P38A ABS / TC fault appeared after sitting idle for 3 weeks

Hi again,

-and I’m sorry, but this is twisting my melon…

Got car back from garage but it’s been sitting as I’m waiting on a re-manufactured vcu.
Most things were fine before she sat up but now, after 3 or so weeks, she appears to have developed a TC / ABS fault. Nanocom suggests that the Front left sensor has gone open circuit.

I’m not quite sure how that’s possible and was hoping it was more likely something to do with low voltage and that nanocom would clear the fault -but, sadly, it doesn’t.

I’m off to check the connectors and check the resistance of the sensors but just wanted to see whether anyone else has had this issue and might have some advice.

thanks again

Bob

Battery probably needs charged

If you had left it 4 weeks it would have a gearbox fault too

If you clear the fault with nanocom, you still have to drive over 5mph for the system to complete is self check and clear the lights off the dash

kermit_rr said:

If you clear the fault with nanocom, you still have to drive over 5mph for the system to complete is self check and clear the lights off the dash

Click to expand...

that would do a straight abs issue, this is TC related too… -and, I tried that !
Nanocom can’t seem to clear the fault -or it keeps recurring

Low battery voltage could well be the problem.

Datatek said:

Low battery voltage could well be the problem.

Click to expand...

If low voltage has caused this, how does one clear it ?

I’ve had the battery on charge for a couple
Of days, it’s still only giving back a little over 12V but it isn’t drastically ‘low’.

nanocom doesn’t seem to want to play ball

awkwardbob said:

If low voltage has caused this, how does one clear it ?

I’ve had the battery on charge for a couple
Of days, it’s still only giving back a little over 12V but it isn’t drastically ‘low’.

nanocom doesn’t seem to want to play ball

Click to expand...

A little over 12 sounds drastically low. You might need a new one

Plug for the sensor is easy to get at on the inner wing. Check voltage on the car side and resistance on the sensor side. I had both warnings and a sensor change cures both. I did have to drive a couple of hundred yards before they both went out though which I thought was weird but after that the lights have extinguished as Normal. You could try gently tapping the sensor home, full left lock to tap, wheel off to remove it.

It •IS* a new (ish <1 year) battery... Alternator charges at 13.8V so upping its VR to give 14+ -mind you would have to run it for a bit.

I have a 'Smart' charger bur it seems to only ever charge to 12V (or 12.4V). Is the sensor connection in around the EAS gubbins on the NSF ?

awkwardbob said:

It •IS* a new (ish <1 year) battery... Alternator charges at 13.8V so upping its VR to give 14+ -mind you would have to run it for a bit.

I have a 'Smart' charger bur it seems to only ever charge to 12V (or 12.4V). Is the sensor connection in around the EAS gubbins on the NSF ?

Click to expand...

Just follow the wire from the sensor and see where it passed through the inner wing.

Ill get stuck into it when I escape from Auntie

If your charger only charges to 12 or 12.4 then something's broken

A little over 12 volts is as good as flat, 1 hour after coming off charge you should see 12.8 volts if the battery is fully charged. Nothing is going to work as it should with a flat battery. A lead calcium battery needs around 14 volts or more to fully charge.

So I've got one of these:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/b...MCwCiSWYY_QUBXgtn3De_yXMEjtzOcrBoCAEIQAvD_BwE

It seems to be too clever and sets its own charging programmes. I do have. a 'Vanilla' charger which may work better.

How do I persuade a 12V battery charger to O/P 14V ?

Is it safe to remove the battery overnight or am I likely to have all manner of EKA and security misery when i power back up ?
(assuming I didn't disable EKA and immobiliser in nanocom)

The sensor plug is forward of the eas box, round sausage shape thing, you will see the cable running down between the chassis and plastic wheel liner. The round terminals in the sensor end of the plug are a bit of a bugger to get at, I use two pop rivet stalks insulated with a bit of tape, pushed into the female terminals to test resistance.

awkwardbob said:

So I've got one of these:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/battery-chargers/halfords-smart-battery-charger-8a-496254.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLA-_-Motoring>Motoring+Products>Battery+Maintenance>Battery+Chargers-_-Motoring>Motoring+Products>Battery+Maintenance>Battery+Chargers-_-496254&istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=62b447cf-331e-4fec-a47a-9985ff72d404&istItemId=ppwqpalla&istBid=tzwt&_$ja=tsid:|cid:17363835999|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:11840994089182829788|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:9046985&gclid=CjwKCAjwquWVBhBrEiwAt1Kmwn5auq1rd6JTjcyhnOhJeFMCwCiSWYY_QUBXgtn3De_yXMEjtzOcrBoCAEIQAvD_BwE

It seems to be too clever and sets its own charging programmes. I do have. a 'Vanilla' charger which may work better.

How do I persuade a 12V battery charger to O/P 14V ?

Is it safe to remove the battery overnight or am I likely to have all manner of EKA and security misery when i power back up ?
(assuming I didn't disable EKA and immobiliser in nanocom)

Click to expand...

Personally i have never had a problem with removing the battery and replacing it, follow the instructions in the owner handbook. You have a Nanocom if there are any problems.
You cannot easily change the voltage of a charger.

I can remove my battery no problem but an owner before me disabled the eka stuff. Have you got your eka? Don't disconnect unless you have.
Edit to say..as Data says there is a process to follow when disconnecting the battery which I forgot about but never needed to try.

I have to say i leave it on the car to charge up the charger won't output any voltage the car can't deal with and if there's a spike then the battery will absorb it. That said i don't leave it connected when I start the car

Ok, so some data just in:

checked connections, all ok.

checked voltage from ecu -nada
Checked resistance from sensor O/C
Swore a lot
Accidentally checked resistance across ecu (and hope I haven’t fried it).

however…. I have a brand new sensor in the glove box so I tried to measure it via the sane method and got o/c so something wrong with my method / extension pins.

attached it to the car, O/C fault remains and recurs after clearing with nanocom.
Later checked indoors and could measure a sensible resistance.

So it looks like it’s on the ECU side abd, perhaps, does point to low volts

yakusa battery is 6 months old and reads 11.7V.

Going to put it on ‘boring’ charger to see if that helps,

feeling a bit glum