Citroen XM Forum

HI
Can anyone describe how to replace the fusebox on xm mk2, or is there any resource online where I might be able to find out? Have various intermittent electrical faults:
- indicators not working, instead making interior light come on and making a horrible buzzing sound from under the glovebox
- central locking with fob only closing not opening
- horrible clicking sound sometimes when driving from dash display area
- weird sound from engine fusebox after turning key off
- all lights remain on dash display on when engine turned off (only switch off when i open and close drivers door)
- battery light on when switch interior light on, disappears when light goes off

am thinking fusebox might be key

thanks

Hi

First thing that I would check would be the indicator switch.
These have a habit of contact tracking due to fine metal filings in the grease from wear.
This sets the indicator relay trying but failing to operate so buzzes continuously.
Indicators switches then have a habit of smoking before the melt and catch fire.

Engine bay fuse box has two 10mm connection leads under a cover engine end.
These are live so need taping after removal position is not critical as they are from the same feed point.
Note position and current af the fuses before removing.
Now undo the two 10mm bolts fixing the box in place.
These are likely to be corroded solid so may resist so douse with penetrating fluid.
With the box loose you will see two yellow squares on the box sides.
These are the latches for the plugs on the feed wires.
These plugs are colour coded but the matching marks will be long gone on the fuse box base.
The yellow latches run right through the box, they will push in from one side until the wire plugs are released.
All can now be removed.
That fuse box was standard on many similar age PSA cars.
Only on the XM are the fuse contacts heavily over-rated and burn up.
So source a good secondhand one from any PSA car type except an XM.

Apart from poor contacts there is nothing in this engine bay fuse box to cause your problems.

Look at Gabors circuit diagram project in the self help.
This contains a typical MK2 wiring diagram.

John

To help pin down a possibly faulty indicator stalk switch...
- switch on IGN
- very gently and slowly start to move the indicator stalk up (or down) in the direction that would normally operate the indicators
- if the buzzing changes/comes/goes/alters in frequency as slight pressure is applied to the stalk, then the innards have become contaminated with metal in the grease.

It is usually possible to strip the switch, inspect and repair, but replacements are still showing available from Citroen, pt.no. 6253 55, and less expensively on the web.

OK thanks for your replies.

I changed the indicator switch stalk with one I know to be working... Nothing different.

Changed main fusebox under glove box.
Indicators started working again, they are still working.

However,
With engine off, when I open the drivers door, the interior light switches on as it should. When I close the door and the timer/relay kicks in the light begins to dim as it should. But it only dims to half way, and at the same time all the lights on the dash display appear (albeit halfway illuminated). When I take the key out altogether, these lights remain on.

Central locking worked once, then back to old tricks:
When I lock the central locking using the fob, the dash display lights up halfway and the interior light stays on (albeit a dimmed version). I can open and close the central locking before the relay timer kicks in to switch everything off (which it doesn't seem to succeed at, apart from shutting down the aforemntioned central locking!).

The central locking works perfectly when the interior light switch is ON (engine running or not). However, the interior light switch doesn't work when the key is turned halfway in the ignition, or when the engine is running.

Also, since changing the fusebox the back window demister has stopped working.

This is my first foray into car electrics so I am a total amateur, and I feel quite proud of myself for having been able to change the fusebox, the glove compartment, adding a cd changer to the car stereo and changing the indicator switch, but am at a loss of what to do now. Electrical wiring diagrams are beyond me, but any other suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks

It sounds like you have an earthing problem.

The lighting dimmer is behind the lower dash panel on the drivers side.

When that amount of chaos breaks out, it's worth checking the vehicle's front-end earthing points, which ground various parts of the system. Lights left at half-brilliance are frequently the result of poor earths.

1 - Engine compartment
On inner wings, at front end:
Just behind RH headlight unit - 1 or 2 grounding points
Behind LH headlight, and running back up the inner wing - 6 or so grounding points

2 - Driver's side footwell (RH), to right of accelerator pedal, behind wide plastic A-post cover (remove screw and pull aside) - 1 point
3 - Passenger side ditto

In each case, eye-connectors are bolted down by a 10mm head bolt, into a square nut spot-welded to the bodywork.

Disconnect the battery, making sure you have a note of the Radio Code.

Remove each bolt in turn, and clean back to bright metal all surfaces, including the top face of the captive nut. This latter will usually have been factory painted, along with the body shell. Scrape the paint from the nut top, and reassemble everything, tightening down firmly. Put a dob of grease on the engine compartment finished connections after they have been tightened down.

Another possible cause of circuits not shutting off properly is a poor connection/switch contacts inside the IGN switch. There are posts on the forum about checking it and replacing it.

On series one cars its a blue box.. but im sure that changed on s2 cars

When I changed mine it was blue

ok will do that thanks white exec

dieselman, when you say "The lighting dimmer is behind the lower dash panel on the drivers side." are u suggesting i change the lighting dimmer, and btw, what is the lighting dimmer?

one thing i've noticed is that the third fuse to the right on the very front of the car (i.e when you are standing at the front of the car facing it) buzzes very loudly when the dimmer/relay kicks in when you close the doors of the car. this noise began when the other problems listed above did. maybe that is a clue? I tried changing it but it didn't make any difference

Those are relays, not fuses, that one is a headlamp relay, iirc.

You have a voltage leakage into other circuits and as you say the interior lighting dimmer is not functioning correctly, I would change it to see what happens.