Xantia Electrical Problems

[xantiamiddridge]

Have a 1997 2.1 Diesel xantia.

Car wouldn't start. With Haynes manual, traced missing 12v feed to ignition switch. Manual shows it as a simple arrangement - from battery, to BB10 (Supply Box) and then to the black connector on the ignition switch. With this feed missing, the radio doesn't work, wipers don't work, but headlights are OK. If I bypass the supply box direct from the battery to the ignition switch, I get the dashboard lights as normal, (+radio and wipers) but the immobiliser keypad doesn't work as usual.

 

Looking at the wiring beside the battery, I'm reluctant to poke around too much in the engine compartment fuse box. Noted though that in the car handbook, it names additional fuses under the bonnet, which Haynes don't mention. The fuses test out OK, but I'm left feeling that the Haynes manual isn't telling me the whole story.

 

Is this because of security - my guess is the immobiliser probably wires into this area also, so my simple bypass wasn't 100% effective.

 

 

Is there anywhere I can get my hands on better wiring details, or can anyone give any help in this area.

[xantiamiddridge]

A little more info on the problem

 

Fuse 'A' in the engine compartment has a brown wire coming out the back of it, which I think is the 12v wire to the ignition switch black connector. If I short the entire wire out, I can start the car - maybe I wasn't making a good enough temporary connection previously when I said the immobiliser wouldn't reset.

 

So, having had the engine running I'm a lot happier - trouble is now to find the fault in the brown cable, or run another one in its place.

 

The Haynes manual does show a diagram supposedly for 1998- models which shows Fuse A instead of the BB10 supply box. (Mine is a 1997 model). I have to say I'm very surprised the brown cable can be damaged - it is a heavy cable in the first place (Fuse A is rated 80A). I've pierced the insulation at both ends just to prove its not a crimp problem, so it appears there is a break in the cable (or perhaps some other connector in line that's not shown in the Haynes manual.

 

Looks like I need to find a suitable route for a cable into the passenger compartment. Any good suggestions?