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I'm really not a mechanics specialist (I've only trained as an electrician so I have the basics about electric things), so I hope my question won't sound too "weird".

So, I tried to install a wired rearview camera on a Peugeot 206 car. I first connected two wires in the fuses box (one in a fuse slot powered when car is off, the other one powered when it is started), but then I couldn't find a place to connect the ground wire, so in the mean time I just used the cigar-lighter socket to power the screen. I also connected the rearview camera to the the reversing light. When I started the car, all went well and the camera worked fine.

I stopped the car, and tried to start it again a few minutes later. At this moment, the car didn't start, I heard clicks, and I saw a message about an ESP default. I tried to disconnect everything I did but it didn't change anything. The car still doesn't start and I still have an ESP warning. I checked the fuse I took off and put back, and they're ok.

So I'm really confused about what happened. Did I make any obvious mistake or something? Which way should I look to find the source of the problem?

Thank you in advance! PS: I'm not sure about the tags to use for this post, please don't hesitate to correct me. I hope my question is not too "awkward" or something.

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  • Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair! What year is your Peugeot? How many miles on it? Did you check the battery's voltage?
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Jul 8, 2023 at 21:25
  • Thank you! It dates from 2016, and it has about 154 000 km / 95 700 mi. And indeed, you were right, I checked the battery and it was about 11.7 V. So I changed it and it worked! To be honest, I am really confused why, given cars have so many sensors, there was an ESP error on the dashboard but nothing about the battery reaching end-of-life (it's also quite surprising it happened at this exact moment)... Thank you so much!
    – Michael Marx
    Commented Jul 10, 2023 at 20:48
  • (If you want you can post an answer so I can validate it.)
    – Michael Marx
    Commented Jul 10, 2023 at 20:49

1 Answer 1

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As per the comments, check the battery for correct voltage.

Why did the ESP light come on? The answer is simple. When the battery gets low enough, it can still has enough juice to start the vehicle, but not enough to run the electronics. Some of the electronics are more susceptible than others. On your vehicle, it seems the ESP didn't like it, so threw up the light.

As per why it happened at the same time. I'd suggest whatever you hooked up put up a constant draw on your battery and ran it down. You'll also want to check your alternator to ensure it is putting out the proper amount of voltage while the engine is running. Either or both could be at the root of your battery drain.

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    Thank you so much for your explanation! The battery was about four years old so I guess it was more likely to run down quickly at any time with a new equipment... It explains a lot. :)
    – Michael Marx
    Commented Jul 10, 2023 at 21:04

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