Locked out

[ariel badger]

I have owned my 2006 1.6 Diesel Multispace for two years and yesterday it decided  to act up. I was driving along a path and had to open two gates. I stopped and turned the engine off and opened the first gate got back in and started the engine and drove 100 metres to the second gate. I killed the engine but left the key in the ignition with the radio on as I got out I closed the drivers door as the path was narrow. As I was about to get back in the central locking kicked in and left the car locked up with the radio on until it cut out due to eco-mode. We did manage to break into the vehicle and open everything up. I have done this dozens of times and it has never locked me out before and I have been unable to replicate what happened despite a dozen attempts. Any idea what went wrong? Thanks.

[Pedronicus]

'Er indoors had exactly this problem on the dog van and ended up having to smash a quarter light to get back in (dogs in cages in the back).  She didn't have the key in the ignition but had put them on the passenger seat before she got out to hand some documents to a friend and pushed the door to as it was raining.  Clunk!  Did a full Diagbox scan when she got back and no fault code found or registered. 

[Sol]

Believe it or not, there's a setting in the BSI from memory, that is "auto locking when unattended" or something, I saw it the other day. Worth a look and turning it off in DiagBox.

[ariel badger]

Believe it or not, there's a setting in the BSI from memory, that is "auto locking when unattended" or something, I saw it the other day. Worth a look and turning it off in DiagBox. 

It auto locks after 30 seconds if I unlock it but do not open any doors but this was different.

[oilyrag]

Something of a long shot .......prior to Berlingo I had a ZX which would lock/ unlock itself as I walked away from it, sometimes repeatedly. Problem was found to be the door plug connections - fiddly pins, cleaned up with ACG 50, and it stopped the habit!

[Sol]

I know, they all do that (relock when you don't open a door quickly enough). Now after reading a few Citroen forums, this seems more common than you'd think. Seems to be related to the driver's door lock mechanism and cable. Shutting the door is triggering the microswitch that the key operates when you manually lock the door with the blade.

Try using the key to lock and unlock a few times in the door barrel, it may reset the position of the cam that moves with the key, as it hits a switch that triggers the central locking if you can't or don't use the fob.

This switch which is part of the inner lock mechanism is probably teetering and locking as the door is slammed shut.

[ariel badger]

I do not think it is a bad connection as it was a one off, never had any problem before and the key was in the ignition.

[ariel badger]

I think that may well be the problem Zion, it does make sense but my days of leaving the key in the ignition are past!

[brodfather11]

This happened to me once luckily at home . Bought a dumb key and got it cut to fit my locks and hid it underneath the van just in case it happened again . It opens the doors but wont start it .
A piece of plastic tubing with some grease in it acts as a holder which was then screwed to a piece of plastic underneath

[ariel badger]

Thanks, just an idea here would operating the door switch with a key lock the car with the other key in the ignition with the radio on? I would try this myself but only have the one key. Could anyone try it and get back please? Thanks in advance.