Xantia-My solution is to smash a window!

[NewcastleFalcon]

My Xantia 1.9tdsx is well and truly SORN ed at the moment, but from time to time I set to and tinker around, start it up etc.

Occasionally I have to do a bit of car shuffling about to get my other car next to the house to do the usual maintenance and repair tasks.

Today was one of those days but the Xantia had other ideas. Today was the day that despite a next to flat battery it was going to lock all the doors and the boot without human intervention.

So there was me all ready to give the Xantia a jump start, with my other car alongside, and I go to get the jump leads conveniently stored on the Xantia front seat to find that it had done its "locking the doors all by itself trick".

Now I wasn't too concerned, just a bit annoyed. You see it had tried this trick before, but the good old boot had come to my rescue allowing me to crawl in from the hatchback end and release the doors. That is precisely why I had taken care to leave the car doors unlocked so I wouldn't have to do the crawling in from the boot approach again. I went round to the hatchback fully expecting it to come to my rescue again but no! For the first time in about 2 years of being SORN'ed the hatchbacK had decided to lock itself as well.

Just to add to the annoyance the keys I have for the car do not operate either of the front door locks-spinning round and round and round. The hatchback lock pushes in and out, but the keys do not turn that lock either. The infra red on the plips doesn't work, and the main 12vbattery is flat as a pancake.

Today wasn't the day to smash the window, but I feel its inevitable...........(I do have all the doors from my previous xantia so I can replace the glass)
Unless forum members have any good ideas..........

Kind Regards
Neil

[jgra1]

Neil.. stopping the locks turning is I fear your only way out of this situation ..
I don't quite know how the mech works,., but liberal WD40, gentle heat? and repeat for 2 hours on both locks -may give you a window of opportunity,

if not, then have a smashing time
there may be other ways...
John

edit

try the hatch again.. press button and heave heave ! its probably a stuck seal around the hatch..

[NewcastleFalcon]

Thanks John, I thought I showed a surprising amount of restraint not taking the hammer to it today. Maybe working on the hatchback lock is my best bet. I still have no idea why it has suddenly decided to lock itself now when for the previous 2 years it has never done this before, particularly when the battery is so flat.

kind regards
Neil

[jgra1]

reread post again Neil.,, I cant remember now with xants.. I am sure my s2's didn't have a key lock for the boot, just a button (on central locking).. but I could be wrong..

if yours has a key, and that's not releasing lock then.. hmm

did the front door locks ever work with that key?

[Citroenmad]

The locks usually spins when the pins inside the lock stick and don't 'read' the key. So I would also suggest some time with a can of WD40 and see how that goes

[jgra1]

but hang on..

you are sure you left all locks unlocked,,,

then how can it lock itself... ? ,

[Hell Razor5543]

It's a Citroen! They do things just to confuse/upset/worry their owners.

[jgra1]

yes how could I forget

[myglaren]

It's a Citroen! They do things just to confuse/upset/worry their owners.

The clock was probably wrong and it thinks it's the first of April

[NewcastleFalcon]

When the car was daily transport, I would always use the plip to lock/unlock. I cant remember if the keys ever operated the door locks but it would be nice if they did now! The keys did work in the ignition barrel of course and started the car, and I fully suspect the ignition barrel was original. While it has been sorned I have never locked it myself either with the plip or the key and in general all four doors and the hatchback would be open. It was only a week or so ago when it locked all four doors but the hatchback remained open (probably cos I didn't close it properly). It was certainly my intention to leave all four doors open, and I did nothing active to lock them after I had released them the last time. I have removed the alarm ECU but I have been in and out of the car loads of times since I did this. When I do get back into the car I think I will just remove one of the locks entirely so I don't get this problem again. Its a bit drastic to smash and replace a different window every time the car wants to play this little trick. Something must activate this "deadlocking" , maybe on a timed basis. My current car will lock itself if you inadvertently leave it unlocked after a period of time.
Bit of a mystery

regards Neil

[jgra1]

hmm strange one Neil


thank goodness you have 4 or more 'solutions' with this problem

its just a shame you cant take the car somewhere interesting before getting your hammer out.. lol

[Xaccers]

I'd call a locksmith or the AA/RAC as they know how to get into locked cars without resorting to breaking windows.

[Northern_Mike]

I'd call a locksmith or the AA/RAC as they know how to get into locked cars without resorting to breaking windows.

Yes. That. They got into my Passat in about 30 seconds when I locked my 18 month old daughter in it.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[Xantidote]

The door locks on my Xantia are worn, and I have to be careful not to force the key when turning to lock/unlock. If there's resistance, I often find it's because the key has not gone all the way into the lock (about 2mm short). Alternatively if the key is not inserted the full amount, then it can alternatively just spin, as you are finding. All I'm saying is that when you use the WD40 or whatever and try the key, make sure the key's all the way in.

Sorry can't help you with the car doing it's own thing and getting locked up

[addo]

You need a long-ish flat blade screwdriver, tip width about 5/32" and bare steel shaft at least 8" long. You also need a cruciform key of any cut.

Look at the back edge of the front door, you will see a small black round plug about 3/8" diameter. Use the screwdriver or a pick tool to pull this plug out.

Now bend the screwdriver shank slightly in a vice, keep the blade vertical and bend about 4" from the tip; not sure what angle by numbers but maybe 5-10 degrees. Insert the screwdriver into the hole keeping the tip vertical. Tilt the shaft upwards and "feel" for the lock release hole that's at 9 o'clock on the driver's door cylinder. Adjust the bend of your screwdriver if required. Put your cruciform key into the hole and turn 90° so it won't pull out. Whilst pushing in the barrel release hole, pull/wiggle on the key and the barrel eventually releases (the o-ring seal usually gums it in slightly).

Last step is to turn the slotted receiving shaft at back of the lock barrel recess, about 45 degrees to unlock the door.