Hi all from a total Citroen novice

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sparksie
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Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by sparksie »

Hi guys

Just bought my first ever Citroen, a 2000 Xantia 1.9Td.
To be honest, I don't know what came over me, as they have a terrible reputation over here. Those who know me well have started looking at me peculiarly and smiling a lot, while not making eye contact.
All my previous Citroen experience has been with customer's cars, in a back street garage, many years ago, little of which I have any wish to repeat!
GS starters were a pet hate, though Dyane/2CV spark plugs were also known to induce the red mist. How hard would it have been, at the design stage, or in a facelift, to create access for basic servicing that didn't involve dismantling the car?
I haven't had a chance to do anything to the Xantia yet, though there is a list starting to develop!
I posted about the most urgent (locking!) issue in a dedicated topic elsewhere, before I discovered the intro section.
Something embarrassing just happened, that I'd like to fix PDQ. Taking off from the lights, not particularly hard, the centre dash vents both fell out on the floor! My back seat passengers all found this hilarious.
I can't see how they're supposed to be held in. I think I must be missing some bits. They don't seem to be broken, there just isn't anything to retain them!
Is this a common issue?
Also, my key is peculiar. It seems to be the mechanical key, with the plastic bit of another key crudely screwed to it. I'm assuming this is because the chip in the key doesn't work, for some reason, and the second key has been butchered on to it to get the car mobile. All well and good, but what happens when I lock this inside the car, or drop it down the drain in the pit?
I'd like to disable the immobiliser, which is frankly an irrelevance on a car of this age, and get a couple of spare keys. There are no Citroen dealers near here and the locksmith doesn't stock Citroen blanks and isn't sure he'll be able to get them, so can anybody help with this?
Sorry for the barrage of questions.
I've been knocking around the motor trade for nearly 30 years, all back street, so I hope I'll be of some use!
I have a particular aptitude for electrics, which may turn out to be relevant, judging by some of the other posts I've read.
Thanks in advance, for any help

sparksie
Sparksie

2000 Xantia 1.9TurboD
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Re: Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Welcome aboard, Sparksie.

The Xantia is a pretty good car when looked after. Something you might want to get (especially as you appear to be a mechanic) is a Lexia system. This is the diagnostics kit (well, a clone) used to check the electronics of Citroen and Peugeot cars. They vary in cost from around £70 to £120. If your Xantia doesn't use a keypad to immobilise the car, then the Lexia is used to 'introduce' new keys to the car. I don't know if the immobiliser can be disabled, but an expert would be able to let you know.
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR

C5 2.2HDi VTX+
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sparksie
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Re: Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by sparksie »

Hi

Given that I'm "the guy with the Citroen", having had it for over a week now, I don't think that would be a worthwhile investment, unless something goes wrong that takes several attempts to diagnose, of course!
Apart from my Xantia, there are only two C5s, right next door to each other, about ten miles away and then no otherCitroens for 20 miles or more in any direction.
There are a good few Pugs, mostly Diesels, but any of these I've ever had to diagnose responded to my OBD11 reader. There's also a local specialist, to whom I can turn whenever something defeats my own OBD scanner and intuitive approach to problem solving.
He has two or three techniques for disabling the immobiliser, on the injector pump type engines, depending on how his comms work out with the car's "ecu", at least one of which seems pretty drastic, not to say destructive! It's quite entertaining to watch, as it involves quite a big lump hammer and a bolster chisel! You can see owners cringe, somtimes!
I'm planning to let him have a peep at the Xantia, assuming I can get some blank keys and find somebody to cut them!
I don't think the hammer and chisel will be used on the Cit, because the car is starting perfectly with the cobbled together key, so all that will be required will be to recognise the new keys, or to stop interrogating keys altogether, or to con it into thinking the key is there even when it's not. I'm certain he'll be able to do this, if the system is the same as a Pug.
The keys don't seem to be interchangeable between the two brands, though, so maybe that's telling me something...
A funny thing has happened. Most of my preconceptions about the brand and the Xantia in particular, seem to have at least some basis in fact! And yet... I find myself contemplating long term ownership, investing time I can ill afford in sorting out the kind of niggles you just don't get with other cars. It's bizarre. If this were a customer's car, the bill for my time (so far, with no actual solutions yet!!!) would come to more than the value of the car!
I'm certainly going to continue my policy of advising against buying them, unless I know the client is both wealthy and a masochist!
Why has this one crawled under my skin like this? Even the dated wedge shape appeals to me in a way it never used to when I saw them in the city!
Maybe I'm losing my marbles!
I think I'll glue the dash vents in a fixed position, with black poly-eurethane. I haven't needed to use them yet, so probably never will. One of them got damaged by the seat yesterday, when my 9yr old was playing about with the adjustment and didn't realise the vent was down there, having jumped out of the dash! At least it'll be something I can cross off the list, if they stop doing that!
I must figure out how to post a picture, so you can see the object of this uncharacteristic affection! Maybe you'll be able to explain it to me...

sparksie
Sparksie

2000 Xantia 1.9TurboD
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Re: Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by myglaren »

I've had quite a few Citroen's now and haven't encountered any problems that weren't common to other cars other than a snapped height corrector linkage, quick and easy fix.

There is a thread here that will help with uploading photo's.
In addition to the advice offered there and in view of recent developments with Flickr! and PhotoBucket, I recommend Imgur.
Very simple to use.
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Re: Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by Fake Concern »

Hi Sparksie

I enjoyed reading your posts about the Xantia. I have only recently (well nearly 2 years ago!) become a Citroen owner with a C4 VTS & love the individuality that most people claim Citroen lost years ago! Now that I no longer need a family car (Volvo V70 T5) as my kids have their own cars, I enjoy the same fun I used to get as a teenager & in my early 20's when I had Minis (I mean the original variety) of messing about with a car, so relaxing to take the mind off other things. I would also love either a Xantia or an XM as well as my C4 having looked at loads of them at various shows over the last couple of years, but can't really justify it to my financial adviser (wife!). Hope you manage to get some pics of your car on the forum (I use Photobucket, fairly straight forward) & hope you can get to a show in the summer.
Happy tinkering!
Fake Concern, Volvo C30 T5 2011
Mrs Concern, Renault Moodus 1.6 Privilege 2004
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Hell Razor5543
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Re: Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Well, adding new keys will need a Lexia, as all the keys will need to be introduced to the car (old ones included, as it effectively clears out any not done at that session). As getting new keys done at a professional key cutter (for a Xantia, at least) costs around £140 each (well, it did last time I looked!), the Lexia would pay for itself in no time.

You will also need the security code for the car to let you into that option. It is a 4 digit code (such as 1G2P, which I have just made up), but you can get that from a dealership for around £10 (or ask Birdman on the forum, he is probably cheaper).

It could be worth getting a couple of these to start with;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REPLACEMENT-F ... 5aeb56192c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

then getting them both cut, and try getting one of these;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-2-BUT ... 4acdee85a8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

swapping over the circuit boards to the new cases, and getting them both re-introduced to your Xantia.
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR

C5 2.2HDi VTX+
Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
sparksie
(Donor 2016)
Posts: 595
Joined: 04 Jan 2014, 22:35
Location: R.O.I.
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x 33

Re: Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by sparksie »

Something funny going on!
I replied to this yesterday, but the post hasn't appeared.
Briefly, rather than risk another long post vanishing into the ether:-
My key has no circuit boards, buttons, flippy bits, batteries etc.
It's a basic key, with a passive chip concealed in the black plastic bit.
A proximity detector near the ignition "reads" this when the key is used.
If the key is not recognised, the key symbol illuminates and the immobiliser doesn't energise the injector pump solenoid.
I have no immobiliser code, nor any easy way of getting it, but I guess I'll have to have a go...

sparksie
Sparksie

2000 Xantia 1.9TurboD
Hell Razor5543
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Re: Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Don't worry about the electronics, they (usually) are for the remote central locking. The immobiliser chip is built into the head of the key blade. Getting the security code also is not that difficult. The Birdman can get it for you, but I don't know how much he charges (certainly less that dealerships). I in the past paid £10 to a dealership for my previous Xantia code.

If you were to get two of the replacement cases I linked to in my previous post, with a Lexia you can introduce them to your Xantia. If, at a later date, you get 2 circuit boards and fit them into the key fobs, getting the remote function working is a simple process (not needing the Lexia).
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR

C5 2.2HDi VTX+
Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
sparksie
(Donor 2016)
Posts: 595
Joined: 04 Jan 2014, 22:35
Location: R.O.I.
My Cars:
x 33

Re: Hi all from a total Citroen novice

Post by sparksie »

Ok, thanks
That sounds like a plan.
Providing the blade is physically compatible with the peculiar shaped locks, I think I'd be in business, even without introducing them.
Getting hold of a blank key was my first objective and this looks promising.
Thanks guys

sparksie
Sparksie

2000 Xantia 1.9TurboD
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