ECU Maybe need some help!

[bovered79]

A couple of days ago i started getting starting issues, i thought the starter motor at first as i had just replaced the battery, however the other night i was coming home and the climatecontrol started turning itself on and off dash light started coming on and off lights dimming would this be the ecu. If it is can you just get one and change it over ot does it need to be reprogrammed to the car..

Car wont start at all now

[neiljohnson]

Does it go with a jump start? Sounds like an alternator issue to me but hard to be sure without looking myself. If it does go with a jump check the charge rate with a multimetre should be around 13.7 to 14.5 volts (maybe a bit lower if the battery is flat) also check the connections to the battery, sometimes the posts on a new battery are a slightly differant size and the terminals can be loose hth Neil

[delmeekc]

Or the alternator, car would then run until the battery was flat, is your battery flat again.

[bovered79]

Hey guys the battery is fine and testing ok i thought maybe Alternator but a week ago i went through all this and hen the car would start on the button fine for a few dayd then do the came thing again now it wont jumpstart at all maybe some alein intervention is involved....

[delmeekc]

do you have home start as they will pull the codes from the ECU which may find the cause.

[ringram]

Check your earths as well. It wont be ECU. Maybe BCM, but check electric circuits first, fuse box, relays etc. Maybe something is rusty or earth is failing..

[neiljohnson]

is the starter making any noise at all? Are you getting ignition lights?

[bovered79]

i am getting normal ignition lights and then clicking which sounds like the starter motor but the car did just stop the other night so wouldnt think it would be the starter motor

By the way whats home start and BCM...... might be a dumb question sorry

Edited by bovered79 on Sunday 7th February 10:04

[neiljohnson]

bovered79 said:

i am getting normal ignition lights and then clicking which sounds like the starter motor but the car did just stop the other night so wouldnt think it would be the starter motor

By the way whats home start and BCM...... might be a dumb question sorry

Edited by bovered79 on Sunday 7th February 10:04

sounds like bad wiring somewhere tbh honestart is aa / rac whoever breakdown and bcm is body control module which is basically the ecu that links everything in the car

[delmeekc]

They would plug their laptop thingie in to your OBD2 port (below the steering wheel) and they can display the DTC's (diagnostic trouble codes) stored in the memory. I have the interceptor gauges which you can do the same with, I check them regular as I should only show one, which it always shows as the MAF has been removed. Could save a alot of guessing. Home start is part of your breakdown package.

[bovered79]

how much does it cost for someone to stick there diagnositc machine on....and are they able to fix from there providing its not any hardware issue. As it dont start kinda difficult to get it to monkfish

[delmeekc]

I take it you don't have breakdown cover then.

[neiljohnson]

bovered79 said:

how much does it cost for someone to stick there diagnositc machine on....and are they able to fix from there providing its not any hardware issue. As it dont start kinda difficult to get it to monkfish

normally find someone mobile to do for around £40 but i dont think this will do much good for you as it sounds wiring related i would be checking the loom from the battery terminals to the started/ alternator & working from there.

[anonymous-user]

bcm = body control module. It controls all the doors, lights and other 'body' functions on the car inc cruise control. Mine's been out of action for ages with a similar issue. BCM, ECM, TAC and Immobiliser have all been replaced. In the end it turned out to be dodgy connector block in the wiring harness under the dash.

Unfortunately, all these units work together. If any of them fail the car won't start and it's a pain in the arse to diagnose. All the modules come from OZ but Mark may have spares now he's just fixed mine. Give him or Roger a call.

[bovered79]

All good info guys. If the alternator was faulty would that cause the issues i am having basically through to lack of power

[bovered79]

I have done more research and i think it is the alternator i am going to test it tomorrow and wil let you know. Are they pretty easy to change??

[global-i]

bovered79 said:

All good info guys. If the alternator was faulty would that cause the issues i am having basically through to lack of power

I recently had alternator issues, the symptoms I experienced were
1. Check alternator warning on dash display came on (engine continues to run)
2. ABS light on dash came on (engine continues to run)
3. Dash board display went off completely, rev counter, Speedo and all warning lights (engine continues to run)
4. eventually the engine stopped
This took about 25 minutes from the check alternator light to engine stopped.

The issue was the Main feed wire on the alternator output had been arcing and melted the cable from the eyelet.

[MyM8V8]

global-i said:

bovered79 said:

All good info guys. If the alternator was faulty would that cause the issues i am having basically through to lack of power

I recently had alternator issues, the symptoms I experienced were
1. Check alternator warning on dash display came on (engine continues to run)
2. ABS light on dash came on (engine continues to run)
3. Dash board display went off completely, rev counter, Speedo and all warning lights (engine continues to run)
4. eventually the engine stopped
This took about 25 minutes from the check alternator light to engine stopped.

The issue was the Main feed wire on the alternator output had been arcing and melted the cable from the eyelet.

Great info' Martin. Is the car OK apart from that. Saw it down the Fish.

[stigmundfreud]

you know, and it may sound silly, have you checked to make sure your battery leads are properly connected and on tight? I aks as I've had similar situation to this on a different marque, all looked ok but was getting random problems like yours. Turned out the earth (which visually looked on) was lose so caused all sorts of issues.

[bovered79]

stigmundfreud said:

you know, and it may sound silly, have you checked to make sure your battery leads are properly connected and on tight? I aks as I've had similar situation to this on a different marque, all looked ok but was getting random problems like yours. Turned out the earth (which visually looked on) was lose so caused all sorts of issues.

Yes mate took them off cleaned them and re fixed them still nothing havent had a chance to get them tested as yet though