DS5 DSport

[Muddle238]

A few more from the last few months.

That DS7 starting from £41k sounds steep, not sure what comes as standard but I would hope it's a fair amount of kit! I know they have a supposedly quite decent hybrid version coming out, although already if that figure is for the basic model then it'll attract that new unfavourable post-£40k VED rate for the first few years...

[Muddle238]

Having a wash and service after coming home from the 2017 National Citroen Car Club Rally...



...where she won the Concours Best in Class award

[Muddle238]

AmitG said:

Congratulations!

What are your thoughts on the upcoming DS7?

I think it's a very important car for DS, as it's the first model being released solely under the DS badge and wasn't previously a Citroen. It's got some very interesting tech and will probably sell like hot cakes because it's an SUV.

However for me that its main drawback, being an SUV. I don't like them, so I won't be buying on however I'll be very interested to have a poke about one if I'm ever in a dealer, as it will probably give you an idea what to expect from future DS cars.

[Muddle238]

Mares said:

@Muddle238.....have you replaced rear dampers with newer version (Sachs 314934)? I recently bought DS5 2011 2.0hdi automatic and I would reconsider replacing rear dampers in order to "keep calm" rear end as it do shakes on bumpy roads. If you did replacement, was it worth? Or car is still "unstable" and harsh over bumps?

Yes I did exactly this, it transformed the car for the better. The general undulations in the road surface get soaked up nicely, although if you hit a pothole it will still feel unstable but nowhere near as badly on the original dampers. In my eyes it's the best £120 you can spend on the car.

[Muddle238]

Mares said:

Sounds good, will definitely try it, not so costly. Btw, except dampers (shock absorbers right?) anything else should be changed on rear suspension (springs...)?

Btw, do you think works on front suspension could improve it? Generally front suspension is not an issue for me, but if it could be "softer", that might be reconsidered. Mine is on 18'' wheels.

I generally love this car even though I have it only for 1 month.

Aside general positive feeling, I have 3 major dislikes:
- rear suspension (hopefully to improve it by replacing dampers)
- wind noise from back side of the car. It is quite loud driving above let's say 70-80km/h. Seems like sound isolation of back part of the car is weak. I have a feeling like first half of the car is done great, but second half (starting from back of front seats) lacks engagement. I do not know if noise is coming from back doors or beneath back seat/back wheels, there is also back seat belt hole just above back wheels and maybe sound is going through this opening directly into car. If doors are an issue, maybe to consider additional implementation of sound-proof material into back doors.
- weak air condition. When it gets too hot, above 30 celsius, a/c is simply weak to cool down interior quickly even set at max speed. I also have leather seats and car easily gets heated inside during hot days, a/c should be much stronger, they failed here.

One more thing, I read in one of your posts you had some interferences with reverse camera. I also have this problem, sometimes it is working properly, sometimes not (so far usually not working properly). Picture is flickering, and sometimes divided into two rows (like having two cameras lol). Did you solve this issue? I am waiting from my service shop for feedback on this matter, anyhow, I saw several videos on youtube having similar issues (not DS5 but other cars) and people were mentioning to install some relay or connect camera power supply onto more stable voltage. I asked one electrician about this, he said as this is factory installed camera, relay or changing power supply to camera would not solve an issue (do not know why, I am not into electrics). He said, if it is additionally installed reverse camera (not onto car's e-myway device) in that case relay/change of pwer supply would likely solve the problem.

Edited by Mares on Thursday 28th June 22:42

Edited by Mares on Thursday 28th June 22:42

Nothing else needs replacing, the Sachs shocks are a direct replacement and can be done in an afternoon at home providing you have a good socket set (plus 21mm and 24mm deep sockets from memory, could be wrong), torque wrench, bench vice, good quality axle stands and some patience. Other simple things to improve ride quality - correct tyre pressures make a big difference in the DS5, I run the fronts at 2.6 bar and the rears 2.4 bar. I also fitted a full size spare wheel under the rear of the car, this has the effect of adding weight which helps to dampen out undulations in the ride quality.

I believe there is an aftermarket front shock kit available, however last time I checked it was available from Holland for about 1000e - not worth the cost in my view given the difference it'll likely make.

As for the rear wind noise, it's worth checking that all the door seals are present and sitting correctly. They're not generally known to be an issue on the DS5 however it's always a possibility that one is either missing or has come loose somehow. Perhaps check symmetrically between left and right hand sides of the car. Also perhaps double check that the rear windows are fully up and haven't got a microscopic gap at the top.

Air conditioning, perhaps if your car is 2011 then at seven years old the system could do with a recharge. Mine is adequate, not the coldest system but with the correct settings (just the drivers face vents open) you can get a good stream of cool air that keeps you comfortable. On exceptionally hot days it's worth closing the roof blinds too, as otherwise the car is having to deal with sunlight coming in through 14 sets of windows and bits of glass!

My issues with the reversing camera have solved themselves thankfully. I don't know if it makes a difference or not, however when I start the car I always wait for the ICE system to fully start up before releasing the handbrake and moving off, even if I'm just putting it away in the garage or moving it about on the driveway. I'm not tech expert and I don't understand why this should make a difference, but certainly in recent years following this procedure has coincided with reverse camera display issues going away. On the subject of reverse cameras, the night-time image can be quite poor. I fitted high-quality (and expensive) CREE LED bulbs into my reverse lights which gave out much more light than the standard 21w bulb, it makes a noticable difference on the camera.

Good luck with the car and be sure to post up some pictures! In fact this has prompted me to get an update on my own car in due course..

[Muddle238]

I'll get you the part numbers for the spare wheel carrier and various fixings required. The total cost was about £130 I believe, plus the wheel which was about £100. All in all, cheaper than buying a new 235/40R19 Michelin if I filled it with sealant.

I'll try and find a link as well for the CREE reverse bulbs. They were about £30 for the pair I believe, although this was a few years ago. The good news is that the same bulbs are still working three years down the line. I also fitted CREE indicator bulbs front and rear, if that's of interest.

[Muddle238]

Mares said:

I was also considering installing full size spare wheel beneath the car, but I need complete kit that will hold spare wheel. I do not know how it is technically called, can you tell me? Also, what is the price for it (without wheel)? Could it be found as used? I would prefer to have spare wheel, not mainly to improve stability of rear end but to keep my mind more clear in case one of tyres breaks (even though I have emergency reparation kit).

Concerning cree led reverse lights, can you tell me what model you installed (or what power)? Is it just plug n play during replacement or additional modifications should be done on installations?

Spare wheel carrier - part number is RP9803750680 (x1)
Nuts to secure carrier to studs under the rear floor - part number 6936C9 (x4)
Crimp bolts to secure cable bracket under the rear floor - part number 6913V8 (x2)
Extension wrench to operate the mechanism - part number 671750 (x1)

Bear in mind you can only fit the spare wheel carrier to non-hybrid cars, as the hybrid models have the hybrid drivetrain where the spare wheel would go on the regular cars. For the spare wheel, if you have 18" alloys then you will need a spare wheel with 8J hub spec to fit your hubs. A space saver is available but a full size steel spare will fit, so I'd go for that.

For the reverse bulbs, I fitted something very similar to these, although I distinctly recall them being a bit more expensive than listed here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-WHITE-CREE-LED-SMD-P...

They are a direct replacement for the standard bulbs. I also bought very similar amber bulbs to put in the rear indicator units. A while later I also swapped the front HY21w bulbs for LED, however the polarity of the LED bulbs didn't match the standard wiring going to the bulb holders, so I had to switch the wires over. This is easy enough on the front-right indicator, however access to the front-left is hampered by the positioning of the fusebox - realistically the easiest way to sort the wiring for this is to take the front left wheel and arch liner off, giving you excellent access from behind.

[Muddle238]

It's not necessary, the dampers are the main cause for the firm ride. You probably can change the springs but it makes a huge difference just doing the dampers alone

[Muddle238]

Mares, it doesn't surprise me to learn that Citroen only now stocks the new parts. The change was made about four years ago to the new shocks, so it's unlikely any of the old stock still exists. The part number you mention is the new part, so you're getting the "upgraded" part, although it's a standard on the newer cars. Citroen probably abandoned old stock anyway as a) they're not as good parts and b) the new shock is a direct replacement, no further changes need to be made to the vehicle to fit them.

Chris, yes you're absolutely right. Torsion beam on all cars except the hybrid models, the "fix" transforms the older cars.

[Muddle238]

I can't remember the wattage but 30W sounds about right. There's no harm in getting CANBUS bulbs. I've had no problems with mine, the same set has been fitted for almost three years now.

[Muddle238]

Mares said:

Btw, is there any automatic gearbox software update offered by Citroen dealer meanwhile? My automatic gearbox is working fine, but would like to know whether there have been update on this matter (not mechanical part but software).

I have no knowledge of the automatic gearbox in the 5 as I have the manual transmission. However what I do know is that the service book claims the gearbox is "sealed for life" which is rubbish, the 'box oil needs changing. I'd recommend changing the gearbox oil as opposed to doing software updates.

[Muddle238]

Glad you're happy with the new shocks.

I have no experience of tuning, I've chosen not to chip my engines as I like low-stressed components. I'm sure other people have tuned the DW10C engine, but I'm not the guy to ask unfortunately.

[Muddle238]

As long as it fits the hub of your car and has a centre hole in order to place the lifting bracket, should be good!

[Muddle238]

Steve421 said:

I've had 5 of these in total! 2 Dsport manuals, 2 Dsport hybrids and a Facelift prestige auto. The hybrids make no sense whatsoever as they seem to regenerate every 300 miles to compensate for continuously stop starting and have a gearbox so lethargic you think they have to call Paris HQ to change gear before doing so, manuals were nice and the facelift is all round a much nicer car to drive, especially in terms of suspension (although pre facelifts after September 2014 had the revised suspension too) I think the "Citroen" pre facelift looks much nicer though. Lovely to sit in, the interior still impresses 6 years on.

An experienced 5 owner! I must say I have zero experience of the autos or hybrids, as mine is an early manual car. However I did change the rear suspension parts to match the newer cars during June 2017, making a huge improvement over the original ride.

Today I fitted two brand new number plate light units, as the originals had some light rust developing on the internal contacts. The originals will get cleaned up and placed in my spares department. Other recent work includes a good clean/claybar, plus a recent 700-mile round trip, bringing total mileage for 2018 up to about 2,000 miles or just under.

[Muddle238]

Steve421 said:

Yours is a beautiful example! White is the best colour in my opinion and the black Cairns alloys suit the car down to a T (The smaller alloys on the DSign and some DStyle models just make the car look far too fat). I like the seats too, although when ordering my original car I was too scared of jeans staining them so went with the white and black watchstrap seats.

Thanks! White certainly suits the space-age look of the car, and the Cairn alloys are a fantastic bit of design. They were originally black on my car, but after the first owner mashed them all I decided during the refurb to go with a high-flake metallic silver, bit different and suit the car in my eyes. I really like the new Sapphire Green that DS now has available on the DS3, sort of half thinking about having my DS5 resprayed in that colour at some point in the future.

For now here's a badly framed but recent pic of my car..

[Muddle238]

rorym75 said:

First post on here...

Firstly thanks for all the tips, and Muddle238, thanks for sharing your experiences and pics - your car looks really nice.
I've been a huge fan of the DS5 since it was unveiled and finally got myself one back in January 2018. A 2013 2.0 DSport.
I found myself here from googling the poor ride quality and am pleased to see that there is potential to improve things relatively cheaply.
I am very tempted to fit the Sachs shocks myself, although i am a bit nervous as I have never worked on suspensions of any car before. I have done some tinkering around with cars in the past so I'm not a complete newbie but this machine is a bit special to me so I'm afraid of messing things up. For example, I've done plugs, oil and filter changes, bled braking systems, etc on other cars but on the DS, the only things I've tackled were fitting a spare wheel winch and upgrading the nav/radio firmware and maps. :-)
I will probably go ahead and buy the service and repair manual so that should answer my questions on the shocks, but I wanted to ask a bit about your experience of replacing the shocks.
Approx how long did the job take start to finish?
I have a socket set anda torque wrench but I don't have a bench vice. I'm struggling to work out what is that required for? (apologies if its really obvious...)

Finally, I have the regular sound system and while it's OK, I think it might benefit from a sub-woofer and maybe a speaker upgrade. Has anybody on here retro fitted a sub. Is there cabling provided in the boot?

Muddle238 said:

Nothing else needs replacing, the Sachs shocks are a direct replacement and can be done in an afternoon at home providing you have a good socket set (plus 21mm and 24mm deep sockets from memory, could be wrong), torque wrench, bench vice, good quality axle stands and some patience.

Bench vice was useful for holding the shock while you take the top bolt out - the top mounting plate comes away with it you see. Otherwise it's a three hands required job, although I'm sure you could do it on the floor. It's been a couple of years now since I did that job, my memory is vague!

As for how long the job takes, I did mine on the hottest day of 2017 and so was taking regular breaks, plus I took time out to go get a deep socket I needed but didn't have in the toolbox. I think from start to finish, it was about 7 hours including the aforementioned breaks and trip to the nearest big town. I recall the second shock took much less time, circa two hours. The first was probably three/three and a half by the time I'd worked everything out.

Sorry, no idea about speaker upgrades and such, I've kept the original system.

[Muddle238]

Update on my DS5....

Decided in March 2019 that it was time to sell. It had been taken off mundane daily duties, instead to enjoy when the weather was fair. However the problem was, it didn't get used for motorway journeys to avoid putting mundane mileage on it, however it didn't get used at weekends because it was a diesel hatchback! So realistically, it was a heart over head thing keeping it.

It took the best part of a year to decide to part with it and was really a head over heart decision to let it go. However there is still Citroen in my stable, as I bought a Traction Avant after the DS5 went.

[Muddle238]

Kitchski said:

neilied said:

Is there a marque/owners site or club? To follow.

Citroen Car Club is your best bet. There are Facebook pages and groups, and a forum.

I found the CCC a bit snobby with regards to the DS3/4/5 models. It seemed an unspoken rule that anything that either didn't have hydropneumatic suspension or had the letter X in the model name was regarded as "not a proper Citroen". 2cv models and A series in general seems perfectly catered for by the 2CVGB club and anything pre-war plus the post-war Traction Avant cars are welcomed by the Traction Owners Club.

There also seems to be a feeling that since DS Automobiles became an independent brand, even the earlier DS3/4/5 cars which were sold with Citroen badging, chevrons on the front and CITROEN printed on the V5c, those cars ought to be retrospectively excluded. Of this isn't representative of all members of the CCC and there are plenty of helpful and pro-DS model members, however just in my experience this was the overwhelming feeling.

When I sold my DS5 I didn't bother renewing CCC membership, but joined one of the other Citroen clubs when I bought my older Citroen instead. If I were to buy another DS5, I'd probably join the DS3 Club as they're active and although not the same model, can probably cater for the DS5 better than the CCC.

[Muddle238]

Mares said:

@Mudlle238...if I see correctly from your first post you have installed dash cam in your DS5, can you give instructions how you installed cable from dash come down to, I guess, fuse box? My car is left handed, I guess fuse box is on my drivers side beneath steering wheel. If you connected power cable direct to fuse, which one you connected to?

Also, can you explain how did you put power cable of dash cam through A pillar? I am planning to install dash cam but not so much space for cabling, everything is so tight, especially part between closed door and fuse box, and I am afraid not to torn anything of interiors...

It would have been from the camera, tot the top of the windscreen, then tucked under the headlining to the passenger side A pillar, around the end of the A pillar trim into the flexible rubber along the door join, down to footwell height, under the glovebox, then tucked under the central transmission tunnel trim, past the passenger seat and then up to a 12v plug, connected the 12v socket under the rear air vents.