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Automatic lights issue

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 10:02 am
by Mikegasman
Hi, I am a new C3 Aircross 110bhp owner having pick up the car last week. The car was purchased from a non Citreon used car dealer and is two years old.

I notice an issue with the auto lighting. If switched manually on and off all lights work correctly.
If on auto lighting when the lights come on - side lights, + headlights + one near side front driving/ fog light. The drivers side front fog light doesn't illuminate. Day time lights stay on

Obviously there is a fault which hopefully I will get sorted on warrenty, but am I right in thinking that the front driver/fog lights wouldn't normally illuminate on auto lights in any case, IE just on switched. Has anyone experienced this issue?

Regards. Mike

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 10:57 am
by routemaster1
Mikegasman wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 10:02 am Hi, I am a new C3 Aircross 110bhp owner having pick up the car last week. The car was purchased from a non Citreon used car dealer and is two years old.

I notice an issue with the auto lighting. If switched manually on and off all lights work correctly.
If on auto lighting when the lights come on - side lights, + headlights + one near side front driving/ fog light. The drivers side front fog light doesn't illuminate. Day time lights stay on

Obviously there is a fault which hopefully I will get sorted on warrenty, but am I right in thinking that the front driver/fog lights wouldn't normally illuminate on auto lights in any case, IE just on switched. Has anyone experienced this issue?

Regards. Mike
You are correct. The fog lights should not come on with the auto lights. In fact the fog lights should not operate at all unless they are actually switched on. What I mean by that is that is that if the fog lights are used, when you switch off the engine and restart the fog lights should not come back on again.

You say that one fog light comes on with the auto light. Does the other fog light work when you actually switch them on whilst the switch is on auto.?

Whatever the cause, you have a problem which could just be the switch or something more complicated with the control electronics. Hopefully the Citroen warranty will cover it.

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 12:13 pm
by Mikegasman
Thank you routemaster1.

If auto lights are off, and lights put on manually by light switch stork then everything works correctly. The front fog lights only come on if switched on and both light up.

However when switched off and back to auto lights, then if conditions Vail and the lights go on automatically then the near side front fog light joins the side lights and headlights.

Funny even with the fault I would expect both to light up as they will be on the same circuit I would expect so don't understand it.

Anyway thanks for the clarity.

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 9:04 pm
by Beanee687
The left and right sides are separate current paths. My take on this is that the switch is faulty.

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 10:35 pm
by Beanee687
I don't know if you have the model with the fog lights that illuminate when you turn the steering wheel under 25 mph. If so possible fault with that system.

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2020 11:09 am
by Mikegasman
Thank you Beanee687. I seem to have system that fog lights come on the side when turning. So tested by turning steering wheel on auto lights when stationery.

Didn't know it had the system. So the one light issue was because wheels weren't alligned straight.

However would I expect this to be the case without moving, or do I have a fault.

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:02 pm
by routemaster1
Mikegasman wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2020 11:09 am Thank you Beanee687. I seem to have system that fog lights come on the side when turning. So tested by turning steering wheel on auto lights when stationery.

Didn't know it had the system. So the one light issue was because wheels weren't alligned straight.

However would I expect this to be the case without moving, or do I have a fault.
So have you tried it with the wheels straight? I would have thought that if this was the issue it would have happened when you turned the headlights on manually.

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 8:05 am
by Mikegasman
Yep. Thanks all. No longer think there is an issue and feel a bit stupid now.

Anyway I didn't realise the car had the directional lights on auto lights, nor that they worked using the front fog lights.
I find using the front fog lights a bit strange.
However seems I didn't have a fault and can turn the directional lights off if feel uncomfortable with them through the screen.
So no fault afteral !, Just a new owner getting to know the car. Thanks all

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 12:46 pm
by Beanee687
Just to recap.
On my 2020 C3 Aircross with lights in auto the fog light on the side of the car you are turning towards comes on under the following conditions
Speed 0 to 25 mph
In neutral or forward gear. If On and you select reverse they go OFF.
When indicator is activated on that side below 25 mph.
If lights in manual ON then the same conditions above apply.

Re: Automatic lights issue

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:36 pm
by PLK
I am not so sure it is a fault. I have the same problem with front fog lights that have a mind of their own.
The significant thing is I have 2 Citroen Aircross cars and they are both 2019 models and they both seem to behave the same way. I originally thought the lamp was faulty then it suddenly started working again. Then it went out when I put the car in reverse, but it was exactly the same in the other car and no fog light was selected! A bug in the software logic maybe.