My Xantia needs knowledgable help!

[citroenxm]

You'll find its the other way round.. pre 98 s1 cars don't have boot monitoring. but all s2 cars have bonnet and boot monitoring.. i have just removed a switch sensor from a boot switch on a 1999 sx s2..

[Hell Razor5543]

Does this include those in the Forte trim? I could not find a microswitch anywhere on the boot lock mechanisms, or mounting points for one that had come loose, or the wiring for one. Gracie has just had her twelth birthday, being first registered 26th September 2000.

If anybody has photos of where the switch is on an S2 hatchback this would be very helpful, as I need to know where it is (or should be) to eliminate this as a possibilty.

[miked]

If it's the same as the boot light switch then this http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 4&p=288398 may help.

[Hell Razor5543]

I have found that switch, and it does work, as opening the boot turns on the light.

Thank you.

[citroenxm]

Forte is litteraly a renamed Lx and is identical to one...

yes it should have one too...

[Hell Razor5543]

Based on a similar problem that Munns was having, I think I now know where the boot sensor is mounted. He had a problem (turned out to be the transducers), and CitroJim suggested it could be the boot switch. Based on where he said the connector is, I now believe the switch is connected in some way to the hasp (probably the moving protector), rather than the lock mechanism. Next time I have a reasonable amount of daylight I intend to investigate this.

[Mandrake]

The boot light switch and the boot alarm switch are two different switches. The switch for the light is a mercury tilt switch in the boot lid, the switch for the alarm is down near the catch in the boot.

To access it remove the black trim that runs right across the the edge of the boot entrance which surrounds the catch, you'll find a small switch with a wedge shaped stalk beside and to the right of the catch which is pushed sideways by the black plastic protector around the catch being pressed down.

If the boot catch is out of adjustment not only can the boot rattle but the black plastic protector around the metal catch will not press down far enough and will thus not depress the switch fully. The switch is normally closed and is open circuit when the boot is closed depressing the switch, thus an unplugged switch will make the ECU think the boot is closed.

I thought I took a picture of the switch when I had the trim off to adjust the boot catch but I can't seem to find it.

[Hell Razor5543]

Hello all,

Good new first, Gracies' boot switch is the problem preventing the alarm from setting. To all that had pointed out where it was, please accept my apologies for being so dense as not to find it. When you said it was under the black trim I was looking under the hatch trim, not the sill trim. Thanks to CitroJim advising Munns (and Mandrake updating this post) I now know it is in the area of the hasp.

Now the bad news. The switch stem has broken, so I have to find a replacement (repairing it is not an option, unless I get a good stem). I have removed the switch, so Gracie thinks the boot is closed (even when it is not), but I would like the boot to be properly handled. I have looked on e-bay, but no luck so far. Next point of call would be my local scrappies, then the Citroen dealership.

I still cannot get the side airbags to behave, and I will have to postpone the front ride height until for a while. I am not sure if this is a major issue, as I can get 4 fingers there on normal height, but not 5.

[Hell Razor5543]

I am going to ask a question that may seem silly, but I don't know the answer, so I hope somebody can help.

Without being there (or using a Lexia, which I don't have), how can I tell if the alarm on Gracie went off once it was set? I have not set it when I knew she was complaining about a door being open, but now I have a temporary fix (and a full one on the way), I want to know if I can trust the alarm to behave. As I said earlier in this post, next door has children of school age, and I don't want to disturb their sleep if I can avoid it. I park her elsewhere during the day, but as I travel a lot for work, I cannot be there to monitor the alarm.

Thanks for your help.

[Xaccers]

Red light next to the clock flashing rapidly when you unset the alarm afterwards it has gone off.

[CitroJim]

I believe if the alarm did the trigger then the LED would be flashing rapidly when you looked at it before unlocking and de-setting it but to be honest I don't know if it applies to an S2 Xantia. I'm pretty sure it's the case on an S1 Xantia and I do know it's the case on a Pug 405...

You can test by setting the alarm with a widow open, waiting until the ultrasonics have become active and then putting your arm in the open window and waving it around to trigger off the alarm and then seeing what the LED tells you.

or else, if you set the alarm with the ultrasonics disabled then leave the tailgate open and after a while short the two contacts in the brown plug to simulate the tailgate being opened...

EDIT: Beat me to it Xac Thanks. That conforms it then...

[Hell Razor5543]

Thanks gents.

[Hell Razor5543]

Thanks to citroenxm, I have just received a replacement boot alarm switch that I will fit next time I get home and there is daylight. The alarm does (occasionally) go off, but I think this may be due to grotty connections on the ultrasonics. When I have time I will get in there with some contact cleaner, and see if that sorts out the alarm.

[Mandrake]

It's unlikely to be grotty connections on the ultrasonic transducers, more likely one of the transducers is faulty.

See my full investigation and repair of the faulty ultrasonic sensors on my alarm here:

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... =3&t=41002" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(which by the way has not had a single false activation since I completed the repair 3 weeks ago, compared to going off within 30 minutes)

[Hell Razor5543]

Thanks (again) to citroenxm, Gracie now has a working boot switch fitted, and knows when the boot is open or closed. Yeay, thanks Paul!!

The reason I think there may be grotty connections on the ultrasonics is that I have found a few other circuits that has needed connectors cleaning (but I have yet to resolve the side airbags, despite cleaning the connectors). The alarm only occasionally goes off, and I have yet to nail it down. Cleaning the connectors should either eliminate the problem or a red herring.

Hello Mandrake. I had read your post, as I was having problems with Gracies' alarm as well. I agree that I might need to replace the transducers, but if the problem is just due to dirty connectors cleaning them would save time and money (I already have proper contact cleaner). Thanks for your advice.