Xantia Series 2 plip range

[Mandrake]

Hi All,

Just curious to know what the normal range of the RF plip on a series 2 Xantia is ? Mine has new batteries in it but I don't think the range is as good as it should be. I'm sure the Citroen service data says 10 metres minimum, but I don't get anything like that under most circumstances.

It seems to vary a lot depending on which side of the car I approach from. From the sides with no other cars around I get maybe 5 metres at the most, from the rear I'll typically only get 1-2 metres, and maybe 2-3 metres approaching from the front.

This is with the car in the open with no obstacles around. If the car is in a car park surrounded by other cars it won't open if I'm more than one car away, (making it useless to help finding the car in a dark crowded car park) likewise just around the corner of a brick wall it won't work. I know the plip works on 433Mhz which should be a bit better at penetrating objects than that...

It does seem to vary too. Sometimes I'll be almost at the car before it will open despite pressing the button a few times as I approach from about 5 metres, other times the range is as described above.

What range do most of you get with your plips ? Does anyone know where the antenna is and what might be wrong with it if I should be getting better range ? Does it share the car radio antenna by any chance ? The reason I ask is that the radio is very low on sensitivity too, and spends most of its time in mono or jumping between mono and stereo with a nasty sqwark...

[RichardW]

Mine works from in the porch (10+ metres) - and that is on the same batteries that were in the plips when I bought it >5 years ago....

[Mandrake]

Is that from inside the porch ? With the car pointing towards the garage, or towards the road ? There is no way mine would do that, when I was locking my car while visiting I was coming half way from the porch to the car before it would work.

To be honest changing the battery made no difference on mine. I did have to repair the plip when I first got it, both buttons needed resoldering (one had come off completely and was rolling around loose inside ) but it otherwise seemed ok inside so I'm fairly sure the problem is at the car end.

Anyone any clues on whether the CPH shares the radio antenna for receiving the signal from the plip ? Seems like the logical thing to do, and given my radio reception is rather poor (to the point I never use the radio) it would make sense.

[RichardW]

Inside, car pointing away from the garage, other car parked in front of it!

I think the radio aerial base is supposed to earth via the roof, but can corrode causing poor radio signal. Sorry don't know where the receiver for the CL is

[addo]

The aerial is inside the Texton box. Disappointing, I know.

[Eddie Nuff]

Mandrake mine is very similar to yours. Five yards is the max distance from any side, and if the car is parked in a row I have to be stood right in front of it for the plip to work. I can never leave the car for any time (overnight, work car park etc) on the alarm, it has to be locked with the key as I can't trust the alarm to not set off for no apparent reason.

I however have no problem with the radio reception and the batteries in the fob are new.

[Mandrake]

The aerial is inside the Texton box. Disappointing, I know.

So where is that ? Behind the dashboard somewhere ? I assume you're talking about the CPH / body computer...

Interestingly I was playing with the Lexia today and one of the diagnostic results for the CPH which confirms whether the CPH can talk to the engine ECU, siren and so on, also confirms successful "Antenna liaison". To my mind that suggests the antenna or even the transceiver unit is not in the main CPH housing, otherwise why would it have a test to confirm it can liase with it ?

[Mandrake]

Mandrake mine is very similar to yours. Five yards is the max distance from any side, and if the car is parked in a row I have to be stood right in front of it for the plip to work. I can never leave the car for any time (overnight, work car park etc) on the alarm, it has to be locked with the key as I can't trust the alarm to not set off for no apparent reason.

I however have no problem with the radio reception and the batteries in the fob are new.

My alarm was always going off too, so I was locking with the key, but I fixed the alarm. (It was the ultrasonic sensors) See the following long windy thread for full details:

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... =3&t=41002" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Zero false alarms since the repair.

[Eddie Nuff]

Yep, that's long winded. Will have a look at that in the new year when I've more time.