Citroen Xsara Picasso 2004 - Heater Blower Resistor wiring loom

[Mimas]

Hi,
I have a Citroen Xsara Picasso 2004 - Heater Blower Resistor wiring loom.
My heater stop blowing completely, so check I had power to the blowing motor and also the motor worked when power was applied, all good.
However when I checked the Heater Blower Resistor the connection was burnt where it connects to the connector on the wiring loom.
Not sure why this is maybe the motor is drawing too much current or the OEM Heater Blower Resistor I replaced a couple of years back was not good.
My question is I can replace the resistor OK but how do I get access to repair the connector on the wiring loom as access is impossible to get a crimp tool in there to put on a new connector.
Anyone had any experience of this.
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks.

[Huskyxantia]

Isn't there 3 different types ? Have you any photos of yours at all ebay covers all the parts your need, it straight forward enough to do but depends which is your type.
Different car but my old xantia it was unplug take old one out new one in the housing it sits in then lead plugged back on , my heater worked on all setting after, all cars are different but the job is much the same.

[Oil Can]

Can't help with the specific problem but I think connectors burn when there's a bad contact between the male and female pins in the connector. The bad contact causes high resistance and voltage drop across the connector. When current flows through the high resistance it causes heat which melts the connector. The melted connector causes higher and higher resistance which makes the problem worse.

[wheeler]

My question is I can replace the resistor OK but how do I get access to repair the connector on the wiring loom as access is impossible to get a crimp tool in there to put on a new connector.
Anyone had any experience of this.

I cant really remember the setup on the picasso, it's been a years since i've been near the heater system on one. Once the glovebox & heater motor have been removed does the wiring not drop down enough into the duct where the blower motor sits?

[Huskyxantia]

Sounds about right above

[Mimas]

Hi All,
Appreciate all the replies, very helpful forum, just to confirm it is NOT the Heater Blower Resistor part I am trying to replace this is accessible by removing the glovebox, you can just about reach it from below.
What I am trying to replace is the plug socket the Heater Blower Resistor attaches too. It was damaged when too much current was being drawn.
Unfortunately, the wire the plug socket attaches too only drops by about 2 cm’s so is next to impossible to get too, to change there is not enough room in the ducting. The way I guess to do this properly is to take apart the whole front of the dash board which to me seemed a lot of work to change a plug.
So just for anyone else trying to fix this connector the way I got around the problem was as follows:
• Tie a cord around the plug connector once it has been removed from the Heater Blower Resistor part.
• Reach in over the top of the ducting (not inside the ducting) grab the wiring loom with the connector on and pull it through the hole in the ducting and across the top of the ducting “WITH THE CORD ATTACHED”. It will give you more length in the wire to get access to the plug once you have fully pulled the plug out.
• Do not pull the cord out when done “leave as is”, so it is running across the top of the ducting and through the hole which you can reach from inside.
• Cut off the old connector make sure you note down exactly the wiring orientation and where correct wires go the plug has a lug on it so make sure it is the right way around when noting the details.
• I then used high amp WAGO connectors to replace a new plug onto the wiring loom, I also put in a couple of in line fuses on the positive lines so if in future high current is drawn I won’t have the same issue of burn out.
• Next is the tricky bit, you then using the cord you tied to original connect, tie it to the new one.
• You then reach inside of ducting and pull the cord so the plug is pulled back across the ducting you will get it to the hole, this is then quite a tricky bit, you need to get the connector back in through the hole, but it can be done with a lot of wiggling and pulling on the cord.
• Without the cord you would never be able to get the connector back in to position as you cannot access it, the gap is too small.

I hope the above helps someone else.
Cheers

[Huskyxantia]

Id find out what caused the surge to be on the safe side and get that sorted too.

[Mimas]

Yes agree thanks Huskyxantia,
All I can think of is as stated previously

1. Bad contact between the male and female pins in the connector
2. Maybe the motor is drawing too much current Faulty motor
3. The OEM Heater Blower Resistor I replaced a couple of years back was not good.

It a strange one

[wheeler]

Have you checked you pollen/cabin filter? If this is clogged or blocked it can cause the motor to work harder due do the restriction & draw more current.

[Mimas]

Good thought Wheeler, will check that, thanks for the feedback. It is changed at its full service each year, but could have got clogged.
I did take the old plug apart, and I could see the other socket pins on the plug were quite green and corroded so could have been a bad connection.
My Picasso has now done 240k in miles so I cannot complain it has been one longest running cars I've had. That's too the moon and back.
One thing I will mention is, if any one is changing this socket, is when you order them off eBay what you get is a bit of a joke. The flying leads that the socket comes with are so flimsy and underrated for the current they will be drawing, I took the socket apart and replaced the wires with something a bit more heavy duty.
Thanks for all the help from this forum it really is a helpful place thanks guys.

[Oil Can]

I think it's a classic case of a bad connection causing resistance and heat, melting the connector. If there was too much current a fuse would blow.