Peugeot Boxer Ignition barrel red button
Advice please, I’m new to motor homing, Van is an Elddis Accordo seven months old and refused to start I called out the roadside assistance who then traced a problem to a coil fault, which was bypassed to get me home. The coil is situated on top of the battery my question is can anyone tell me what the red button attached to the ignition barrel ring does? I have funny feeling I my have contributed to the situation.The Peugeot handbook is very vague the local Peugeot garage is somewhat puzzled and as for the supplier, well. Apparently, this button has only appeared on the latest models 2018 onwards, that’s all I know. Cheers DJW.
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Hi, DJW. The red button isolates the vehicle battery.
Using it will disable all except the very essential electrical systems such as the ECU memory. It’s worth noting that, once enabled, it will prevent entry to the van by any means other than inserting the key in the look of the driver's door and will mean resetting the time/date of the clock.
If you have a tracker or alarm, these should be powered by the leisure battery but it’s worth checking that before isolating the vehicle battery.
Btw, our Boxer has this button and it’s the 2017 Euro 6 model.
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The pics below show my button and the accompanying label on the dash.
To elaborate on my post above, engaging the red button isolates most of the vehicle battery stand-by functions and, if this is not done and the vehicle is not used fo a few weeks, the battery will lose its charge.
To engage the button, push it in and turn the key beyond the normal off position. You can then lock the vehicle with the fob once. After a short time the battery will be disconnected from most stand-by functions and the central locking system. The door can then only be opened with the key.
When the ignition is turned back on, wait a few moments for the systems to be re-avtivated and lights and dials on the dash to settle.
Here’s a link to a previous discussion -2 -
Thank you all so much, pity the information didn't come from those people who should have been in the know or maybe I never asked the right question! never mind everything is running smoothly again. It is reassuring I can rely upon club members though. Brilliant thank you.
Cheers DJW
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You’re welcome 👍🏻
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I have a Wildax Citroen relay 2018. Last week we too were unable to start the van after engaging the red button. Green flag got us going (twice!) But the van will only start on a jump. We have a 3 week wait before Citroen can look at the van. In the meantime it appears that by bridging the relay the van can be started. Can anyone tell me if this is safe to do until such a time as van can be checked over.
Many Thanks Bruce
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Sounds like your relay has failed to re-energise when you have turned the ignition on.
I asked my local dealer about this switch and he had to print out the instructions from the internet for me, no one had seen this switch before. The really annoying thing is that the motorhome dealer has no idea what it does and with the solar panel connected to the vehicle battery as well as the leisure battery they cannot tell me if this isolates the solar panel or not. So only thing to do is use the motorhome at least once every 2-3 weeks so the battery does not go flat.
Incidentally, mine did go flat after 4 weeks and I took it to the dealer who checked the batteries and the solar charger and said that everything was OK, even though I had to jump start the motorhome to take it to the dealer. How can that 20 mile trip make everything OK?
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All the info on ours was in the handbook 🤷♂️.
Ours has now been changed for a Fiat which, sadly, does not have the very useful battery isolator switch.
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Not so much a reply to DJW but more a question to all re how to make the red button function actually work.
As a new motorhomer I admit to being puzzled by the red button on my 2017 Bailey on a Boxer cab. I have spoken with local Peugeot dealer and they were not too helpful although eventually I received a sheet via download from a manual that is different to my one and that explained how it should work. I followed these instructions one week past but was not convinced when I left the vehicle in its inside storage location that the Battery Saver System had been activated by me. Lo and behold today when I went to collect it after 7 days I was able to open the door with my remote and it would not start. Now to meet Greenflag in the morning to jump start the vehicle.
If Tinwheeler or anyone with more know-how than me can help me make this system function I would be very grateful.
Best wishes to all - WillMoHo
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Hi, Will. We no longer have the Pug and wish the current Fiat had the red button.
You're aware that if the remote unlocks the doors, then the red button has not engaged so that's a simple way of checking.
As far as I can recall, with the ignition turned off but with the key still in the ignition, push the red button in and keep it pushed in while you turn the key one further position. Remove the key and the button should stay in. Then leave the vehicle and you have a short time to lock the doors with the fob. You don’t have very long to do this and won’t be able to lock them if you tarry. Once the time has expired (sorry, I can’t remember how many minutes) you will only be able to enter the vehicle by opening the driver's door manually with the key. Other doors can be opened from inside the van but you cannot lock them again.
To enable the system again put the key in the ignition and turn it on. Wait a few minutes while the dashboard instrument panel goes through a routine. Once it's settled, you can open the doors via the dashboard door lock switch and start the engine. All should then be back to normal but you will need to reset the date/time settings.
Most LV dealers and garages probably won’t have a clue and it's not unknown for the system to malfunction.
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Hi Tinwheeler, Thanks for reply and apologies for not getting back to you sooner. Was in Tavistock with MoHo and no pc to check you had responded. Now at home and again a problem. Parked up on Saturday and on Sunday tried to set the Battery Standby System. Seemed ok because later I had to use the key in the door to open for access. Lo and behold it will not start - just click/click/click which is just like when a battery is flat. However a brand new battery went in last week so only 6 days later not start. Is it the Battery Standby playing up or I am not operting the restart process correctly??? I am really puzzled and very frustrated. Any guidance wil be very much appreciated. Peugeot in Taunton were helpful and seem to think its the battery that's the problem but seems odd for a 6 day old battery. Look forward to your comment. regards
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Hi Will. I don’t think it can be your re-starting technique but it may be that you have something turned on - possibly in the habitation area. If the hab area panel is left on, the hab battery could lose charge and then the hab area supply would seek, change to, and drain the van battery and would bypass the red button system but I wouldn’t expect a Peugeot garage to identify a cause in the hab unit.
I suggest you turn off the van hab electrics at the main control/fuse panel and try again. This may help to isolate the cause of the problem.
A faulty solar panel controller may cause a similar fault and a call to the system maker, eg Sargent, may throw some light on the matter (no pun intended!) if the issue is in the hab area.
Other than that, I’m at a loss. However, sometimes the red button system does how wrong.
Good luck.
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Hello SChisholm,
I hope you can offer some guidance based on your experience with your Citroen !!!
The problem you describe is exactly the same as my own issue which happens to be on my Bailey which is based on a Peugeot Boxer Motorcab. The functionality of the 'Red Button' (Battery Saving System) is the same on all vehicles (Peugeot Boxer/Fiat Ducato/Citroen). My vehicle currently has the battery relay (on earth terminal) bypassed to allow the vehicle to start. I am currently in dialogue with my local Peugeot dealer who has replaced the relay and still no successful resolution. Peugeot Technical UK have also not been very helpful saying they have not heard of this problem before. They did however offer some further checks / actions but were not precise about the 'Root Cause' of the issue (ie) once Battery Saving System correctly activated, why can one not start the vehicle after without the need to bypass the installed relay. I see you took your vehicle to the Citroen dealer to sort - in your case can you please share the 'Root Cause' for your problem and what the dealer did to rectify your situation? Assuming they were able to correctly identify it. I Look forward to hearing back so I hope you do pick up this message to you.
Regards,
Will
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Wow, still not sorted, WMH!
Incidentally our 2020 Fiat Ducato does not have the red button to isolate the battery.
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I was told by Peugeot technician that from research he has made when investigating the issue for me that the 'Battery Saving System' has been discontinued. This was 2 days ago.
TW - did you ever have any issues with the functionality of yours on your previous vehicle? If yes, what was the fix please?
Will
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Our red button was only used a few times, Will, and worked OK but I have heard of others having problems.
I'd suggest not using the button and/or getting the relay bypassed and trying to keep the battery charged. A small solar panel that sits inside the windscreen and plugs into a dashboard socket (if one is available) may work if the socket is not controlled by the ignition switch.
You might want to consider buying a boost starter battery pack to carry with you, that is what we do to give peace of mind in case of a flat battery whilst on site. They are relatively cheap, easy to carry, can be used on any vehicle and can also be used as a portable 12v power source.
Perhaps the discontinued fitting of the red button system speaks volumes.
Good luck.
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Hi, just picked this thread up. Bought a 2017 Auto-Sleeper Broadway in December on a Peugeot that logs show was built in 2016. It has the red button and there is nothing in the Peugeot manual. At handover it was skimmed over as I don’t think the chap really knew about it.
Just had major battery problems (steep learning curve in my first month) and trying to get my head around it and sort out so it doesn’t happen again. Realised the red button battery kill switch might help, but absolutely no info from either AS or Peugeot, totally bizarre to me.
However slowly picked threads up from blogs, some quite conflicting. This thread is the best I have found.
I have been fiddling with mine and can’t quite get the button to stay in, so you’ve answered what I need to do that.
I’ve learnt from Sargent to now shut the master switch off on the habitation (I’ve yet to find if that battery is totally shot). The vehicle battery might be salvageable as I managed to get it charged and running, and restart the next day. However again there might be long term damage on that.
I’ll get back to it tomorrow and try shut the vehicle battery down by the red button. However I’m still confused about whether or if the solar panel still charges it if a) the Sargent master switch is off b) if the red button is used.
Again nothing is clear about the action of the solar panel in any blurb.
I am awaiting selling my 2011 Bentley Indigo and as I have never had this battery issue with that, it’s tempting to keep that and sell the AS, I can’t believe a 6 year younger van appears to have gone backwards on technology.
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Hi 14.
The batteries probably do not discharge completely.
As far as I remember, the vehicle electrics cut out when the battery voltage drops to about 10 volts. This is to protect the battery against serious discharge and that is the reason a shortish run will recharge it.
The hab battery also has a cut out that can be set to operate at about 10 or 13 volts from the advanced settings on the Sargent control panel. The advanced settings allow several parameters to be set, eg battery type & capacity. The dealer should set these on the PDI but many seem to be unaware of them. If I remember correctly, the cut out settings are marked as Fiat (about 10v), or Peugeot (about 13v). Setting instructions for the Sargent unit should be in the paperwork.
I am afraid I am unable to add anything further.
Our new van had an update to the ECU before we took delivery of it to prevent the vehicle battery discharging.
During your browsing, have you come across the AutoSleepers Owners Forum? There are some very knowledgeable people posting on there.
https://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com
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I have a Wildax Aurora Leisure, recently acquired 2018 model (Citroen Relay). I was at Newcastleton Folk Festival a couple of weekends ago, and because there is no Mobile cover there, thought I would listen to the radio. To get the radio to come on with the ignition off, I pressed the red button and turned the key. Lo the radio came on, but then I realised, too late, the battery was draining rapidly.
Had to get a friend to help me jump start the van.
In retrospect I wonder if, by engaging the red button, the fridge thought I was driving and switched over from gas to the battery? Consequently flattening it. From now on, I'm leaving the red button well alone.
I sought advice from her (the C and MH club technical queries), and got no help at all, likewise from Wildax, who told me to contact Citroen - who are impossible to get information from.
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Pushing the red button enables the ignition key to turn to another position which then isolates the battery. Read through this thread with my earlier explanations. It should help.
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My 2020 Autosleeper Kemerton has just started losing all charge from both batteries in 2-3 weeks of standing. It's not done this before so that's another investigation.
However to try and cure the problem short term I am using the ignition switch battery isolator red button. Easy to operate: press the button in and turn the key to Batt. On mine the key doesn't align exactly and the button comes out when the key is removed. But it does work: not sure about how much time is available to lock the vehicle but I do it within a minute. Two or three minutes later the vehicle cannot be unlocked with the remote indicating the feature is working. NB DO NOT lock the vehicle with the alarm fob if you have one. Use the original remote key button, otherwise the alarm siren 'beeps' every few minutes which to me indicates battery drain.
You open the vehicle using the driver's door key. Then re-connect the battery by switching on the ignition as usual. Various clicks and dial needle wobbles but then all works.
How effective this is in prolonging full charge is yet to be seen. I top up the charge every month if not using the van anyway.
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It is an effective protection for the vehicle battery, K2020. Its use has been described here and in the linked thread. Turning off the control panel as well protects the hab battery.
Batteries going flat when not in use is a frequent topic raised on the AutoSleepers Owners Forum where there are people well versed in the workings of the various electrical systems fitted by AS.
https://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com
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