Estate Rear Door Central Locking

[DerekW]

A new one on the green estate, not desperate but annoying.

Plip locks all doors OK; but when plipping to unlock, the rear loading door remains firmly locked. In that state (passenger doors unlocked, rear door locked) the key will not unlock it either, it won't even turn in the the lock.

With all doors locked, either by key or plip, the key in the driver's door will then unlock all doors including the rear one.

Any ideas?

Derek

[Ken newbold]

My tailgate does this most of the time. But worse in the cold weather.

I took the back inner panel off and watched the mechanism, worked perfectly everytime.
Put the panel back on, hit and miss again so I decided it was the panel that is catching on the mechanism.
But today with the very cold weather, I had to unlock it with the key and it was stiff, very stiff. So me thinks the panel will have to come off again shortly and out with the lubrication.

[xmexclusive]

Hi Derek

Which key are you trying the tailgate lock with as that lock has security tags (as has the glove box lock) to stop a garage key operating it.

Regards

John

[DerekW]

Hi John,

That's an interesting question! The two side ribs on the key each have a flat machined in them with a small, slightly raised segment. Are these the security tags? The reason I ask is that I only had one key (the plip) with the car, so I had the key-cutter at the local market make me a new one. I noticed that these two raised bits were missing on the new key, the key opens the doors but won't operate the ignition. I was going to try soft soldering a couple of slivers of brass to the key and filing them to shape.

But to answer you, I was using the plip key.

I just went out to check the new key in the rear door, of course it wouldn't turn but by applying sideways pressure to it the main doors became unlocked! I'm thinking that maybe someone has changed the rear lock barrel?

Anyway, using either key in the door locks then yhey no longer unlocked the back door. After some faffing about, locking and unlocking with the plip and the keys, the back door lock eventually unlocked - using the plip key in the doorlock.

When unlocked, it locks on the plip, so it looks as if the lock motor is OK.

Ken, it looks as if I'm going to have to copy you and take the trim off although I'm not sure what I'm going to see. You may well be right when you suggest it's cold related.

Derek

This post has been edited by DerekW on November 16, 2007 04:19 pm

[xmexclusive]

Hi Derek

Will deal item by item as ebay keeps dropping out and I loose any work in hand.

The two little triangular projections in the key grooves you have noticed on your key are to make it into a garage key. The boot and the glove box locks have a metal front cover plate with matching projections which catch the garage key projections and stop the key notches lining up with the tumblers. If you cut a new key from a garage key you should get a key that operates all the locks as there is no availability of garage key blanks.

Regards

John

[xmexclusive]

Hi Derek

The tailgate lock has three positions. Slot vertical is the normal position, turn clockwise to manually unlock and turn anticlockwise and remove key to isolate tailgate lock from central locking. It is also possible to get the tailgate (and door lock) mechanism confused by alternating between plip and key operation. It can sometimes need a few pushes on the plip to restore normal operation.

Regards

John

[xmexclusive]

Hi Derek

Getting keys properly cut for an XM is a real s*d. The only sure way is to know the Citroen lock identification code and order a new key. The ignition lock seems to be the critical one that the new key must be tried in to be sure it will work the whole lock set as this lock uses all the kerfs on the key. Other XM locks only use a proportion of the kerfs and some only one side of the key blade. I have a little batch of 6 partially working keys for one of the cars that were the rejects while the local dealer that cuts XM keys used up 8 blanks to cut me 2 working ones. Ordinary locksmiths may not be aware of quite how critical the kerf alignment is around the cruicform of an XM key and may to use the head of the key to set up the position as they would with a yale key. XM keys cut in this way can be real hit and miss.

Regards

John

[xmexclusive]

Hi Derek

If you find that the rear lock does not work with any key then I can make you up a new lock barrel to suit your original key.

Regards

John

[DerekW]

Hi John,

Thank you for your very comprehensive replies, when we next meet maybe you could have a quick play?

By the way, did you know your machine doesn't have a drive belt?

Derek

[xmexclusive]

Hi Derek

Not to worried about the condition as most of the bits are easily replaceable.

John