S2 Xantia Exclusive rain sensor faulty?

Chris570 · Unread post by **Chris570** » 13 May 2010, 10:19

hope you can shed some light on this.
recently the auto wipers havent been working, when i set the stalk to auto the wipers just cycle every 5 seconds, whether wet or not. is this a common fault? any ideas?

Cheers

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 13 May 2010, 10:27

I find autowipers can get a mind of their own if the screen is not cleaned often with a grease cutting cleaner. However ive never had them come on when its not been raining.

Every time i wash the car i use a cleaner (hob brite actually) to cut through the grease on the screen and remove it. Even if you cant see grease on the screen it builds up from traffic film and confuses the sensor.

However if its not that then the sensor might be faulty, though i dont remember hearing one going before.

There is a fail safe thing which if the sensor breaks when in auto position the wipers should be on intermittent. I have read this somewhere (might be in the hand book) but if your car isnt detecting a fault then it wont.

Try cleaning the screen and see how it goes.

The screen isnt scratched or chiped over the sensor is it?

Chris570 · Unread post by **Chris570** » 13 May 2010, 10:28

it's actually a new screen, does lexia cover this?
i'm thinking beer tokens for a local owner of such a device

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 13 May 2010, 10:31

Is the fault just since the new screen was fitted?

Has the sensor been fitted correctly? Not damaged in the fitting?

Im not sure if the sensor would need resetting by lexia, i wouldnt have thought so.

We had a new screen on a scenic2 with rain sensors, it didnt effect the working of the sensor.

Chris570 · Unread post by **Chris570** » 13 May 2010, 10:38

nope, happened a few weeks afterwards though, how do you remove it to check it, does seem to be too much of a coincidence

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 13 May 2010, 10:41

Dont know much about them really.

Have you checked the wire on the back of the sensor is still ok and attatched?

Chris570 · Unread post by **Chris570** » 13 May 2010, 10:54

ah i can't see the plug on there cos the plastic cover is quite firmly attached

R9UKE · Unread post by **R9UKE** » 13 May 2010, 13:55

Hi,

Sounds like a sensor fault. When my Mégane had a fault with the auto. wipers, they just went on to intermittent instead when put in the auto position.

With the Xantia you can check if there is any power going to the sensor from the outside. When activated, you can see a light come on in the sensor on the windscreen - it stays on the whole time the auto wipers are on. If there is no light, power isn't going to the sensor (check the connection)

If the light is on, a fault sensor is likely. The same sensor is used in early versions of the Peugeot 206, 306 and 406 so they're easy to come by. The plastic cover is removed by sliding it parallel to the windscreen (can be tough to remove)

Sl4yer · Unread post by **Sl4yer** » 13 May 2010, 16:29

R9UKE wrote: With the Xantia you can check if there is any power going to the sensor from the outside. When activated, you can see a light come on in the sensor on the windscreen - it stays on the whole time the auto wipers are on. If there is no light, power isn't going to the sensor (check the connection)

When the wipers are switched to Auto, the yellow light in the sensor flashes quickly, until the other half of the sensor sees a suitable reflection, at which point the light is fixed on. Until the light is fixed on, the wipers operate like regular wipers on intermittent. (If contact with the screen is lost AFTER the sensor starts in Auto, the wipers go to fast wipe continuously - something I found out the hard way!). To test the sensor, hold it tight to the mirror when you've removed it from the screen - teh wipers should switch to Auto and the light should be solid.

It's almost certain that the sensor isn't close enough to the screen - the plastic pads over the optics should be on tight enough that they're not visible as being separate from the screen (if that makes any sense).

I succeeded with a tip from DickieG on here - when refitting the sensor, pack the mirror cover with bubble wrap to hold it in place. With some persistence, you'll get it to work.

James

Chris570 · Unread post by **Chris570** » 13 May 2010, 16:39

when you say paralell to the windscreen which way

R9UKE · Unread post by **R9UKE** » 13 May 2010, 17:00

Chris570 wrote:when you say paralell to the windscreen which way

Towards the base of the windscreen... you may need to wiggle it a bit too.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/ ... tm?t=36092

Looks like you're not the only one - this guy would have the same sensor.

Sl4yer · Unread post by **Sl4yer** » 13 May 2010, 18:36

R9UKE wrote: Towards the base of the windscreen... you may need to wiggle it a bit too.

I can get mine off in less than a second now! Getting it back on is trickier...

Forgot to say earlier, no need of a Lexia for the rain sensor. Not on a Xantia at least.

James

Chris570 · Unread post by **Chris570** » 13 May 2010, 19:14

hmmm no obvious signs of damage.
so the 206 and 406 have the same plug?

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 13 May 2010, 19:36

I would have thought a 206 sensor would be the same a an earlier C5 sensor?

Oddly our 52 reg C5 seems to have two sensors in the screen, but the later two have just one. Both have auto lights and wipers.

Sl4yer · Unread post by **Sl4yer** » 13 May 2010, 19:45

Chris570 wrote:hmmm no obvious signs of damage.
so the 206 and 406 have the same plug?

206 and 406 appear to be different (same sensor but different plug), 306 are correct. This is the right type (in fact I think that's who I bought one from before), this is wrong.

Have you tested it away from the windscreen?

James