I have a Citroen Xsara Picasso Diesel and I have a strange problem.
When driving on the motorway at a constant speed (or any road over about 50mph) intermittently it feels like the brakes come on - the brake *lights* certainly do and the car slows. Taking my foot off the accelerator and pressing it again clears it. If my wife drives the car and I follow I can see the brake lights flicker occasionally like a loose connection but surely that cant be the case as the brakes come on.
We've had Kwik Fit look at and thoroughly inspect and clean the brakes and they say nothing wrong. What could be going wrong?
Edited by Pugugly on 26/04/2008 at 23:04
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Very weird. I don't think that one will have brake assist, so a servo fault is the first thing to check.
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what about the sensor on the brake pedal? does that not cut the engine and put the lights on?
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what about the sensor on the brake pedal? does that not cut the engine and put the lights on?
Hey, funnily enough, I think i spotted that when the clutch is depressed the brake light came on. So somewhere behind there I have a loose/faulty sensor?
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If the clutch pedal puts the brake lights on; then this is a fly-by-wire throttle effect not a braking one.
Re-adjust the brake pedal position sensor and all should be well.
Edited by Screwloose on 26/04/2008 at 23:39
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Brilliant - I will have a look at first light tomorrow and let you know how i get on.
Thanks!
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Almost certainly a faulty brake light switch, a very well known problem on Picasso's. Fortunately it is a cheap and easy part to replace !
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I have found these replies extremely useful. I have a Picasso 2.0 HDI 03 and developed a dip in aceleration randomly. It was only when I was told that by somebody travelling behind me that my brake lights flicker on and off that I could relate the two. Was advised by a Citroen dealer that the brake pedal switch is merely a switch for the lights and the loss of acceleration is something else which would have to be diagnosed. As the switch needed fixing anyway I cleaned it up, readjusted it and brake lights now fine. Funny enough I don't have that loss of power anymore either. So is the switch a sensor also? Although the switch has only two connectors there were actually three wires attached to it. Unless by coincidence the acceleration fault went away I haven't had a problem since.
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Think that the brake light signal is also sent to the ECU.
The ECU reasons that if you are applying the brakes (which you wearn't, just a faulty switch) you won't want acceleration at the same time, so cuts fuel to the engine.
Hence you feel a dip in acceleration.
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Thanks dieselnut, at least I'm a lot more confident now it wasn't merely a coincidence. The car's running great now. Just a little annoyed at the main dealer service department though, you expect the advice from them to be at least reliable (unless perhaps it's their fist day).
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hi,the same thing happended on our picasso 1.8sx petrol.the brake lights were on all the time,so removed the sensor,went to local motor factor and the bloke behind the counter said it's a common thing,they sell lots of that part all the time.it only cost me £3.50.i now have got a 'rattle' from the engine,which a 'friend of a friend'said he's just done one(diesel)and that it was the 'seats' on the injectors have come loose,its a common thing,but we've only done 40k on a 02.any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Does it rattle more when cold and at idle? If so it will probably be the crank pulley - well known weak point. Needs chaning if it is, since it can throw the aux belt off behind the pulley and then pull the cambelt off....
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don't know really,i never use it,i've got the xsara,wife has the picasso.seems to rattle all the time,increases when you accelerate,if thats any help.
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If the seals are leaking it will be evident as an 'oil' leak around the injectors. The pulley needs investigating quickly, if it falls apart it may throw the auxiliary belt off. I have seen one which shredded the belt and a bit of the belt found its way under the timing belt cover broke the cam belt and wrecked the engine.
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Bernie rubble's talking about a petrol Picasso, so I don't think the injector seals are an issue. Does this have the same crank pulley set-up as the HDI?
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