Technical Multipla Non Starter :(

[jackwhoo]

Update: OK checked and rechecked and everything looks OK. disconnected battery and left it 30 mins. Still same symptoms... no warning lights which is good, code immobiliser light, glow plug light, EML all working as I believe they should .. hooked up to read codes now its showing RPM Sensor P0335 .... so crankshaft sensor is now being recorded. progress of sorts ???. Maybe remove and reinstall? Is new sensor faulty too, wrongly installed by me or wiring issue ?? Need to trace the cable but it sort of disappears ?? Maybe ill move the ?cable and see before removing ? As far as I can tell its seated correctly. I think the sensor must be doing something now because the EML is off. have I got wrong sensor even though it fits ?

Possibly a faulty wire between the crank sensor and the engine ecu .

Do you have an electrical multi meter?

 

[tnpali01]

This is driving me crazy.... with the new crankshaft sensor in place last evening it started with long crank. today its not starting, no errors or warning lights... just put old sensor back in and also no errors and warning lights which were appearing before, yet now its starting everytime, almost instantly at the turn of the key. Issue therefore definitely appears to be crankshaft sensor / wiring related rather than anything else .

Im now going to leave the old sensor in place for now and test again later today and next few days . Havent got trust to take it out on the road just yet.

 

[tnpali01]

Possibly a faulty wire between the crank sensor and the engine ecu .

Do you have an electrical multi meter?

Yes I have a multimeter, NOT SURE i know what to test though, And as now its starting ? yes could very well be a broken wire, bad contact somewhere ... seems like this most likely root cause going on the outcomes of what I have changed and refitted today.

 

[tnpali01]

Its starting almost as soon as the starter engages now :worship:. I dont think it could be better. Just not knowing why its now working, without really changing anything (its back to original state) plus whether this is gonna be reliable is the worry.:bang:

 

[jackwhoo]

Its starting almost as soon as the starter engages now :worship:. I dont think it could be better. Just not knowing why its now working, without really changing anything (its back to original state) plus whether this is gonna be reliable is the worry.:bang:

From what you have done today it would be logical that there is a fault inside the wiring that you disturbed swapping the crank sensors. Swapping the crank sensors may have temporarily remade the circuit.

 

[jackwhoo]

If you can get vehicle on ramps safely. With engine running wiggle the wires to crank sensor - If engine cuts out you are wiggling near problem.
This is not infallible because wiggling may not be enough to break the circuit but worth a try.

 

[tnpali01]

Thats a great idea , thanks . I will probably drop a length of string and tie it to the wire and gently move it from above though. Even on a ramps I have wouldnt wanna try this from underneath with engine on unless I could stand underneath with car on garage ramp. The exhaust is running through this area ... self preservation.

The only other thing I can think is that there is some form of corrosion in the connector causing resistance which I have cleared by unplugging and reconnecting. Just tried restart and its still firing instantly and running sweetly.

 

[jackwhoo]

Thats a great idea , thanks . I will probably drop a length of string and tie it to the wire and gently move it from above though. Even on a ramps I have wouldnt wanna try this from underneath with engine on unless I could stand underneath with car on garage ramp. The exhaust is running through this area ... self preservation.

The only other thing I can think is that there is some form of corrosion in the connector causing resistance which I have cleared by unplugging and reconnecting. Just tried restart and its still firing instantly and running sweetly.

The conductor wires under the insulation can fracture causing an intermittent open circuit - always fun to try and trace

 

[jackwhoo]

Having written that I don't remeber if you worked out if your in fuel tank lift pump is working?

 

[tnpali01]

:worship: At the moment fuel is definitely getting through. It has been running for over an hour without any issue. No lights, no stalls, starts instantly , Started about 20 times too. I have wiggled the wire and nothing . cant break it now :bang:. I dont know what to think. if only there was something I could say I fixed .. Maybe there was there a dodgy contact that has been cleared by plugging and unplugging.. or is there an ongoing intermittent issue that just hasnt resurfaced. Will try again in the morning and see how it behaves. Is this just the joy of owning a Multipla

Thanks everyone for all your support and suggestions... I will keep you posted how I get on .

 

[tnpali01]

Sorry couldnt post an update yesterday..

All starting without issue, no warning lights or stalls. Tried first thing yesterday morning still cold and started first time, switched off and retried. all good, moved it a small distance and it was OK. Tried a few times throughout the day , all good.

Tried again today and still ok. Dont know what to think, may risk taking it for a drive late evening just around the block and see...

Wiggled wire again. I left the string in place ... and cant get it to stall...

:bang: Maybe poor connection on the contacts or luck :worship: just dont know .

 

[widemouthfrog]

Take it on a few very short trips and see how it goes.

Sometimes, it would be useful to have a page on MultiECUScan to erase and reset the driver's memory....

 

[tnpali01]

Last few days started first time instantly everytime, so I chanced it yesterday evening and again it started . Decided wouldnt go far...just around the block..all of 1 min, not even time to warm up..... ALL GOOD , then maybe more hopeful and confident I decided id do a 5 min run to local Petrol station. Just made it onto the forecourt thankfully and then it decided to cut out Wouldnt restart. Wiggled the wire. nothing ... so had to leave it there... walked home ... This morning went back, havent done anything and started first time... :bang:

Need to get the wiring checked more thoroughly now;

 

[tnpali01]

Update ... Some days its starting and behaving, others the ongoing issue is back, so Multipla still off road. Now getting to point where I need to decide whether I keep going or give up.

 

[Txuchin]

Could it be the camshaft sensor?
It's another possibility ...

 

[tnpali01]

Thanks for the suggestion, it has had camshaft sensor replaced recently.. possibly this could be issue ?

Also an update on progress. Still intermittent issue but some days no issues and all is good, others will refuse to start, generates Main Relay error ( I had a garage check the relays and they have advised all good) no idea where the main relay is though..... took it to a garage because couldnt find anything useful to confirm where it was.... When it misbehaves it needs errors clearing using diagnostics before it will behave again.

Today took it for MOT test and the starting issue didnt occur... Engine wise it behaved itself ... FAILED though on Nearside / Offside Axle Swivel pins and bushes ; All brake hoses; Track rod end ball joints and Coil Spring mounting corroded . Waiting for estimate to confirm whether its worth continuing this adventure :bang:

 

[Dr Denzelino Poblinski]

I'm having the same issues, I'm convinced it's the immobilizer, are they matched to the keys?

 

[varesecrazy]

I'm having the same issues, I'm convinced it's the immobilizer, are they matched to the keys?

Glow plug and suspension..
Or cold starting?

Keys have a chip which is read by an aerial and then checked by the body computer

IF the problem IS key related.. its unlikely both have failed

You will have the immob icon showing on the dash...
If that is the case.. tell us what errors the body computer is reporting

 

[Oletimer]

Howdy people, been lurking around and can't leave the old site alone. I nearly got ole Blue back last weekend, still pondering... we'll see.

tnpali01: having only suffered a crank sensor in the sparks dept., I might be whistlin-in-the-wind here but thinking about your problem:

Being intermittent would suggest it's not as clean cut as a simple sensor or relay not behaving, I would be thinking in the loose terminal area, maybe even corroded cable or loose joint. It's amazing what it takes to stop a uglybug, nothing big, they're bomb proof, BUT silly electrics will stop em dead - and they're not even very sparked up compared to say that Citroen 2.0 Exclusive I had, that was a nightmare on steroids for possible electrical issues.
Anyway, when it does play up, what's it telling you? I even thought about key fob battery possible down, but it would stay down.
One point you mentioned stirred a grey cell: your short test drive didn't reveal anything but your longer drive did (it cut out again) possibly because it was now both warm and moving, road vibrations are enough to cause trouble if you've got possible loose terminals or similar in the wiring. It's frustrating trying to out think intermittent faults. Try to find out, if you can, what codes it is leaving behind or showing, I feel there's something we don't know which could be a lead to sussing it all out.
George.

 

[tnpali01]

Hi the only code I have seen is P0685 Main Relay. Signal Low. I have replaced all the relays in the engine fusebox but still persists. Definitely dont think its key related .

Dr Denzelino Poblinski What are the symptoms you are seeing... It is definitely better starting with the warm weather we are having now.