Fault

Guys, Girls
I am hoping one of you experts out there might be able to point me in the right direction before my beloved Freelander costs me a fortune in the garage, TC and hill decent light came on on the dash in yellow, took it to garage and put it on diagnostics machine and got the following fault code and message, 5E5C Gear Plausibility BLS defective (plausibility fault) means nothing to me and garage were a bit like mmmmm not sure we will start by looking at ABS sensors (gave me astronomical quote for price of a new sensor if that's what it is) she is a 05 plate TD4. Any help would be muchly appreciated.

Very often it can be brake light switch at fault

Thanks freelance, i have tried brake pedal and brake lights are working so had ruled this out already.

If it is just the TC & HDC lights - one thing that is certain is that it isn't an ABS sensor because the ABS fault light would be lit as well !

However, does the ABS light come on when you turn the ignition on and then go off after a period of time or when you start moving? If it doesn't then the bulb has been taken out to get it through a MOT.

I don't think I've seen 5E5C reported on Freelander before.

Googling "Gear Plausibility BLS defective' would indicate your car is a manual and the switch on the clutch peddle is faulty.

Googling 5E5C on the Teves ABS system shows "Initialise Run Flat Indicator". This is an interesting one because I was unaware Freelander did this sort of check. It is indicating that the ABS unit has picked up a tyre deflating due to ABS wheel sensors picking up wheels rotating at different speeds - very useful - and without other codes also indicates that the sensors are working fine. Check to make sure all your tyres are at the same (correct) pressure and one hasn't gone a bit flat. Also make sure you running 4 identical tyres - ie exactly the same make model? Check all the writing on the tyres is identical.

After you have made changes (eg clutch switch or tyre pressures) you may need to get the codes read and cleared again for the lights to go off - they may not just clear one the problem is fixed.

Hopefully you'll get some other input - but if you don't please come back and say what the problem was.

Welcome to the forum.
1. Get yourself a code reader. Something like an Icarsoft 930 or LR2, doesn't need to be expensive, but needs to be for a freelander. You might need this to reset the fault lights and help you track down the error.
2. Just because your brake lights work, doesn't mean your brake light switch isn't faulty. Swap it anyway, they are only about £20.
3. Fault codes on the ABS system can be cause by simply starting the car before the self check has completed, or a communication blip between 2 ecu's. Use the fault code reader to reset the lights and see if they come back.
4. Clean all the earth points up in the engine bay, especially the one in front of the battery box.
5. Check your connections. The ABS one is the first to check, it has a clip where the wires go in(front left of engine with copper pipes going in to it) . Gently pull it out and then reseat it and make sure it's in firmly. YouTube has videos of this.
6. Follow @GrumpyGel instructions.
7. Use the fault code reader(that you are going to get, as it'll work out cheaper in the long run) to check the ABS sensors.

Keep us updated on what you've done, that way we can help you better.
Best of luck
Mike

BordersBoy said:

Guys, Girls
I am hoping one of you experts out there might be able to point me in the right direction before my beloved Freelander costs me a fortune in the garage, TC and hill decent light came on on the dash in yellow, took it to garage and put it on diagnostics machine and got the following fault code and message, 5E5C Gear Plausibility BLS defective (plausibility fault) means nothing to me and garage were a bit like mmmmm not sure we will start by looking at ABS sensors (gave me astronomical quote for price of a new sensor if that's what it is) she is a 05 plate TD4. Any help would be muchly appreciated.

Click to expand...

The brake pedal switch is a double contact switch, so may well operate the brake lights but still be defective. It's cheap and can be swapped over in a couple of minutes.

Not sure I can follow the thinking of your garage - why question the ABS sensors when there is no code for them and the ABS light is not lit?

Many thanks, brake pedal switch has been ordered and will be fitted asap. fingers crossed problem will be solved

If it is the brake peddle switch there will be a diagnostic code telling you there is a problem with the switch.

GrumpyGel said:

If it is the brake peddle switch there will be a diagnostic code telling you there is a problem with the switch.

Click to expand...

I was wondering if BLS in the code description stood for Brake Light Switch.

A gear implausible code is likely to be a gearbox switch. Basically the ABS ECU is seeing both 1st and reverse switches closed. This obviously can't be the actual gearbox as the car wouldn't move. So the box switches are the place to look.
Also BLS is the Brake Light Switch fault. So it looks like it either has 2 faults, or one is historic and not been cleared.