Citroen Saxo (1997 - 2003) - 2000 1.6 No power at all, any ideas?

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Wed 28 May 2008 13:04
2000 1.6 No power at all, any ideas? - damandblast
Saxo VTR W (2000) plate has developed a fault which has totally immobilised/stopped the car.

Problem:

No power, no lights, no ignition, Clifford alarm de-activated, no electronic/electical signs of life at all.

Tested battery and alternator. Both OK, in fact the battery is only a month old anyway as it was replaced when car had a previous start up problem.

It's as if the power is not getting from the battery to the car engine management system (assuming Saxo's have one?).

Oh and when the car is running we also have the normal airbag light warning but..... I think that is likely to be the connectors under the seat and not at all to do with this issue.

Have asked a Citroen garage for an opinion, all they want is for me to open my cheque book up for them to have a look and run diagnostics. problem is I have very limited financial resources and I'm not prepared to do that without some form of idea about the size of the problem first.

So that you are fully in the picture, the car first had a problem 2 nights ago, no power, no alarm (Clifford) nothing, slammed the driver door in frustration (in a multi storey car park at the time and had visions of AA getting stuck at the barriers) and everything came back on? Got home no problem. Next day. Nothing at all worked again and has remained that way.

Would an earth problem or a loose terminal cause this sort of symptom or is it more like to be something else? I don't think it will be a fuse issue as the power loss is total but, could something fusing have caused some sort of trip?

If you have an idea please tell me where to look, I don't know a lot about the mechanics of a car at all. Oil, water and petrol is about my limit. Probably a bit more than that in truth but you get the idea.



Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 28 May 2008 14:29
2000 1.6 No power at all, any ideas? - Screwloose
dandb

Up behind the battery there's a small, black, plastic box. Inside are the four main power distribution fuses. Connecting then is a copper bus-bar that has a bolted terminal on it's end - that comes loose.

The battery terminals and the main earth cable can also do this trick.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 28 May 2008 14:39
2000 1.6 No power at all, any ideas? - damandblast
Thank you :-)

Will have a look as soon as I can. Will let you know if it cures the problem.

lol, if not, you will probably hear me yelling at the car anyway.

Di
Reply | Report as offensive | Link