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C4GP Self levelling suspension not coming up and I am limited to 5 mph

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j_1010001   
Thu Aug 23 2012, 02:24am
FYI - I got both airbags fixed by local independent for 39£ inc. VAT - took them about 40 mins.
Gintoxic   
Thu Aug 23 2012, 05:26am
Member No: #16056
Joined: Oct 24 2010
Location: UK
Thank you very much for all your advice.

My car has been in the garage for a whole week now. The dealer could have had it repaired in two days but it's been delayed because I got in touch with Citroen UK and spoke to the regional manager, I explained the situation and how it had happened. As the dealer reparing my car has had more cars turning up with this very same problem they have started and investigation and have logged this problem as a "health and safety issue", reason why my car is still being looked at.

A word of advice: Citroen UK have provided me with a rental car, hands up for them, but I think I'm still going to have to pay the full repair costs, not sure about this yet. Get in tocuh with them if it happens to you.

If this is a safety issue with these cars, shouldn't be Citroen covering the costs and start a recall? The way it happen to me could have ended up really badly as the rear suspensions dropped to the floor as I was driving, luckily I was in town and doing 15 mph but 15 minutes earlier I was on a motorway at 70 mph!...It could have been a serious accident!

Dave_Retired.   
Thu Aug 23 2012, 05:44am

Member No: #1
Joined: Aug 07 2006
Location: Northumberland
Yours is unusual in that it 'dropped' down whilst moving and indicates a failure somewhere other than the actual suspension airbags which is why they will be doing further investigation.

As no one else has reported a similar issue to you, until it's investigated, the cause determined by Citroen, then there is no need for any 're call'
FamilyP   
Wed Aug 29 2012, 01:47pm
Member No: #25263
Joined: Apr 18 2012
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
Hello one and all. Thought I'd post on here with my experience of this tricky problem. I drive a 5 seat model C4 Pic on an 08 plate and have been having problems with the rear suspension, on and off (literally), for a few months. An internet search led me to this forum and I have to thank everyone for the info they have posted as it was really useful both just in general advice but also to know that I wasn't alone (sounds like confession time at a self help group...!)

Anyway, when thinking through the problem I have been experiencing I came to the conclusion that whilst I shared many of the same symptoms described in this thread the cause was not leaking air bags in the rear suspension. The reason for coming to this conclusion was that the suspension would often work for several days in a row before seeming to sink down and "fail" for no apparent reason.

After stopping the car and opening / closing the doors a few times it sometimes reset itself (but equally, sometimes did not). As such my suspicion was that some sort of sensor or the ECU was faulty. Having read about taking the compressor assembly to bits (and downloading the various documents on the rear suspension from this website) I decided to have a look in that area to see if I could spot any obvious problem.

After jacking up the car and taking off the rear, passenger side wheel I confirmed that the suspension air bags were actually ok. What I then noticed was that all (and I do mean all) the electrical connections related to the read suspension had exposed connector blocks.

Any insulating tape etc. that covered these areas had long since disappeared (there was the odd bit left but not much) which meant that the back of each connector was bare to the elements and thus exposing all the connections to any moisture from the road (it's not as if it has been raining much lately!!).

So, with electrical insulating tape in hand I covered all these up (specifically the rear axle height sensors).

Now, I'm not saying that this has fixed my problem 100% (I wouldn't tempt fate that much) but for about 10 days now no problems! So, before parting with hard earned cash it might be worth a quick visual check on these electrical connections.

Good luck y'all.
2 User said Thank You to FamilyP for this Post :
 sadie1 (30 Mar 2013 : 04:55) , Tattersone (18 Oct 2013 : 04:31)
routemaster1   
Wed Aug 29 2012, 02:00pm
Member No: #574
Joined: Jul 08 2007
Location: Dorset
FamilyP wrote ...


Hello one and all. Thought I'd post on here with my experience of this tricky problem. I drive a 5 seat model C4 Pic on an 08 plate and have been having problems with the rear suspension



I'm a bit confused by this; as far as I know the 5 seat Picasso was never fitted with the pneumatic suspension.
FamilyP   
Wed Aug 29 2012, 05:22pm
Member No: #25263
Joined: Apr 18 2012
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
Sorry routemaster1 - mine definitely is. The Exclusive model was / is pneumatic.
C4FAN07   
Fri Aug 31 2012, 05:14am
Member No: #25041
Joined: Apr 04 2012
Location: Leicester
Hello, I seem to have developed a problem with my C4GP.The service light comes and "suspension faulty" warning on the dash, but the car stays up. This problem has been intermittent in the past week.The AA man didn't find fault on his system, instead he said its showing BSI "internal fault". I don't know whether to change compressor, height sensor or BSI unit, has anyone got any ideas?
learz20   
Thu Sep 06 2012, 02:26am
Member No: #27339
Joined: Sep 06 2012
Location: Derbyshire
Hi folks, I recently purchased a C4GP exclusive and I must say I was happy with it until......yes you guessed it the suspension started to drop over night and also sometimes when I had stopped at the traffice lights, Its gives off the 5MPH message and although it does go up shortly afterwards I thought it was best to take it back to the dealer and explain the issue, After 3 weeks of them telling me there was no fault they still decided to replace both of the rear air bags/bellows. I got the car back 5 days ago and every night the car it still sinking to the floor, As soon as I unlock the car it will rise and I can hear the compressor kicking in.

Does anyone have any ideas whats next to try as Im a running out of ideas. Im not sure if the heights need to be set after the bags have been replaced but something is clearly wrong here !

I would be greatful of and ideas or advice.

Garry
Dave_Retired.   
Thu Sep 06 2012, 03:37am

Member No: #1
Joined: Aug 07 2006
Location: Northumberland
It will set the ride height when you start the car but shouldn't sink down to the floor though?

Possibly a faulty compressor relay? - Click Here -

Or a faulty level sensor: - Click Here -

BUT, if they have 'repaired' it less than a week ago, take the car back and tell them that it's still not right.
1 User said Thank You to Dave_Retired. for this Post :
 mortartube (03 Dec 2013 : 13:08)
timpellis   
Fri Sep 14 2012, 08:07am
Member No: #27461
Joined: Sep 14 2012
Location: Australia
Hi All,

Six months ago we had one of the rear suspension bags replaced under a used car warranty (5102GN part price was AUD$472.20!). After several months of intermittent problems the other bag now needs replacing. The mechanic said they have to replace both bags together even though one is only six months old. Is this reasonable and/or necessary?

Thanks in advance.
Dave_Retired.   
Fri Sep 14 2012, 10:52am

Member No: #1
Joined: Aug 07 2006
Location: Northumberland
The pair should have been the 1st time. Sign up as a Premier Member and you can buy one for £81.00 and have it mailed to Australia.....
1 User said Thank You to Dave_Retired. for this Post :
 timpellis (15 Sep 2012 : 21:04)
andreasengkvist   
Mon Sep 17 2012, 08:08am
Greate job´of summarising the problem. Have an exclusive to with the same sympthoms. Service booked.
David   
Mon Sep 17 2012, 08:38am
My exclusive has gradually been going down over the past couple of years. I read all these posts and even joined as a member last month to get full info (very handy by the way). Got a diagnostic done at Citroen to no avail then decided to check it myself.

The car just wouldn't lift at all, so found the pump and connected a battery directly.

Still no life from pump so then I disconnected the air pipes from the pump leading to the bags and joined them with a t piece they are independently controlled.

Then Connected a small compressor (which is in the boot of the car) and blew up the bags. Sprayed them with diluted fairy and found no leaks, 2 hours later I found they only leak when at ride height.

Both Bags were perforated at ride height so there is only ever a tiny leak. Very hard to find, anyway this was also the cause of my pump packing in it was doing to much work.

To repair this was going to be in the region of a grand and possibly more the independent ecu under the passenger seat may not work either. So I thought stuff that and removed the lot and fitted springs, once they are done the main ecu needed reprogrammed so the car recognises there is no air suspension.

Job cost three hundred quid plus vat. Job done and no future problems, well at least from that. One more thing the insurance and mot testers are fine with this.

Don't waste time and money just do it the bags alone are the same price then you have to fit them.
Cheers David.
Kiwicake   
Mon Sep 17 2012, 08:57am
Member No: #17370
Joined: Jan 16 2011
Location: Budapest
David wrote ...

So I thought stuff that and removed the lot and fitted springs, once they are done the main ecu needed reprogrammed so the car recognises there is no air suspension. Job cost three hundred quid plus vat. Job done and no future problems, well at least from that.


Hey David,
that sounds exciting. Is there a standard Citroen procedure to do that with part numbers and protocols and such? We have discussed this earlier and there seemed to be no unambiguous answer. Someone said you definitely could not just install the springs from a non-airbag model. How exactly did you go at it?
Zsolt
David   
Mon Sep 17 2012, 09:57am
Ordered the springs and the cushions direct from Citroen they advise you to fit mounting plates to the chassis as well. They are not required the ones on the car are exactly same. Jack the car up remove the air bags they simply twist anti clockwise.

Next unbolt the shocks at the axle (there is plastic covers around axle which need unclipped to allow access to bolts) axle will drop far enough to allow springs with top and bottom cushions fitted to pop in with ease.

You can remove the pump and the tray completely not needed.

Also remove the ecu from under the seat before the computer is reset this allows the service light to go out immediately.

It is awkward to get past the thick carpet but will come with a good yank Cost a couple o hundred quid for parts then eighty to reset.

And it takes about an hour-hour and a half tops. If you need pictures I can email them to you.
6 User said Thank You to for this Post :
 Kiwicake (17 Sep 2012 : 10:01) , govedo2200 (16 Oct 2012 : 07:19) , Dean (24 Dec 2012 : 12:37) , AndyCGuernsey (31 Dec 2012 : 03:27) , blackpooltower (17 Mar 2013 : 16:53) , sadie1 (23 Mar 2013 : 11:23)
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