Remote central locking/ignition accessories position

[Rustinho]

Hi there folks!

As you can no doubt tell, I'm not exactly a prolific poster but in the year or so that I've owned my dear old Pug I've not really had any problems that I haven't been able to solve either via information readily available through searching the forum or elsewhere on t'interweb.

OK then. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...

The vehicle in question is a 406 2.0 HDi 110 Family LX estate, 02 registered.

This is the second time that I have experienced this problem. The first time it happened it went away of its own accord with me doing nothing else other than checking a few fuses and not being able to find anything wrong. After a few days, things just started working again.

The problem is with the key fob/remote central locking/similar.

Yesterday the remote central locking just stopped working. Initially I thought it was a problem with the key fob battery but the central locking would not work via the key either. Courtesy lights have also stopped lighting up when you open the doors/boot.

However, once the key is in the ignition and the ignition turned on the central locking, courtesy lights, etc all work as they should do.

The "accessories" position on the ignition has also stopped working (ie no dash lights, courtesy lights, CD player/radio, etc).

On a couple of occasions I have had the "electronic immobiliser" (orange key shaped icon on left hand side of main speedo/rev/instruments panel) warning light appear on the dash after turning the key into the on position but it goes off once the engine is running. Most of the time this does not happen.

Also, and I'm unsure if this is likely to be related or not, but the aftermarket CD/radio has randomly begun switching itself on and/or switching from radio to CD as well as slightly losing left hand side speaker volume. I suspect that this is probably just a coincidence and will be down to a loose connector in the back of the radio but I thought I'd better mention it just in case it is a significant symptom that someone else may have experienced.

Obviously I will need to re-check the relevant fuses (central locking, etc) but where do I go from there assuming that I don't find anything wrong? (again!)

Thanks in advance for your help, folks.

[lozz]

Iwouid check the door loom,
Perhaps for chaffed/broken shorting wiring
I've seen them feed back and cause ..weird. gremlins

Might not be that but with you saying your loosing left hand volume/speaker
Its possible,

[GingerMagic]

In my 306, I lost central locking and r/h door speaker, when he wind bent the door back everso slightly. Didn't happen straight away but a couple of months later.
Turned out to be the loom between the door and the frame just got stretched a bit and started shorting.

[mjb]

Also, and I'm unsure if this is likely to be related or not, but the aftermarket CD/radio has randomly begun switching itself on and/or switching from radio to CD as well as slightly losing left hand side speaker volume. I suspect that this is probably just a coincidence and will be down to a loose connector in the back of the radio but I thought I'd better mention it just in case it is a significant symptom that someone else may have experienced.

Sounds like the radio's hooked up to the VAN bus. Check the wiring. There's three (if memory serves) pins on the power iso connector, which on D9s are communication network to the BSI and should be completely disconnected if using an aftermarket stereo. If they're left connected, strange things will happen - ECUs will become unable to communicate with each other, the BSI won't be able to go into standby (killing your battery), and the stereo will randomly turn itself on - just as the doors are unlocked is a good indicator of this

[Rustinho]

Thanks for the replies folks. I really appreciate it.

A couple of extra "symptoms" (possible ones at least):

The fuel gauge dial and rev counter both click around as soon as the ignition is switched on. It's almost as if they're doing some sort of self-calibration or something. They didn't do this before the remote central locking failed.

Probably less significantly, ever since I bought the car I have had the famous indicator stalk problem (ie where instead of self-cancelling after a right turn it starts to indicate left) so I thought that I'd better mention that too.

Good call on the battery getting drained - I did have some issues with that over the winter (as well as generally quite poor cold starting) and did a much-needed change of the glow plugs which seemed to help a little bit but not as much as I expected.

Hopefully, if we get a break in the awful weather, I'll get to have a good look at it in the next few days.

[Rustinho]

Thanks for all the help so far.

I've been unable to find any specific problem as yet. I completely disconnected the stereo and left the battery off overnight. Everything seemed to re-set as I expected but still no joy on the central locking/ignition.

Incidentally, the central locking does work when the ignition is on (via the drivers door when I tried it).

I checked the wiring loom through the door and couldn't see any obvious problems with insulation rubbed off the wiring or anything.

Also - the loss of right hand speaker volume was only via the tweeter on the right hand side of the dashboard - not in the drivers door.

However, unfortunately I was driving along a dual carriageway the other day and the car stopped working!

The engine check light came on and everything suddenly stopped working. Rather than risk being recovered home & not being able to sort the problem myself I got recovered straight to a trusted local garage (my dad went to school with the guy that owns it and they're both in their late 70s!) who have diagnosed a faulty fuel pressure regulator as the cause of the breakdown.

While they've got it I'll get them to have a look and see if anything they can easily check via the computery plug in stuff shows up as being a problem that might be related to the central locking/ignition accessories position issues.

Another issue that showed up was that the hazard warning lights don't work unless the ignition is switched on. Surely this can't be right?!

Any results will of course be reported back for anyone searching for answers to a similar problem.

[Rustinho]

Just putting together a couple of things I mentioned above...

Poor starting (particularly during the winter) plus knackered fuel pressure regulator = that problem solved?

Any other contributions are welcome!

[mjb]

Could just be a dead battery

[Rustinho]

Finally got the car back today. The problem with it breaking down last week turned out to be a faulty fuel pump (the one that sits inside the fuel tank) so it is running once again. The fuel gauge isn't working properly (seems stuck on about 3/4 of a tank) but the sender on the fuel pump is fine and the suspicion points at something behind the dashboard somewhere (reading around I suspect that this is commonly a loose earth screw so that shouldn't be too bad to sort).

To recap - remaining symptoms:

Fuel gauge stuck on 3/4 full. (possibly a loose earth screw and may be a separate problem)

Central locking not working on door lock/key but does work from inside only when the ignition is on.
Accessories position on ignition key/switch does not work.
Hazard warning lights do not work unless ignition is on.
Indicators problem (right turn does not auto cancel - starts flashing left instead)

Obviously, the indicators problem is common to the COM2000 unit not working properly. Is there any chance that this might be related to the other problems given that they seem to locate around the steering wheel/ignition? It seems like it could be more than just a coincidence to me but I'm no auto-electrician!

Thanks in advance for your continuing help, folks.

[pugmiester406]

hi rustinho, have you resolved your problem yet as ive just got back off me hols and.......... same car as yours, battery is dead (new a year ago) now ive charged the battery the interior lights aint working, fuel gauge going mad, im going mad, key symbol on dash has appeared and both me and my wifes keys which 4 days ago started the heap now wont!!!! sounds very much like your ills!!! ??????????????????????

[Rustinho]

No joy as yet I'm afraid but I am trying to figure out a plan of action.

When I get chance the dash will come off to see if I can fix the fuel gauge problem, assuming that it is the loose screw problem as commonly reported.

I'm doing plenty of googling around to try & find any ways I can test either the ignition switch (since I think this might be a possible cause of the problem and it should be cheap/easy to check out) or test the COM 2000 unit (I'm not holding out much hope for that one!)

I'm on a really low income (I had to give up my job as a science teacher to become a full time carer to my wife) so I'm reluctant to take it to an auto electrician unless I ABSOLUTELY have to but I fear that might end up being what I have to do in the end. Mucking around with electronics/electrics has never been much fun for me. My favourite bits of science are making smells, noises and burning things!

[steve_earwig]

Did you check the fuses in the BSI?

[Rustinho]

Did you check the fuses in the BSI?

Yes. I've been through and tested the fuses with a electrical circuit tester unit so not just checking to see if they look ok (made that mistake in the past!)

Thanks for making sure I'm covering all bases and not missing something obvious though!

I'm hoping that it'll turn out to be something really straightforward cos I don't have much money to play with as it is (insurance & road tax due at the end of the month apart from anything else!)

[Rustinho]

Fuel gauge stuck on 3/4 full. (possibly a loose earth screw and may be a separate problem)

I've had the instruments out and there is no sign on any earth screw on the PCB as indicated on this thread (just as an example of a common problem I saw on Peugeot fuel gauges when searching the web):

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/ ... tm?t=42091

This leads me to the conclusion that my car is different to the older models that this refers to. Either that or there isn't an earth screw & that's why it isn't working!

So, another thing ruled out which is good. Although it still isn't fixed (too poor to take it to an auto sparky to get it checked out properly) so I'll just have to make do for the time being until I have enough money to get it sorted.

[Rustinho]

Another symptom that I had neglected to post:

The car "forgets" settings when the ignition is turned off.

ie the lights go back to automatic, the interior heater resets back to 14C with aircon on, instrument light settings revert back to a particular setting, that kind of thing.