andyb2000

Also Wozza, are you loosing coolant? Or seeing a large amount of water/puddles under the car? Reason I ask is that in warmer/humid weather the air con condenser dumps around the middle (slightly more to the left) and I've seen quite big puddles of water, check the water, is it clear/no smell, etc, if so then it's probably just that.

Hi Mike, Not a fun job to be doing but you sound like the guy to get it sorted! Hope it goes to plan. The temperature sensor isn't anything more advanced than that, although it might do a 'little' trickery in the ECU, it's not going to do a whole load with the engine, etc, so it has to be something in the cooling system that failed on you, since you're stripping the engine I'd dig that water pump out and check it hasn't had premature failure or some other blockage in the system perhaps? (Gummed up radiator). All kinda basic things, but then the coolant system on these (and still most others) are pretty basic so an overheated engine only has a few things that could have caused it. Good luck, and yes please do keep us updated.

Just to add my part here, the shift into reverse, click and clunk part! I believe this is a *feature* of this type of auto-box. The park position uses a tooth and groove type lock to 'lock' the transmission in park. If that's all you hold the vehicle on an incline (and don't use the park brake, or it's almost inoperative) then that tooth and groove will latch in quite firmly. Then to release it takes a bit of effort to pull it out of the groove (If you could, try manually rocking the car forward up the incline (easier said than done with these big beasties!) and you'll probably find the shifter clicks out easily). So not particularly an electrical fault, more mechanical in nature. Try putting the park brake on really firmly on an incline, preferably before engaging park and see if it makes any difference, if it does then that's all the issue is.

Hi Mike, That doesn't sound good news unfortunately, probably not what you want to hear but I believe I did similar to my last GV but in my case I ended up with a crack in the block due to a faulty 'repair' to the oil cooler and water systems. So in my case all oil was lost, overheat and cracked block. I'm puzzled what happened though. You forced the fans to stay on by having the temp sensor unplugged, so in theory coolant should have been flowing and with enough air going through the radiator to keep at a reasonable temperature. Makes me think back to your original issue, something else is not right, perhaps the water pump isn't doing it's job properly? (I wonder, was the water flow better/worse depending on speed of engine?) However from what you describe, yes it sounds more like piston if the starter is struggling to even turn over the engine as the usual (gasket, etc) wouldn't cause that as far as I know. But this bit like yourself, not sure on the actual mechanics here. Sounds to me like a book into garage job as next step unfortunately :-( I hope you get progressed Mike and please do post back on how you get on.

Sorry, I'd not been keeping up with the thread Liam, OK, that goes back to the previous thoughts, that relay was probably for an aftermarket radio, amplifier or phone kit, and most times when selling the car they just quickly throw the wiring harness back together and don't bother to make sure the two key wires (constant power, and switched ignition power) are round the right way. Regardless, Good work in tracking it down. You'll have lost your dash-sweep of gauges with the battery change which is important as when weather gets colder and the big diesel engine needs the glow plugs and engine cranking you'll be pleased you sorted the battery! Thanks for posting back the solution.

Right, it staying on until the door is opened eliminates a faulty wiring harness, incorrect connections and a problem with the ignition feed to the radio, it also proves the radio is receiving voltage after ignition power is removed. So yes, that's sounding more like battery problem (Although, after a long-ish journey, 20 minutes plus after switching off, go back in after a minute or two, is the radio memory wiped straight away?). Again, if you get dash sweep every time you get in to start up, you need battery replacement. I went for 096R Enduroline Car Battery 74Ah 690CCA direct from Tayna Batteries (www.tayna.co.uk) as it was the best price I could get (£68 inc delivery).

Mine is "standard" UK 2.8CRD RHD. I used an app on my phone called "Color grab" that uses the phone camera to snapshot the colour. How accurate it is I cannot vouch, but it did seem about right. It came out with: #A4A39D Grey 60% RGB: 164,163,157 HSV: 51o,4%,62% And when I compared that to the screen output of the link Semmysonic gave it was close to Light Slate (Mist Grey was a lot of shades darker).

Hi Mike, Some good diagnostics there, apologies I saw you'd tested the relays fully previously, I'd missed that. So, the main electrics are correct, when you pull the sensor it should go onto full, it's a safety mechanism, so that's good, means the rest of it (BCM, wiring, relays, etc) are all good. So yes it sounds like the temperature sensor itself. Although the resistance isn't as big a difference as I'd expect, those subtle differences may be enough. Why not put the old sensor in and test to see if any difference? (Also, good point gordy. What exactly is the issue other than you're not seeing the fans kick in)

I had my timing belt done last year and mechanics advised on new pump mainly due to where it's located and amount of work to get to it, so I went for it. In the end, the cost of a water pump on top of the cost of the belt change wasn't huge and gives a bit more peace of mind.

Hi Mike, A few quick answers that should help you here. You're right, the thermostat isn't really relevant here, it only allows a small amount of water to pass when it's cold and as it warms up it allows more water to flow. They generally (99%) fail fully open so they cause the opposite problem, car runs below 1/4 on temp gauge almost constantly. The fact the fans don't come on when the air con is switched on makes me think more of electrical issue, so easy one first. Take the middle relay you identified as the fan relay out and clean the contacts, put it back in and hold your breath! (I can confirm from my 2.8CRD when air con switched on, fans come on straight way, so an easy test) Chances are that won't work, so now you need to check if the relay has gone bad. These relays are standard 87A which has pin out of: 85 and 86 coil (so 12v power to them when relay is triggered) 87 normally open 87a normally closed 30 common to 87 and 87a So, when you tested did you bridge pins 30 and 87? So that could mean the relay contacts or the coil are shot. Easy test, swap the relay for another one (I always use the horn relay as a test one to 'borrow' from the main fuse box) and see if that solves the problem. That way you know if you're looking at a simple relay fault or something else further as gordy mentions on testing the temp sensor.

Is this to fix cracking leather seats by any chance? If so and you find a good technique please do post back! I'd like to tackle mine at some point: http://i.imgur.com/dWi6C0q.jpg

By the way mikes22, create a new post on your airbag problem, this has come up many times (I've had it and solved it with the kind help of QinteQ) and there are many solutions and tests you can do as QinteQ says to solve, but better handled in a separate topic to this one.

OK, As well as battery issues there may be more going on here. Though if you're having gauge sweep then it's on the way and it WILL fail or cause tough start problems in worse weather. I changed my battery and no dash sweeps at all now. Anyway, I've had at least 2 people come to be with this problem now on their GV factory fit radio and both times it was the same fault. Somebody in the past had put in an after-market stereo, or a bluetooth hands free kit, and when they sold the car, put the stock radio back in, or remote the phone kit and didn't bother to pay attention to the wiring they put back in. OK, that eliminates the BCM itself losing the settings due to the memory seat/radio/functions that QinteQ mentions (related to the IOD fuse). So, this is the key question: After driving home. When you get to your driveway. Turn the key OFF and take it out. DO NOT open a door and DO NOT re-insert the key Is the radio still on? These cars have a timer where when you remove key it will leave the radio on for a couple of minutes OR until a door is opened. If the wiring harness for the radio has been mixed up by an after market fitter or similar the two power and ignition wires often get swapped by mistake and so the radio will turn off the moment the key is turned to the off position. See what you get on that one, if it goes off immediately then it's the wiring behind the radio at fault, so take the dashboard facia apart and take a look at the wiring connector into the back of the radio, my guess is you'll see some black electricians tape or some re-wired connections back there as tell-tale signs. Don't forget to post back on what you test and observe as it helps us help you diagnose and also helps others in the future.

I replaced mine earlier in the year and decided to go for a 74Ah 690CCA (096R Enduroline) which gives it a bit more kick at initial cranking, and so far haven't had any dash sweep. I do a mixture of journeys, typical weekday is a 20 min trip to and from work, but as the weather is nicer no heavy draw on electrics. So Liam89 it's not huge *but* it's a spiral which is well suited to these vehicles, providing it's condition is OK you should be fine.

Hi, Few things this can be, so firstly a few specifics: Factory fit RB3? Have you ever had to put the code back into it? I've not found anyone that's had to do this on their 4th gen, so I'd not be too worried about that element. Was/Has there been an aftermarket stereo in at some point, car phone kit or any other add-on? If so then it's most likely it's been re-wired back to stock incorrectly. So has this only just started happening or has it been since you got the car? Take the head unit out (Fairly easy instructions, do a quick google, I have done this on my blog quite a few times too) and look at the wiring at the back, if wires have been cut, joined, taped together, etc, then chances are that's what has happened. Easy check. When you have had engine running, turn on radio. Turn ignition off and take key out (DO NOT OPEN ANY DOOR!) is the radio still on? If it went off immediately on turning the key, then it's the two wires into the radio are swapped (One is constant power and supplies backup memory storage, etc, the other is ignition switched. If these are swapped you'll get immediate radio off behaviour and lost settings). If the radio stays on at key remove, then it's down to the memory storage. You mention you don't have memory seats or memory keyfobs on yours. Try this. Don't lock or unlock the car with the remote keyfob. Use the key a couple of times and see if there is any effect on the radio memory. This will confirm if it's actually the BCM causing the radio station memory to be lost, or if it's just the radio. Hopefully these pointers might help track it down for you. Post back and see if we can help out :-)

I *think* this is what I have too, although doesn't sound as bad (yet) as you gordy. Almost any time I go to start it I have to blip the accelerator pedal to get it to fire (or in the cold weather have to try a couple of times to start as it just splutters out). I get a little cloud of diesel smoke too after each start. (But no lack of power booting it or any other stalls, etc, purely at start) I also suspected fuel running back due to a valve and seen a couple of posts regarding it but haven't found the time or the detailed test instructions to check it out and repair myself. So if anyone knows/has seen the specific steps I'd appreciate it (and will probably do a youtube video on it too for future!). Hope they get yours sorted and if you don't mind, please post back with the parts list and work they did as I'd like to know what they found.

I'm going to wager that it stops working again not long after. My guess here is not the electrical reset that's helped here, but the continued open and closes you've done trying to test/solve this problem. Which points back to hinges, gas assist and ultimately lubrication. If it does stop again, try re-lubing the joints, mainly the gas assist plunger rods, and hinges and see if it works next time out of the box. (I'm not saying it's not also electrical, as I'd not be surprised that the system 'remembers' that it's not worked correctly and won't operate correctly until a reset). Let us know if you do have more trouble as ultimately more feedback helps us all :-)

Low voltage would suggest a potential water ingress into the cable or sockets and causing partial short to ground, so it's going to be a tricky one to fix. Obvious ones first, check sockets and where the cables come through the grommets from the interior of car to exterior and check for cable breaks, damage, etc. Also, check it on different days, warm sunny day (lucky at the minute with our weather!) and cold day, see if you get a difference as if its water, corrosion, etc, then the voltage will vary.

Youch, 15mpg?! As QinteQ says we don't buy these for their economy, but I manage 29.1mpg on mine (05 2.8CRD auto with webasto also), so I obviously need to improve somewhat to catch up with QinteQ! Fossway, you'll probably find that improves as you get used to the car, the auto-box, etc. I always found when I started in a GV (This is my second) it was lousy until I got used to where the auto box would shift down, where it ran smoothly and efficiently, etc, so just keep paying attention to when it kicks down, etc, and you'll slowly improve I reckon. Also, something that I think is affecting mine at the moment, I have a jammed open thermostat and a leaky radiator, currently causing the engine to run cold in our cold winter weather we're starting to get. The engine is a lot more inefficient in the cold (A 20-30 minute journey is only just creeping up to half way on the temperature indicator, and that's with the webasto doing it's thing) and so I expect this is probably causing a drop in my MPG also but haven't got round to fitting the second thermostat fix, and buying a new radiator.

Just to add another price/job done, I got this done when I got my 2005 2.8CRD earlier this year and actually got it done at a Halfords Autocentre (before you groan, Halfords Autocentres are separately run to their bulb fitting empire!) as it's just beside work. It's a pig of a job, so took them the majority of the day, but for belt and water pump it came to around £500 including parts.

Hi there, Am guessing you've searched around and found all the usual replies on this, but as you say yours doesn't quite match up to the usual thing. You may have found I had an issue with mine a while back, and tracking it down without a code reader is almost impossible as there are so many electronic components to the system. All I can suggest is: Check one thing at a time, re-connect one cable, then wait. The light will auto-check at every ignition/engine start, so you can see if you've sorted the problem at next drive of the car. If the light does come and go (it'll illuminate once then stay on rest of that journey, that's the way it works), I assume it comes on at start of engine, not whilst driving/randomly whilst running? Is it weather related, as quite often the front impact sensors can get water into the connectors and any slight change to resistance back to the ECU will trigger a fault. Good luck, hope you can track this one down.

Quite a bit more info and diagnosis required here as the problem could be in many areas. Firstly, does the switch orange light illuminate when switched on? That will indicate if power is getting to the switch in the dash and if it's engaging correctly. Then I'd go for the most obvious, the wiring loom under the seat, quite often the connectors in there will rattle loose. Best option is to unplug one by one and reconnect, test again, hopefully it'll be a loose/corroded connection in there. After that point you'll need a multimeter and start to test voltage, my next bit would be to trace the wires coming out under the seat and into the connectors and relay. Will try and dig out the wiring diagram for them, see if we can identify which wires/connector they go into as there are a couple of different ways they may be fed (since there are two settings for the heated seats, low and high my guess would be 3 wires going into the relay)

Hi Daz, That was the bit I was confused about, normally that lead is just to power/trigger the amp to switch on isn't it? And since I already had my radio switched on, then the amp received the on signal on the bus and was energised. (My original GV that I successfully wired the bluetooth kit into worked like that, you had to have the radio on to 'energise' the amp)

Would appreciate it if you get feedback. Or at least take a look afterwards and find what solution they came up with. These are complicated beasts when it comes to their audio, so any information you get would be really welcomed :-) I know it's not easy, but when you go in, make sure the deal is, "you make it work or I don't pay" in case they struggle on for hours and eventually give up and still give you a bill at the end.

Hi, You might not achieve what you want unfortunately. I also have Parrott Bluetooth and I bought all 3 ISO cables as they are slightly different, and none of them would direct the audio to the speakers. I wrote quite a lengthy blog post on this and have logged down all 3 ISO SOT leads I tried, might be worth a quick ready as it might help/hinder you! http://andyb2000.thebmwz3.co.uk/2015/05/chrysler-grand-voyager-sound-system.html