XM Indicator switch not working plus smoke (French electrics?)

[FakeConcern]

Just charged the battery & started the XM 1st time in Months, it's running well, but no dipped beam headlamps!

I've looked in the handbook & each dipped beam is on a different fuse so what should I look for next? Hard to believe both bulbs would fail at the same time, but I haven't actually checked them yet as it's now dark. Very annoying as I intended to go to work in it tomorrow!

[PiperCub]

Do they feed through a relay? This may be the problem, have had relay's come loose out of their sockets. Check fuse box (or wherever the relays are) and give each one a firm press in to check they are fully 'home'.

 

Doubt it's both bulbs FUBAR but to be sure, check there's no volts at either bulb just in case! Could also be the dipswitch (don't know XM's so don't know what the arrangement is) or a connection to it. Put a meter on the input & output of the dipswitch. Check power at the fuse(s) in the f/box too. 

 

Failing that. Start at one end of the circuit (fuse) and work your way through to the load (headlamps), seeing where the feed vanishes. 

[eifion]

Relay problems would be my first guess, too. It's worth taking each one out and cleaning the contacts and seeing if that helps. There's a thread about this on the Club XM forum with some useful advice.

[PiperCub]

If there are relays in the headlamp circuits and the mains are working OK - swap the relays over and turn the lights on to see if the problem has moved to the mains now being u/s but the dips now working. A quick and easy test.

[FakeConcern]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I found the relays on the slam panel & scraped them with a screw driver then sprayed contact cleaner on them, nothing!
Did it again with a bit more scraping & even more spraying, nothing!
Shut the bonnet & hooray!! All working again!

[chaseracer]

Because XM.

[PiperCub]

One of the relays (the dip circuit) might have slightly sticky contacts that slamming the bonnet may have freed it. 

[D Spares & Tyres]

Yes that was one of the many faults on my XM..

[dollywobbler]

Did anyone mention relays? Funnily enough, mine was playing up again yesterday for a time and flashing up false overheat warnings again. I'd rather it didn't do that really.

[beko1987]

The beep will make you paranoid! Mine did it when the coolant level sensor was gummed up, then frequently when I had a leaky water pipe.

 

Every time I ran low on screenwash I dreaded peering round the steering wheel to the message...

[dollywobbler]

My povo spec one lacks such warnings. Just red doom lights.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I found the relays on the slam panel & scraped them with a screw driver then sprayed contact cleaner on them, nothing!

Did it again with a bit more scraping & even more spraying, nothing!

Shut the bonnet & hooray!! All working again!

ahh acoustic headlights- how very french

[406V6]

The factory dipped headlamp bulbs on my 406 lasted 7 years. When they failed they both blew at the same time. I don't believe this was coincidence. There must have been something that blew the second when the first failed.  And it was the afternoon of Christmas Eve when they failed, of course, when all the spares shops were shut.

[eifion]

Did anyone mention relays? Funnily enough, mine was playing up again yesterday for a time and flashing up false overheat warnings again. I'd rather it didn't do that really.

 

Mine did that for a while, too. I fixed it by pulling over and lifting the bonnet to see if the fans were actually working. They were, so I just gave them a hard stare, put the bonnet down and carried on my way. I've had no overheating problems since.

[FakeConcern]

Well I used the XM to go to work & the headlights came on fine this morning. Coming home it was wet & starting to rain so put lights on & no Headlamps again! I put the foglamps on instead, but after a mile or so tried the headlights & they worked. I decided to leave the foglights on as I didn't fancy dring along a dark wet country road and suddenly having no lights. Quite a few people flashed me to let me know they were on & one gave me mainbeam for long enough that I was driving blind for quite a few seconds, but I don't understand what the problem is. The XM's headlamps are pretty dim, in fact when I told Mrs Concern they weren't working she said "how do you know!" and the foglights are really low down, pointing down and also pretty dim. Many cars now have zillion watt DRLs on all the time in the same position as fogs and quite afew have some sort of position lights (Bini, new Fiat 500 for example) why risk causing someone to crash by blinding them just because they are using fogs? I also noticed plenty of cars with fogs on & it was absolutely no problem for me.(should this go in the grumpy old man thread?)

[dollywobbler]

Sorry. I get a bit preachy about front fog lights too. It very much depends on the car, but some are hideously dazzling.

 

Mind you, I got even preachier about the twat driving up the M5 earlier in a grey Insignia with no lights on at all. In heavy rain. He did seem to get the hint though. His car was almost invisible. 

[FakeConcern]

Sorry. I get a bit preachy about front fog lights too. It very much depends on the car, but some are hideously dazzling.

 

Mind you, I got even preachier about the twat driving up the M5 earlier in a grey Insignia with no lights on at all. In heavy rain. He did seem to get the hint though. His car was almost invisible. 

Just out of interest, what is it in particular you don't like as I'd say in general, fogs are designed to point down (under the fog)and as I said there are more cars with dazzling LED DRLs which are perfectly legal.

[dollywobbler]

I hate LED DRLs as well. Especially DS3 ones. But I find some fog lights really blind me - Renault Scenic Mk1s are especially bad for this, though most of them are now dead, so it's less of a problem these days.

[FakeConcern]

OK fair enough!

[PiperCub]

Think you need to go through the h/lamp circuit from beginning to end to find out where the issue is, if it's not the relay then the 'slamming bonnet' cure indicates a bad connection somewhere. Also have you checked the earth continuity? Bad earths can be a bugger.

 

Come to think of it, didn't XM's have a bizarre earthing arrangement that was a bit prone to causing all manner of shit and problems? I seem to recall some kind of multi-terminal point for circuit grounds that is best binned and replaced by simpler direct connection to body/ground? 

 

Have I just made this up or does it relate to a different car & I'm getting confused?

[hauserplenty]

^ This. Nothing to lose in checking the ground side of the circuit, and the intermittent nature of the fault plus the fact they both fail at once make a strong case for a corroded or loose ground wire doing a Peugeot somewhere.

[eifion]

Come to think of it, didn't XM's have a bizarre earthing arrangement that was a bit prone to causing all manner of shit and problems? I seem to recall some kind of multi-terminal point for circuit grounds that is best binned and replaced by simpler direct connection to body/ground? 

 

Have I just made this up or does it relate to a different car & I'm getting confused?

 

Early XMs had the bad multipoint earthing system, but thankfully Citroen changed it for the later cars. Fakeconcern's XM, being a series II, won't have it. That doesn't mean there still couldn't be earthing problems, of course.

[steve_earwig]

The factory dipped headlamp bulbs on my 406 lasted 7 years. When they failed they both blew at the same time. I don't believe this was coincidence. There must have been something that blew the second when the first failed.  And it was the afternoon of Christmas Eve when they failed, of course, when all the spares shops were shut.

Pug have built-in obsolescence down to a fine art? They're only H7s, you can pick them up in most gas station/convenience stores.

[FakeConcern]

I think that (whoever said it) could be right and the relay is getting stuck, the bonnet shut made it click over and once on it stays on. When i have the chance, I'll see if the I can swap it with the main beam one as a try out for that theory.

[dieselnutjob]

The aiming of front fogs is not tested in the MOT. If they are properly adjusted they should not dazzle any more a dipped beam but no one ever does adjust them.

[dollywobbler]

The aiming of front fogs is not tested in the MOT. If they are properly adjusted they should not dazzle any more a dipped beam but no one ever does adjust them.

 

Do they even have adjustment? 

[dieselnutjob]

607 does

[FakeConcern]

The headlamps seem to work all the time now, but the dashboard (headlamp) warning light doesn't come on! Any ideas on that one?

[hauserplenty]

(Scratches head)

...is that a warning light to warn you that the headlights are on, in case you're driving during the day...

...or a DRL lamp, to warn you that only the fronts are alight, in case you're driving at night?

...It used to be so simple.

There, but for the grace of a wiring diagram go I.

But you may want to check to see if the taillights are on; at least that will tell you if all you have working are the DRL's (before the cops do!)

Or put the parking brake on, as sometimes that cancels the DRL's. If they go out then the headlamp circuit needs checking.

A failing, but not yet failed combination switch could cause this, especially on a canbus-type system. I've seen similar failures on Daimler-Sheisslers where the symptom was not always the same--in which case, substituting a known good switch is a reliable way to narrow it down.

[hauserplenty]

Also, you could try retensioning the relay sockets, as the problem might not be the relays but the wiring to them. Not advisable without a wiring diagram and/or disconnecting the battery UV CURSE...