Hooo

Hi. I sold my Citroen a few years ago, so I'm no longer on the forum. I did get your PM though. Unfortunately, there's not a lot I can do to help without having the radio in front of me (with test gear to hand). I can let you know how I did it though, so if you can find someone with suitable test gear who knows how to use it you might be in luck. As your radio is a different model my trick might not be possible at all. I'm quite surprised that it was so easy to disable the security feature - bad design in my opinion! They might have changed it in later models. What I did was identify the audio processor IC, it's one of the big ones and it's a standard car audio device. Then I poked around with a scope until I found the beep signal, and traced this signal back to its source. The source was a microcontroller. In between the microcontroller and the audio IC there is point where the beep signal gets combined with the audio. The capacitor I removed was at the point where there was only beep on one side, and combined audio and beep on the other. Obviously, you'll need to know a bit about electronics to follow my instructions. I'm afraid there's no way to make it a step by step process.

Can anyone tell me where I'd get hold of a full wiring diagram for my 2001 Xsara 2.0 HDi? I've got the Haynes for the 1999 model which is handy for most things but not much help with the electrics. A free (or cheap) download would be great, but I haven't found anything with Google.

Yes, I did think of measuring the tension of the existing belt, but came to that conclusion. The old belt has either done around 50k if it was changed, or 150k if it hasn't. Either way I'm not going to want to set a new belt to the same tension. My mechanic friend gave me a tip - check if the belt is a genuine Citroen one. If it's not, then it's definitely been changed at some point after 90k and I don't need to worry about it. The only trouble is that the printing on the belt has almost worn off, and I can't make any of it out. I certainly can't see a manufacturer, just some vague numbers. The printing is in blue, does that sound familiar to anyone? Do Citroen print in blue?

Someone asked me for instructions, so I've posted them here for everyone. These are for a PU-2295A unit. I don't know if others will be the same. First remove the top cover and front panel. The front panel has a screw on each side and then it just pulls off, you don't need to pull the knobs off or anything. Then remove the CD drive by removing the four screws in this picture, and unplugging the cable using the white tab you can see in the middle. http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq160/Hooopyx/Dismantle.jpg The capacitor is circled in this picture http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq160/Hooopyx/Closeup.jpg Here's a wider shot with the area in the above picture outlined http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq160/Hooopyx/main.jpg I think the capacitor is labelled C230, but the printing is a bit fuzzy on my board. If you have suitable test gear, the beep is easily detectable on the capacitor terminals. If you don't, you just have to take the chance! I unsoldered it, but you could just twist it off with a pair of pliers if you don't have a soldering iron.

That sounds right to me, but I've done some Googling on it and found a few people asking the same question but noone with the answer...... Another option that looks like it might work for me is to set it so it seems OK, then drive it round the corner and get my local garage to check it for peace of mind.

That's what I thought I'd use, before I found out about all these SEEM and Burroughs gauges! How do you use it though? I assume you measure the belt deflection for a specific force, but how do you get those two figures from a SEEM number?

I've found a bodge to remove the beep, in case anyone else has the same issue. I tried my five nearest Citoen dealers, and they were a complete waste of time. "Er, we don't know, but if you bring it in well look to see if there's any fault codes. Half hours labour, £50 + VAT". £59, just to find out if they can fix it, probably cost even more if they can. Better off buying another stereo. Anyway, I poked around inside the unit and traced the circuit that adds the beep to the audio. I removed one capacitor from the board and the beep is gone, it all works fine. I never found out if it's the security feature that produces the beep, but if it is, then it's rubbish security - it didn't take much effort to remove it. If anyone wants instructions on how to do the bodge, send me a message. H

Thanks for all the help. I talked to a mechanic friend and he said they never bother with gauges, just thumb and finger. The only trouble with this method is it takes practice, so you need someone to check it for you the first few times. I Googled the Burroughs gauge, and it looks good, but I can't find anyone selling them. At least with kfk's chart, once I find a gauge I'll be able to use it. Thanks H

Got my Haynes today, and it all looks straightforward, apart from one thing. The book says that the belt tension has to be done with an electronic tool, and the tension is specified in SEEM units. I can't justify buying an electronic tool, but there's mechanical ones like the Facom DM 16 available on ebay. Has anyone used one of these, and do you know where I can find a conversion table?

I've just bought that Haynes on ebay, and I'm waiting for it to arrive. I didn't realise it had the 2.0 HDi in it, that will make things a lot easier. I assume it has instructions for the timing belt? I'll read through and decide if I'm up to the job. I've done a bit of browsing round and I get the impression that the locking tools are just 8mm bolts? The other impression I get is that getting the belt tension correct is critical. How difficult is this without specialist tools?

Hi Just got my first car, a 2001 Xsara 2.0 HDi 90BHP. It's done 150k and there's no record of the timing belt being changed, so I gather it's something I should look into pretty soon. Has anyone got any advice as to whether it's the sort of job I can do at home? Not worked on cars before, but I've done lots of work on bikes, including changing timing chains. These involved cutting the chain and riveting the new one in situ, so in comparison changing a belt looks reasonably straightforward.... The trouble is there's no Haynes for this model. Are there any instructions out there, or can I download an official manual? Can anyone offer advice on what I should look out for, or reasons why I shouldn't attempt it? Thanks H

I've just bought a 2001 Xsara with the standard CD player stereo. The stereo was disconnected and not working when I got it, but after replacing the power amp chip it works fine. The only trouble is a constant beeping once a second. It gets louder with the volume control but it still beeps when I press mute. It's there on radio or CD. I guess it's an alarm of some kind, but there's no warning lights on. Does the stereo need to be reset or something after it's been disconnected? Another strange thing. The fuse that's listed as audio equipment in the manual, is missing from the fusebox; but the stereo still works. Seems odd that it's not on the correct fuse. I put a fuse in, but it made no difference to anything.