Count your blessings, it looks like somebody's disconnected the alarm to save you the trouble of doing the same thing yourself. There are probably more threads about troublesome alarms on this forum than almost anything else (except hydraulics, maybe).
The Xantia alarm was never Citroen's finest achievement. Mine (95 1.8 16v) went through a riotous phase of misbehaviour when it was a couple of years old. My dealer tried taping over half of each movement sensor, but it never really sorted the problem. And when it started going off every time a taxi drove past it (something to do with their short-wave radios, I'd guess), I almost sold the car.
Then, suddenly and without warning, the problem went away. It now goes off maybe once every six months. I like it that way.
Forget the alarm!
Non working alarm on Xantia.
Moderator: RichardW
How do you know it's not working?
Whoever buys my 95 Xantia will think the same thing. The reason being that the relay in the alarm welded on, so I took it out. It works fine - but no flashing lights! Try setting the alarm with a window open - after a minute or so try waving your hand through the open window. If the alarm goes - then all is well - if not then the alarm isn't set.
Derek
Whoever buys my 95 Xantia will think the same thing. The reason being that the relay in the alarm welded on, so I took it out. It works fine - but no flashing lights! Try setting the alarm with a window open - after a minute or so try waving your hand through the open window. If the alarm goes - then all is well - if not then the alarm isn't set.
Derek
Have you got an alarm in the first place? Assuming a yes to that, are you setting it properly?
I don't know which type of plip you have, but on the older IR models that I have you set the alarm by pressing the front button (locking the doors) followed immediately by the back button (setting the deadlocks and arming the alarm). The indicators only flash when the second button is pressed, and you can hear the whirry clunk as the deadlocks engage at the same time. If neither is happening when you press the second button, then I'd suspect a faulty plip - look at the indicator LED on the plip while pressing both buttons in turn, both should produce a half-secondish flash.
Stu.
I don't know which type of plip you have, but on the older IR models that I have you set the alarm by pressing the front button (locking the doors) followed immediately by the back button (setting the deadlocks and arming the alarm). The indicators only flash when the second button is pressed, and you can hear the whirry clunk as the deadlocks engage at the same time. If neither is happening when you press the second button, then I'd suspect a faulty plip - look at the indicator LED on the plip while pressing both buttons in turn, both should produce a half-secondish flash.
Stu.
Mine will activate the deadlocks without the flashing indicator showing that the alarm has activated. Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery will restore normal operation for a few days or weeks and then it goes again. If you want to try this trick, make sure that you have the code for the radio and know how to use it.
Can anyone explain this behaviour?
Can anyone explain this behaviour?
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shaunthesheep
- Posts: 364
- Joined: 16 Jul 2002, 14:42
- Location: United Kingdom
- My Cars:
right what happens on mine is this:-
<b>on locking the car with the plip</b>
1. close doors etc, 2. press the first button on the plip, doors lock. 3. press the second button on the plip, doors deadlock & indcators come on & stay on for about 15secs ish & there is a red led flashing away (althought it is clear!) beside the clock so you can see that the car is alarmed from outside it.
<b>on unlocking the car with the plip</b>
1. approch the car with plip in hand. 2. direct the plip towards the inside rear view mirror. 3. press the first button, car will then unlock & disarm the alarm, indcators will flash for about 15secs
hope this helps
dom
<b>on locking the car with the plip</b>
1. close doors etc, 2. press the first button on the plip, doors lock. 3. press the second button on the plip, doors deadlock & indcators come on & stay on for about 15secs ish & there is a red led flashing away (althought it is clear!) beside the clock so you can see that the car is alarmed from outside it.
<b>on unlocking the car with the plip</b>
1. approch the car with plip in hand. 2. direct the plip towards the inside rear view mirror. 3. press the first button, car will then unlock & disarm the alarm, indcators will flash for about 15secs
hope this helps
dom
That's about what should happen, yes. Except that the time interval is more like 5 seconds than 15 - both of mine are around 5 seconds of indicator activity.
Looks like a bit of digging is needed to locate this. First thing is to check whether the dashboard LED illuminates when the system is supposed to be armed. If it does, then try what Derek (above) said - set the alarm leaving a window open, and after about 45 seconds stick your arm inside and wave it about. Let us know what happens!
One other thing. There is a key slot just under the bonnet by the windscreen, in the panel above/behind the LHM reservoir. (it's probably covered with a round plastic cap, and it accepts the ignition key.) This is to enable/disable the siren. Try the alarm with this switch in both positions.
Note that it doesn't disable the whole alarm system - just the sounder, so the headlamps( NOT the indicators) should still flash if the alarm is triggered.
Stu.
Looks like a bit of digging is needed to locate this. First thing is to check whether the dashboard LED illuminates when the system is supposed to be armed. If it does, then try what Derek (above) said - set the alarm leaving a window open, and after about 45 seconds stick your arm inside and wave it about. Let us know what happens!
One other thing. There is a key slot just under the bonnet by the windscreen, in the panel above/behind the LHM reservoir. (it's probably covered with a round plastic cap, and it accepts the ignition key.) This is to enable/disable the siren. Try the alarm with this switch in both positions.
Note that it doesn't disable the whole alarm system - just the sounder, so the headlamps( NOT the indicators) should still flash if the alarm is triggered.
Stu.
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ukmobileman
- Posts: 113
- Joined: 22 Dec 2001, 21:52
- Location: United Kingdom
- My Cars:
- Contact:
The earlier ones with the IR plips all have the keyswitch, AFAIK.
Ok. To clear up any confusion over the purpose of the dashboard switch, its sole purpose in life is to disable the ultrasonic sensors so that you can leave, say, a dog in the car while maintaining the perimeter (door/bonnet/boot switch) protection. You do this by pressing the dashboard button for a couple of seconds until the red LED on the dashboard lights up, then arm the system normally. It shouldn't need to be touched in normal circumstances.
It seems to me that something has been disconnected or removed. Probably simplest to check the fuses first - I'll just have a look at my handbook to see which one(s) are involved...
Stu.
Ok. To clear up any confusion over the purpose of the dashboard switch, its sole purpose in life is to disable the ultrasonic sensors so that you can leave, say, a dog in the car while maintaining the perimeter (door/bonnet/boot switch) protection. You do this by pressing the dashboard button for a couple of seconds until the red LED on the dashboard lights up, then arm the system normally. It shouldn't need to be touched in normal circumstances.
It seems to me that something has been disconnected or removed. Probably simplest to check the fuses first - I'll just have a look at my handbook to see which one(s) are involved...
Stu.
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jack.dempsey
- Posts: 116
- Joined: 05 Mar 2003, 17:57
- Location: United Kingdom
- My Cars: BX TZD @ 250K miles (J reg),
Xantia TD @ 165K miles (R reg),
Xantia 2.1 TD (R reg)
and tow a caravan with them all (not at the same time)
'born2die' - whilst replaceing a 15 amp fuse with a 30 amp fuse is dangerous it should not stop your circuit from working - no matter what the application. It might lead to a rather large fire however if there is a fault and something gets very hot because the fuse has not blown at 15 amps (which the designers decided is when it should blow).