XM dipped beam not working

[Fake Concern]

Just charged the battery & started the XM 1st time in Months, it's running well, but no dipped beam headlamps!

I've looked in the handbook & each dipped beam is on a different fuse so what should I look for next? Hard to believe both bulbs would fail at the same time, but I haven't actually checked them yet as it's now dark. Very annoying as I intended to go to work in it tomorrow!

[xantia_v6]

The dipped beam is controlled through one of the relays on the slam panel (right hand side of the car). Corroded connections on the relay seem to be a common problem.

The is fed from the "extra" set of ignition contacts on the ignition switch (the set that always causes S1 Xantia A/C fans to stop working), so ignition switch failure is also an option, but much less common on the XM.

[Fake Concern]

The dipped beam is controlled through one of the relays on the slam panel (right hand side of the car). Corroded connections on the relay seem to be a common problem.

The is fed from the "extra" set of ignition contacts on the ignition switch (the set that always causes S1 Xantia A/C fans to stop working), so ignition switch failure is also an option, but much less common on the XM.

Thanks for that reply!

I found the relays on the slam panel & scraped them with a screw driver then sprayed contact cleaner on them, nothing!
Did it again with a bit more scraping & even more spraying, nothing!
Shut the bonnet & hooray!! All working again!

[daviemck2006]

There's one explanation for this,,,,,, it's a citroen [emoji12] [emoji23] [emoji23]

[Fake Concern]

There's one explanation for this,,,,,, it's a citroen [emoji12] [emoji23] [emoji23]

I won't argue with that, Davie!

Well I used the XM to go to work & the headlights came on fine this morning. Coming home it was wet & starting to rain so put lights on & no Headlamps again! I put the foglamps on instead, but after a mile or so tried the headlights & they worked. I decided to leave the foglights on as I didn't fancy dring along a dark wet country road and suddenly having no lights. Quite a few people flashed me to let me know they were on & one gave me mainbeam for long enough that I was driving blind for quite a few seconds, but I don't understand what the problem is. The XM's headlamps are pretty dim, in fact when I told Mrs Concern they weren't working she said "how do you know!" and the foglights are really low down, pointing down and also pretty dim. Many cars now have zillion watt DRLs on all the time in the same position as fogs and quite a few have some sort of position lights (Bini, new Fiat 500 for example) why risk causing someone to crash by blinding them just because they are using fogs? I also noticed plenty of cars with fogs on & it was absolutely no problem for me.

[Hell Razor5543]

Sometimes dipped beam are not much brighter, but the angle is different, so that oncoming vehicles can be dazzled. This can be seen when the car is pointing at a brick wall and the lights are dipped.

[Xantidote]

if you're happy that the connections to the relays are good, then perhaps the impact of closing the bonnet has shamed/shaken the relay into working. Have you tried swapping for another relay? Could be the contacts in the existing relay not so good now and need a clean? Or the little return spring inside is lazy. Some relays can be prised open.

[Fake Concern]

if you're happy that the connections to the relays are good, then perhaps the impact of closing the bonnet has shamed/shaken the relay into working. Have you tried swapping for another relay? Could be the contacts in the existing relay not so good now and need a clean? Or the little return spring inside is lazy. Some relays can be prised open.

That's a good idea, if it's possible, I'll try swapping it with the main beam relay.

[xantia_v6]

if you're happy that the connections to the relays are good, then perhaps the impact of closing the bonnet has shamed/shaken the relay into working. Have you tried swapping for another relay? Could be the contacts in the existing relay not so good now and need a clean? Or the little return spring inside is lazy. Some relays can be prised open.

That's a good idea, if it's possible, I'll try swapping it with the main beam relay.

That would be difficult, there is no main beam relay

Other relays are available.

[Fake Concern]

if you're happy that the connections to the relays are good, then perhaps the impact of closing the bonnet has shamed/shaken the relay into working. Have you tried swapping for another relay? Could be the contacts in the existing relay not so good now and need a clean? Or the little return spring inside is lazy. Some relays can be prised open.

That's a good idea, if it's possible, I'll try swapping it with the main beam relay.

That would be difficult, there is no main beam relay

Other relays are available.

Oh well! On the slam panel I have 2 green relays & one black one. Do you know which is the headlamp one & if either of the others couls be changed over?

[xantia_v6]

Oh well! On the slam panel I have 2 green relays & one black one. Do you know which is the headlamp one & if either of the others couls be changed over?

You are looking for relay number 825, but that doesn't help much because they are not labelled on the car. I don't think that I have a relay location diagram for the XM, but it is one of the green ones... The green ones should all be interchangeable, but count the pins, just in case...

[Fake Concern]

Oh well! On the slam panel I have 2 green relays & one black one. Do you know which is the headlamp one & if either of the others couls be changed over?

You are looking for relay number 825, but that doesn't help much because they are not labelled on the car. I don't think that I have a relay location diagram for the XM, but it is one of the green ones... The green ones should all be interchangeable, but count the pins, just in case...

Thanks

If they look the same I'll try changing them around tomorrow.