I brought a Saxo 1.6 VTR P reg 65,000 miles 2 weeks ago. Today The indicators stopped working and the battery light has come on. The electirc windows work intermittantly. The steering is heavy for a short distance then it returns to normal, at this point the radio and heaters also start to work.
I took it to a garage and they said the electic ignition switch needs replacing (at first the said the alternator), at a cost of around £250. Does this sound right or could anyone help? Has anyone else had this problem, if so any idea how this can be fixed without costing this much money?
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An ignition switch fault [and associated complications] could be the cause of your problems. The switches often fail on these, but it's the overloaded secondary circuit that most often goes and some of these effects are unusual.
£250 is far too much for a simple job like that unless they're also changing all the other locks to suit the new key blade. To avoid that, you can get a new lock built to your existing key by the dealers. Around £90 IIRC.
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Thanks for this.
I took it to a garage today and they said a fuse had blown and it was alll sorted, this cost £40 and lasted all of half a mile then went back to how it was. If it is a fuse thats shorted then something is making it short? Does this sound serious?
I was told that you cant just get the switch needed for a 97 saxo and i needed to get a whole new ignition switch and would be left with spare locks.
Im taking it back tomorrow to see what they can do but really want to avoid paying big money. I found a place on the internet that has an electric ignition switch for £30 but id need to fit it...is this an easy job?
Can anyone help?
Thanks
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Unless it was one of the Maxi fuses, that feeds the whole ignition switch, that went; then it's not the switch causing the fuse to blow. Which fuse was it and what stopped working when it blew again? The short will need finding before anything else is done.
The two ignition circuits on these are very "Citroen" in that it's totally unfathomable as to why they did them in such a stupid, Heath Robinson, way. Never have so many components been used - to so little effect.
Unless your garage can easily cope with a complex wiring diagram, then the convoluted ign circuit KK2 will fry their brains.
The ignition/steering lock barrel and the electric switch are indeed one piece. Not sure where the "spare locks" come in? Talk to your local Citroen [or Peugeot] parts dept about built-to-order lock assemblies.
Swapping them isn't a bad job when you know how it all goes; not really a car to learn on though. Do you have a manual that explains how to swap an ignition lock?
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