2013 C4 Pic 1.6 diesel not starting

[Rosanbo]

Hi guys,

I just got a C4 picasso diesel 1.6 from a trusted source. Not sure if it is "grand" or not.
The car had a major service just a couple of weeks ago, filled it up this morning from sainsbury's full tank fill up 45 litres (nothing unusual there) it then drove to work for 40 minutes no problem.

4 days in with no problems, drove to work fine this morning but when I left work at 7PM

The battery was 100% before tonight, stop start was functioning as normal. Obviously all the below, has run down the battery significantly, now it has a red battery light top left dash corner just above the green "passing vehicle" thingy. But still enough charge left to continue to turn engine over.

I started the car ok, drove away 10 feet within the car park and it stopped and cut off.

Tried to restart it and it just turned over and over and over for about 15 secs without starting and then stops trying to start.


There is also an engine management light "yellow engine" symbol bottom of dash.

I did this procedure again and again and again, usually the car just would not start but a few times it did start, sometimes only for a second before stopping again. and
once I had it started and I left it on idle but it cut out after 10 seconds.
once I had it started and I revved it high but it cut out after 10 seconds.

I have now left it in the car park and will go back to deal with it tomorrow.

I am going to try to call the AA out first of all, and if they can't fix it I will have it taken to Citroen.

[Rosanbo]

Hi,

The AA guy said it was a fuel problem, either a blockage or fuel pump.
The AA guy asked to see my fuel receipt it does say diesel.

He had a suction device and sucked the diesel through at the rail, but nothing came through and he said that was not right.

It is now with Citroen for a diagnosis.

I am going to ask Sainsbury's if anyone else has reported problems.

I am guessing fuel filter, is it easy to change?

Where is it located?

Is the Haynes manual worth buying because it is for 2007 -2014?

I am thinking of cancelling Citroen and just changing the filter myself on the road side where it is... they have not got time to diagnose it yet...so save myself some bucks.

HOWEVER: I got a service reciept from Citroen £329 dated 30/10/2017
"fully replaced oil, air, fuel & pollen filters & oil change"

But the other thing is I filled up from Sainsburys and the following morning there was a sign at the entrance to the forecourt diesel not available pumps 1 2 3 4 6 8 .....So I might have had the dregs of diesel from the bottom of the sainsburys tanks ?
If it turns out to be fuel filter I have good evidence to show sainsbury's

[Rosanbo]

The fuel problem is fixed now... It was the fuel filter seal had split, it was only fitted 2 weeks prior in a citroen service, different dealership (who say they use genuine parts), must have fitted it badly.

I have another problem now, when the AA guy was there he reset the faults, but when the AA and I took it to the garage and left it outside and tried to lock with the fob, the alarm kept going off as soon as you press the lock button.

I thought that this would be fixed by the diagnosis and the repair, I thought the alarm error was linked somehow to all the problems, because when it would not start the doors would also not lock. When I handed it over and described the problem I just said "not starting fuel problem" I did not think to mention the alarm. We had locked it with the key outside Citroen.

They told me they had repaired the fuel filter seal and said "and the alarm is not working"....

Are they expecting me now to pay another £50 to diagnose the alarm?


Can anyone help with this alarm problem please, could it have anything to do with the AA reading and resetting codes?

As soon as the lock button is pressed the alarm goes off.

[MikeT]

Possibly just needs a BSI reset?

[Rosanbo]

Hi thank you

What does it involve? BSI

Battery Disconnect / Reconnect Procedure

[MikeT]

Something like that, though I've personally never seen that method officially documented but it seems to work, reportedly.
BSI reset, is akin to correctly shutting down your pc whereas you wait for the car's computer systems to shut down and go into standby before disconnecting the battery and equally waiting a few minutes for them to fully intialise after reconnecting the battery before starting the car.

Sorry I missed your last comment. What do you mean you have no ignition?

[Rosanbo]

Hi,

I have no ignition to turn, I press a stop start button.

I just tried that method, as much as I can.

When I pressed the lock button for 10 seconds the window went up and the alarm did not go off, but because the bonnet was still open the alarm did go off after 2 minutes.

But on unlocking and re locking the alarm went off as before.

Someone just suggested it you remove the battery and connect the +tve and -tve leads together for 10 minutes , then come back it might fix it....

Any comments on that before I do it? (I'm not going to do that unless told I can try it by someone who knows).

[MikeT]

Ah, right. I'm not familiar with these newer pushbutton systems but imagine the BSI reset is still relevant to some degree and the fact the alarm didn't go off first time sounds hopeful?
Nest time, I'd close all doors, windows and bonnet before attempting to lock it. I think the idea is to push the lock button briefly but within 10 seonds of turning on the ignition - which obviously you cannot do. Hopefully someone more familiar with you car will assist.
The idea of shorting the battery leads is to discharge any residual charge in the electrical system. Personally I don't like the idea and if I had to do it, would use a resistive load like a light bulb between the leads instead.

[RichardW]

Is this a MK1 or MK2 Picasso?

On the MK1 it's impossible to short the battery leads as the -ve is well hidden at the back of the engine bay, don't know about MK2, not had a close look at one. I don't think it makes any difference anyway - just taking the battery off (after allowing a suitable delay, 5+ minutes, for the BSI to go to sleep) will force a BSI re-start. You can see this in Lexia, as it records a BSI fault for 'unexpected re-start'.

If the alarm goes off as soon as it is armed, then one or more of the doors or other sensors is in fault. Really you could do with getting it on a LEXIA to see which one is at fault. However, letting the BSI re-start will be no bad thing!

[Rosanbo]

Should the dealer yesterday not have checked even though I had not mentioned it,, I paid them £50 they may not have realised there was an alarm problem until they finished the work and went to park it in the car park. I think that is poor service to just say "fixed the fuel, but you also have an alarm fault."

It is Oct 2013, I don't know, but the neg is right at the back, but you could connect with a bit wire.

Any reason the sensor will have just gone like that?

[doctle]

I can't help with the electrics but the workshop manual is going to be useful.

[MikeT]

Should the dealer yesterday not have checked even though I had not mentioned it,, I paid them £50 they may not have realised there was an alarm problem until they finished the work and went to park it in the car park. I think that is poor service to just say "fixed the fuel, but you also have an alarm fault."

I know what you mean but how far would you expect them to go - a full wash and wax too if it's dirty? Sadly, I keep reading of people taking their car's in complaining of a specific fault and not only do the garages fail to fix the fault, they change perfectly good parts for new and demand the customer pays for it!

[doctle]

Maybe not a wash but the alarm going off says there's a problem. Problem = a scan and some labour costs = £££ God knows there's enough garages charging for work not done, people expect a bit extra on garage bills

[MikeT]

Maybe not a wash but the alarm going off says there's a problem. Problem = a scan and some labour costs = £££ God knows there's enough garages charging for work not done, people expect a bit extra on garage bills

My point exactly. Where do you draw the line?
By only addressing what the customer complains about, imo.
I would consider it a courtesy to suggest other work spotted that may need doing but some customers can get aggressively defensive if you point out how defective or badly maintained their car is.

Your tyres are worn, sir.
F-off, what are you the police?

Your engine oil is low.
The price you charge for oil, it'll stay that way!

You sidelight is out.
Yeah and you'll take the front bumper off to replace it, I'm not paying £75ph for a £2 bulb!

[doctle]

Touche