Stereo Problem

[Ian_Fearn]

When i press the indicators i loose sound from the radio although the radio actually stays on. Its the original Clarion unit with a 6 disc changer.

Any ideas?

[noz]

Hi Ian,

The only connection I can see is that they share Fuse 5 and the ignition switch for a power supply.

Dismantling the ignition switch will be a bit of a chore so I'd start with the fuse and its holder. Look for signs of distress or corrosion. A high resistance at this point will still pass sufficient voltage for the radio to work on its own but with the additional current drawn with both the radio and the indicators on the volt drop across the resistance will rise to the point that it won't power the transistors in the radio and the sound will go off.

Give it a try and let us know the outcome.

Cheers

noz

[Ian_Fearn]

I've just checked fuse 5 and seemingly its fine. No signs of corrosion.

I have another issue that may be connected which is sometimes when turning the ignition key the starter just clicks rather than spinning the engine. A few turns of the key always gets it going however. Could this be related?

I have had my doubts over the battery capacity.

According to the Varta website i need a battery with a CCA rating of 640 - 780. The battery on mine is only 600 (the rating required for a 2.0 XM). Could this be causing these type of symptoms?

[xmexclusive]

Hi Ian

Failure of the starter motor to operate when the ignition is turned seems to be a regular XM problem. A couple of mine have suffered from it and there are a few threads from others about it. V6's seem to be the worst affected. I tolerated mine and have never tracked down the causes. The ignition switch has been suggested and a worn one might well cause problems. Citroen changed the design 3 times during the production run and Valeo supply a 4th type as a Mk2 replacement. Mk1 ignition switches have more electrical contacts (8 vs 6 for Mk2) and a less rigid electrical assembly that can become loose. Others have used a temporary jump lead battery direct to starter to get out of problems.
If you have an undersized battery then the cold this time of year will reduce its capability even further. The original Citroen battery clamps have a habit of streatching to give a high resistance feed. This can then provide enough power to make everything work except the starter motor.

Regards

XMexc