V6 Xantia......... the beginning of another adventure

[Trainman]

Suddenly thought that...
Have text it to you.

[KP]

Just checked and it's 62ah I have but still a good 20% improvement over your current one and a recondition seems to being back a lot of batteries to perfect health. I've been told it's worth doing once a year on older batteries. Only two I have so far that I've not been able to revive lately

[Trainman]

I'm just debating whether or not to buy a new battery and have be done, it got me thinking that it could be the battery, because a couple of months ago I didn't use the car for 2 days and the battery was flat.

So I'm just pondering at the moment.....

[KP]

If your going to buy a battery buy the biggest that will fit in the space and then use a battery jacket on it for help in the winter months. Will make cold starting much easier and bigger is always better. Worth trying this one for a bit though I would think as I'm sure Paul wouldn't mind.

[Trainman]

Mike,


Err no, not actually got round to it yet given the weather for one thing, sounds like I need to do the mod first could it be that there is a power problem? And that the starting issue is causing everything else?

[Trainman]

I get the starting mod, but what I can't get is why if I disconnect the battery for a couple of hours the gearbox is fine again, I could understand if it was resetting the BSI but it's and ECU isn't it? And therefore disconnecting the battery shouldn't make any difference..... should it?

[citroenxm]

If im correct.. there is no bsi on a xantia steve. Just an ecu each..

[Trainman]

Paul, that's exactly what I mean, why should taking the battery off, rest.the ECU it doesn't make sense to me. Unless I'm being thick.

[Trainman]

I dont know why either but disconnecting the battery DOES reset the ecu. Its obvious the next time you drive the car. It loses (and therefore needs to relearn) your driving 'style'. Maybe thats why its called an adaptive gearbox?

Mike,

Citroen Electrics..................

still at least I know what to do now, just about to order the bits for the mod, hopefully that will solve a few issues. I've just the bits, for the princely sum £18.16 inc VAT and delivery. I'm off next week, so that will give me time to sort it........

[KP]

If you want a hand your welcome to pop down to mine Steve as I'm off most of next week as well at the min

[Trainman]

Will, more than generous of you, I think that may well be a good idea....... i'll fetch biscuits and chocolate

[KP]

Lol sounds like a plan, drop me a text when you know roughly what day as I'm booked up Tuesday morning now /(

[Trainman]

No worries

[xantia_v6]

Next time it does it, try pulling the transmission ECU fuse (unswitched) rather than disconnecting the battery, to see if that also fixes it. Sorry I don't know the fuse number, as I only have the XM diagrams here (and S1 and S2 Xantias have different fuse numbers).

I would still think that the switch is the prime suspect.

When I had problems with my switch, I moved the wiring harness so that the switch connector was beside the air filter, and (with some difficulty), the pin voltages on the connector could be measured without disconnecting anything, and with the engine still running. This did show that there was leakage between the contacts.

In my case, in D the switch was behaving as if it was in an illegal position, which immediately bought on the flashing snow and sport lights and triggered limp mode. In your case, I suspect the switch is behaving as if the gear selector is in a legal but undesirable position (e.g. in position 2.5), thus not registering as a failure until you move the lever to R.

[Trainman]

Right something else for me to try then. I was hoping to get to see Will and get his help, that's looking increasingly unlikely given that I'm working for a couple of days, plus having to wait in for deliveries. The good news is that the bits arrived this morning to do the starter mod.

It looks like I'm going to be tackling this alone, so those who's numbers I have...... stand by your phones....