SteveG (_@_._) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
>>> If it's a Mk 1 Xantia you can check if the fob is working by looking
>>> at the end through the viewscreen of a digital camera. When you
>>> press the buttons you should see a white light. Note: this doesn't
>>> apply to Mk 2 (1998 onwards) vehicles.
>> The method you describe will work with IR keyfobs - both of my
>> mother's Xantias (one '94, one '96) had radio keyfobs, same as my '96
>> XM.
> Really, that's quite interesting as Citroen say that the IR fob was
> used on the Xantia until the Mark 2 was introduced in 1998.
Her first one was an L-reg (pre-first-facelift, non-antisink) 2.0i 8v VSX,
the second an M-reg (post-first-facelift, antisink) 2.0i 16v SX. Neither
were the post-second-facelift white-rear-light cars that I presume you're
meaning by "Mk2". They moved AWAY from the two-button radio key and keypad
immobiliser to the transponder immobiliser, AIUI. I wonder if that's what's
meant?
SteveG - 07 Nov 2006 11:56 GMT
> SteveG (_@_._) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> immobiliser to the transponder immobiliser, AIUI. I wonder if that's what's
> meant?
When I bought my current Xantia recently (a 1997 VSX) I went to our
local Citroen dealer for a new plip. They were pretty categorical that
if the car was pre-98 it had an IR system.
Back in 97 I had a brand new Xantia and that was also IR - two buttons
and the keypad immobiliser just like the one I've got now. My owners
handbook only mentions the IR type too.
Maybe they fitted whatever they had the most of on the production line
but didn't tell the dealers?

Signature
Regards
Steve G
Adrian - 07 Nov 2006 12:35 GMT
SteveG (_@_._) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
> When I bought my current Xantia recently (a 1997 VSX) I went to our
> local Citroen dealer for a new plip. They were pretty categorical that
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> and the keypad immobiliser just like the one I've got now. My owners
> handbook only mentions the IR type too.
The two-button key isn't IR - it's radio.
Let's put it this way... my '96 XM key has two buttons, looks identical to
a Xant one, and works fine (anything up to 100yds away) from inside my
pocket with no line of sight to the receiver which is inside the dash
somewhere around the glovebox... I don't remember either of the Xants I'm
thinking of having an IR "eye" on the fob, or a "blister" somewhere in the
car for the receiver.
IR needs line-of-sight and is short range.
Radio doesn't need line-of-sight and is longer range.
Simple test - Stand away from your Xant, point the key away from it, and
see if it works. If it does, then it's radio.
SteveG - 07 Nov 2006 19:06 GMT
> SteveG (_@_._) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> Simple test - Stand away from your Xant, point the key away from it, and
> see if it works. If it does, then it's radio.
Mine has two button and is definitely IR. No question about it :-)

Signature
Regards
Steve G
Tony Fisk - 07 Nov 2006 19:10 GMT
"Adrian" <toomany2cvs@gmail.com>
was snipped
> The two-button key isn't IR - it's radio.
Mine isn't, unless they put an IR diode in the front of it for fun, and
deliberately reduced its range to 3 metres line-of-sight to the sensor
behind the rear-view mirror just to annoy me.
Not that the f****r works consistently from *any* range these days......
TF
('96 TDLX in case you were wondering)
SteveG - 08 Nov 2006 08:36 GMT
> "Adrian" <toomany2cvs@gmail.com>
> was snipped
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> ('96 TDLX in case you were wondering)
Now that sounds all too familiar :-))

Signature
Regards
Steve G