Engine Fuse Box - Mk2 Xm, Repairing burnt out fuse contacts

[xmexclusive]

Hi All

This problem applies to the Mk2 engine fuse box until the last 2 years of production when the mod became factory fitted.

It is normally the F2 fuse that has burnout/contact problems.
I have now come across the official Citroen repair guide so am adding details as an edit.

Official Mod is - Replace the fuse box and fit a 40 A fuse (green/brown) in the F2 slot instead of a 30 A fuse.

There have been a number of posts about Mk2 XM problems with one of the 30Amp fuses in the engine compartment burning out. This damages the contacts in the fuse box as well as the fuse. It also gives all sorts of electrical problems particularly but not exclusively with the heater fan and aircon.

This fuse box is fairly easy to remove from the car and dismantle and the contacts can be cleaned up and reset but the refurbished contacts will still carry the heaviest load and may well have a short life.

In looking around scrap cars I have found this same fuse box albeit without the top cover in most of the bigger Citroens and in Pug 406. The cover is missing because on these cars the fuse box is put inside a bigger weather proof box.
The fuse contacts do not seem to suffer at all unlike an XM. So if you are looking for a replacement consider getting one from one of these cars. The missing cover is just a push fit and can be recovered for the old box.

Regards

XMexc

This post has been edited by xmexclusive on February 28, 2008 10:57 am

[mackay1]

Hi XMexec,

Found this useful today thanks - when my aircon gave up the ghost this morning (having flickered a few times last night on the way home). Had to repair it - since no demister is hopeless this time of year.

30A aircon fuse in the aux fuse box (in front of battery) was the culprit. Surprisingly though, when I removed the whole unit, it was in really good nick (apart from this one contact) - no signs of corrosion at all - not even underneath. The problem was a burnt fuse and burnt out contacts beneath that had lost virtually all their grip/spring with which to hold the fuse blades.

I thought I'd mention it because the box had a splash skirt fitted to the bottom half and this seems to have provided good protection. I haven't seen one of these before and it looks like it has never been off before either. I refitted it as best I could - but to be honest most of the tension/elastic/adhesive or whatever it was that secured it around the body of the box had lost its effectiveness - so I'll have to take it back out soon when I have time to sort that out. Maybe it's once this has been removed that the real problems start with this fuse box. Has anyone seen one with the splash skirt fitted before?

Thanks

Roy

[Peter.N.]

The problem is caused by a high resistance developing between the fuse and the holder, probably due to corrosion from the ingress of salt, this in turn produces heat, which in time softens the metal so that the contacts are no longer springy, which in turn causes more heating, eventually leading to failure. Knowing that this can be a problem some preventitive action cn be taken (by those of us with the time and inclination) by simply removing the fuse and cleaning the contacts, hopefully before any damage has taken place.

Peter.N.

[xmexclusive]

Hi All

Edited the original entry today with the details of the official Citroen Mod for this problem. Though it was better to edit to keep all the key information in the first entry of a self help. Then I realised that the club board does not highlight edit changes but this post will.

Regards

XMexc