2002 L322 Column lock not activating , air suspension inactive , no data link on diagnostic

[Wayne5666]

I have a 2002 L322 , TD6 HSE . From nowhere the ignition lock decided to not activate ( it is stuck off fortunately) ..I could get key to turn on after fiddling ( maybe due to barrel wear) and car starts .. air suspension comes up as inactive , and the position LEDs do not light up until you attempt to drive , and it shows normal ride height plus lock ..
I can’t attempt to diagnose , as when I plug in my Hawkeye with RED adaptor it shows no Data Link !! I can use it without RED adaptor to access engine , and it works ok , so I’m assuming diagnostic socket is good .
When problem first occurred I lost central locking on fob too . I disconnected battery , left for an hour , reconnected and that is now working ..
All fuses in passenger compartment and luggage area all good ..
Thanks in advance !

 

[Datatek]

Do a search, lots of info on ignition switch problems, could be the actual switch itself but that's just a guess.

 

[Wayne5666]

Thank you .. no one appears to have quite the same , but will keep looking . Also steering wheel doesn’t extend automatically , but works manually .. ?

 

[Datatek]

Thank you .. no one appears to have quite the same , but will keep looking . Also steering wheel doesn’t extend automatically , but works manually .. ?

High resistance contacts in the ignition switch is a common problem.

 

[Wayne5666]

Thank you .. will pull out centre section and have a good look around / clean up .

 

[gold rover]

Thank you .. will pull out centre section and have a good look around / clean up .

With multiple faults , have you checked your battery is in tip top condition.

 

[Wayne5666]

Thank you for your reply . Battery is around 9 months old , and is showing 12.18 volts on the car ??

 

[Ratae]

Fully charge the battery with a battery charger then see if the problems are still present.

 

[brianp38dse]

12.18 volts is bad,as all ready said charge battery and so how it goes., a good battery should read more like 12.6v

 

[anitarrc]

12.2 is not enough. The other day I couldn't even turn an ignition key at 11.8.
I am hardly using the Hawkeye Pro on the l322 now because the iidtool is far better and faster, but I am certain that I don't need any adapters if I do. It will not talk to your ycu for instance if your battery is so low though.
Your central console is prone to receiving spilled drinks, cookie crumbs and all sorts of things. Your idea of a clean out seems a good start

 

[Wayne5666]

Removed , charged (13.2v) , and refitted ..exactly the same .. hoovered crumbs and dust out of centre console , checked plugs on switch , all seemed ok and refitted . Just noticed today , as sun came out , condensation on the windows . Rear load compartment carpet wet !! Removed hatch and side panels , no pooled water anywhere in boot area , but it feels damp . Have parked it in sun , and have dehumidifier running inside ... no wet carpets or signs of water in passenger compartments .

 

[Datatek]

Removed , charged (13.2v) , and refitted ..exactly the same .. hoovered crumbs and dust out of centre console , checked plugs on switch , all seemed ok and refitted . Just noticed today , as sun came out , condensation on the windows . Rear load compartment carpet wet !! Removed hatch and side panels , no pooled water anywhere in boot area , but it feels damp . Have parked it in sun , and have dehumidifier running inside ... no wet carpets or signs of water in passenger compartments .

Condensation inside the electronics in the nearside rear quarter from water ingress is a common problem and can cause all sorts of problems.

 

[Wayne5666]

Thank you . Will get in there properly , and leave dehumidifier ( large one ) in that area . The problem , now I come to analyse , only happened since heavy rain Sunday night Monday .

 

[gold rover]

Removed , charged (13.2v) , and refitted ..exactly the same .. hoovered crumbs and dust out of centre console , checked plugs on switch , all seemed ok and refitted . Just noticed today , as sun came out , condensation on the windows . Rear load compartment carpet wet !! Removed hatch and side panels , no pooled water anywhere in boot area , but it feels damp . Have parked it in sun , and have dehumidifier running inside ... no wet carpets or signs of water in passenger compartments .

Which trim level is your L322. I'm not 100% but 13,2 still sounds low

 

[Datatek]

Which trim level is your L322. I'm not 100% but 13,2 still sounds low

13.2 volts from after using a charger is normal. The alternator should be putting out around 14.7 volts but the battery voltage will drop quite rapidly to 12.8 volts when the engine is stopped.

 

[Wayne5666]

It was 13.2 on fitting . It’s a Varta , and was new 9 months ago . I also have a new alternator at around the same time . Car has been pretty much dead on since I put it on the road in December . My latest journeys have only been to work and back , which is about 3 miles , which I think would explain why battery voltage was less than expected . Have just driven It for half an hour , Air suspension warning on ( lock on led too) , no steering lock , steering wheel not extending automatically , and “Data link could not be found ”are the current issues .Locked up with dehumidifier in it now and hopeful !!

 

[Datatek]

It was 13.2 on fitting . It’s a Varta , and was new 9 months ago . I also have a new alternator at around the same time . Car has been pretty much dead on since I put it on the road in December . My latest journeys have only been to work and back , which is about 3 miles , which I think would explain why battery voltage was less than expected . Have just driven It for half an hour , Air suspension warning on ( lock on led too) , no steering lock , steering wheel not extending automatically , and “Data link could not be found ”are the current issues .Locked up with dehumidifier in it now and hopeful !!

If condensation has got into the units in the nearside rear causing corrosion, sadly a dehumidifier may not fix it. You may have to unplug and clean each individual connector, look for missing pins too as they corrode off sometimes. Any sign of green verdigris will short out the electronic signals. Corrosion may also have occurred inside the units.

 

[anitarrc]

I second that, have seen a lot of green oxidation on the RH rear side (hope that is what you mean) under the fuse and relay box and inside the connectors. A classic symptom is that it believes the tailgate is open

 

[Wayne5666]

Removed the bracket containing the fuses and relays , plus the”paring ECU?” .. all connections and plugs are in A1 condition .
Am I ignoring that the steering lock unit could be faulty , not giving live feeds to certain things on ignition position .. the air suspension led s only come on with engine running ..??
Thank you all for your thoughts and inputs this far !

 

[Wayne5666]

Just thought I would give an update . Decided to take a look at the Air Suspension ECU in passenger footwell . On taking sill too cover up and LH kick panel I discovered the entire depth of the recess ( about 2inches) was full of water ! And the wiring harness was sat in this . Some damp had got onto the ECU and it had condensation inside . Took it apart , dried it out and reconnected . Got rid of all the water I could see and dried as well as I could . Ignition key in , activated steering lock , ignition on , steering wheel came out to meet me , and Air suspension led s lit up .. tried central locking , and once more the flashers came on when locked and unlocked . Problem located !! Now I just have to find where water came in !!
Thanks to all those who posted suggestions and information !