Locating a replacement relay for Xantia indicators.

Izzard · Post by **Izzard** » 09 May 2006, 19:54

Hi folks.

I have a '97 P-reg Xantia hatchback 1.8.

A relay in my (dashboard) glovebox keeps going nuts and clicking away intermittently of its own accord. I've tried removing it and reseating it but it still does it.

It sounds just like the indicator relay, and when I remove it the indicators don't function at all. On the other hand, with the relay in place the indicators seem to work fine and, oddly, they don't light when the relay clicks by itself - only when it is operated by the indicator stalk.

My concern is the annoying noise and the fact that I think it's going to burn itself out.

Please help me identify/locate a replacement. The relay is grey and has the following text:

Visible surface:
2042103
12V 42/92W
DOT
(A in a circle) 73385

Top:
bitron VIDEO MADE IN ITALY
03 7

The contacts are labled:
___
49a
| |
31 49

Many thanks in advance!
- Si

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 09 May 2006, 20:22

Hi Izzard -

Its not the relay - despite it performs madly

Instead its a wellknown Gremlin from most cars.
The indicator stalk switch itself has carbon/dirt traced and thus provides a weak current path for the relay to start operating its clicking timer - but it does not operate the internal indicator power relay.
Proof : try replace the relay and get mad as the new relay still does it

The problem is common to the electronic indicator relays used these days. The earlier type mechanically operated indicator relays do not go crazy like this.

There is in fact a DIY mod for the indicator relay itself to decrease the "sensitivity" for stalk switch current path leaks. It involves soldering a small ohmic resistor in parallel to the existing one inside the relay.
But that requires good skills with a soldering iron for electronics.

BTW : the indicators relay is a standard indicators relay - available anywhere you can buy common bits for cars. There are only 2 common types in use - and the variant used by Citroen/Peugeot is the most common type at all.

Jshodgson · Post by **Jshodgson** » 09 May 2006, 22:02

Hi Izzard

I have read other threads that suggest that if you give the hazard warning lights and indicators a good blast of use it will clean the contacts enough to stop the annoying clicking for a period of time. My Xantia does the same as yours. I tell my friends "it's part of the cars character..." Then they ask if the other 657 electrical faults means that it has a "problem" with its character !

Izzard · Post by **Izzard** » 09 May 2006, 23:25

Jshodgson: hah! That's brilliant!

I'm glad to say my Xantia doesn't have too many problems so I'm quite precious about it when things do start going funny. I love it to bits

AndersDK: Thank you for your clear response - I absolutely understand what you're saying, so I won't bother replacing the relay. I will try working the switch a bit to see if it clears out, otherwise I may try the resistor trick you mentioned to reduce its sensitivity. Thanks a lot!

- Si

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 10 May 2006, 09:48

Pulled into works car park this morning and what did I find....yes thats right a Xantia SX and it was even in Silver, so i just had to park next to it with a big grin on me' face.

Then a certain work chappy came into ask why I parked the car so wide in the space, no one likes this guy and he irritates me to hell so I do what I do best...I started talking about my love for Citroens and my Xantia and how this Xantia reminded me of mine and that it deserved maximum respect so parked widely....after a moment he backed out of the office and walked away.

Oh yeah!

rowanmoor · Post by **rowanmoor** » 11 May 2006, 13:06

My XM is suffering from this problem, so I will get my soldering iron out at some point. Thanks guys - 1 less niggle.

Is there only 1 resistor in the relay, or if not then which one needs the extra resistor?

What sort of value resistor should I add?

swiss_steve · Post by **swiss_steve** » 11 May 2006, 14:18

Yep, I've got exactly the same problem on my ZX; I can be just driving down the road and it starts clicking at random, sometimes at the same rate as the indicators would normally operate, or at double the speed - it's quite comical. I also put this down to just one of the pleasures of owning a Citroen (or two), but now I pleased to hear there is a solution.

Cheers!

Steve

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 11 May 2006, 14:35

I'm very sorry I introduced this blinkers relay modification - with no details info

Right now I'm searching like mad to find the website where I got the info. It was all there : a description, schematics, images etc.

The backbone of the idea is a manufacturers application note on the Integrated Circuit used widespread in nearly all recent flasher relays. This application note describes how to set the sensitivity of teh circuit using a resistor. Its not the only resistor in the circuit.
It seems that the relay manufacturers for some reason has set this sensing resistor un-necessary high - maybe to ensure the flasher will start blinking during all conditions.

The resistor used is a 1K ohm's resistor - the sensible value however is 100 ohm's. This is obtained ideally by replacing the resistor - or more pragmatic soldering in a 100 ohm's resistor in parallel to the existing 1K ohm's resistor.

I just cant remember right now where I got the info - and silly old me forgot to bookmark it. Apologies to all

I know lots & lots of you Citroen owners are electronic engineers by profession/education (like me self). Any soldering heads out there carry the info ?

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 12 May 2006, 13:45

Must be these, several links to follow:

http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod ... oc4727.pdf

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=19077

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 12 May 2006, 16:04

AndersDK wrote:I'm very sorry I introduced this blinkers relay modification - with no details info
Right now I'm searching like mad to find the website where I got the info. It was all there : a description, schematics, images etc.

The backbone of the idea is a manufacturers application note on the Integrated Circuit used widespread in nearly all recent flasher relays. This application note describes how to set the sensitivity of teh circuit using a resistor. Its not the only resistor in the circuit.
It seems that the relay manufacturers for some reason has set this sensing resistor un-necessary high - maybe to ensure the flasher will start blinking during all conditions.

The resistor used is a 1K ohm's resistor - the sensible value however is 100 ohm's. This is obtained ideally by replacing the resistor - or more pragmatic soldering in a 100 ohm's resistor in parallel to the existing 1K ohm's resistor.

I just cant remember right now where I got the info - and silly old me forgot to bookmark it. Apologies to all

I know lots & lots of you Citroen owners are electronic engineers by profession/education (like me self). Any soldering heads out there carry the info ?

And further apologies to follow

:

- as I appearantly got it totally mixed up :
the fitted resistor seems to be too low - muts be increased then. meaning the resistor must be replaced.

Can someone please trace the whole issue - and please correct me instantly if I STIL got matters mixed up - as it seems I have lost track on whats the correct thing in the plot