Typically those who lead on addressing electrical issues vs mechanical, Bosch being one company in this space. How good any particular outfit in a locale is then is a tricky thing to validate.
Just had a visit from a kind local mechanic, who, for his part, has now diagnosed the issue as a faulty immobilizer …
I guess that would explain why the start push button will only show flashing amber (as opposed to steady amber), and why the Security Indicator Light flashes and appears whether the car is locked or unlocked. And of course I can’t get to 2nd-stage electrics at all: so my driver window is now fully open and can’t be closed. Perfect.
The mechanic in question tells me that fixing an immobilizer is something ONLY a main dealer can do. Can anyone confirm that? I’d do anything to avoid taking the car to Vospers, so this is an important question!
If you really don’t want to involve the dealer then I’d still be looking for a good auto electrician,
I don’t know your local geography in the other end of the UK however a quick search suggested T&E Auto Elec in Bodmin may have the appropriate equipment and experience.
A phone call to them (or a similar type of company) can’t hurt and may find you an acceptable resolution.
Thanks for your suggestion. I had previously approached the outfit you mention (an issue with our other car, a Skoda Octavia Estate), but found them less than responsive. Ignored all further e-mails after initially responding to my first e-mail approach.
In the meantime, a few hours after my last post, when a local mechanic diagnosed an immobilizer fault that was possibly fatal, I went out armed with tape measure and duct tape to measure up for a piece of plastic to cover my now fully open driver window. Obviously I couldn’t resist trying the start button again, and it was still flashing and not responding on the first two or three attempts. Then, suddenly, steady amber, steady amber with full dashboard lights on, then green - and bingo! The engine fired. I let it run for a while, with the heating on full blast (we had a lot of water in the car a couple of months back, due to blocked hood drains, and now we have mould), then my wife jumped in and took the car for a 15-minute burn-up. This was two days ago.
I tried the starter yesterday, and the engine fired as normal. Tried it again - still normal.
So whatever the issue is, it is intermittent, making it nigh-on impossible to diagnose or remedy.
Any recommendations for dealing with mould on seat leather and internal surfaces?
I’m not sure if you’ve mentioned it before, the symptoms you have been describing do sound awfully like water in your electrics. If the ND is the same as previous models the ECU is under a metal plate in the passenger footwell and water ingress here can cause all sorts of electrical weirdness.
Ideally indoors with carpets out and dehumidification actions will help and hopefully there’s not any permanent damage. Your recent reports suggest the car can run somewhat normally so maybe ok.
ECU is under the bonnet on the ND…But water in connections is quite common behind the dashboard, something that I eluded to earlier but was dismissed.
1 Like
I did read the thread you referred to, and did not dismiss anything, but I think I did say that repairs to electrical connections - as described in that thread - were way beyond my capabilities. In other words, I am hoping that is not the source of my problems!
I was unable to discover for sure where the ECU is physically located, and the most likely location did indeed seem to be under the passenger footwell - making it highly vulnerable when you do get flooded carpets (as I have, more than once). But you say it is under the bonnet: is it possible to see it and locate it? It would be very handy to know that.
I have ordered a pair of dehumidifier packs on eBay (silica gel, and reusable after microwaving). Like other buyers, I am a little sceptical, but for £13 it is well worth a try. A damp car interior is definitely an issue with my car.
Whilst damp is not a good thing, putting dehumidifier bags inside isnt going to help in my opinion.
They might help to remove or inhibit damp, but I think we’re being optimistic if we think they will resolve this issue.
None of us are certified mechanics that I know of, you’re going to have to bite the bullet, and get the car to someone who knows what they’re doing.
I think you’ve just about exhausted all ideas.
The fault is clearly intermittent - by definition - so even someone who knows what they are doing is not going to resolve a fault that is not present at the time. I’ve had diagnostics done by main dealers and an accident repair shop, and they revealed precisely nothing.
Experiencing similiar issues here with my 2016 ND. It was started 2 weeks ago, and prior to that had been on a trickle charger over the winter. I went to start it last night and it wouldnt go to ACC, just turned itself off again when I pressed the button a second time. I tried to jump start it off my jeep but that didnt seem to make any difference. I took the battery off last night and charged it in the garage on a charger, appears to be fully charged but still no difference in behaviour this morning.
Odd behaviour - 1) depressing the clutch activates (and opens) the boot latch (can hear it opening each time I press the clutch down, 2) I pressed the horn and it stayed on for 2 minutes. This makes me think the battery is goosed but however I opened the roof (dont know why, thought it might do something) and the windows shot down half way no bother. Now I cant get them up. Lights are all strong on the dash and indicators work etc, so I think the battery is ok.
Car is outside with windows open and it’s raining. I have a cover over it but obviously need this sorted ASAP! Going to do some diagnostics now.
It’s always good to know one is not the only one having a particular problem …
The first time I experienced this issue (no ACC, straight to OFF), one of the patent remedies did work for me (lock and unlock the car three times in succession). The same issue has happened again three times since then, and that solution didn’t work. But I found that at some point, after repeated failed attempts to get as far as ACC, the full sequence was suddenly, and completely inexplicably, restored, and everything was working again. That’s good in itself, but of course it completely destroys your confidence in the car’s reliability.
When I fitted a new battery a couple of weeks ago, I had similar issues with a rogue alarm (see my earlier posting!). And ever since extensive accident repairs to the rear end in 2019 (the car was side-swiped just behind the driver door when exiting from a blind junction) I’ve had a recurring issue with the alarm. When I unlock the boot with the dedicated boot release button on the key fob, and start to open it up by hand, sometimes (not always) the alarm starts screaming. Nobody has ever got to the bottom of it, and main-dealer diagnostics have not identified any issue.
Maybe your own diagnostics will reveal more - I really hope so. Keep us all posted!
The battery is giving a decent 12.8v so it’s at least taking a charge. I got the car started last night and I took it for a spin to get fuel. The horn sticks on, so that was incredibly embarrassing, when I tooted at someone I knew last night. Had to stop and pull out the relay for the horn.
The active bonnet system is flashing - 1 then 4 then 1 then 4 on repeat. Also the clutch still activates the boot latch, but only once now, and not every time like it did before. I’ve the battery off again now, and will see if things improve when I reconnect it to the car later.
It seems you missed telling us about this and the water ingress when you first started posting. I think the answer could well lie within these two very important pieces of information. Without complete disclosure we will always be on the back foot when trying to help.
6 Likes
I’ve posted in another topic @Falladaboy but I am getting the car started ok but still it has flashing light on the dash - bonnet system. I looked up the error codes via wee OBD-II reader and it’s telling me B1422 and B1423. Both related to bonnet system. They won’t clear either so I’m working out where to look next.