Locked out of my Citroen C3

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jxde-xox
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Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by jxde-xox »

Hi, I’ve recently bought a Citroen C3 as my first car. Yesterday, the stereo stopped working - it was playing CDs but not playing any radio stations or anything other than CDs. I changed the stereo, and it was working fine. However, this morning I’ve gone to unlock my car, and it won’t unlock - I’ve tried changing the batteries in the key fob, and unlocking it using the lock on the drivers door, to which the barrel is just spinning so I can’t unlock it that way either.

Any ideas what I can do? Or why it’s doing this? Thanks
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by xantia_v6 »

Are you sure that it is the correct key (and the correct car) :wink:

Can you get in through the passenger side or the hatch back?

The key spinning in the lock is often due to the pins in the lock sticking through lack of use, and repeatedly inserting, jiggling and removing the key may free them up. Lubrication may help, but I would try for a while without first.
jxde-xox
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by jxde-xox »

Hi, yes definitely the right key 😂

No I can’t, the whole car is locked, and the lock that is spinning on the drivers door is the only lock on the car, the rest is done through the key fob
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by Gibbo2286 »

Some lock barrels will rotate freely if the key is not pushed right home.
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by GiveMeABreak »

I suspect you have got an aftermarket radio in the car???? If this is the case, then it can b=play havoc with the car's systems as I've mentioned elsewhere on several threads. Without the fitted head unit being deactivated and a special harness fitted fro the aftermarket radio, expect electrical issues including locking to play up.

Do you not have a spare fob you can try? If not, and you cannot turn the driver's side door barrel you may be stuck without calling a locksmith out ot the AA / RAC to get in. If you have to do that the other doors can be locked manually by opening each of the rear and passenger doors. There is a black plastic part that you put the key in and turn slightly - then shut the door which is now locked after you close it. The black plastic tab where you put the key may be hidden under a sticker.

The Driver's door when it is working, only locks and unlocks the driver's door manually with the key - not the others (for reference).

The above doesn't help you now, but if you do manage to get back in and do have an aftermarket radio in - remove it! Don't fit it back until you fit the original Head Unit back in (as it's more than just a radio) or get the original radio configured for removal and the correct harness for the aftermarket one you have. Without this the multiplexing electrics can play up without this being done.
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jxde-xox
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by jxde-xox »

Key was pushed fully in and it was still spinning all the way round :/
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by jxde-xox »

Yeah we fitted an after market stereo yesterday - silly mistake it seems! We only did it as the original unit was playing up and we couldn’t get any radio stations at all - it was displaying “MHZ” and the number for the station, but wasn’t actually doing anything?

I think we’re going to have to get RAC out - Thankyou for your help!
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by GiveMeABreak »

That'll be it then - once you get it open, first put the original Head Unit back in. Then wind the window down first (in case you have locking problems again), try locking the car with the fob. Let us know how you get on. Best to confirm that as the issue before doing anything else. The Head Units are not just radios - they interface with the vehicle and the multi function display to enable / disable certain functions and to display certain information.
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Marc
jxde-xox
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Joined: 05 May 2019, 14:44
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by jxde-xox »

Hi - got into the car and it was the stereo.

But now were having some other problems. The key fob is only working half of the time, tried reprogramming it and it’s still choosing when it wants to work 😂 and the drivers door is playing up - it won’t open from the outside unless the door hasn’t been closed properly, and only opens from the inside when the lock button on the centre console has been pressed (so in effect the car is locked)
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XM 2.0 Turbo Prestige Emerald Green Pearlescent
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GS 1220 Geranium Red
CX 2.4 Prestige C-Matic Nevada Beige
GS 1000 Cedreat Yellow
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Re: Locked out of my Citroen C3

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Ok, so follow my reset procedure exactly. The BSI may need reinitialising after the switching of the units.

viewtopic.php?f=51&t=61997
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Marc
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