Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by wheeler »

Xac wrote:
Hell Razor5543 wrote:The worst possible scenario is if the car has deadlocked! (Please don't have deadlocked [-o< [-o< [-o< ). Good luck.
A slim jim would sort that too, you just have to hook on the door handle rod rather than the lock button rod. :)
If its deadlocked then pulling either the handle rods or lock button rods wont open it.
If its deadlocked then the best way to go is to wind one of the windows down, the method will be different depending on whether they are manual or electric & whether it is a manual or auto gearbox.
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by Xaccers »

wheeler wrote:
Xac wrote:
Hell Razor5543 wrote:The worst possible scenario is if the car has deadlocked! (Please don't have deadlocked [-o< [-o< [-o< ). Good luck.
A slim jim would sort that too, you just have to hook on the door handle rod rather than the lock button rod. :)
If its deadlocked then pulling either the handle rods or lock button rods wont open it.
If its deadlocked then the best way to go is to wind one of the windows down, the method will be different depending on whether they are manual or electric & whether it is a manual or auto gearbox.
You're quite right, forget I said anything, for some reason I thought opening via the door handle unlocked dead lock but of course it doesn't! :)
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by isisalar »

I don't know what the milage on your Xantia is but I've now had 3 and they have all needed much stabbing of the key and jiggling to get the lock to operate at around 160, 000 miles. Present car started to be difficult to lock/unlock since the colder weather has set in, fortunately when I got the car a brand new unused key came with it and now using this there is no longer any problem operating the door locks whatsoever. I can only surmise from this that it's not the locks that wear but the keys.
I've measured by eye the two keys together and as far as I can see the difference in length at the tip due to wear is less than 1/2mm but the difference in operation is major.
Getting a replacement original key from Citroën may well get you back in.
Best of luck
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

This "deadlocking" thing is beginning to cut down my range of options, particularly if the old slim jim or big easy type approach is likely to be fruitless.

I do suspect "deadlocking" because when I crawled through the open hatchback last time, I do think that I couldn't open the doors just by pulling the door handles or trying to raise the buttons. That time I think the engine was running when it decided to deadlock itself because I remember thinking when the doors wouldn't open how I was going to stop the engine. Like I say that time the hatchback hadn't been shut properly so it came to my rescue. I did get the doors open but not sure at what point, or which door I managed to open first.

The situation now is even the hatchback is now locked..........does the hatchback lock "deadlock" as well?

There is a convenient hole in the boot floor where previously the spare wheel carrier hook was located, but the hatch still has all the plastic trim in place so no real access to the locking mechanism.

Bearing in mind the flat as a pancake battery and the locking mechanisms are electrically operated, and currently there is no access to the engine bay to use jumpleads from a good battery to provide some fresh power are there any ways round this? I could investigate my old plips, get some fresh batteries for them and see if they produce any reaction. If I have let the batteries run down on the plips, would they need reprogamming anyway requiring the key in the ignition etc., and to work anyway presumably the main 12v Battery has to have a bit of life in it.

If Addo's method can be made to work would this get over a possible "deadlock" situation as well?

All ideas gratefully received

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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by Mandrake »

Two comments,

If the batteries in the fobs have run right down the fobs will need to be re-syncronised before they can unlock the doors, which unfortunately means putting it in the ignition.

My other though is if you jack the front of the car up a bit can you get access to the positive terminal on the starter motor ? If you can you can jump the battery via the gearbox housing and starter motor positive post to at least get the electrical system running again. If you're really lucky maybe the fob will work without needing re-syncronising.

Can you trigger the bonnet catch open somehow ? Having full access to the engine bay still won't directly open the cabin but makes it easy to charge up the battery and access wiring that might help to trigger the central locking.
Last edited by Mandrake on 05 Dec 2013, 22:23, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Thanks Paul

The car has done just over 200,000 miles, and I will be trying the key jiggling and the type of process mentioned by Simon earlier in the thread when I see daylight again at the weekend!

The car has electric windows, so maybe If I can get a home made slim jim in the cabin I may be able to press the window button to get the window down. I could then pop the bonnet, start the motor with jump leads, climb in the window and fiddle around until the doors open again-maybe even get a second hand plip or resurrect one of mine and reprogramme it.

Major problem is the flat battery which probably doesn't have the juice to work the electric windows!

kind regards Neil
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by Mandrake »

One more thought, its possible to lock and unlock the central locking and the deadlocks using the actuator tests on a Lexia - if you could get the bonnet open and battery charged you could gain access to the K and L diagnostic lines in the car via the engine ECU connector - all the wires you need from the diagnostic socket in the cabin are available at the engine ECU connector AFAIK :)
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by Xaccers »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: Major problem is the flat battery which probably doesn't have the juice to work the electric windows!

kind regards Neil
Bigger problem is that the ignition has to be on for the electric windows to work.
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Thanks Simon

That's a promising point about using the positive terminal on the starter motor/ chassis to introduce fresh power.

The electric windows don't require the ignition key to be in, or turned on do they? (edit I think Xac has answered this question now!) If I can get a coat hanger etc in the cabin it should be possible to press the electric window button so this may be a possibility.

Hooking the bonnet release lever may be quite difficult, but maybe still a possibility

Thanks Neil
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Erm, yes, the windows do need the key in the ignition for them to work. Sorry.
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Post by addo »

Neil - use a torch if necessary; tell me if you can't identify the release hole.

Unless Wheeler or Lighty say otherwise, I presume the keylock overrides deadlocking.
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by Chris570 »

Popping the bonnet from under the car is quite easy really. Once you've done that you're halfway there :)

As Mandrake said, you could get access to the data lines and use a lexia to open the car up with actuator tests.

Getting stage 2 on the ignition shouldn't be too hard as you would just need to add 12v to one of the lines under the bonnet. (if you could then get a rod onto the electric window switches you should be on for a winner)
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by wheeler »

If its a manual gearbox try getting the reverse light switch unplugged, back feed the ignition wire with a spare battery with the earth connected to the gearbox. This puts the ignition on & press the windows down with a rod. Ideally you want a bit of charge in the main battery for doing this either via the starter or alternator positive terminal as the reverse light wire/fuse probably wouldn't be able to take the current of the entire ignition on. Don't worry if you get the wrong wire as all that will happen is the reverse lights will come on.
Alternatively you can go to your rear manual windows, wedge the top of the door. Get a rod long enought to reach the winders & bend a circle on the end of it (so its kind of like a lollipop). Make the circle slightly bigger in diameter than the winder, you can hook it over the winder & wind you back window down with this. It can be awkward to get it started but once you get it moving its a lot easier, getting someone to put downward pressure on the glass will make it easier.
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by Stewart(oily) »

Why not charge the battery via the starter positive lead and an earth ? you never know what will work then.
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Re: Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Thanks for the replies so far.
addo wrote
Neil - use a torch if necessary; tell me if you can't identify the release hole.
Yes I can see the little black circular thing through the gap in the door at door handle level.
Chris 570 wrote
Popping the bonnet from under the car is quite easy really. Once you've done that you're halfway there :)
I would be ecstatic if I managed to pop the bonnet from under the car without destroying anything. It would open up a few more solutions to the problem of getting into the car. Chris if you or any other forum members have an idiots guide to how to do it that would be great :)
Wheeler wrote
If its a manual gearbox try getting the reverse light switch unplugged, back feed the ignition wire with a spare battery with the earth connected to the gearbox. This puts the ignition on & press the windows down with a rod

Alternatively you can go to your rear manual windows.......
It has a manual gearbox so If the bonnet manages to get popped this may be a possibility. It also has rear electric windows :(

I think getting the bonnet open if possible would be major progress towards solution.

Thanks

Neil
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