either way, good job Miss Hubnut.
Very similar to E39 touring tailgate, except you don't have to take half the headlining out to do it in the BMW. Clever design when it's all working, looks very 'clean'. Mostly a deleted design feature from modern estates in the interest of cheapness. Maybe some Volvos still do it, not sure.
Agree with Geeza; those first gen C5s are supremely good at being a comfy house on wheels. We had one years ago and it had to go because of major engine issues, otherwise we would have had it still (also with sagging tail gate).
That last clip cracked me up, did you nearly drop a hammer on me? Only a little bit 😂
...and it wasn't a very big hammer...
Advice (for miss Hubnut) and everyone else on wrapping cables up on vacuums and other power tools with long cables........
Lay the cable out in one long straight line
pick the plug up and take it to the tool
Hold the plug next to where the cable comes out of the tool with one hand while
with the other hand grasp the pair of leads and wrap them both around the tool.
Doing this puts any twist into the cable in both a positive and negative way at the same time ensuring there is no overall twist. It also doesn't matter how the cable's removed again - lifted straight off the top or unwound, it will not have any overall twist in it.
Replace clutch I’d say. It’s just a service item on a good car. Had mine replaced on our Citroen Xm, @140000 mi. Not bad according to many. But way too early, I assume the previous owner wrecked it (bought it @95000 mi, and it does have a tow bar).
We had a Peugeot 405 turbo diesel, 284k mi (455000 km) when we sold it, original clutch, no issues whatsoever. We actually went to the Pyrenees mountains just before it went.
Volvo V40, same story, 305k mi (490000km).
We have a stick on our Almera Tino and as it is not an MOT failure 5 years in a row all is fine.
Clutches are the difficult bit. Do you go for the investment in tools and equipment Plus of course the parts. Or do you save up and get the Garage to do the work. Love to you and your family. What a lovely assistant!!
David and Lily Reading.
Vin numbers are use full for finding parts
In theory .... it took 3 goes to buy the correct exhaust for Emily's Seciento using registration/vin number (admittedly not a main dealer)
Ian, get a single mass flywheel and clutch. Much cheaper and you could fit it yourself, at your leisure.
Replace the dual mass flywheel with a single mass and you will be replacing the gearbox soon. Also, replacing the clutch on a C5 2.0 HDi is nigh on impossible without a lift.
I wouldn't fit an SMF. The shock waves through the gearbox will shred it in short order.
@@volvo480 to be fair, single masses can be OK. Not saying this will be XD but I've done 110k on my single mass and just fitted the 2nd clutch on it. But it's a 1.9tdi Audi A4. However citroen will probably implode the box
@@julianwright6106 there seem to be DMF to SMF conversion kits available and they're quite cheap (£ 175, VAT and P&P included), STATIM 110.140 is what you'll be looking for, but then again, the cheapest DMF clutch kit I've found is £ 245. I wouldn't want to run the risk to destroy the gearbox AND the ride comfort to save a mere £ 70.
(Wow, those PSA parts are cheap, for my Mondeo-engined Volvo V70 I'll be looking at £ 750 for the parts alone, and no SMF conversion kit available!)
Ive seen quite a few VW diesels and avensis diesels converted to SMF at first clutch change then driven for 100k miles or more on them. It does make the car a bit feel a touch rougher at idle but nothing that would stand out if you didnt know
I replaced the tailgate struts on my C5 with struts for the Volvo V70.
You are looking at between £1100 and £1500 spend on this Citroen between the clutch, struts and depending on the state of the air-con. You don't have to repair the air-con of course.
If you like the car and intend keeping it for a couple of years, it would be money well spent.
If the car is in decent shape and you actually enjoy it does make sense to spend the money and fix it because at least then you'll know you'll have a sorted reliable family car if get something else then that can come with it's own share of issues and you may not even like it
I think Miss Hubnuts dream of a Citroen Berlingo with overhead storage is soon to arrive with a very annoying triangle of doom.
The 6 speed automatic in these, being Aisin, is terrific. The 4 speed in the earlier ones,not so much...Lets say you have to spend £900 to get that C5 in tip top shape. Look around and see what £1000 will get you. You may find another C5 is a better proposition. As an aside, used cars are so cheap in the UK compared to here in Australia!
Volvo v70, best family wagon ever 👌👌
Surely the sensible choice for the next family wagon is a Escort Estate... Miss Hubnut would be overjoyed.
I will be collecting a 06 of these within a couple of weeks with quite high mileage (160k) 1.6 hdi, i want you to keep it or get another one just so I can see someone else tinkering on one 😅
I'm sure mine will give me more headaches than my current 94 Xantia...
Why the 1.6HDi? That engine will never do the miles of the 2 litre version?
@@johnf5817 Why is that? Gearing? Dont know much about those engines, but unless there are very eyebrow raising differences, I doubt there would be much of a difference in milage?
More that the 1.6 is a bit fragile by comparison. Would recommend 10,000 mile service intervals and low Saps oil.
@@HubNut I see, I thought he meant fuel consumption, not longevity.
@@GoldenCroc no, the 1.6HDi is extremely economical but in my experience just not as robust as the more traditional diesels. Oil leaks and turbo failure seem to be worryingly common.
KEEP THE CAR, it is ideal and you still like it! £800 would only buy you another completely unkown vehicle, this one is going well. You need a reliable family car and this is it.🙂
You said it yourself...Citroens are your first love and I think this is a car you would regret selling 5 minutes after it had gone. Besides, I think it has great tinkring video potential.
Like you,I have bought about 40 cars over the years in various states of ( dis)repair. My logic for getting rid of them is very similar to yours and I have regretted my decisions very rarely. One I do regret is a 95 Mitsubishi Mirage coupe to which everyone replies Why? lol
Tailgate struts do repair, as do clutches. get em sorted and you will have a good truck.
Iam going to be in a similar position in a bit.
Our 2013 fiesta ecoboost runs likes top and has just gone through the not with no advisories.
However she has 108"000 and the timing belt change is 10 years or 150'000 miles.
It's also a circa £700 job on a car worth £2300 on a good day.
108k is nothing unless those are very hard city miles. Any reasonable modern car can easily do the same again without any big issues unless you are unlucky. Better the devil you know.
Should have kept vectra.
THIS IS HUBNUT AND WE ORDERED THE WRONG ONES PMSL LOL
Many times over the last 23 years, I've kicked myself for not sorting out the ignition problems on a Citroen XM Prestige; trading it in against a Merc W124, that promptly died on the way home. Better the devil you know dear chap; better the devil you know. 😉
Oh, so true. I regret letting go of all 3 of my XM's & my biggest regret of all, my lovely Xantia Activa 2.0 turbo 8v.
The tailgate struts on a BMW E39 Touring are hidden in the roof as well, except there is no access from inside. It is like keyhole surgery with pry-bars, to change them.
You won't get much for it then add the 800 quid its going to cost to fix, you won't get a great car to replace the C5.
Oh dear, when things don't go to plan, it's definitely time for a cuppa.
If at any time a plan had been devised it might help.
You tape a chunk of foam on the side of the strut, then send it down the channel, it will then send the pin through the hole. You can leave the foam in situ. Also, the circlip should go in the slot not on the full width section of the pin else you’ll overstress it :-)
You went million miles just to get wheels balanced! :D clutch is not the end of the world
I would save this car if I were you.
I'd look over the C5, rust, bushings, tyres, rubber CV boots etc and see if there's a good couple of years left in it. If so, what's £800? I'm coming up to a similar situation with my MK4 diesel Golf which will need a new DMF soon. Debating whether to go DMF or SMF and how financially viable it is on a car that's only worth a few hundred. I have a few electrical problems (nothing big, just typical VW central locking, door sensors etc), bushings are tired, need new shocks (but then it has for a couple of years now), will need a couple of wheel bearings soon. All money, but then I've driven it 45k in two years and it's only had a failed brake caliper and it still managed to tow another car with a seized on caliper. Other than that a £13 brake pedal switch needed replacing. Did 1500 miles in it last week and it's just comfortable unlike new cars. Regular servicing and it just keeps trundling on. Ah, cities and their fondness towards charging for diesels puts me off for the future too...
Very interesting video. The way I look at repairs is that if you spend less than the taxes on a reasonable replacement, the repair is essentially free. After all, any car you get for that small amount of money will have needs. A clutch is maintenance, after all. Any car will eventually need one. I still have trouble contemplating how inexpensive used cars are there. Here, a car like that Citroen in properly sorted condition would be $3,000 minimum, or roughly twice the cost of the repairs you are talking about. I have long held that it is cheaper on the long run to have a car with the bigger jobs freshly done than to buy a car that will need them in the middle future, and especially on a car you like and one that suits the purpose so well. There is more to the value of a car than just monetary constructions. How much it is worth to you is the biggest determine factor of value.
There is a freakish surplus of used cars in UK, thats why their prices are, as far as I know, the lowest in the world. People change cars often, and dont abuse them as much as in other markets where people change cars as often.
Using a pipe (or pipe wrench, or just socket nr 11 or 12... don't remember which) when refitting the strut would have given a bit more control. If you 'feel' with a finger how to navigate the strut further in (by putting a finger on the hole, the job is a bit easier.
Please consider giving this one a chance: I seem to remember you were aware of the clutch from the start and it is basically the first major cost.
One major point to consider keeping it for a few years: it is a Citroen and I don't think you should expect any further major issues for a bit - not on this mileage.
BTW: yes, the right struts are quite expensive, but well worth it as it clears your head ;-)
Hi to the pair of you, another great video,with much pondering to do,I remember having the clutch replacement on my old 2,ltd diesel C5 was around 400 pounds, as Nd you could possibly get the boot struts from a car brakes.
Bang a new clutch kit in it, New tail struts, and then you have a good car which you enjoy driving
I have similar with my golf plus that has a fly wheel rattle and that going to cost only problem is I like the car as dones my wife but going to cost a lot to get it fixed and have just spent £100 on it today for rear brakes and a CV joint and when doing that I have found another job that's ow need doing as the Bushes have started to go on the wishbone
Can you get the struts re-gassed? That should be quite a bit cheaper.
I know exactly what you mean RE the paying more than the car is worth dilemma. It's a difficult one, but the question is will you find a family car better than the C5 for the same price, and if not maybe it is worth it. Then again, you could throw a new clutch in and then something else goes wrong, it's a total gamble with old cars.
10 out of 10 for HubNutness lol!
To be honest, Ms Hubnut vacuuming it was probably a better option than Ian "Just putting this down here, where I can find it later...."
The funny thing about this is the effort to retrieve said clip from the bin only for Ian to break it trying to refit it !