Summer season is here
With the weather getting warmer we are starting to see more cars with A/C issues. Here is a Peugeot RCZ […]
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This Golf was brought in with a variable discharge on it.
After initial checks the discharge was found on the power distribution module. The module was found to be staying live and not switching off.
The problem is this module controls all the auxiliaries on the vehicle so the fault could be on any one of several circuits. Through proven diagnostic processes and much testing the fault was traced to the drivers door where the Cambus wiring had shorted to positive.
Not a common problem and one that can be very difficult to find
Will the Wall of death speed record be beaten?
Defying the laws of nature is a gold that humans tend to have since the beginning of times. Motorcycling daredevils are some of those people. Challenging laws of gravity and g force is actually something that can be fatal. This is what happens when someone enters a Wall of Death (the spectacle that we can see in carnivals most
of the times, where a person on a motorcycle drives, not on the floor, but on the walls of something that is similar with a bucket).
Guy Martin decided that he would break the records of speed on this kind of exhibitions, but not in any Wall of Death – he did it on the biggest of them all. For resisting the laws of gravity, the daredevil needs to drive at 20 mph (miles GUY’S WALL OF DEATH LIVE per hour), what means he is experiencing 2.5 g’s. Well, this man drove at 78,15 mph. This is the equivalent of 6 g’s – more than what an astronaut goes through the departure of a space ship.
All of this confrontation with the laws of nature do have a big impact on your body. These men can truly die during the spectacle. They can fall or even pass out, since the g force they are experiencing can overwhelm them. “They don’t call it the Wall of Death for nothing” said Guy Martin.
Even though what he did was a true duel with life and death, he does not want to finish here. He wants to try and reach the 100 miles per hour. What you should understand is that even though this is the biggest Wall of Death, with 121 feet of diameter, it is not built to resist such speed.
Whatever Guy Martins decides to do from this day forward, we need to congratulate him for his courage and a bit of craziness as well. The World record belongs to him and obviously because he really deserves it. This kind of stunts are a true proof of the bravery of humans with nerves of steel that test themselves putting their life in risk every time they climb on to a motorcycle.
This car arrived at our workshop as a non runner. Various other garages had tried to get to the bottom of the problem without success.
It was dead on the key, so the starter circuit was the logical place to start. All fuses and connections were tested first, all proved ok. A serial scan came back with communication and canbus issues and we couldn’t communicate with the engine Ecu at all.
Accurate wiring diagrams are essential and it was found that the Starter motor is fed from the ecu. Access was gained to the ecu so we could check supplies and earth’s. Several supplies were missing.
Theses supplies came from the main ignition relay. This relay is a switched negative, this negative supplied by the ecu. So it seems that the ecu receives the signal from the key, it accepts the key if correct then trips this relay to wake up the rest of the ecu.
So now it was a case of tracing this wire from the ecu to the relay. After some stripping and probing 3 breaks were found in the loom, 2 near the ecu which in these cars are situated low near the wheel arch and can be susceptible to water damage if the plastic guards get damaged. The other break was in the engine loom underneath the battery tray again where it can be exposed to the weather.

This is the break under the battery tray
The breaks near the ecu seen here above the ecu plug
A second Scenic into our workshop this week with electronic handbrake trouble.
A quick diagnostic code read brought up fault codes saying internal ecu fault. To confirm we removed the plug from the module and checked the pos and earth feeds and the canbus signals. All proved correct.
The motor was removed and a new unit sourced and fitted.
It then has to be coded into the car. 
This fine example of the C63 came in via another garage with headlight trouble.
The wiring to the lights was checked first as to gain access to the bulbs and hid controllers the bumper has to be completely removed.
The wiring was found to be ok so with the bumper removed we tested the bulbs and controllers
the testing found one of the HID controllers to be at fault. An o.e unit was sourced, another happy customer.
Into our workshop this week was this BMW which had a problem with the wipers not working at all. We Firstly checked and confirmed all fuses were ok. Then we gained access to the motor which isn’t the simplest of jobs on this car, again the motor proved good. Using accurate wiring diagrams the next thing to check is the control relays which again are not easy to access having to remove 3 modules to gain access.
Once we got to theses relays the fault was obvious, the relays were in a well that was full of water and this had corroded the relays and bases.
New parts fitted all wiper functions returned.
This Ford was brought in to us with intermittent non start issues. When the fault was apparent it was dead on the key and the immobliser light flashed quickly. Through experience of these faults we knew this signified that there was a communication issue between the GEM module and the ECU in the engine bay.
Accurate wiring diagrams and test procedures are key to finding these kind of faults. Through proven test procedures the fault was traced to a damaged plug in the engine bay. The plug repaired and a test drive later all was well
Volvo V 40. The customer wanted us to switch off his daylight running lights, no problem if you’ve got the latest diagnostic equipment with near o.e capabilities. Job done
In this week was this BMW with indicator trouble. The indicators were flashing fast on both sides as if a bulb was blown, all bulbs were OK.
Using Autologic diagnostic equipment it showed a fault relating to the footwell module, which controls aswell as other systems all external lights. 
Again using diagnostic equipment we can do a reset on this module which alot of the time can cure the fault. But after doing this the fault remained.
So we stripped the car to gain access to the module and quickly checked all connections to the module, again all was Ok.
The BMW dealer was phoned where we were informed that they had sold 67 of these last month! Ours will have to come from Germany as all stock in UK sold out. Once the part arrives it will need coding in. Job done!
Into our workshop this week was this Merc with parking assist problems and automatic door lock/unlock not working. A full serial scan showed up 2 faulty parking sensors on the front. A check of these sensors confirmed the fault and 2 new sensors sourced.
 
Next we checked the locking system, the normal way it should work is as long as you have the keys on you when you approach the car when you pull the handle on the door it should unlock for you. We stripped the drivers door down and removed the door handle that contains a microswitch that unlocks the door and found water ingress into the switch.
