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Andy’s Citroen Xsara central locking goes bonkers! – But now fixed!

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

bonkers – a technical term for stopped working, or you walk away from the car, and it opens the doors again, and also my drivers electric window has stopped working!

A quick scoot over to the Citroen Xsara Owners’ Club, and quickly searching the Electrical forum, this seems to be a very common fault, where wires in the “door connector” have broken. A quote from the forum “Citroen acknowledged they’d used wire that was too thin and brittle many years ago.”.

A quick post, with the symptoms, just to get a response from Xsara Owner’s to confirm the issue, the problem was as follows:-

1. drivers door electric window does not open or close, using switch.

2.
a. when a key is used in drivers door lock does not open/close central locking on other doors.
b. when key is used to close passenger door, locks close and then open.
c. when remove is used to close doors, it opens again.

So, I had a few minutes today, it was not raining, so I thought I would have a quick look…a few broken small wires, must be easy to fix! I had expected to find two or more broken wires, to my surprise I found a single quite large (green with yellow bars) wire that had visibly broken, I checked all the other smaller wires, and none were found to be broken.

This large heavy guage wire, caused me a few issues, it must carry high current at this guage, so I used a heavy guage wire from an old UPS, and spliced and soldered the broken wires together as per  @The Wrinkly Ninja suggestion, this would also prevent the existing wire from breaking again. I had to use my high power soldering iron to “weld” the joints together, and then used heat shrink to seal the joints.

Door Wiring Connector on Citroen Xsara Phase 2

Door Wiring Connector on Citroen Xsara Phase 2

broken wire - green with yellow bars or spots

broken wire - green with yellow bars or spots

fix in progress - new yellow wire to join the broken wire

fix in progress - new yellow wire to join the broken wire

new wire soldered and jointed, heat shrinked

new wire soldered and jointed, heat shrinked

Thanks to @Captain Slow, @The Wrinkly Ninja and @Wheeler at the Citroen Xsara Owners’ Club, my central locking and electric window are working again.

Also Many Thanks to JLB Electronics, for the heat shrink and heat gun. Reliable, fantastic prices, quickly delivery and do not rip you off on postage! The new Maplins for the 21st Century!

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Citroen Xsara Modification – Guiness fuled car!

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Do I need to notify the insurance company I’ve got a Guiness fuled car!

In the damp, cold, wet January weather guesss what I’ve been doing today?

The exhaust dropped off the car yesterday, so I’ve been trying to fix the exahust with a

Diet Coke Can – didn’t work,

Heinz Backed Bean Can – didn’t work,

Draught Guiness Can minus the widget fixed it!

Barrier Cream
Citroen Xsara Modification
Diet Coke Can and Heinz Baked Beans Can
Modified Diet Coke Can and Heinz Baked Beans Can
Parts for Car
Wash my hands!

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I later took it to a garage to get a price to replace the exhaust, and they spotted they following:-

  • two front tyres are illegal (caused by tracking!), and need replacing.
  • two front brake disks on the front are badly corroded and need replacing.
  • and I just need a centre pipe for the exhaust!

So I just need the cheap centre pipe to the fix the exhaust!

Oh well that’s not too bad!!!

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Andysworld! Advent Calendar – Dec 7 – Andys Early Morning!

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Awoken early by Lindsey this morning with this :-

Flat Type - Continental Premium Contact 185/60 R15 84H

Flat Type - Continental Premium Contact 185/60 R15 84H

Flat Type - Continental Premium Contact 185/60 R15 84H

Flat Type - Continental Premium Contact 185/60 R15 84H

So, the first jack had siezed, and then after removing the wheel bolts, could not get the alloy off the car, almost a call to the RAC, but finally after some spinach, I managed to get the alloy wheel off the car.

The car, has a “get me home spare”, so I’ve called the local tyre dealer, to order a Continental Premium Contact 2 185/60 R15 84H, so I’m waiting on their delivery this afternoon!

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The HDi is back on the road again!

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011
HDi Engine Cover on Citroen Xsara MkII 2.0 HDi

HDi Engine Cover on Citroen Xsara MkII LX 2.0 HDi

Two weeks since the starter motor failed, my Citreon Xsara MkII LX 2.0 HDi is fixed and back on the road again.

Most of this time has been taken up by finding the existing model in the car, (aided with mirror) and matching and finding the part, but CM Motorspares came through and supplied me with the exact same model, a M001T80481 – Mitsubishi, although the label on mine had scorch marks and I couldn’t read three numbers in the middle, I cross referenced the part against the Citroen Service Site (details here) this came from a Citroen Xsara Mk2 2.0 HDi starter motor, taken from 2002 5dr hatch with 65,000 miles.

My delivery arrived yesterday at 3.00pm, and 15 minutes later I had the starter installed waiting for the ECU/BSI to initialize before starting (Important! you wait 2 mins after connecting battery, before starting!), the only little snag, trying to hold starter motor with one hand, whilst bolting with the other, (only to find the bolts two arms lengths away and I couldn’t reach!)

Starting the car is much better, in  fact it’s the best it’s ever been, I did think this was caused by the battery in December so purchased a new one not required! But I did find that the battery in the car, was wrong for a Turbo Diesel, as it had a low cold crank value. So always good to have a new battery and a spare!!!

New Numax Battery
Old Yuasa Battery
Old Yuasa Battery on charge
starter motor behind pipework
starter motor bolt
starter motor in view
startmotor in background

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Hall of Fame, and thanks to the following:-

Mum & Dad

Lindsey

Esther, Angus and Matilda

Boot Ferrule Man @ http://www.jlbelectronics.com

Bargaincottage Man @ http://www.bargaincottages.co.uk

The “Un-sung Heros” @ the Citroen Xsara Owners’ Club (yes it does exist!!!)

Mike & Fran @ http://www.oakhousekunekune.co.uk/

Jon, Battery Solutions York Ltd @  http://www.batterysolutionsyork.co.uk/

Andrew@ CM Motorspares

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Starter Motor Removed on Citreon Xsara LX 2.0 HDi

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

I successfully managed to disconnect the electrical (ground) and postive electrical connections from the start motor on Wednesday, but I couldn’t shift the 8mm hex bolts with my current 8mm hex bolt “adaptor”, they’ve been bolted in very well, and I also need a 6mm hex bolt socket to remove the power steering pipes as well, to gain access to the final 8mm hex bolt.

So a trip to Halfords was required to purchase an 6mm and 8mm hex bolt socket. (I also had a little difficulty this morning, because I had put my tools in the boot of the car, and since found there is no way to open the boot with the central locking working, there is no boot lid lever in the Xsara, so I had to climb into the boot from ther back seats!)

M001T80481 - Mitsubishi Starter Motor for Citroen Xsara MkII 2.0 HDi

M001T80481 - Mitsubishi Starter Motor for Citroen Xsara MkII 2.0 HDi

Air filter moved for easier working
Starter motor is concealed below fuel filter
Starter Motor removed
Starter Motor removed and tools

Start Slideshow

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Starter motor faulty on my Citreon Xsara LX 2.0 HDi

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

The starter motor or solenoid has become faulty on my car, and I cannot start it, when I turn the keys in the ignition, it just goes click!

So I’ve been out this morning with a mirror and digital camera, trying to work out what the model number is!

Starter Motor reflection in mirror

Starter Motor reflection in mirror

Starter Motor reflection in mirror

Starter Motor reflection in mirror

and it’s typical the label’s burnt through that must have been where the smoke came from. But I think it’s M001T80481!

Starter motor diagram

Starter motor diagram

I just need to find out how to remove it now!

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Driving a Rocket Ship…

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

I finally took my car today to the garage today, the vibrations had got the better of me, and I could no longer see out of the rear view mirror, because it was vibrating so much, I’ve had the radio turned-up and could still here the vibrations, and I must have tuned out the noise! Lindsey would complain it gave her a headache, and when ‘Boot Ferrule Man’ visited me at the beginning of the month, he suspected it was the drive shaft or wheel bearing, also confirmed by ‘Bargain Cottage Man‘.

There was some Police, Stop, Action program the other evening, and after the car crashes pictured on the television, and with the darker nights and wet, damp days, I thought it wise to visit the garage and get some items fixed on the car. Back in December last year, I reported my ABS had gone offline, and I should have taken it back to the garage, but never did…..well MOT is due next week, so this stuff had to be fixed.

I dropped my car at the garage this morning, and the Mechanic, dropped me off at my clients site to take back to the garage, he confirmed it was the passenger side front wheel bearing, and was rather worried driving the car, a few miles, in fear the wheel would drop off. He said it was very bad.

Later, after parting with a monkey, the mechanic told me, you must be  a mad ****** driving that car, I wouldn’t have driven it four miles, and certainly not at speed.

Driving my car is now like driving a ****ing rocket ship!!!

Fantastic – so there’s a moral here somewhere…..

(oh, and I also had new drive shaft, ABS, springs, and brake calipers), next week it’s MOT and Service! (cannot wait for that!).

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Va Va Voom – Redex Cetane Booster

Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Redex Cetane Booster - Super Concentrated Cetane

Redex Cetane Booster - Super Concentrated Cetane

I think my diesel injectors on my car are clogged, so I’ve been experimenting with Redex (diesel version) and CarLube, until I found Redex Cetane Booster. Now it drives like a rocket ship!

Put some of this in your diesel tank if you want more Va Va Voom!!!

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I’ve got tone!

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Not that I’ve ever flown a fighter jet, but now when driving my car “I’ve got tone!”

“Sidewinders, and maybe other heat seaking missiles, generate a tone to indicate that they have acquired a target. This starts as a growl and increases in frequency until it sounds like a solid tone.”

Well now that my ABS light is lit, at random intervals, “I got tone”!, because my car doesn’t carry a payload of heat seaking missiles!!!

Back to the garage, me thinks….

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My car has now stopped whistling!

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

The RAC patrol man said “it’s the EGR or Blow-off valve!”. But it’s Safe to drive, just turn up the radio or wear ear plugs.

Garage No.1 said “it’s a pipe off the engine in-let, we’ll need all day on the lift, to take all the pipes off to see which one”. But it’s Safe to drive, just turn up the radio or wear ear plugs.

Garage No.2 said “it could be the EGR valve”, But it’s Safe to drive, just turn up the radio or wear ear plugs.

Coming home from Garage No.2 on Friday, at roughly the same place on the dual carriageway it STOPPED!

I’ve driven 350 miles since, and it’s stopped whistling, so maybe it’s dropped off!

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