307 1.6 16V Rapier Beeping

[CaptainK 11]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section - the other sections are for 205 specific stuff. So I put it here. Mods: please relocate if needed

 

My missus has just bought a "new" 307 1.6 16v Rapier. Its a 2003 model on a 02 plate, 5 door model if that helps.

 

Its all perfectly fine and runs well except on one night after her work (9.30pm) she came out to the car to find the CD player on, the dash lit up with the STOP light illuminated and the empty fuel tank light on as well (tank was full though). The car was also constantly beeping from somewhere with the pattern of "Beep.........beep....... beep" etc and just kept going. I heard it over the phone when she rang me about it. Apparently the engine would still turn on and run fine, just that the dash was still displaying "STOP" and the fuel light was on and the beep was constantly going etc.

 

She doesn't remember if she hit the remote door open button first, or heard the beeping first.

 

Apparently her friend's 206 (unkown exact spec) does a similar problem occasionally and to get it to go away she hits the "open door locks" button the centre console repeatedly until it goes away. Armed with this new knowledge my missus goes back out to the car to do this, but finds the car is all quiet with no problems. Starts the engine and drives home fine and the car has been fine ever since (about a week since then).

 

I've had a look inside the 307 manual that came with the car, but unfortunately it has no section for error codes and stuff. I've tried Googling the subject and didn't find anything like mine - only issues I could find was about the "triple beeps" where it only beeps three times, unlike our problem where it beeps constantly.

 

Anyone got any ideas ? I've heard that the early 307s were plagued by wiring loom / electrical problems and I'm guessing we have a gremlin too.

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

I think you might kick yourself on this one. Have a look at the redio / clock display. if the temperature is below 3 degrees it will beep three times with an ice warning, but it usually flashes a message up.

 

Alternatively I have had it when the coolant level has been very slightly low and I have parked on a hill and set off, causing a little slosh. It has beeped but no warning message as it has triggered and then been ok, so I would check that too. You need to fill it to the top of the little X marker in the expansion tank (or look for the max on the side)

[CaptainK 11]

I think you might kick yourself on this one. Have a look at the redio / clock display. if the temperature is below 3 degrees it will beep three times with an ice warning, but it usually flashes a message up.

Thanks Henry, however it wasn't that as our beep was a constant beeping, not 3 separate beeps. It just kept beeping on and off for ages. The missus and I are also used to driving cars with ice warnings in them (scares the heck out of me when it happens in my FTO and it suddenly beeps at me and I automatically think "Arrgh! whats broken now?" ).

 

I didn't know that about the coolant level though causing a beep. It could be that I guess, as before the weekend when we went to Cornwall in it, I checked all the levels and found the coolant level did seem a little low and I topped it up.

 

I also don't understand why it would be beeping away to itself BEFORE my missus had actually got into the car and the CD Player was playing to itself and the STOP and Fuel Empty Lights were on before she got into the car. Surely you need the ignition on to get the CD player to work and the dash lights to light up ?

 

Thankfully the problem hasn't come back yet, but I thought I'd ask you experts purely out of interest. I forgot to mention (if it helps) that the car was parked on the flat in her work's carpark when she encountered this problem.