CitroenBX GTI interior lights

The item you are looking at is a buzzer that sounds when the doors are open and the lights are on, some models have them , on cheaper models the sounder isnt fitted , plug still on the harness tho. Usually the problem is a bad connection on the poorly made door pillar switches, where the plunger touches the earth contact corrodes, hence no lights . Try unscrewing a pillar switch and earthing the spade connector, does the light work? yes = duff switch. A similar component is still used in modern cit/ pugs. Its a shame really good old reliable BX's are scrapped because the heater fan only works intermitantly or the windows or inside lights dont work . On the subject of old Citroens why do the rear arm bearings go on BX's , but not Xantias? The bearing kits are the same..... Surely its not just as simple as an extra a teaspoon of grease. Steve the grease

R L driver ( snipped-for-privacy@onetel.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Might be the delayed-off box?

They do...

I have had the problem you describe on my BX, and yes it was a very simple fix.

The spade connector on mine had very large plastic housings on, pulling the switches out of the hole after unscrewing them pulled the spade off the switch and getting the connector back through the teeny hole in the door jamb was a real PITA.

However the OP states that the lights won't operate on the opening of /any/ door so, is it likely that they have all failed at once?

Thanks Steve If the white relay is the lights on warning control, where is the relay/timer to be found? Opening any door should switch on int lights. The relay/timer that I am looking for delayed switching off interior lights after closing any door for a period of (say) 20seconds or until start up. I wrote to Edwards in Essex and they sent a collection of 5 relays and a note saying they thought it was the white one. I would have thought that it was unlikely that all the door switches would be u/s. ( they appear to be OK). Surely if one door switch was defective the others would still operate?

I agree with your comment about premature scrapping - had mine from new in 1988 still going strong. Fortunately the local garage owner is a Citroen enthusiast. Rear arm bearings are similar to those on a mini, except the mini ones have a grease nipple!

Is it possible that the int light relays on the Xantia would do the job? I would still have to find the wretched thing to replace it :o(

That sounds promising - where is it located?

See my other post.

As far as I am aware none of the BX's had a delayed off timer, although it might be an option on the last very posh models, remember they came out in 83 or 84. The Lights on the B post have a switch on the earthy side and a connection to the switches in the door Pillars,if the bad connection was in the common lead to the door switches it would affect them both, and no switch would make a good connection . The makers appear to have used a mixture of stainless steel, brass and copper connectors, which when they get old give no end of bad connections , such as those mentioned previously along with water level switch in rad,lights in the clocks , side and rear lights etc etc. Xantia arms , yeah, ok, they do go but no where near as often as the BX Steve the grease

Sorry Steve, but this car(1988 GTI -not 16 valve) definitely has a delayed off timer. Before it gave up the ghost completely it did make a strangled oscillating noise similar to the 'lights on warning' sound, which started at normal speed and then got faster and faster before stopping. This happened on several occasions, but eventually desisted. I once saw a wiring diagram showing this item but have never been able to find its location on the car. I assumed that this item had become defective.

Don't worry Lofty, my '89 8V GTi does too. Sorry I don't know where it is though. My interior lights work as they should but the car has just failed an MOT on rear radius arm bearings.

Been there, Douglas, and it is all for the lack of a grease nipple apparently. However, not bad after 17 years, and according to this group Xantias do suffer the same problem

Thanks for your input - I keep looking, and hoping for a Citroen electrical expert to pop up...

Just another tip - although I don't know your car. Remove a door switch and note the wiring colour. On a 'Lucas' car it would be purple with a white tracer. This should help identify the delay unit - if you can find it. ;-)

IME, Citroen used green wires, with coloured sections on the ends.

Can't remember BXs, mind, but the CX was like that. Or yellow wires for some circuits.

It was...fun.

Richard

Just read this posting as an update not from original, so if I've got the question wrong then apologies. If its any help I've got the Haynes manuals for the 83-91 BX petrol & diesel (you had to buy both if you had the diesel car). It shows the timer next to the rear windscreen wiper relay and a "fuel calculation" unit. These two units are described as ...on the inside of the instrument panel, under the top glove compartement, towards the console. Never had to do anything with it on mine so don't know exactly. I could probably scan the wiring diagram etc and email them if its any help. Don't reply to the the email address at the top as its spam blocked. Use bob snipped-for-privacy@nospamhotmail.com note the _ between bob & dodds and take out the nospam.

Bob

Tried to reply direct to you at the quoted link but mail returned with this:-

"not 550-permitted to relay through this server. Perhaps you have not logged into 550-the pop/imap server in the last 30 minutes or do not have SMTP 550 Authentication turned on in your email client. (in reply to RCPT TO command)" All Greek to me but this is what was rejected.

Hello Bob,

Thanks for your input in uk.rec.cars. maintenance thread on this subject. I take it that your "...on the inside of the instrument panel, under the top glove compartement, towards the console." is verbatim from Haynes, but I find it a bit confusing. For example the glove compartment is on the extreme left of the dash, whilst the instruments i.e. speedo rev counter and other dials are over the steering column. Have a good local garage man who might help with this when he is available shortly. Not familiar with Haynes but would be interested to know if the diagrams show part numbers, and your kind offer to scan the diagrams would be very helpful and most acceptable. Regards, Ken

Hi Ken

From the server response it looks like you tried to reply from the news group instead of your personal email. The quote was direct from the manual and the picture shows them to the left of the steering wheel and just to the right of the a line through the centre of the car but its just a box with a number in on the location drawing. If you want a scan of the diagrams (and I can get the book on the scanner) try putting your email address in a reply to the group but with some text mixed in it that obviously needs taking out so the automatic web trawlers can't log a good address and send you junk mail. I did try a couple of combinations of the address below with the NOBUL taken out but none worked.

Regards

Bob

Thanks Bob. I did use the reply button as opposed to reply group and the message "From" was from my e-mail address, not sure why this 550 thing came up, might be settings. Be in touch again in a few days to let you know progress on your latest.

Regards, Ken

"snip"

Dave Plowman (News) ( snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

And here speaks a man who's never fought Citroen wiring.

All the wires are green. With coloured sleeves on the connectors. Which all fade to beigeish.

Very true.

Another reason to avoid, then. And people complain about Lucas...;-)

Sorry to hear that Douglas. Mine failed in 2002 (I think it was). Repairs including some new pipework was done at a local (not Citroen) garage and cost nearly £400 including 6.5 hrs labour. If you are a do-it-yourselfer the parts cost £125.47 (plus VAT). good luck, Lofty.

Didn't I post something like this?

Was I just channelling Adrian?

Richard