Please Help!!! 3 Amegoes lights on after a loud thud from the rear

I had just used my car to transport something in the back.

I had the seats folded down. When I was done I put the seats back up.

Later as I drove along I heard a loud thud from the back of the car......I assumed it was the seats clunking back into place (I thought i hadnt locked them into place)

I then looked down and saw that the 3 lights were on..(TC, ABS, HDC)

I have taken the car out and the brakes still work, however when I try and ascend slowly up a grass bank (with the rear wheels on concrete) the front wheels just spin.

My fears and questions

1) Does the onboard computer disable all 4 wheel drive and traction control+hill descent if it fails the test pre-ignition (if it doesnt ).

2) Does this niose+lights on sound familiar to anyone?

3) Is it still safe to drive round town (Ive done emergency stop tests x5 and it responds/stops fine)

4) I was told by a neighbor that because I parked it on a steep incline for 1 night (which it isnt used to) with the rear much higher than the front it has upset the levels.....and that I should park it the other way round (with the front higher than the rear) for a few days and the lights will go out...........

5) I keep thinking ive broken an axel or something large ....but how come it still drives ok ...no noises or anything .....just the 3 amigoes.

I am in your debt and very grateful for any help on this.

gus:5bbanghead::screaming_bug_eye_f

It should be permanent four wheel drive, there's some mechanical reason why you have lost drive to the rear.

Checks would include propshaft and VCU, rear differential and rear driveshafts and lastly the IRD unit.

The warning lights are a symptom but not the cause of the loss of drive.

I have taken the car out and the brakes still work, however when I try and ascend slowly up a grass bank (with the rear wheels on concrete) the front wheels just spin.

My fears and questions

1) Does the onboard computer disable all 4 wheel drive and traction control+hill descent if it fails the test pre-ignition (if it doesnt ).

No. The computer has no control over the 4 wheel drive being engaged or not. It relys soley on the physical properties of the VCU. When the front wheels begin to slip, there is a difference in rotation rates of the front and rear prop which causes the VCU to lock up and transfer drive to the rear wheels. As for disabling the traction control and/or HDC, I would think this unlikely. Take the vehicle onto a steep slope, and try the HDC to see if it works.

get under the vehicle and check your rear prop and/or vcu is still there.

2) Does this noise+lights on sound familiar to anyone?

The three amigoes is regular subject on this forum, common cause is brake pedal switch, but thump could be one of the wheel sensors dislodging and/or something getting wedged in the wheel, knocking a sensor out of line.

3) Is it still safe to drive round town (Ive done emergency stop tests x5 and it responds/stops fine)

Your call, contentious issue about driving a vehicle with a known fault. If you had an accident and the vehicle was found to be defective, and further more it is shown you knew, you're in trouble. That said, if you've tested it and you are satisfied that the brakes are operating correctly, there shouldn't be a problem. You're call, only you can decide

4) I was told by a neighbor that because I parked it on a steep incline for 1 night (which it isnt used to) with the rear much higher than the front it has upset the levels.....and that I should park it the other way round (with the front higher than the rear) for a few days and the lights will go out...........

Oh please tell me more this one is priceless.

5) I keep thinking ive broken an axel or something large ....but how come it still drives ok ...no noises or anything .....just the 3 amigoes.

Get under it and have a good look at everything. take the wheels off and look at the hubs, check mounts and bushes and so on.

Oh, and good luck, welcome to the forum.

:doh: I would agree - the drive to the rear wheels is nothing to do with the ABS - it is transmitted through the IRD to the VCU then final drive to rear driveshafts.

If you've lost this something more major may be wrong - ABS warning lights indicate that the ABS system has detected a 'serious' problem and for safety shuts the system down. Normal causes are the switch wiring under the gear lever, the brake switch (although brake lights will still work) then ABS wheel sensors / wiring.

Lots of info on here if you search for 3 amigoes - including the problems I've had with my TD4's ABS!

M.

I wonder if the 'Thud' from the back may have been a lump of something lying on the road which was picked up by a rear wheel and thrown up into the wheel arch. This may have damaged ABS sensor wiring?

Ive had a look at the wiring coming from all sensors and they seem to be intact. Also had a look around for obvious damage or defective parts, it all seems ok. No fluid leaks.

I'll have a more indepth inspection tomorrow (wheels off etc)

Hey guys... sincere thanks for your keyboard time on this.....I'll check back tomorrow with an update.:rolly:

I'm inclined to think that the two problems are unrelated:

The VCU has been transmitting no drive for some time and has gone unnoticed.

The dashboard has now 'lit up' due to an electrical fault within ABS/HDC or brake light switch.

Inevitably the 'PANIC' button gets pressed.


By the way, I love No4 explanation from your neighbour that's gone in my memoirs.

Dann said:

By the way, I love No4 explanation from your neighbour that's gone in my memoirs.

Click to expand...

ffs, first of all they can't get wet in case the doors fall off, now we find out they have got to be kept level, it just goes on and on and on

Thought I would repay you guys with an update.

Before I do ....your help with this problem was priceless.....

Its fixed by the way.......

I took it to a company called Frogs Island 4x4 (milton park, Abingdon oxon)

He explained that the CPU had flagged up a few intermittent faults ..........but it turns out that because the battery was very low.........and it had been flat on three separate occassions (needed a jumpstart)...............The CPU thought that this was a fault x3.

He plugged in a touchscreen and showed me the faults dissappear when he hit the clear button.

Cost.....=£40.....

Im not out of the woods yet.....need a new battery .........he said that if any lights come on again he would put it on the touchscreen again ...for free and tell me whats going on, but!.....he said he didnt think that would happen as long as I get a new battery or at least try a full charge on the old one.

If anything changes I will let you guys know ......but after day two the 3 amigoes are still gone.

Happy days.................if by chance its not happy days for you guys and you are still having problems.......you have my best wishes that you find a fix without a high pricetag.

Thanks again you lads.

gus:5bparty::5bauto::lvkiss-106::lvlove-158::biggrin1:

another happy customer. how are you getting on keeping it level ?

Fair enough low voltage can cause the three amigos so thats fixed...........but........what about the loss of drive to the rear??

I wonder if this Hippo had been Mondo'd!! I gather the owner hasn't a great deal of knowledge about the transmission so may not have noticed something fundamental was missing.

You could well be right there Darmain...