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Posted

A funny thing happened on the way to the garage today....

 

I had to make way for a bin lorry on a single track road today by pulling into a sloped gravelly lay by. I lost traction and was unable to drive forward any further to get out again, so rather than sit there wheel spinning any longer than needed I reversed back out with just a little more right foot than I would use in normal driving.

 

Anyway, back on the road a few minutes later I got a 3 beep warning and the abs light came on. I put this down to the wheel spin confusing the computer and triggering the fault.

 

I've since checked the abs by hitting the brakes hard at about 40mph and I'm sure they're working fine. Very stoppy, especially as I'm used to driving Land Rovers.

 

I had hoped the light would disappear after leaving the car for a couple if hours but it hasn't.

 

Is it possible to clear this fault by any means other than getting stung for the cost of a plug in to a mechanics fancy box? Can I disconnect the battery for an hour or perform a 'magic key in ignition dance' or similar witch craft?

 

Thanks in advance.

Posted

Welcome to the forum.

 

If the fault has gone, then switching the ignition on/off a number of times or just using the car a number of times may clear the abs light. When the light is on it is possible the abs may be disabled but the normal braking will not be affected. If the light does not go off then I would check around the wheel sensors in case the wiring is damaged to one and possibly the brake pipes/hoses/abs system in case of damage. If there is nothing obvious it may need a check using a code reader that can read abs systems to find out what the car thinks is wrong and then clear the code. Unfortunately low cost code readers only do engine fault codes so you may need a trip to a dealer or find somebody with Lexia diagnostic equipment - on one of the C5 sections there is a pinned topic of members able to help with diagnostic checks.

 

If you want to try disconnecting/reconnecting the battery there is a procedure in the C3 Technical section pinned Common Problems  topic that I have found does not cause any odd electrical faults.

Posted

Thanks Paul, for the welcome and the advise.

 

The car's been idle for 12 hours now so I'm hoping as you say the light will have gone.

 

I'm going to replace brake pads soon anyway so at that point if I still have a fault I'll inspect and clean the sensors.

 

Is there a diagnosis system that is not out of reach of the home mechanic? Either a handheld unit or software+laptop that isn't thousands and would be useful for a number of cars on the road today?

I always used to stick to pre-98 cars as a rule as that seemed to be the point where everything became computer hell. It's getting increasingly difficult to find a decent older motor so I wouldn't mind investing a couple of hundred quid in a diagnostics machine of some description for myself.

Posted
Citroen dealers use a computer programme called Lexia. There are several companies on ebay selling Chinese cloned versions and it seems that some work better than others. This company, although I haven't used them myself, gets good reports....... http://www.easydiagnostics.co.uk/#/shop/4590186381/lexia-3-diagbox-for-citroen-peugeot/10015520
Posted

now the power steering has packed up................

....................................The power steering is back!?!

Check the voltage of your battery. With my previous C5, although the engine started, if the battery was slightly weak, the power steering would stop working. By allowing the engine to put some voltage in the battery, then switching off and starting again, the power steering was back.

Posted

The C3 has electrically operated power steering and it is a common fault for it to not work but then work again if switched off and then back on, possibly needing a few on/offs. Unless it stops working frequently you do not need to do anything but you could check the battery voltage - if it was a bit low our 2003 C3 would beep a few times after starting the engine. Most other cars though have hydraulic power steering powered either by a belt driven pump or electric pump.

 

If the front brake pads are due for replacement you will probably find the discs are also worn too thin and need replacing, so before starting the job I would measure the disc thickness. Citroen brake pads are chamfered with the friction material chamfer going at the top  http://www.citroen-owners-club.co.uk/citroen/topic/20395-brake-pads-fitting-direction/

Posted

Followed the battery disconnect procedure to reset the dooby watsit, reconnected and (perhaps unsurprisingly) no change. Still have the abs light.

 

Plug in time then...

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