xantia key wont open doors. Just turns in the locks.

ricflair · Post by **ricflair** » 11 Jul 2006, 01:01

My xantia central locking has never worked. And i only ave the one key.

About 7 months ago the key gradually stopped working with the driver sside lock. So i just carried on using the passenger side lock as the central locking still unlocked and locked the whole car. Anyway, last few days the passenger side has stopped working.Now i cant even lock my car, and if i could, id probably never be able to open it again.

Any ideas of a fix and what cost aprox?

thanks

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 11 Jul 2006, 04:01

Sounds like the key and/or the locks have worn. The lock spinning is what you get if you try the wrong key in the lock.

What to do?

Get a new key made (not copied from the one you have) by Citroen, I had this done for one of mine and it only worked in the ignition.

Get the remote working, problem then is what to do when it stops.

Replace the locks and key?

Leave it unlocked, it's not like locks stop anyone anyway.

ricflair · Post by **ricflair** » 11 Jul 2006, 11:33

how do i get a new key made by Citroen?

ACTIVE8 · Post by **ACTIVE8** » 11 Jul 2006, 12:09

ricflair wrote:how do i get a new key made by Citroen?

Provide all your details to a main dealer parts department, possibly including proof of ownership, depending on dealership policy.

Providing you have the original lock in the ignition they will order you a key to your chassis number, which will be cut by the factory to the same, as what they fitted to the car when they made it.

ricflair · Post by **ricflair** » 11 Jul 2006, 15:21

how long will it take do you reckon?

Homer · Post by **Homer** » 11 Jul 2006, 20:18

ricflair wrote:how do i get a new key made by Citroen?

All they asked me was the chassis number, they made a new key up there and then.

The important bit though it did not work because the locks were worn it worked fine in the ignition but not the doors. I got a plip at the same time so it was quite a while before I realised the key didn't work in the doors, it was about £60 for the lot but the plip was the most expensive bit.

ricflair · Post by **ricflair** » 11 Jul 2006, 22:10

Thanks.

Post by **xantia_v6** » 11 Jul 2006, 22:14

The driver's door lock on my previous Xantia suffered from the problem where it just went round and round, but it was just lack of lubrication.

A bit of 3 in 1 on the key worked in and out of the lock a few times, and hey presto!

YMMV.

davetd · Post by **davetd** » 12 Jul 2006, 09:13

In my Xantias service history the previous owner had a complete set of locks fitted (including ignition) by a garage last November for 230 pounds

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 12 Jul 2006, 20:50

Getting a new key wont fix this problem, as xantia_v6 says, its the locks that need lubricating....and its usually possible to completely restore normal working of the lock barrels by removing them, taking them apart and cleaning/lubricating them as they get full of dirt and muck and start seizing up.

See the following procedure:

http://homepages.igrin.co.nz/simon/imag ... _locks.pdf

The usual symptoms are that the key can go round and round.... I've fixed two locks like this now....the only real snag is that if the key will never work you can only get the barrel out by removing the door card and the door handle.

If the key SOMETIMES works you can get the barrel out without removing the door card or the door handle, by inserting a screwdriver in a hole in the edge of the door and pulling on the key when its turned to one side...(it's quite fiddly to find the exact spot to push the screwdriver into though)

Regards,
Simon

Post by **Peter.N.** » 12 Jul 2006, 21:13

You might be able to make the lock work by pushing the key in hard while you turn it, this was what happened on my XM. The drivers side lock eventualy failed altogether so I swapped it with th passenger side. Then I fitted a new remote locking reciever and I dont use them at all now.

My experience with a non Citroen key was the opposite, it would open the drivers door but nothing else.

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 13 Jul 2006, 01:02

Peter.N. wrote: My experience with a non Citroen key was the opposite, it would open the drivers door but nothing else.

Thats because these keys use four faces instead of two, but the door locks only have tumblers for the two "normal" faces on the edges of the key, while the ignition lock uses all four.

From what I've been able to find out the cutting machines that most locksmiths use can only do the normal faces, they can't put the key blanks in sideways to do the two flat faces, so they have to do those ones by hand.

Some locksmiths I've tried refuse to even try to do them, and some give it a go but are usually unsuccessful, because they aren't skilled enough at the "old fashioned" way of cutting a blank by hand....

(There are some who can get it right, if you can find them)

Regards,
Simon

kip · Post by **kip** » 13 Jul 2006, 13:21

I have also had some problems in this area. Just recently the only original key stopped working on the driver door.
I managed to find 3 blanks. Got a lock smith to do the sides. On one he set it wrong and stuffed the sides. Two left and I let him try to do the other by hand. He was hopless and messed it up, he wanted to have a go on the last key but I refused to let him.
I very carefully did it my self. Works on the doors but only in one direction in the ignition.
I'm now trying to get hold of some more blanks, but even that seems problamatic in Australia. Just as well I live in a major city other wise I'd have no hope. I can imagine NZ would be worse.

ricflair · Post by **ricflair** » 13 Jul 2006, 22:09

Is there anyway to test if my remote system int he car works without a key plip thing. As ive seen the key plips on ebay and will buy one if my remote works ok.

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 13 Jul 2006, 22:37

ricflair wrote:Is there anyway to test if my remote system int he car works without a key plip thing. As ive seen the key plips on ebay and will buy one if my remote works ok.

Is your car a Series 1 (1993-1997) or Series 2 facelift model (1998-2001) ?

The series one cars had infrared remotes with a sensor in the ceiling behind the rear view mirror, while the series 2 had RF remotes.

I'll assume for the moment you have the earlier infrared type - mainly because I know nothing about the programming of the later type

The only way to test it would be if you could borrow a working plip from someone else and program your receiver to work with it.... to do so you simply hold the plip close to the receiver, and after turning on the ignition press and release the button about 30 times once per second then turn the ignition off...

Sometimes you might have to try this procedure more than once before it succeeds. If it works and you can now use it to lock and unlock the doors you know the receiver is ok.

The only drawback of this test is that you can't "unlearn" this plip unless you have a new one to get it to learn, so your friend will be able to open your car unless you unplug the receiver in the meantime

Regards,
Simon