V8V - Weird electrical gremlin.
Discussion
Just encountered a really weird problem - and wondering if anybody else had encountered similar:
Started the car up earlier - and the brake warning and handbrake lights came on as did the headlight symbol - but the rest of the instrument cluster was off (no mileometer, speedo etc). Stopped the car - took the key out of the ignition, waited a few seconds, restarted and everything went back to normal.
A little later went to take it out again into town. Started car no problems - but was putting the hood down and half way through it just stopped as if completely dead. Took key out again, and tried restarting a couple of times, nothing, hood seemed dead. Eventually got an SRS airbag warning on the dash - then after leaving for a few minutes and restarting again - everything back to normal, hood went down fine.
Came back to the car in town, started up and again brake light warnings came on, instrument cluster dead. This time tried the restart and nothing came back. Headlights, indicators etc seem to be working fine as does the stereo system and heating - but the main instrument cluster was completely dead, no revs, speedo, indicator lights, main beam lights nothing. The only light on the dash was the green headlight symbol. Had no option but to drive it home - but whilst doing so I also noticed that the light around the glass key and the lights on the steering wheel volume controls kept coming on and going off seemingly randomly.
Got it home and tried the restart solution - again nothing. No instrument cluster, hood doesn't work etc. Car will lock and unlock fine as will boot and auto mirrors work fine.
Locked it up and left it for 10 minutes - just been back out to it and everything seems fine again, car starts up fine, all instruments fire up as normal the first time.
Tried it again - and I get all sorts of warning messages "Brake Failure stop safely", Check Tyres etc - dash dead again apart from the brake and tyre warning lights.
Started the car up earlier - and the brake warning and handbrake lights came on as did the headlight symbol - but the rest of the instrument cluster was off (no mileometer, speedo etc). Stopped the car - took the key out of the ignition, waited a few seconds, restarted and everything went back to normal.
A little later went to take it out again into town. Started car no problems - but was putting the hood down and half way through it just stopped as if completely dead. Took key out again, and tried restarting a couple of times, nothing, hood seemed dead. Eventually got an SRS airbag warning on the dash - then after leaving for a few minutes and restarting again - everything back to normal, hood went down fine.
Came back to the car in town, started up and again brake light warnings came on, instrument cluster dead. This time tried the restart and nothing came back. Headlights, indicators etc seem to be working fine as does the stereo system and heating - but the main instrument cluster was completely dead, no revs, speedo, indicator lights, main beam lights nothing. The only light on the dash was the green headlight symbol. Had no option but to drive it home - but whilst doing so I also noticed that the light around the glass key and the lights on the steering wheel volume controls kept coming on and going off seemingly randomly.
Got it home and tried the restart solution - again nothing. No instrument cluster, hood doesn't work etc. Car will lock and unlock fine as will boot and auto mirrors work fine.
Locked it up and left it for 10 minutes - just been back out to it and everything seems fine again, car starts up fine, all instruments fire up as normal the first time.
Tried it again - and I get all sorts of warning messages "Brake Failure stop safely", Check Tyres etc - dash dead again apart from the brake and tyre warning lights.
Edited by Moonhawk on Thursday 6th April 21:08
Hello Moonhawk
From your description of the faults I'm almost certain it's the roof control module. Mine did just the same thing and I ended up with all sorts of faults on the dash, no instruments, boot lid wouldn't operate, no indicators. I replaced the module which is in a panel over the rear wheel arch and fixed it, the part is just over £500.
If you want to check, take the passenger floor carpet up, remove the alloy fuse panel and locate the small roof control module fuse in the canbus system and pull it out. The roof won't work, but everything else will return to normal. The roof module looks for speed signal, boot closed etc etc before it allows the roof to open/close and hence when it is failing, it throws gremlins in to all these areas via the canbus. The part needs to be ordered to the car, disconnect the battery before fitment and its plug and play, nothing more needed.
You can close the roof manually if you read the manual instructions, and if you can live without it being open, you can drive the car until you change the module.
From your description of the faults I'm almost certain it's the roof control module. Mine did just the same thing and I ended up with all sorts of faults on the dash, no instruments, boot lid wouldn't operate, no indicators. I replaced the module which is in a panel over the rear wheel arch and fixed it, the part is just over £500.
If you want to check, take the passenger floor carpet up, remove the alloy fuse panel and locate the small roof control module fuse in the canbus system and pull it out. The roof won't work, but everything else will return to normal. The roof module looks for speed signal, boot closed etc etc before it allows the roof to open/close and hence when it is failing, it throws gremlins in to all these areas via the canbus. The part needs to be ordered to the car, disconnect the battery before fitment and its plug and play, nothing more needed.
You can close the roof manually if you read the manual instructions, and if you can live without it being open, you can drive the car until you change the module.
sf1969 said:
Hello Moonhawk......
Thanks for the detailed info. 
I had a look at it this morning.....it's not definitive but you may be on to something.
I tried starting the car up this morning - took a few attempts but finally got the error again.
Pulled the fuse - and tried multiple restarts - no errors.
Put the fuse back in again and after a few restarts - got the error again.
Pulled it again - multiple restarts, no errors.
However.......I put the fuse back in again and despite trying for around 20 minutes I couldn't replicate the error again.
I have pulled the fuse out again and will try driving the car to northumberland and back without it - see if the car settles down. I'll then put it back in when I get back and do a test over a few days - hopefully that will answer it once and for all.
Glad you found the info useful, my car was just the same, sometimes it would be OK, other times it fell over, but it never fell over once with the fuse out, or since the module was replaced. I reckon that one of the capacitors in the module is breaking down and sends an erroneous pulse which gives the car a wobbly.
I'd appreciate the feedback once you've done your fuse out Northumberland trip, mine misbehaved all day when I went to the AMOC meet at Wittering on the Saturday to the point where I wasn't going to be able to attend the Burghley House meet on the Sunday. Turning the car off and on sometimes worked but not always, but having no brake lights or indicators is a worry. I figured out the fuse pull fix on the Saturday evening and went on the Sunday, be it with the hood up. Never once did it misbehave so I then ordered the module.
If you ever get the red traction control/ABS fault display ask again as I've worked that one out as well.
I'd appreciate the feedback once you've done your fuse out Northumberland trip, mine misbehaved all day when I went to the AMOC meet at Wittering on the Saturday to the point where I wasn't going to be able to attend the Burghley House meet on the Sunday. Turning the car off and on sometimes worked but not always, but having no brake lights or indicators is a worry. I figured out the fuse pull fix on the Saturday evening and went on the Sunday, be it with the hood up. Never once did it misbehave so I then ordered the module.
If you ever get the red traction control/ABS fault display ask again as I've worked that one out as well.
Ok - so popped the fuse back in - managed to get the hood down and back up again twice before the error manifested again.
Now the hood doesn't appear to want to work at all. If the fuse is in - I get error messages straight away, but everything is fine if it's out.
I'd say it's pretty definitive. I'll get a hood control module on order this week
Now the hood doesn't appear to want to work at all. If the fuse is in - I get error messages straight away, but everything is fine if it's out.
I'd say it's pretty definitive. I'll get a hood control module on order this week
Good news and thanks for the feedback.
The module is on the driver's side above the rear wheel arch liner which you'll need to remove (you have to remove one of the bolts on the alloy underpan to fully release the liner). You will then see a small panel above the wheel towards the rear which you will need to remove and the module is behind it. It might even be possible to get at it from within the boot instead behind the tyre fix kit but I can't confirm this, but it is worth having a look.
Make sure you disconnect the battery before you swap the modules.
If your car is an 09, it's the same age as mine was when it failed, it looks like the component has a life of 8 years, it would be interesting to know how many roadsters are now experiencing this issue.....
The module is on the driver's side above the rear wheel arch liner which you'll need to remove (you have to remove one of the bolts on the alloy underpan to fully release the liner). You will then see a small panel above the wheel towards the rear which you will need to remove and the module is behind it. It might even be possible to get at it from within the boot instead behind the tyre fix kit but I can't confirm this, but it is worth having a look.
Make sure you disconnect the battery before you swap the modules.
If your car is an 09, it's the same age as mine was when it failed, it looks like the component has a life of 8 years, it would be interesting to know how many roadsters are now experiencing this issue.....
sf1969 said:
Good news and thanks for the feedback.
The module is on the driver's side above the rear wheel arch liner which you'll need to remove (you have to remove one of the bolts on the alloy underpan to fully release the liner). You will then see a small panel above the wheel towards the rear which you will need to remove and the module is behind it. It might even be possible to get at it from within the boot instead behind the tyre fix kit but I can't confirm this, but it is worth having a look.
Make sure you disconnect the battery before you swap the modules.
If your car is an 09, it's the same age as mine was when it failed, it looks like the component has a life of 8 years, it would be interesting to know how many roadsters are now experiencing this issue.....
Cheers - I'll take a look, but the car is due a service in a few weeks, so I may get the guys at Bridge Mill to chuck it in for me The module is on the driver's side above the rear wheel arch liner which you'll need to remove (you have to remove one of the bolts on the alloy underpan to fully release the liner). You will then see a small panel above the wheel towards the rear which you will need to remove and the module is behind it. It might even be possible to get at it from within the boot instead behind the tyre fix kit but I can't confirm this, but it is worth having a look.
Make sure you disconnect the battery before you swap the modules.
If your car is an 09, it's the same age as mine was when it failed, it looks like the component has a life of 8 years, it would be interesting to know how many roadsters are now experiencing this issue.....
Yes - my car is an 09.
sf1969 said:
it looks like the component has a life of 8 years, it would be interesting to know how many roadsters are now experiencing this issue.....
It only lasted 4 years in my roadster. Failed while in the South of France and had to drive all the way back to the UK with constant warnings flashing up. Wish I had the information about pulling the fuse, would have saved me a lot of grief.The UK dealer disconnected the module from within the boot, so that I could continue to use the car awaiting the replacement part. So they did not know about pulling the fuse temporarily fix.
The replacement was fitted from within the boot not through the wheel arch.
Hi,
I know this is an old thread but have exactly these symptoms. I tried pulling fuse 10 in the boot with no effect prior to reading this post but am now going to try the one in the passenger well.
With regard to age, mine is a 4.7 2010MY registered April 2010 and checked in the factory Sep 09 so that pretty much bears out the 8 year failure.
I know this is an old thread but have exactly these symptoms. I tried pulling fuse 10 in the boot with no effect prior to reading this post but am now going to try the one in the passenger well.
With regard to age, mine is a 4.7 2010MY registered April 2010 and checked in the factory Sep 09 so that pretty much bears out the 8 year failure.
Hello
Just for info, I had exactly these issues with my Vantage V8 Roadster, MY2007 (21000 miles). I have just recently purchased the vehicle but it hadn't been driven for over 6 years. The problem happened to me after less than 500 miles of ownership. Roof Control Module replaced and all good.
Just for info, I had exactly these issues with my Vantage V8 Roadster, MY2007 (21000 miles). I have just recently purchased the vehicle but it hadn't been driven for over 6 years. The problem happened to me after less than 500 miles of ownership. Roof Control Module replaced and all good.
2008 vantage roadster. Changed battery. Now have a ton of errors. The roof didn’t work initially after battery change but then it came to life…as did the fun kaleidoscope of errors…air bag, ABS, traction control, emission system service…and the right window won’t go down anymore…at least now I have a legitimate highlight of living in a left hand drive country
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