C3 Questions...

[quisquis]

Hi all, had my C3 about a fortnight and still not discovered the use of one or two knobs and buttons. Best to know in advance if you're activating the passenger ejector seat. Could anyone advise please?

 

btw its (I think) 2003, petrol automatic

 

1. There's a switch on the very far edge of the instrument board, it's inaccessible when the door is closed. It says on or off and you change it with a coin or screwdriver... At the mo it's on but who knows what it's doing?

 

2. There's a button on the end of the lever that has all the lights switches on it, doesn't seem to do a lot

 

3. There are buttons on the gearstick plate, one has S on it, the other has a 5 pointed asterisk

 

4  To the right of the radio there are two buttons (of the set of three, one blanked off) the top one has a picture of a chap beside a key and a circle round him. I thought this would be central locking but there's a big button under the hazard button that does that

 

5 The other of the two buttons has a picture of a speedometer with radio waves coming off it. Is this a You're Speeding warning?

 

And then there's the heater but I've never understood the heater in any of my cars so not particularly bothered.

 

 

TIA for your advice

 

Jon

[paul.h]

Welcome to the forum.

 

I suspect you do not have the car handbook. Ones from about 2007 can be seen/copied/printed (in sections) here and some of the things should still apply to your car http://service.citroen.com/ddb/

 

1. I suspect this is to turn off the passenger seat air bag in case you have a child seat in the passenger seat. It is used with the car key and there should be a red sticker near it with Airbag Pass. on it.

2. I do not think that button did anything on our 2003 C3 either but on other models it can be used to set the auto lights.

3. S may be sport mode which may get it to change up a gear at higher revs than normal. The other button may be a snow/ice button which may get it to change up a gear at lower than normal revs.

4. This may be to prevent the rear doors and windows working from the back seats as a child security measure.

5. I am not sure about this one but this may be a speed warning button, try at a set speed pushing the button and then it may give a warning if that speed is then exceeded.

 

The heater is simple enough. A dial to set the blower speed, a button to switch on the air con, a button to switch on the rear window heater, a dial to set the air temperature, a slide or button to set the air in to the car from the outside or to circulate the air internally, a dial to set the air flow out of different vents (windscreen/floor/dash vents).

[quisquis]

very kind of you cheers, sorts out some of the mysteries. Thanks

[quisquis]

btw another query. I was a bit surprised that the clock didn't change to GMT, it's a manual digital clock!!

 

At one point when fiddling about in that area I swear the screen told me I had 160 miles left in the tank. I've not been able to get this info back, and maybe I dreamed it.  Do you get any sort of warning about a low tank. The illuminated bars on the dash aren't very precise. Any idea how much is left when there's only one bar? Thanks

[paul.h]

I have yet to have a car that automatically does the GMT/BST hour change and have always needed to do it manually. From memory of our previous 2003 C3, it is done using the buttons at each end of the clock display, try holding one in to see if it then lets the other adjust the time.

 

If your car has a trip computer (ours did not), a single button on the end of the wiper stalk can be pushed to change the display from average mpg since last reset to current mpg, miles to empty at current mpg, miles since it was last reset (done by holding in the button).

 

I seem to remember on a low tank, at about 7 litres left and 1 bar on the level gauge, a warning light comes on near the gauge next to the petrol pump symbol and maybe a warning bleep is given. The fuel tank is about 45 litres (from the Haynes manual) so 1 bar is from just over 0 to up to 7 litres so if you get 30 mpg approx 7 miles a litre (automatic), then 1 bar will be up to about 50 miles.

[quisquis]

many thanks again for the info. My old car radio magically set the time from satellites or radio signals and I guessed this radio would do the same. However, jiggled it and no prob. Thanks again