key code problem- help

[froggy]

Hi, my fathers series 1 Xantia. He is currently sat in a car park unable to start. He says, that the red light on the key code is flashing. the engine turns over but wont start. has he put the wrong number in? would that be the reason why the light is flashing and it wont start. thanks in advance Terry

[citroenxm]

If he has entered the code wrong once he then needs to sit ignition OFF for about 5 mins... Its simmilar to a radio.. Enter the code wrong about 4 times then you need to wait an hour before you can try again.. I know this from experiance with a 1996 td model a few years ago...

Paul

[froggy]

Cheers, thanks for the quick reply, Terry

[Old-Guy]

If he has entered the code wrong once he then needs to sit ignition OFF for about 5 mins... Its simmilar to a radio.. Enter the code wrong about 4 times then you need to wait an hour before you can try again.. I know this from experiance with a 1996 td model a few years ago...
Paul

For the benefit of anyone who reads this thread at a later date - I assume (and hope!) Terry's father isn't still stuck in a car park!

I can claim to be a real expert at entering the wrong code - at least once a day at present! I've always been quite good at mis-keying the code - sometimes more than once and invariably when using daughter's '98 petrol estate. Recently one button on mine became iffy (it was a stupid idea to use one number twice in the original code - 20/20 hindsight is a wonderful gift). Last week, before the iffy button decided to die completely, I changed the code to 4 completely fresh digits. But habit dies hard, more often than not I now start entering the old code and then remember when I get to the second digit (that iffy button).

On none of the small selection of S1s that I've driven, (petrol and diesel) is there any waiting period after entering a wrong code (or several). But you MUST enter 4 digits (and only 4) to get either Red or Green LED to light; if you make a mistake part way, press any number keys until the Red LED lights, then enter the correct code. Only if you get (the code pad) confused, do you need to start again from scratch by turning the ignition off and on (no need to wait at all).

[citroenxm]

Hi guy..

I must disagree.. The system allows four incorrect attempts then after the fourth in correct attempt there IS an hours wait...

During a code input if you make the first second or third incorrect entry simply switching off the ignition key before the fourth entry will allow you try again from the start immediatley...

Paul

[xmexclusive]

I have no experience of Xantia's but on XM's Citroen changed the keypad immobiliser routines at least four times between 1994 and 1996.
Each version has a number of differences including different lock out and delay rules.
These typically got more complex with each change.
For example code error lock out changed from none to 1 minute then to 30 minutes finally to 1 hour.
Ignition switch off/on changed from not needed into continue timing when switched on then to restart time count again.

I would not be surprised if Citroen applied similar developement changes on other models of the same age.
If so that might explain needing different proceedures for cars that at first sight appear to be of a similar age and model.

John

[Captain Slow]

Another option I found out tonight it to pull the keypad out, unplug it, plug it back in and hey presto, back to normal.