CitroJim's Citroens

[CitroJim]

You should be able to press a key which allows you to enter the next code. Only 3 times though. After that the waiting period becomes increasingly longer. Can't remember which key though

BND for 10 seconds.

Thanks both

John, yes indeed the code and whether or not the auto unlock from the plip is activated is stored in the ECU and moves with it.

I may be able to find you an ECU but they are quite rare... Will your work on it be destructive?

I've been out and about in the XM with the test ECU today and no reoccurrence of yesterday's fun...

One trip out was to sort out a Xantia V6 the owner was worried was overheating because the cooling fans were on full speed within a minute of starting up. The problem was a nice easy one; the Bitron sensor plug was making a poor connection. A 2.7K resistor makes a good test substitute sensor - 2.7K being the resistance of the sensor at around 82 degrees...

[jorgy]

an odd immobiliser problem. No initial red light, then a red and a green after a fair delay after keying in the (correct) code. Lack of comms with the keypad...

Jim, reading your description here, I never had the "no initial red light" myself. That´s definitely a new one. I have had the red-and-green-together business, i.e. enter code, green comes on, but also red remains on but dim. Is it deteriorating with time, I wonder?

[CitroJim]

I shall keep it on test a wile longer George and see how it goes. It's an interesting one...

[Charles M]

As I asked above, is there any way of removing the immobiliser? I hate them with a passion, it is another thing that will cause a problem for no benefit.

[CitroJim]

I believe Charles, if you disconnect the keypad with the engine running that's all you need to do and the ECU will remain unlocked for the rest of time.

I have never actually done this myself but I believe it may work with the ES9 V6 XM as my first S1 Xantia V6 had the keypad disconnected and remains so to this day. The Xantia V6 and ES9 XM V6 have similar ECUs.

Not relevant to this discussion but I do know the disconnect keypad trick will not work on a 2.0 TCT Xantia so potentially the same may apply to a TCT XM.

I would recommend you make a note of the last good keypad code as you never know when you may need it.

It is a moot point if George's ECU would fail as it did if the keypad had been rendered inoperative.

[furriegurrie]

Disconnecting the keypad with the engine running does work indeed with the es9 in the Xm. I've done this on my Xm break. On my berline a previous owner cut 1 of the wires connected to the keypad with the same result. Plus of this is that the lights still work...

[Charles M]

Right, this looks like a good option!

My last car with a keypad immobiliser was a late BMW E30 325i. I had it four months before it was nicked.

[Jan-hendrik]

Which was nicked, the immobilizer or the vehicle?
My first XM had an immobiliser I always used - sort of fun! Had it for 9 years. The current car doesn't have an immobiliser - no one wants to steal an XM

[Charles M]

The car! The immobiliser wasn't worth nicking...

[Jan-hendrik]

The car! The immobiliser wasn't worth nicking...

OK, so the immobiliser was easy to crack