Stanleysteamer

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Full Member
Having read the other threads my problem seems to be similar but not the same.
The light comes on when I start the car then after driving it a while, not necessarily very far and a couple more stop starts, it goes off.
By which I mean I start it, or even just turn the ignition on and it tests itself then goes out.
Yet the Foxwell keeps saying that the main relay fails on test. I have replaced and checked the relay several times, It is now running with a new one. Ditto the fuse.
I get the feeling it is to do with temperature.

Does anyone have any ideas before I start throwing money and parts at it?
All contributions gratefully received!
 
Two things come to mind.

Pressure sensor, monitor it, will bring up faults.

But I think it may be worth getting a spare ECU.

I think the drivers for the solenoids start to fail.
 
I'm paying close attention to all opinions.

As to the temperature thing. I thought about it and it does seem to stop happening once the engine etc gets properly warm. I am wondering if the filter is partially blocked and needs the oil to be warm before it flows properly. But then why would it test itself and only go out when the engine is warm before I have even started it and got the pump running?
I expect I'll be taking out the fusebox and looking at the underside of it. Trouble is the MOT is coming up very soon and it rains so often I can't be sure of doing that before the test.

Thanks again, people.
 
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Hi, did you ever replace or clean the filter? If not do it, not compulsory to buy a new expensive one, clean it well with carb cleaner or similar and compressed air, move with talent and clog the port with a rubber bung or something as to not lose much fluid while it's removed.. as long as you see serious fluid activity in the reservoir at idle you are on the safe side, as MJI said it's possible that the ECU to make tricks as well , they are not the best piece of engineering when it comes to fault codes but fortunately the market is full of cheap working ones due to the de-ACE hysteria of those who are getting rid of the ACE due to a leaking pipe based on the statements of the schmucks who are are saying that this system makes no difference, IMO that's a psychological thing named "cognitive dissonance - the engine of self justification", the same with converting the SLS to coils ;)

though if you keep getting relay fault codes it can be an intermittent bad contact on that path so your plan with checking the fusebox's plugs is a quite inspired move, happened to me too just that there were some other complementary(not vital) issues too, give it some contact spray... also the pressure transducer can make tricks without a fault code to be stored. Good luck
 
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Made the mistake once of being a bit heavy handed with a jet wash and blasted the pressure transducer. It was quite temperamental after that. If I remember there was what looked like a ring of silicone that I blasted off which obviously let water in.
 
Firgot that the filter will not just drop out.
Researched on here and found i need a 6mm bolt to go in the hole.
Great!
Will do that on next attempt. too dark to do it today.
Continuing thanks to all those contributing.
Stan.:):):)
 
Hi, did you ever replace or clean the filter? If not do it, not compulsory to buy a new expensive one, clean it well with carb cleaner or similar and compressed air, move with talent and clog the port with a rubber bung or something as to not lose much fluid while it's removed.. as long as you see serious fluid activity in the reservoir at idle you are on the safe side, as MJI said it's possible that the ECU to make tricks as well , they are not the best piece of engineering when it comes to fault codes but fortunately the market is full of cheap working ones due to the de-ACE hysteria of those who are getting rid of the ACE due to a leaking pipe based on the statements of the schmucks who are are saying that this system makes no difference, IMO that's a psychological thing named "cognitive dissonance - the engine of self justification", the same with converting the SLS to coils ;)

though if you keep getting relay fault codes it can be an intermittent bad contact on that path so your plan with checking the fusebox's plugs is a quite inspired move, happened to me too just that there were some other complementary(not vital) issues too, give it some contact spray... also the pressure transducer can make tricks without a fault code to be stored. Good luck
How else can you pee off Porsche drivers on twisty roads?

In the dry it can lift inside front.
 
Firgot that the filter will not just drop out.
Researched on here and found i need a 6mm bolt to go in the hole.
Great!
Will do that on next attempt. too dark to do it today.
Continuing thanks to all those contributing.
Stan.:):):)

How long to hydraulic hose time. One advice is buy a spare valve block and convert.
 
How long to hydraulic hose time. One advice is buy a spare valve block and convert.
I've been very careful to check on them over the years. I have never seen a drop in liquid level.
I am far more worried about electrical problems.
If and when I need to buy hydraulic spares I will do so but I am more prepared to replace electrical parts. At the end of the day they are far more fragile by their very nature. And electricals in a motor vehicle are in a very hostile environment compared to hydraulics.
 
Hi, did you ever replace or clean the filter? If not do it, not compulsory to buy a new expensive one, clean it well with carb cleaner or similar and compressed air, move with talent and clog the port with a rubber bung or something as to not lose much fluid while it's removed.. as long as you see serious fluid activity in the reservoir at idle you are on the safe side, as MJI said it's possible that the ECU to make tricks as well , they are not the best piece of engineering when it comes to fault codes but fortunately the market is full of cheap working ones due to the de-ACE hysteria of those who are getting rid of the ACE due to a leaking pipe based on the statements of the schmucks who are are saying that this system makes no difference, IMO that's a psychological thing named "cognitive dissonance - the engine of self justification", the same with converting the SLS to coils ;)

though if you keep getting relay fault codes it can be an intermittent bad contact on that path so your plan with checking the fusebox's plugs is a quite inspired move, happened to me too just that there were some other complementary(not vital) issues too, give it some contact spray... also the pressure transducer can make tricks without a fault code to be stored. Good luck
Since last posting I have removed cleaned and replaced the filter, topped up the liquid, (it lost very little) removed both fuse and relay and used contact cleaner on both though they didn't look dirty.
Separated the yellow plugs two halves and used contact cleaner on them, again ,they looked no different than before, i.e. clean.
Unbolted the fusebox from the car and the three wires at the front. Disconnected the two plugs that clip in on the top, turned it over and removed the plug that goes to the relay, cleaned that connection both male and female.
Put it all back together and drove around for quite a long time, once the engine got warm according to the temp gauge in the cab, stopping every now and then to do an "ignition off - restart" cycle until eventually the light went right out instead of staying amber. I left the vehicle and went back to check 5 minutes later. The light still went out.
But 1/2 an hour after stopping the engine, it went back to staying on amber.
The tow codes it puts up on my Foxwell are 0A06 - "Pressure signal out of range." This disappears once the amber light goes out.
And 1006 - "The main relay test has failed" which remains there even when the light has gone out on start up. Which makes absolutely no sense to me at all.
Once the light was out I tried to download or "save" live data. I didn't seem to be able to save anything that made sense. Which I am sure is down to me failing to do it properly. As far as I knew, all I had to do was to get it to the "live data" screen then click on "save" but somehow it doesn't seem to have worked, or it has but hasn't saved what I thought it would.
I have to do other stuff for a bit but I will revisit this later.
And I will reread that thread where you talked about bridging two contacts in the relay plug as I think this may be another way of getting live data.

Still thinking this must be an electrical fault, just wondering which bit of electrical apparatus to buy first.
 
Based on the "Pressure signal out of range." code seems that you need a new pressure transducer, very common fault and as long as it's not ruled out any other troubleshooting can be in vain http://www.discovery2.co.uk/ACE_transducer.html
Even though this code disappears once started and the light goes out?

Although I am not surprised as it has done about 160k miles.
thanks for the link
TBH I was expecting this at the very least.
Thanks again, mate!;):)
 
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Based on the "Pressure signal out of range." code seems that you need a new pressure transducer, very common fault and as long as it's not ruled out any other troubleshooting can be in vain http://www.discovery2.co.uk/ACE_transducer.html
Eventually got hold of a transducer and fitted it today.
You'll be pleased to know that as soon as I turned the key to position 2 the light went through from red to amber to OFF!!!
So I am hugely happy. Just got to do a road test and throw it around a few S s to ensure it works and the light stays out, then I'll be able to book a new MOT.

So thanks Mate! As ever! You are so helpful!!:):):):):vb-banana::vb-banana:

So the Foxwell banging on about "Main relay test failed" is a load of bollix! Or is it? Me non comprendo!

And to anyone else who has to do this job, a deep 27 mm socket is a right sod to use, due to the proximity of the pipes etc. I did it but only after buying adaptors and u/js to be able to use 3/8".

So I would advise a half deep socket.
I was on the point of taking an angle grinder to my deep one. (No one very near sells half-deep ones.)
The day someone manufactures extensions of varying length I will be buying them. This isn't the first time that I have needed one that is a different size to all the ones I have.

So hoepfully this will be the l;ast post on this topic.
 
Eventually got hold of a transducer and fitted it today.
You'll be pleased to know that as soon as I turned the key to position 2 the light went through from red to amber to OFF!!!

👍 I'm glad it's sorted, as about the
So the Foxwell banging on about "Main relay test failed" is a load of bollix! Or is it? Me non comprendo!
If that result was while the warning lamp was on it's normal cos then the relay is disabled.
 
👍 I'm glad it's sorted, as about the

If that result was while the warning lamp was on it's normal cos then the relay is disabled.
Thanks again!:vb-angel1::vb-angel1::vb-angel1::vb-award::vb-award::vb-award:
I guess the warning light was on although I am not totally sure, but it seems a little silly to put a warning light on then put up that warning. As I said, after the engine got properly warm then the whole system went back to normal and the light went off. I thought I read the fault codes then, but I may be wrong.

Thank you ever so much for the explanation.
I am sure others will read this and now understand it a lot better.
You've saved me a lot of money, time and energy.
If you were over here I'd buy you beer all night then pay for the taxi home!!!:vb-party::vb-party2::vb-party3::vb-partyguy:🎉🥳👯‍♂️👯‍♀️
 
👍 BTW...after you replaced the transducer did you erase all the hystorical fault codes? if not next time when you plug in the scanner do it as to have a clean ECU memory with the well working system to not see old codes if a fault occurs again(let's hope not soon but better be prepared)
 
👍 BTW...after you replaced the transducer did you erase all the hystorical fault codes? if not next time when you plug in the scanner do it as to have a clean ECU memory with the well working system to not see old codes if a fault occurs again(let's hope not soon but better be prepared)
Thanks.
I didn't think to do it. I was so elated that the warning light had gone off!
But before that I kept erasing the codes, (there were not many, only 2 usually) but I will do as you say.
Cheers Mate!:):):)
 

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