Citroen Keyfob Fails To Lock/unlock

[Gordo]

Hi all,

I had trouble 2 weeks ago with my main key failing to unlock the central locking on my 2002 1.4HDA Exclusive C3.

I assumed the battery had gone in the key, so purchased a strip of 5 from ebay. Replaced the battery today and it still didn't work, however, the spare did after I opened the door and started the engine.

I did a search on the web and Moon the Loon had posted this on Yahoo:

 

When you lock the drivers door on a C3 and only that door locks that is normal. All C3's are like this. The dealer should know this also. Have you had a new battery fitted to the key? It doesn't cost much to replace and then you'll have eliminated the most common and cheapest fault. You can reprogramme the remote to the car yourself at home. It's very easy-

1. Sit in the car with ALL the accessories turned off (radio, lights etc.) Make sure the doors are shut.

2. Have all the remote keys with you, not on the same key ring. Turn on the ignition with the remote key and hold down the LOCK button on the remote for about 10 seconds. If you have more than one remote key, remove the one you have just done and insert the next one and turn the ignition on and do the same again, hold the lock button down for 10 seconds.

3. When you have done this to all the remotes, remove the key from the ignition and wait 1 minute. DO NOT switch anything on inside the car and DO NOT open any door, especially the drivers one.

4. After the minute is up, open and close the driver's door and try working the remote controls, they should all br now working. Any that aren't may be faulty or have a duff battery.

 

To lock the doors in the event of the remotes failing and you are unable to reprogramme them, open each door (except the one with the lock barrel on it), in the area of the door latch there should be a small black plastic screw head you can insert the key into to turn it (the screw may be hidden underneath a small black sticker approx. 1cm in diameter). Turn the screw on each door and close the door, it is now locked, to re-open it use the inside handle.

 

C3's aren't commonly known for remote key problems, your dealer should be able to test them for signal output, you may have a faulty remote but 9 times out of 10 it's a duff battery causing the problems. Hope this helps.

 

I can confirm to all, that this worked perfectly and can only assume that the old key was now out of sync.

I am now a happy bunny again with 2 proper working keys and I didn't even have to go and see the dealer. :unsure:

 

G.

[greenhills]

Should this procedure work with the spare key/remote on a 2005 1.1 C3 Desire ?

or is there a different procedure - I remember seeing something in the owner manual, but I'm away from home and not back until Friday night.

Thanks


 

[raveydavey]

Good stuff - but how do I lock the tailgate?

 

I can't see any obvious manual override like there are on the doors?

 

2003/03 C3 1.4HDi Desire - it's done the "refuse to lock" a few times and it seems linked to the steering lock not engaging when I remove the key, but every so often engaging the steering lock has no effect.

 

I've just spent 30 minutes messing about, trying the spare etc, before giving up and using the above tip to lock the doors but can't find anyway to lock the tailgate. The car is parked on the street so I was on the verge of calling the AA, when I tried the remote and it worked - I've left it locked now and will check it in the morning - I might be off to the garage on my way to work...

[fishears]

Today I tried to unlock my C3 and... no dice.

This has happened many times before so I wasn't too worried - just open the door with the key and when you put the key in the ignition it should stop the alarm and let you re-sync as detailed above. At least, that's what SHOULD happen. Not today. Not for me.

 

The alarm kept going and the immobilizer stayed active. Clearly the car wasn't recognizing the transponder in the key.

 

After an emergency visit from my genius mechanic, I have this tip to add for anyone who gets the same problem:

 

1) unlock the driver's door with the key and LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN THROUGHOUT THIS PROCEDURE (alarm will sound as soon as you open the door)

2) reach over and pop the bonnet

3) disconnect the battery negative (nice and easy as there's a clip on it)

4) leave it off and wait 30 seconds

5) with the negative still disconnected, put the key in the ignition and switch to the ON position

6) reconnect the battery negative

 

After this you should have a car with the alarm and immobilizer turned off again and the key should now be recognized by the car (allowing you to start it).

 

I just drove to my nearest Maplin to replace the remote battery and after re-syncing it everything was back to normal.

[biggestalever]

My key has refused to lock car sometimes.. If you need to lock it you can open drivers window , leave key in ignition, lock car with central locking button through the open window , then pull key out , activate the window closing switch , and get hand out quick !!

[Guest heath04]

Any response/idea of how to secure tailgate manually - surely there must be a way as all doors can be manually locked as previously described. Nothing in handbook, only about unlocking in the event of remote key failing! Dealers haven't a clue!!

 

Help - advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Guest Voyzey]

 

 

After an emergency visit from my genius mechanic, I have this tip to add for anyone who gets the same problem:

1) unlock the driver's door with the key and LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN THROUGHOUT THIS PROCEDURE (alarm will sound as soon as you open the door)
2) reach over and pop the bonnet
3) disconnect the battery negative (nice and easy as there's a clip on it)
4) leave it off and wait 30 seconds
5) with the negative still disconnected, put the key in the ignition and switch to the ON position
6) reconnect the battery negative

Thanks, thanks, thanks tried this and it worked a treat and I also went to Maplins.

[paul.h]

On occasions our 2003 C3 will fail to lock or unlock with the key remote but some time later will then work. The key will work in the door. May be due to radio interference from such as mobile phones. It has done this all the time we have had it, probably the technology in the older cars is not that good since our newer C4 and C5 have not suffered this. On another post the owner replaced the comms 2000 unit below the steering column for a fix - this contains the receiver for the key remote.

[paul.h]

See also this post where a 2010 C3 Picasso driver's door was not locking/unlocking from the remote and using the key in the lock hole in the side of the door provided the fix http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20681-odd-central-locking-problem/

[whothehekami]

This thread sounds like a mixture of Eco Mode and aftermarket stereos.

 

1. Eco Mode is a low battery or an electrical issue where you can simply disconnect the battery, reconnect and away you go. Make sure you give the battery a good charge. This happened to me when I left the lights on.

 

1. Aftermarket stereo. DO NOT assume that because because the stereo works fine without an adaptor, the car will like it. It won't . You need ISO lead PC2-32-4 because citroen use different things using the same wires so if you simply connect a new stereo to the car it will mess things up. Your central locking won't work after 20 mintues, your display might say eco mode and you stereo might forget its memory after an hour.

[paul.h]

Eco mode is a Citroen/Peugeot thing to stop the battery going flat if things like the radio or interior lights are left on or the doors are opened a lot when the engine is not running. After up to about 30 minutes or less if the battery is not well charged and one of these things is left on (there will be a list in the handbook), then the battery supply to them is switched off. The eco mode will/should not reset until the engine is run again.

[sdreiter]

Hello,

 

I am a new owner of a second hand 2002 C3. Problems....!

 

When the car was purchased the dealer informed me it had recently had a new battery fitted and it had be "reprogrammed" to the ECU.

 

after a couple of days the key (only key I have) with remote would not unlock the door. Also once unlocked manually the car would not start, the starter motor turns over but the engine would not start. After disconnecting the battery and reconnecting it immediately the doors opened with the remote and the engine started perfectly...

 

Over the last 2 months this has been a fairly frequent occurrence. Sometimes after the car has not been used for a week it opens and starts other times the day after being used it wont't.

 

Very frustrating. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance.

[sdreiter]

Additionally, I have replaced the battery with new in the key and still have the same issue.

[c3abby]

Today I tried to unlock my C3 and... no dice.

This has happened many times before so I wasn't too worried - just open the door with the key and when you put the key in the ignition it should stop the alarm and let you re-sync as detailed above. At least, that's what SHOULD happen. Not today. Not for me.

 

The alarm kept going and the immobilizer stayed active. Clearly the car wasn't recognizing the transponder in the key.

 

After an emergency visit from my genius mechanic, I have this tip to add for anyone who gets the same problem:

 

1) unlock the driver's door with the key and LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN THROUGHOUT THIS PROCEDURE (alarm will sound as soon as you open the door)

2) reach over and pop the bonnet

3) disconnect the battery negative (nice and easy as there's a clip on it)

4) leave it off and wait 30 seconds

5) with the negative still disconnected, put the key in the ignition and switch to the ON position

6) reconnect the battery negative

 

After this you should have a car with the alarm and immobilizer turned off again and the key should now be recognized by the car (allowing you to start it).

 

I just drove to my nearest Maplin to replace the remote battery and after re-syncing it everything was back to normal.

It worked. Thanks fishears and your genius mechanic

[pikesrelaybus]

Hi Chaps... So, I have a stock C3 on a 03 plate. 1.6 petrol exclusive. it's in my front drive quietly decaying away. It started and runs fine when I can be bothered to check it but more often than not the battery is flat and/or I'm woken up at night by an alarm but not knowing who's car it is as there's no flashing lights. Fast forward to yesterday when a visitor's car battery become flat. Ever the helpful I dug the battery out the C3 as a temporary battery for them but it too was totally flat. In the end we got her car going and off she went to ATS.

 

I returned the battery to the C3 and left it to charge over night. This is a new battery but I guess might not be in good shape repeatedly being deep discharged. Tried to start it, just turns over, flashing battery light, eco mode - yes sounds familiar... However, no matter where I google for advice, It's not having any of it.

 

Here's what I got, it locks all doors on the keyfob but doesn't open them, except it seems the boot. When you press open the indicators flash and the immobilizer/alarm led's (two of them) stop flashing. I then insert the key into drivers door, and open - no alarm. I have tried resetting MCI? drivers door open, disconnect battery, wait, insert key, reconnect - nope. the holding the lock button for 10 seconds, nope. I'm tempted to check for spark but that means tools. I know it's low on fuel, it could just be it's empty, the former check with a little fuel down each pot would defo confirm this but I have a feeling there's something wrong with the alarm/immobilizer preventing it firing, not low fuel. I also note that the immobilizer lamp doesn't flash so I'm guessing the key is recognized.

 

I'm really sorry if I'm just repeating the same old C3 gag but this is new to me...

Edited September 28, 2018 by pikesrelaybus

[pikesrelaybus]

Geez, ignore the above, it's a fuel issue.. engine ran fine and smooth with some fuel squirted into the inlet...