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Conundrum 2007 C4 1.6HDi SX.... Solved!	Please Register to enjoy additional Member Benefits

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Doo

Sun May 19 2019, 10:11am

Member No: #53751

Joined: May 19 2019
Location: Inverness

Evening all, new here.

As subject box, SX model was working well before we went on holiday (and drove a VW Polo....I am thinking the Citroen is jealous

).

Got into it the other day and it started fine, drove it a bit and all the bongs, dings, beeps and flashing warnings. Code read it and it seems to be a generic U0415 ABS fault.

I thought of the usual suspects, brake switch, sensor, etc, but it's intermittent & doesn't always come on after a start or even after pressing the brake.

I decided ti check the battery, solid. Then fuse box and found a bunch of what I can only describe as "tree poop!"

I vacuumed as much as I could, but I fear the fuse box needs to come out to clean the inner bits, check for damp or corrosion and rule out poor connections.

The symptoms are all warning legends accompanied by beeps & bings. No auto gear change so have to use the paddles or the lever, wont go above 3rd and now & again at low revs the clutch appears to kick in/out harshly as if someone were kicking the pedal it doesn't have.

I did wonder if the clutch plates is worn, but it drove beautifully right up to the day we parked it on the 3rd of May.

Previous to that, it failed the mot on lower wishbone bush & track rod end, which was done at my friends garage along with the advised CV boot (genuine Citroen) so there could be a possibility of something came adrift, but surely it would have showed up during the re-test or the use of the car the week preceding parking it up for the duration of our holiday.

The fact it took two weeks to "appear" suggests the fuse box has been compromised.

I guess I am asking if anyone has come across this before and what was it?

Thanks y'awl

Doo

Sun May 19 2019, 01:02pm

Member No: #53751

Joined: May 19 2019
Location: Inverness

Well, I went and removed the fuse box under the bonnet (called the "controller incase of a fall"....whatever the eff "that" means??)

The fuses were tarnished, but two of them were furry, so I soaked everything in WD40 while shaving the fuses with a small flat file.

I then tipped the fuse box (controller) upside down and drained the WD40 out followed by a blow out using compressed air.

I plugged everything back in, took it for a test run and found she was back to her old self

Only problem left is to install the original radio so I can switch back to MPH, reset the date & time and make sure she speaks English again

First job, unhook the plugs

Pull out the controller and onto the workbench

remove the plastic grille cover and photograph Sherwood feckin Forest

Empty aforementioned contents of Sherwood Forest onto a sheet of blue roll

Blow out with air nozzle

Scrub grotty fuses with small flat file

You can see they have got damp at some point, this caused hi resistance connection which the car saw as sensor faults or reported faults, due to lack of volts

Soaked the connections in WD40 (it was all I had), poked a clean fuse in & out of each fuse holder to clean the grot, blew it out with the air nozzle again and put her back together.

Running like a dream again.

Doo

Tue Jul 23 2019, 08:30am

Member No: #53751

Joined: May 19 2019
Location: Inverness

Well chaps, the last issue appeared after leaving the car idle for two weeks. As you can see above, there was def a visible problem and I thought I'd cured it...

Car sat for the better part of 17 days this time and guess what, fired up to go get fuel and the dash lit up like the fourth of bleedin July again.

Soon as I pressed the brake pedal to allow the engine to start, the pedal rattled at me (which it never does unless we're in a skid...) and I just knew there was going to be a bong followed by the lights of doom.

I took the lid off the fusebox/ECU but no visual sign of wet or bits of tree this time.

Has anyone else had this issue? Was it only apparent after the car had sat idle for 2 or more weeks?

I've just wondering if it is possibly a damp issue again and I have to take the whole thing apart each time we return from holiday or should I just stump up for a new ECU/fusebox???

Very strange though....


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