Electrical problem

[AerosGS]

Hi All

I'm in France and am having trouble. The cambiocorsa light comes on and then the suspension warning. Provided I'm moving the car changes gear but if I stop I can't select a gear. The lights went out spontaneously and after a battery reset but the fault keeps coming back. I changed the relay but suspect that there is a loose connection somewhere... Could it be the ECU connector? Where is the ECU for the gearbox and suspension? Any other ideas -I'm still a long way from home...

Cheers!

 

[safrane]

Sorry to hear the woes. You have tried the re-set which would have been my first suggestion...I had tube same after a very spirited drive down tube country lanes to Chateaux Etoge this time last year.
Hope ahead gets you home after a rest.

 

[Parisien]

Gee Aeros, no fun at all, could be a number of things, how many miles/age of clutch? last service you had? It does sound more of a connection issue, but who knows, whereabouts are, can check nearest indie location for you?

P

 

[AerosGS]

Gee Aeros, no fun at all, could be a number of things, how many miles/age of clutch? last service you had? It does sound more of a connection issue, but who knows, whereabouts are, can check nearest indie location for you?

P

hi parisien

It was serviced just before I set off. may be a connector get disturbed when they measured he clutch? Do you know where the gearbox/suspension ECU is. I could make sure the connectors are pushed home. It's an intermittent fault so almost certainly a connection problem in my opinion.?

Cheers

 

[Parisien]

Well.....firstly, check battery connections, earth, then fuses, do you have handbook? No idea where gearbox/suspension ECU located, maybe best to phone your indie tomorrow or Better Marios at Autoshield. There is a clutch sensor in there too, was it replaced?


P

 

[CatmanV2]

Skyhook ECU is in the boot, left hand side, behind the liner, just forward of the lights.

C

 

[AerosGS]

Skyhook ECU is in the boot, left hand side, behind the liner, just forward of the lights.

C

OK is thatecu also running the gearbox? I don't otherwise understand why both errors are coming together... Unless one ECU is glitching another via the can bus maybe?..
Cheers

 

[CatmanV2]

OK is thatecu also running the gearbox? I don't otherwise understand why both errors are coming together... Unless one ECU is glitching another via the can bus maybe?..
Cheers

As far as I know, they do not share functions. I think it's far more likely that there's a dodgy connection somewhere, that's causing both faults at the same time. A bad earth, maybe.
I don't think I can offer much more sensible suggestions than Frank has. Connections, fuses, earths. Starting with the boot units, which are behind the battery cover. It may be something as simple as a blown fuse. Maybe...

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

C

 

[Gixerboy]

Gents,

As an Electrical Engineer, I would normally look for an input sensor fault. As the fault clears initially this confirms the ECU is working correctly. Any sensors that are out of range, broken or disconnected would give an unexpected reading back to the ECU e.g open circuit , high resistance, low resistance , etc.This situation then brings the warning light(s) on.
In my opinion I would check speed sensor as the gear box & shook use this information to adjust gearbox changes & suspension movement.

Hope thus helps

Dave

 

[AerosGS]

Gents,

As an Electrical Engineer, I would normally look for an input sensor fault. As the fault clears initially this confirms the ECU is working correctly. Any sensors that are out of range, broken or disconnected would give an unexpected reading back to the ECU e.g open circuit , high resistance, low resistance , etc.This situation then brings the warning light(s) on.
In my opinion I would check speed sensor as the gear box & shook use this information to adjust gearbox changes & suspension movement.

Hope thus helps

Dave

Can you clarify which speed sensor is this and where is it located? As the fault is intermittent I suspect a connection problem... Hopefully there will be some way to actually get this fixed here or else i'll have to hope I don't get stranded in the middle of nowhere conversing in sign language

Cheers

 

[Felonious Crud]

Good luck, Aeros. FYI this is a list of French indies previously posted by Parisien. Not sure which region you are in.

Atelier des coteaux (02) spécialisé dans la restauration de véhicules anciens
Birdcage (83)
Carrosserie de l’Anneau du Rhin (67)
Carrossimo (85)
Colombo Challenge (13)
Di Meglio Ital'Sport (38)
DMotorSport (21)
ECI Garage de la Bergerie (83)
Garage Barteau (85)
Garage Calderoni (69)
Garage Dougnac (31)
Garage Gire (16)
Garage du Trident (77)
G.L.M. Auto Course (31)
GP Sport (60)
Juan Auto (06)
Michel Mercier Automobiles (94)
Isotta (92)
SM2a (10)
Storic Italia (13)

 

[AerosGS]

Good luck, Aeros. FYI this is a list of French indies previously posted by Parisien. Not sure which region you are in.

Atelier des coteaux (02) spécialisé dans la restauration de véhicules anciens
Birdcage (83)
Carrosserie de l'Anneau du Rhin (67)
Carrossimo (85)
Colombo Challenge (13)
Di Meglio Ital'Sport (38)
DMotorSport (21)
ECI Garage de la Bergerie (83)
Garage Barteau (85)
Garage Calderoni (69)
Garage Dougnac (31)
Garage Gire (16)
Garage du Trident (77)
G.L.M. Auto Course (31)
GP Sport (60)
Juan Auto (06)
Michel Mercier Automobiles (94)
Isotta (92)
SM2a (10)
Storic Italia (13)

The fault is quite intermittent so am sure it is a connection problem. When the lights come on, provided I do not select neutral I can drive ok. Once in neutral no gear change is possible and I have to do a battery reset. I'm going to drive back in this way and sort it out in the UK as my French is not up to explaining what is going on. Thanks for the thoughts will beback day after tomorrow....

Cheers

 

[Gixerboy]

Could be brake pedal micro switch, if not operating when brake on, it may prevent the gear selection, a good diagnostics will determine which sensor us out of range or intermittent

Cheers

 

[hodroyd]

Sounds to me like it could be brake pedal sensor too, have you checked that this is not being fouled by the mats..??

 

[Maser Sod]

Probably obvious, but check that the battery terminals are solidly connected.

Bumps in the road could temporarily open a circuit if the connections are not secure on the poles.

 

[CatmanV2]

Brake pedal sensor would not, AFAIK, affect the skyhook light?

C

 

[Gixerboy]

Brake pedal sensor would not, AFAIK, affect the skyhook light?

C

It does have a link to the Skyhook, under braking the front shocks can stiffen as a function of the G sensor & the pedal action... worth a look

 

[CatmanV2]

In that case, yes, absolutely!

C

 

[hodroyd]

If you can get at the brake pedal switch, you could try and put a bridge across it and see if you can select gear then, only a temporary measure mind you.

 

[AerosGS]

Hi all
Thanks for the ideas. The brake switch sounded possible as they had to reinstall the mats over the pedal at the last service, I checked it but could not see anything amiss. It would not easily explain why the lights come on after some time when driving at constant speed I think. Anyway will be booking into an inde next week for diagnostic computer readout. Hopefully the fault will be easily found. Got home but with some nervous moments at traffic lights this side of the channel. It turns out that with this fault if you are stationary for too long the gearbox drps from first into neutral and then in neutral no shifts are allowed. The battery reset works but you have to jump out and do it which is not so convenient...
Will let you all know the outcome when it is fixed...

Cheers