BSI Swap Issues

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escargot
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C5 BSI swap

Post by escargot »

I recently had the BSI unit in my C5 V6 Executive replaced at my local independent specialist workshop. They recommended this in response to a range of electronic issues the car was having. It turns out that the car continues to have the issues despite the new BSI unit, but now has some additional idiosyncratic behaviours that I find less than desirable, principally going instantly into economy mode when the engine is turned off.

Can anyone confirm if it is possible to remove the new BSI unit and plug the original BSI unit (which I have) back in and have the car run? I don't have a Lexia to help with any coding, but would coding be required, given that it is the original BSI unit from the car and there has not been any change to the car's configuration?

Is it physically an easy job to swap over? I've done board replacements, etc, in computers, but nothing electronic in a car.

Are there any other pitfalls with such a replacement?

I'm kind of hoping that the original BSI unit would at least return the car to the level of functionality that it had when I first took it to the workshop.

Puzzled by why everything is soooo hard with this car.
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wheeler
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Post by wheeler »

The old BSI should plug straight back into the car & start no problem.
It's easy enough to do, remove the glovebox first & then there are about 8 big connectors that just unplug.
addo
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Post by addo »

Ouch, a $500 part at the very least.

Presuming the BSI was a new-new one, not something that had been nulled by a whiz kid for recoding, your experience suggests the causes lie primarily outside the unit.

Things to look for (were it me) would be compromised connectivity, and alternator waveform - a clue for poor regulator behaviour.

Jumping straight into economy mode is not a good precursor; once it begins to do this it may fail to stay awake long enough to recognise the key and actually start...
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Post by wheeler »

By the sounds of it the new BSI has not been configured correctly, before removing the old BSI the garage should have noted down or printed out the full configuration of the BSI so that they could configure the new BSI the same.
addo
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Post by addo »

I think you could count on one finger the number of agencies (official or independent) in Oz, who can do this consistently and correctly.

The amount of "swap and guess" practiced here, just appalls me. One problem is the dealer training is poor. The other, is many indies cut their teeth on Dees and anything beyond a BX in terms of complicatedness, they lack the mental rigour to chase down faults in. Add our outrageous parts prices (like your £11 bump stops being $94 here) and you have a fair recipe for unhappiness.

Buying a Chinese Lexia and dedicated laptop was the best $500 I've spent on my Xantia.
escargot
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Post by escargot »

wheeler wrote:The old BSI should plug straight back into the car & start no problem.
It's easy enough to do, remove the glovebox first & then there are about 8 big connectors that just unplug.
When I got the car back with the new BSI and all the original faults plus the new ones, I asked the mechanic if he had tried the car with the old BSI and he claimed that he had, but that it would not start.

What's my risk if I pull the new BSI, plug in the old BSI and it won't start? Is there a prospect that it will also not start with the new BSI?

Is there a prescribed procedure for replacing the BSI, similar to the procedure for replacing the battery? I don't want to disable the car and I have lost faith in the mecahnic that I used.
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Post by dnsey »

Since the 'repair' didn't fix the problems, I'd be going back to the 'mechanic' and requesting politely that he returns your car to its original state and your money to your wallet.
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Post by wheeler »

escargot wrote:
wheeler wrote:The old BSI should plug straight back into the car & start no problem.
It's easy enough to do, remove the glovebox first & then there are about 8 big connectors that just unplug.
When I got the car back with the new BSI and all the original faults plus the new ones, I asked the mechanic if he had tried the car with the old BSI and he claimed that he had, but that it would not start.

What's my risk if I pull the new BSI, plug in the old BSI and it won't start? Is there a prospect that it will also not start with the new BSI?

Is there a prescribed procedure for replacing the BSI, similar to the procedure for replacing the battery? I don't want to disable the car and I have lost faith in the mecahnic that I used.
I should have probably said that you should disconnect the battery first (following the correct procedure) before disconnecting the BSI.
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Post by addo »

Is there a prescribed procedure for replacing the BSI, similar to the procedure for replacing the battery? I don't want to disable the car and I have lost faith in the mecahnic that I used.
I'd suggest following the battery replacement procedure.

Having said that, I have seen BSI cars with this process totally abused (right in front of me, by a "specialist") with zero ill effects other than having to reset the auto windows. Like airbag work procedure, I am starting to believe it's more about good sense and allowing for static/short term capacitative discharges than absolute necessity.

If you're in Sydney I could show you the data on the current BSI via Lexia, and then at least you'd have something to compare it with.
escargot
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Post by escargot »

Thanks to Wheeler and Addo for the advice.

I'll try to work up the nerve to do something over the weekend, I think, unless I chicken out and take the C5 to an auto electrician that I have used for years on BMWs. He is very good and tells me that he does have a Citoren Lexia somewhere, but doesn't sound too keen to diversify his skills.

My doubt is due to the fear that the old BSI will not work and that removal of the new BSI, replacement by the original BSI only to find that it doesn't work and then returning the new BSI could cause it also not to work, which would be most aggravating.
addo wrote:
If you're in Sydney I could show you the data on the current BSI via Lexia, and then at least you'd have something to compare it with.
Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately I'm in Brisbane. I have had a look on-line at purchasing a Lexia. At least one seller acknowledges that there have been issues getting his product to work on C5s. I assume that all the sellers are actually offering the same product and that therefore they all may be suspect for use on C5s. Any comments?
addo
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Post by addo »

Brisbane? Better prospects than Toowoomba for servicing a French car, I suppose.

My gear came from "Buy-OBD" and does most things decently.

You ask if it works on C5s? I recently reset the auto-adaptives on a C5 Break; this was long-winded but a 100% perfect result and the one I sweated bullets on because of concerns after another fellow trashed an ECU while updating it.

I normally find 100% dialogue with C5s although the fault log can be slow to upload. Look up Ken W from that other forum; he may be persuaded to either help or just talk about his pet Lexia.
escargot
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Update

Post by escargot »

I chickened out on replacing my new BSI with the old one. Frightened that it could result in neither one letting the car work.

However, I recently had to have a scheduled service and took the car to the local authorised Citroen dealer's workshop. They checked the BSI and found that it had not been configured correctly. They downloaded the correct configuration and, hey presto, all the additional faults that had arrived after the car came back from the independent mechanic had disappeared. The original fault, however, is still present.

The dealer workshop advised that they had not had time to investigate it after they had serviced the car and configured the BSI correctly.
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Post by Clogzz »

C5 ownership is expensive driving in Queensland.
Today, mine smelled of petrol around the back and I thought that the fuel pump was leaking.

While I was sniffing around, a little young girl in legs and bra straps parked nearby.
She looked perfectly happy with her Holden Viva … Daewoo Lacetti.
My beady eyes were for her car. :twisted:
2002 C5 2.0i AL4 230,000 km 76372389
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Post by Citroenmad »

I would suggest it is the battery which is causing the faults with your car. Electrics can start to misbehave if the battery is getting past it and the early economy mode suggests this.
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Post by Ross_K »

dnsey wrote:Since the 'repair' didn't fix the problems, I'd be going back to the 'mechanic' and requesting politely that he returns your car to its original state and your money to your wallet.
Hear, hear. That's the most sensible thing said in this thread.
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