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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Ford Fiesta arrived at our workshop as a non runner. The customer said it spluttered a few times then cut out and not run since. A quick serial scan showed up fuel pressure issues.
We removed the fuel feed pipe from the fuel rail and found no fuel being delivered. Next we removed the back seat to gain access to the wiring to the fuel pump. The wiring was good.
So we then had to get to the fuel pump which is in the tank. The tank has to be removed to gain access
With the tank removed the problem became obvious, the wiring onto the pump had suffered water damage and one of the pins on the pump had rotted off. We manged to remove the rotted pin from the plug and clean the plug up as a new plug isn’t available. 
With a new genuine Ford pump fitted car started and ran great.
Into our workshop was this Citroen van which was towed in as a non runner.
Firstly we plugged in our diagnostic machine and retrieved all the fault codes.
The injector code we thought through experience would be the best to investigate first. The Easiest thing to do first is to disconnect each injector in turn in case one is shorting out dragging down the supply. This proved unsuccessful.
These injectors are Piezo so they are switched on and then the voltage swops round and they are switched off. All wiring was checked from the injectors to the ecu and found to be ok.
We then started checking the wiring to the ecu because although we could communicate with the ecu there are 3 feeds and 3 grounds that activate different parts of the ecu. It was here that we found 1 of the feeds was missing. This is where accurate wiring diagrams are essential for diagnosis
 
The ecu was accessed and the loom stripped and checked. After much stripping and head scratching the break was found, the tiniest nic in the wirer.
Only if your experts in electrical fault finding could you find a fault like this.
So if your car is suffering from electrical gremlins come see the experts
This vehicle was with us for starting issues, it would crank over fine but not fire.
Unfortunately for this customer they had first been elsewhere with this vehicle and had alot of work done which had not cured the problem.
The garage had unbelievably taken £950 of him without curing the problem and had ran out of ideas of what to do next.
It turned up at our workshop after being of the road for 3 weeks.
Firstly we plugged in our diagnostic machine to scan for any fault codes, there were none relevant to our fault, so onto live data.
We measured rpm speed and fuel pressure both were low.The starter motor was removed and repaired, the bearings were all worn out due to the excessive cranking. When refitted the rpm was fine but the fuel pressure still low.
Looking at the previous garages bill one thing they hadn’t done was test the injectors.
A simple spill test which measures the amount of fuel passing through the injectors revealed that one injector was stuck open and so the fuel pressure couldn’t reach the desired level.
A second hand injector was sourced as money now was a real concern for the customer, fitted and coded.
Car started perfectly and ran great. Another customer wishing he’d come to us first!
Renault Trafic non runner. Been at previous garage for 2 weeks without success. The immobliser light was flashing normally with ignition off, when switched on the red light would illuminate permanently without flashing, signifying a communication error between modules.
In Renaults wisdom to gain access to the UCH the dashboard has to be removed. Once access was gained we can then check continuity between different components. With accurate wiring diagrams a diagnosis can be achieved.
In the engine bay the ECU was exposed and the wiring loom stripped so continuity could be checked, where it was found that the canbus line between the UCH and engine Ecu was open circuit.
Now it was a case of tracing the correct wiring back to the UCH to find the break.
A simple repair was made to the wiring and the van ran fine.
A very happy customer picked up his van within a couple of days and could get back to work.
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
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.
We know that a lot of people need consistent maintenance to their vehicles, and that doesn’t fall short in terms of Alternators. That’s why we at Widnes Auto Electrical are here to provide you with all of your needs in regards to Alternators.
The Alternators primary function is to keep your battery charged. As well as that, it also provides your car with all of the means to be able to run things related to electricity. A tip to look out for, is if your startermotor is cranking or turning slowly when you’re starting your vehicle it may be because the voltage in the battery is low and you may need to get the Alternator either repaired or replaced. If you think your car is suffering from this give us a call to discuss it further or pop in and we can quickly perform some tests to find the cause of all your problems.