Updated 24March 2025
Background
A couple of weeks before the car was due for an MOT the indicators lights on the dashboard started playing up, the following blog is how I quickly sorted it, if I had more time, I would have used less bright LEDs.
Apparently this is a common problem with Citroen C1 where the indicators work, but the dashboard turn lights either do not work or become intermittent.
Like most people I went onto YouTube and the issue pointed to the steering wheel stalk switch which I duly bought from eBay, and after watching more videos on how to change this, I was very please with my efforts until I tested it and the issue was exactly the same!
How to Diagnoise
- Do both dashboard indicators come on when the Hazard Warning button is pressed and are they both stable when lit.
- If the dashboard lights are OK with the hazards but ‘flakey’ with the indicator switch, the problem is the steering wheel stalk and a replacement is about £18 and you will need a pair of bent long nose pliers.
Their are loads of YouTube videos on how to change the column switch and watched this excellent explanation: https://youtu.be/H3MQ8Ixwxow?si=G4r32EeSE6jmonJg
3. If the dashboard turn lights do not light at all or flicker or go very dim, this means the LED in the display cluster has failed or is failing, this was the case with me.
Instruction on stripping down the dashboard and changing the LED is here: https://youtu.be/vcVhkZm-138?si=Tqc9dxZNZn5V3RX5
Repair
The red circle shows the LED which has failed for the Right Indicator, the LED type is a surface mounted 1210 GREEN colour, (I swopped out the left LED while I was at it).
I bought 10 LEDS from eBay for less than £2, I bought super bright LEDs by mistake, should have got normal brightness, not a big problem but it would have been better on the eyes at night with less bright ones.
Great update from Alistair:
“There are others available from LEDPERF (https://ledperf.co.uk) that have brightness rating of 140mcd …..this is much less distracting! Bit more expensive (0.63p each) ..but really does a good job.”
In preparation for changing them I also bought a 15w soldering iron with a fine pointed tip as these LEDs are tiny.
I already had a de-soldering suction iron from Aliexpress which worked brilliantly to unsolder the dashboard display to get to this point.
The LED is sat on top of a small screw and I found it a bit of a struggle as I didn’t realize how much my hand shakes, but managed it in the end 🙂
Everything worked fine when I plugged everything back together, BUT I made a mistake when I refitted the speedometer pointer, this meant removing the clear cover and pointer, turning the ignition ON, then pushing the pointer on the spindle at the zero MPH mark, I must have moved the spindle and after putting the pointer on, the servo speed motor couldn’t calibrate as it was hitting the milometer reset button.
This was an easy fix, but still a pain to do after I had though everything was working.
Hope this helps somebody else and thanks again Alistair for sharing your experience.
‘I bought 10 LEDs from Ebay for less than £2!’
I have tried searching for the LEDs you mention but cannt track them down on Ebay!
Please could you give me some indication of the Ebay address where these can be purchased? Thank you.
Hi
I bought mine from eBay vendor and they are currently £1.59 for 10, as I mentioned these work fine are really bright, if I was to do this again I would go for ones that are a bit dimmer 🙂
Many thanks for the Ebay listing! I haven’t got in to this problem yet ,,,, so we can order the right one’s, please can you tell me if the Citroen LED’s are white ,,or green?
Does this supplier sell the dimmer version do you know?
Hi,
The LEDs needed are GREEN, unfortunately the seller didn’t list a detailed specification regarding the LEDs light output, so I don’t have a brightness value to tell you to go less than, I did find a cheaper source of the LEDs though which might do the job –Bright Components
Sorry to have to keep coming back ,,,, but please can you confirm the size of SMD LED that are needed for these replacements. They look to be 5050 units!
Is this correct size, please?
Really do appreciate all your help, Thank you,
Hi,
I’m more than welcome to help with any questions, the information from the ones I bought :
(Green) Surface Mounted Light Emitting Diodes – (LED’s).
Size 1210.
3x2mm – 2 pin.
I understand that a 5050 led means 5mm x 5mm so a 3020 would be physically the size equivalent of a 1210.
I have been through the process of replacing both Left and Right dashboard indicator LEDs. Many of the LEDS offered on Ebay are either Ultra Bright or Super Bright with brilliance ratings of 900 to 1500 mcd (millicandela) These are too bright.
There are others available from LEDPERF (https: ledperf.co.uk) that have brightness rating of 140mcd …..this is much less distracting! Bit more expensive (0.63p each) ..but really does a good job.
Thanks for all your help and advice
Hi Alistair,
Thanks for the update on how you got on and the led which you used, I’ll put that very useful information in the blog for others to benefit from.
All the best