Xantia not starting

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
User avatar
daviemck2006
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 4989
Joined: 04 Dec 2010, 18:45
Location: Macduff
My Cars: Far too many good ones to remember. Many BL, Vauxhall, Ford, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, and now VAG
x 487

Xantia not starting

Post by daviemck2006 »

Got into Gabby, turned key, click and absolutely dead. Is there any known problems it could be?
Skoda Karoq 1.6tdi 2018
Citroen relay camper 2012
In the family
Seat Leon 1.5tsi tourer 2019 daughter 1
C1 vtr+ 2010 daughter 2
User avatar
xantia_v6
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 9052
Joined: 09 Nov 2005, 22:03
Location: France or NewZealand
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: -
1997 Citroen Xantia V6 (France)
1999 Citroen XM V6 ES9 (France)
2011 Peugeot 308 CC THP 155 (NZ)
1975 Jaguar XJ-S pre-HE (NZ)
x 825

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by xantia_v6 »

Battery cables, battery...

Is anything electrical working? if not, it must be something close to the battery.
RichardW
Forum Treasurer
Posts: 10812
Joined: 07 Aug 2002, 17:12
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: MK2 '17 C4GP 1.6 BlueHDi 120
'13 3008 1.6 HDi GripControl
x 982

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by RichardW »

Most likely the battery - modern ones have a tendency to die just like that one.
Richard W
User avatar
daviemck2006
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 4989
Joined: 04 Dec 2010, 18:45
Location: Macduff
My Cars: Far too many good ones to remember. Many BL, Vauxhall, Ford, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, and now VAG
x 487

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by daviemck2006 »

Absolutely nothing working. Its left outside work just now. It will be ok there tonight. Ill have a fiddle with it tomorrow in daylight. Its been absolutely perfect, heard a relay click as I turned the key, the ign lights came on then off immediately. All I could see in the dark is that the battery terminals are ok!
Skoda Karoq 1.6tdi 2018
Citroen relay camper 2012
In the family
Seat Leon 1.5tsi tourer 2019 daughter 1
C1 vtr+ 2010 daughter 2
User avatar
daviemck2006
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 4989
Joined: 04 Dec 2010, 18:45
Location: Macduff
My Cars: Far too many good ones to remember. Many BL, Vauxhall, Ford, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, and now VAG
x 487

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by daviemck2006 »

The jump leads are in gabbys boot. When she went dead instantly and completly I would suspect the earth strap has broken. That would be simple if a jump lead from the battery negative terminal to a decent earth restored operations. First thing to try tomorrow.
Skoda Karoq 1.6tdi 2018
Citroen relay camper 2012
In the family
Seat Leon 1.5tsi tourer 2019 daughter 1
C1 vtr+ 2010 daughter 2
User avatar
Zelandeth
Donor 2024
Posts: 4731
Joined: 16 Nov 2014, 23:36
Location: Milton Keynes
My Cars: 2006 Peugeot Partner Escapade 1.6HDi.
1988 Renault 25 Monaco 2.0i.
1985 Sinclair C5.
1984 Trabant 601S.
1975 Rover 3500.
1973 AC Model-70.
x 1403
Contact:

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by Zelandeth »

It's a pretty new battery, so hopefully not that.

Earth strap would be my first suspect. Easy enough to test at least.

I know some Xantias have issues with the main battery positive lead degrading too (hence the sticky to that effect). Plus side is that it's a pretty fundamental fault so should hopefully be pretty easy to pinpoint.

Afraid I can't say "yes it happened now and then, it's because of..." though. Only power issue I had aside from the cooling fan gremlins was just down to an aged battery that was really past its best.
Current fleet:
06 Peugeot Partner Escapade 1.6HDi, 88 Renault 25 Monaco, 85 Sinclair C5, 84 Trabant 601S, 75 Rover 3500, 73 AC Model 70.
User avatar
daviemck2006
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 4989
Joined: 04 Dec 2010, 18:45
Location: Macduff
My Cars: Far too many good ones to remember. Many BL, Vauxhall, Ford, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, and now VAG
x 487

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by daviemck2006 »

I thought the battery looked quite recent. The first thing I will try tomorrow will be a jump lead earth. Theres absolutely nothing, its as if a battery master switch has been switched, so hoping it is the earth strap gone, as that will be simple. Its like hellrazor said on your blog Zel, if a xantia is going perfect with no faults it will by default make a new fault for fun. Ive done over 4000 miles in Gabby now with, up until today, only a blown indicator bulb. Thats actually very impressive for the use she is getting, mostly all stop, start up and down the gears. Jim was going to do the clutch ladt summer, for the life of me I cannot see how its anywhere near a clutch. Iys lighter and more progressive than it was. The useage must of freed it off or something, and the other thing Jim had planned was the heater matrix. Im happy to report that she has a great heater, no smells from it, and never needed one drop of water, so as far as I am concerned there is no need for it either. She gets run down to the red mark on the fuel guage, gets 40 litres of new veg at 78p per litre and 12 to 15 litres of diesel in with it at 126.9p per litre here and runs like a dream on that.
Skoda Karoq 1.6tdi 2018
Citroen relay camper 2012
In the family
Seat Leon 1.5tsi tourer 2019 daughter 1
C1 vtr+ 2010 daughter 2
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49518
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6156
Contact:

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by CitroJim »

Battery was replaced just about a year ago Davie, with a brand new and good quality one... It conked out on me in Wiltshire at a parkrun and Alasdair had to come and recover me..
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
User avatar
Zelandeth
Donor 2024
Posts: 4731
Joined: 16 Nov 2014, 23:36
Location: Milton Keynes
My Cars: 2006 Peugeot Partner Escapade 1.6HDi.
1988 Renault 25 Monaco 2.0i.
1985 Sinclair C5.
1984 Trabant 601S.
1975 Rover 3500.
1973 AC Model-70.
x 1403
Contact:

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by Zelandeth »

The heater matrix was always on my radar as I always caught a whiff of coolant as the heater warmed up. As you've found though she never has used a drop of coolant the whole time I had her. Likewise oil never budged between services. Given that I'd grown up with the belief that 100K was the end of the world for anything save for the odd Volvo, Mercedes or Saab that seemed almost impossible!

Still bothers me that when people mention cars that are capable of shrugging off mega miles that Citroen/Peugeot very rarely seem to get a look in.
Current fleet:
06 Peugeot Partner Escapade 1.6HDi, 88 Renault 25 Monaco, 85 Sinclair C5, 84 Trabant 601S, 75 Rover 3500, 73 AC Model 70.
User avatar
daviemck2006
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 4989
Joined: 04 Dec 2010, 18:45
Location: Macduff
My Cars: Far too many good ones to remember. Many BL, Vauxhall, Ford, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, and now VAG
x 487

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by daviemck2006 »

Gabby just being a Citroen then. Absolutely nothing, put jump lead from negative on battery to earth, nothing, put jump leads on off of lilpug started instantly. I would have thought if the battery was so flat there was nothing it would have needed a while before it started. I need to go get new battery for my voltmeter to check the charge in the battery and from the alternator. At least she is home and cant be anything much. Im still not ruling out battery leads, both negative and positive after reading through the positive lead thread. I also need to pull my finger out and fix bigpug. Its not much use having 3 cars all mot, taxed and insured and one in bits, one misbehaving and the lowest mileage, oldest, best condition one being the only runner in the winter! I cant use the donutter as once in I really struggle to get out, and I'm not going to use the 107 as I have just noticed its in dire need of new front tyres, I told him and he shrugged his shoulders. I wash my hands of my son and cars. Im not ordering tyres for it.
Skoda Karoq 1.6tdi 2018
Citroen relay camper 2012
In the family
Seat Leon 1.5tsi tourer 2019 daughter 1
C1 vtr+ 2010 daughter 2
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by white exec »

Davie, check the battery connectors and terminals for being clean and tight.
PSA originals can suddenly give up, and no longer make decent contact between the clamp and the thick bundle of copper cores inside. If either battery terminal feels at all warm (or hot) after trying to crank, that's a giveaway there's resistance there. Cut them off any replace with new brass ones, with the cores cleaned up, if blackened.
Possible Jim had done this already, of course.
Chris
User avatar
daviemck2006
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 4989
Joined: 04 Dec 2010, 18:45
Location: Macduff
My Cars: Far too many good ones to remember. Many BL, Vauxhall, Ford, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, and now VAG
x 487

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by daviemck2006 »

I will check them Chris, but been too busy today. I’m using the 205 today, get it a good going evening. It’s done nothing since coming home from the NC 500, it has a new distributor unit that hasn’t been properly tried out so it will be a good test for it. That will make an easier night for me, smaller car and left leg gets a rest lol
Skoda Karoq 1.6tdi 2018
Citroen relay camper 2012
In the family
Seat Leon 1.5tsi tourer 2019 daughter 1
C1 vtr+ 2010 daughter 2
User avatar
daviemck2006
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 4989
Joined: 04 Dec 2010, 18:45
Location: Macduff
My Cars: Far too many good ones to remember. Many BL, Vauxhall, Ford, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, and now VAG
x 487

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by daviemck2006 »

Gabby has 12.4 volts in her battery, both clamps had worked their way loose is the only fault I could see. Once tightened she started no problem, and no heat in the clamps or wires. When running 14.6 volts at the alternator, and 14.58 at the battery, so theres nothing being lost along the way. I will have to put it down to the slack clamp losing its contact.
Skoda Karoq 1.6tdi 2018
Citroen relay camper 2012
In the family
Seat Leon 1.5tsi tourer 2019 daughter 1
C1 vtr+ 2010 daughter 2
User avatar
Michel
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 2207
Joined: 29 May 2017, 13:50
Location: Nothanks
My Cars: Some cars and a motorbike
x 659

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by Michel »

daviemck2006 wrote: 19 Dec 2017, 14:37 Gabby has 12.4 volts in her battery, both clamps had worked their way loose is the only fault I could see.


Ah. Jim has been "tightening" things again ;)
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49518
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6156
Contact:

Re: Xantia not starting

Post by CitroJim »

Michel wrote: 19 Dec 2017, 15:13
daviemck2006 wrote: 19 Dec 2017, 14:37 Gabby has 12.4 volts in her battery, both clamps had worked their way loose is the only fault I could see.


Ah. Jim has been "tightening" things again ;)


:rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:

Good job my cup of tea and keyboard were well separated this time ;)

Most likely guilty as charged m'lud :oops: :twisted:

Delighted all is now good again Davie 8-) :-D
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Post Reply