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S500 Resurrection, Dave's Thread

72K views 523 replies 24 participants last post by  Dave2302 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi Guys,

Managed to get a few hours on the car this afternoon.

@ Smokie,

Thanks again for the reply, I'll bear that in mind when I get to sorting the boot but didn't want to get into fixing the boot too much today, so I just removed the lock barrell / push button and put a cable tie round the rod so I can open it manually, nice and easy whenever I want. Will do for now, until she runs :wink

The humming I could hear is not the PSE vac pump cutting in and out, the car is currently parked next to an air conditioned seafood warehouse, and it's their bloody fridge plant going on and off LOL, right nuisance this afternoon, as I was testing relays, listening for clicking etc.

I'm desperately trying to borrow a recovery truck or trailer, to get it back to my home workshop, but all my buddys are away stage rallying this weekend :frown

I found the Vac (PSE) must be working ok as the car is now locking off the key button, but didn't want to unlock all doors although I did get it to once, maybe needs 2 presses, or only unlocks driver door first, then the others when ignition goes on or some such, not sure how but it did unlock all doors once ??
Wish I had an owners book :laugh

ATM I'm more concerned with trying to get it to run :grin

@ Deplore,

I see your an SDS guru, I'm fairly new, only had it a little while, 2015 version with decent C3 Mux.
Perhaps you can you help with the codes I got, see if you agree with my thinking ??

I think you are right about needing Key ECU and EIS, does it really need the shifter as well ??

I only ask because not getting any errors on Shifter.
Other faults in other systems point to Engine ECU, plus some physical evidence, more of that in a min :wink

Initially sorted temp boot opening system, so I can keep a trickle charge on the car battery while testing to stop the Voltage going down.

Went straight at R/H Fusebox SAM, bridged Starter relay and she cranks like a good un, did a compression test, all great and nice and even :grin

Btw, mileage is only 38,xxx, according to SDS :smile

Next I bridged Air Compressor relay, that runs ok, horn relay, horn works ok, bridged both Engine Electronics relays and then cranked, but will not fire up :frown
Checked all relays for proper function, checked all fuses for proper continuity, not just visual, all OK.

Went to L/H Fusebox SAM, tested relays and fuses, all OK, same with under rear seat fuse box / SAM.

Never got to checking Dash fuses.......more on this in a min.......

Connected Snap On Solus (14.2) would not communicate with Engine or Auto Gearbox ECU, but went into SRS, no faults.
Cleared up debris of removed bits, back seat etc etc, boxed 'em all and put in van to take home, out of the way.
Had a look at ECU, not fitted in Electrics box correctly, and has marker pen on it stating CLK V8, like the breakers yards do, but it also has a sticker from "ECU Doctor" in London.
However, the guy I got car from swears it has been driven, albeit with a faulty gearbox, since this ECU was fitted........
I Dunno, he's a nice lad, known him a while, and he has no reason to lie to me, I'm not moaning I bought the car as a project knowing full well what I am getting into.
I have seen videos on U tube where ECU experts can remove the immobiliser chip from Mercedes original busted ECU and fit it into a secondhand ecu so car will then start ?????????

Was running out of time by now, but got the SDS fired up and this was very enlightening.

Front cigar lighter not working, beleive the fuse is in Dash fusebox, but couldn't find that yet, so plugged laptop charger into back door cig lighter. Is this the same fuse as ECU's are using as a reference voltage ??
Seem to remember earlier today that Auto Data said it was, will check later.
Could this be a reason for lack of communication with Engine ECU ??

I ask this because SDS won't ID car, asked me to manually input Chassis number and then "coded Engine ECU" with F5.
Read all other modules after this and after clearing some old codes, this is what I have left........

Auto Gearbox ETC :- P2063 Voltage Supply to Speed Sensors, won't clear, current code.
Not bothered about that for now, will sort trans when she's running, that's no sweat for me LOL

ESP:- C1504-009 Steering Angle Sensor Not Initialised. Also C1022-025 Can Com With Engine System Faulty.
won't clear, current codes.

Airmatic Suspension :- C1026-128 Steering Angle Sensor Not Initialised. Also C-1027-001 Can Com With Engine System Faulty. won't clear, current codes.

Engine ECU :- Star DAS will not communicate with it.

Now I'm thinking this is either because it's the wrong ECU, or if it has been "ECU Doctored" correctly, maybe there is a voltage missing, perhaps this Cigar Lighter Fuse / Circuit :confused::confused::confused:

Final code is in COMAND, but I think it's because the CD is not fitted in the boot, but I have it here ready to put back in when I'm allowed more time on the car :laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh

COMAND Code :- N1111-01 No Data Transfer Between D2B Master and D2B Component. Component At Location 1 Reports A Fault In D2B Ring.
Is this why I cant get Radio to switch on, and is it because the CD Player is not connected yet ??

What do you guys think, am I on the right track here and if it needs a S/H Engine ECU, I know the Immobilisers will be locked, so as well as Engine ECU and at least 1 key, prefer 2, what other parts have to be changed so she will start and run??

Once she runs, can the new second hand key(s) from another car be synched to the central locking / alarm on my car. If so how ??

Thanks in advance,
Cheers Dave
 
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#2 ·
Dave, the steering angle fault is just a reset, you need to turn the steering wheel lock to lock to clear it. Check the W220 encyclopedia for the resets and fuse charts.
When you connect the SDS select - control modules - Information and communications (I think) - EIS and check the Drive authorization (DAS), this will tell you if the ECU, Shifter, EIS and Key are coded to each other or not. The cigar fuse has nothing to do with issue it is on it own fuse.
Run a quick test and post the results. The Comand code will be the missing CD changer, as the D2B ring will not be complete without it. As the car has been sitting the CAN com error may be corroded connections I would check the ECU for signs of this and clean the plugs.

Have you found the year etc from the car yet if not post you VIN and I send the datacard your way.

Good luck.

Dean
 
#3 ·
The SDS takes the vin from the ECU (on the w220).... Check the connection on the ECU. This is why it isn't cranking. No communication to ECU = the EIS also has no communication to the ECU.

I bet you if you look in the EIS, it'll have tons of can bus commission error with ECU....something like "no communication with engine control unit".

Shifter is part of the immobilizer unit for the car. The ECU and EIS check the shifter..If it didn't match, no start.
 
#4 ·
Hi Pinkster,

Many thanks for reply, very helpful.

VIN = WDB2200752A226824

I think it's a 2002 build judging by SAM date codes circa late 2001, but that's just a guess.

You confirmed what I thought re COMAND, and re Steering Angle, but not worth resetting that yet as I'm disconnecting battery each time, the Car is outside now, 12 Miles from my house near my work workshop, desperate to get it at home workshop, in the dry on lift.

Not sure if I'll get SDS on it tommoz as SWMBO has list of jobs for me to do :laugh

Will try that looking for Drive Auth. Some Mercs I've worked with say "Start Error" on dash display if Key EIS etc is not in synch, this S500 does not say that, dash says "no error".

I'll report back as soon as I get back on it :wink

Cheers Dave

I found several s/h EIS, Key and Engine ECU sets for S500, on EBay UK but no shifter listed, do I definitely need to change the shifter on a UK car ???
 
#7 ·
Hi Dean,

Don't be sorry mate, you just saved me paying £150 for a set of bits that are useless without the shifter :smile

Thanks for the prompt reply :wink

Cheers Dave
 
#6 ·
Hi Deplore,

Just seen your post, thanks, once again very helpful.

So those sets on EBay are useless without the shifter then ???

Thinking back to earlier, SDS ran check, but I don't know if it scanned EIS, cant remember now, thinking about it, there didn't seem to be half as many modules picked up as when I checked a CL600 for a guy on Friday, think that came back with about 30 or so modules.

Gonna have to run SDS on the car again.

Hope I can get to it tomorrow.

Cheers Dave
 
#8 ·
Hi Guys,

Back again, got up early, did SWMBO's job list and got back to the S500.

First thing, looking at that Data Card, looks to me like delivery date is 6th June 2001, am I correct thinking it's a 2001 model, a UK VIN Search suggests it was first registered 2002, does that sound about right ??

I will need this info to get spares right now, until I get registration document :wink

Got hold of a recovery truck, and car was at home workshop by 4pm.

Plugged it up on the Star and got the same codes as yesterday.

Bit more detail..................

ESM.

I looked at ESM, (Electronic Selector Module), in more detail.

Found "Drive Authorisation Has Been Issued By Control Module ESM, The Selector Can Be Moved Out Of 'P' ".

Looking at Live Data, the Kickdown Switch Operation is not detected even with the pedal to the metal !!
Also of note the + Gear change push button is working, but the - is not. PRND is detected OK as is W/S switch and Brake Lamp Switch. Shifter Lock Solenoid is working fine.

ME2 SFI.

Next up looked at Engine Control Module, but SDS will not communicate with ECU big box in middle of screen comes up saying "Communication Error, Communication With Control Module Faulty", then went on to get "Possible Causes:-

1) You have selected wrong model designation, (Definitely didn't) !!

2) Connection of diagnostic cables, (they work fine on all the other Mercs I've done this week, and plugged it up to my V Class just now and communicating fine with all modules) !!

3) Check K wire at control module................Could be ?? How do I do this, what wire is it and what am I looking for ??

4) Control unit faulty, might be, I am convinced this is the wrong ECU, as it's labelled by a breakers as a CL430 V8 ECU.
But as I said yesterday night, I'm told it was sent to ECU Doctor in London, also it has their sticker / seal on it...........Could they have done stuff to get it to work on this car, like swap the Immo chip from original ECU ??

The seller is still adamant it was driven home after this ECU was fitted !!

DTR (Distronic)

What is this and is it fitted to my car ??

Message on SDS:- "Error during initialising, no link could be established between the diagnostic gateway and the control unit"

"Possible causes:-

1) The voltage supply of the control module is not ok.

2) The control module is not part of the standard configuration, and, for this reason, could not be fitted"

What the heck does number 2 mean ??

Number 1) seems to be a common theme with other faults on this car, see my present conclusions at the end.

TPM (Tyre Pressure Monitoring)

I'm not sure if this is fitted, and doubt the car has the sensors in the valves, just by looking at them.

SDS is telling me to check the power supply at the TPM !!

ESP (Electronic Stability Program)

C1022 - 025 Can Com with Engine System faulty, same as yesterday.

Airmatic Suspension.

C1027 - 001 Can Com with Engine System faulty, same as yesterday.

EZS Electronic Ignition Switch ELCODE (DAS 3)

1) "No communication link"

2) Possible voltage supply problem"

ICM (Instrument Cluster Module)

No Faults

SCM (Steering Column Module)

No Communication

Parktronic

No Communication but according to data card this is not fitted, and I see no sensors on the bumpers :wink

When I moved the car earlier, the steering lock was definitely not on, as I steered it lock to lock to get it out of the tight space it was in, and winched it onto the recovery wagon.

Later I locked and alarmed the car obviously with ignition off and with the key out, but the steering lock is still not on...............

Is this because of the steering angle sensor initialisation code as per yesterday, or does it mean the lock is not working, all the other Mercs I've done with EIS you can here the lock coming on off when you put the key in and out, but this car I hear nothing.

So, to conclude I think either this car has the wrong ECU and therefore the communication errors are because of this, or there is a voltage / earth missing which controls all of these things that don't work................

Remember from the last 2 days................

Nothing controlled by the relays in RH Fuse Box SAM under bonnet works, but if I bridge the relays the Horn, Air Compressor, Starter etc then work surely the horn does not need the Engine ECU to communicate on Can Bus before it will work ??

I have had communication errors on other non Merc cars which have had a reference voltage or small earth missing.
Remember also that my Auto Gearbox ECU says it has a speed sensor voltage problem, which was the original fault on this car before the saga :laugh ................ Again, this suggests to me that there is a feed or an earth dropped out somewhere

SDS also said at some point tonight that I should check circuit 15 relief relay, on one of the tests I was doing, might have been to do with COMAND, as I have plugged the CD back in, but still can't get the radio to work yet.

What is circuit 15, and where is this relay, does anyone know ??

Now please don't get me wrong, I don't mind sourcing and buying a matching ECU, Shifter(especially bearing in mind the Tiptronic - switch error), EIS and Keys if this is going to work definitely, but if I buy it and car is still the same, then I'll be back at Square 1 :laugh:laugh:laugh

So my gut feeling is to get more time tracing feeds etc especially around RH Fuse Box SAM area, as clearly somebody has been in there before, and when I'm satisfied that there are all the right Voltages etc there, if it still wont crank / start, then I'll buy the ECU set.

Any thoughts on this ??

Can anyone tell me where the front cigar lighter fuse is.............This is bugging me, because I've had this on Vauxhalls, auto gearbox draws a ref. voltage from that circuit, and goes into limp mode..............

My front Cig lighter doesn't work, and according to my Auto data the pre 2002 cars don't have a dashboard fuse box, I still haven't found one, although I haven't looked that thoroughly.

Any answers to any of the above would be gratefully received, many thanks in anticipation,

Cheers Dave
 
#9 ·
CLK430 uses the same engine as your S500, so the ECU is the same. This is not an error.

W220 does not have steering lock. That's why the shifter is part of the immobilizer system. No shifter, no start.

You STILL don't have communication with the ECU.

Given how many modules in the car say communication error to the ECU, that means either the ECU is bad, or the connection are not fully seated.

By the way, RH front SAM is where the ECU is. I'm amazed that you did all that without physically inspecting the ECU...at the very least unplug it, look it over, spray contact cleaner and then plug back in.

You have a power probe. Use it to find the blown fuse. S500 has multiple fuse boxes. Left and right front SAM, driver side and passenger side fuse, and the trunk SAM? Something.

Speed sensor in the transmission has NOTHING to do with the ECU communication fault. Don't even try to go there. Start with ECU then work down.
 
#10 · (Edited)
By the way, distronic is Mercedes lingo for adaptive cruise control. It uses radar to maintain the same speed as the car in front of you. If the spot becomes empty, then it will resume the original speed.

Circuit 15 relay is fairly important. It's a power source too many modules, so if relay doesn't work, many modules don't get power. Use the SDS to find out. When you're on the fault memory section, hit enter on the specific code and then DAS will walk you through the diagnostic portion. Use that to find where the relay is physically located.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Hi Deplore and Pinkster,

You are stars, all that info is very very helpful :angel :angel

Remember I'm quite new to SDS, only had it 4 - 5 months.
Most of the Mercedes I'm familiar with in the fleets I look after these days are all CDI's.
I have learned a lot in the last week or so, have had it on a mates CL600, and my S500 and the learning curve is steep, that's why I am really grateful for your advice, thank you !!

BTW, I did remove the Engine ECU plugs and cast a quick eye over them, was looking for a bent pin, but that was Saturday in a confined space where the car was sat, and with loads of distractions from folks walking by.

Also I was convinced then that there was a power or earth fault :asshat:

That's how I knew Engine ECU was sitting loose in the Front right SAM box, and the pins / connections didn't look bad, but will give it a much closer examination in good light, will also open ECU up and check for water damage.

(When I next get onto the car, got to go work this week, but may get an hour or so tonight) :wink

So I'll ignore the Transmission fault for now, as I said that'll be no problem to fix once the car is running, as Auto's were my business when I lived down south :grin

My plan now is to get this com fault sorted first and also find 2 more fuse boxes in front of cabin.

Will go have a look at those Links you both gave me,

Cheers :beerchugr: Dave
 
#14 ·
Hi,

Just a quickie,

Just had a better look for in cabin front fusebox, RHD car, should be on left, can't find it, so is it not fitted or do I have to strip off interior panels, there is nothing but air vent behind left dash corner (with door open)

???????

Cheers Dave
 
#16 · (Edited)
Hi Guys,

Thanks, yeah, my Auto data said that, and I have searched through those links, and they confirm it.

Got 2 hours on car last night.

First thing I did was remove Engine ECU. Inspected connectors and ECU including removing board from it with a big magnifier. Used Electo contact cleaner and compressed air, to clean contacts.
I can see no problem here, but yes the ECU has been replaced at some point, I can see the Immo chip has been swapped and just hope this is from the Original ECU for this car.
I don't see how I can test the ECU further myself, don't see that SDS can do this, am I correct ??

Put ECU back, still exactly the same problem.

When I first got Car foolishly assumed a few non working lights at the front were Bulb faults, but after reading about SAM units on Encyclopaedia it seems highly likely my Front Right SAM is suspect, or wiring to it.

Further testing revealed Horn, Front left dip beam, Front right sidelight, Front right full beam, Screen washers, Headlamp washers, and Wiper Delay are not working, all functions of Front Right SAM.

I am going to Remove this unit along with everything else in and around the RH Box and strip and inspect it and the wiring to it when I next get at it, unless anyone can tell me a different path to take ???????

I am also looking to get the WIS wiring diagrams printed on A3, as I find them very un friendly on a small computer screen.

Found Deans Link in Encyclopaedia and downloaded diagrams, will print them tonight :)

Cheers for now

Dave
 
#17 · (Edited)
Hi,

Got 3 hours Sat and 5 hours today, stripped out everything from Front Right Box, examined all connections, strip all the little fuse holders, and stripped my Spare RH SAM and multi layer Fuse / Relay board.

Cleaned all traces of verdigris, cleaned and tightened all connections, repaired a few previous botches on wires to small fuse holders, solder and heatshrink instead of loose manky bullets, tidied up the wiring and re assembled.

ABSOLUTELY no change at all, all the same faults are still there :frown

to re cap :-

Horn n/w
Washers and Headlamp washers n/w
RH side lamp, main beam and foglight n/w
LH dipped beam n/w
Suspension Compressor n/w
Will not crank over

There is no power to the Suspension Compressor f 32 40A fuse with Ign On, and no power to Sec Air Pump f31 40A fuse with Ign On, f33 40A Fan fuse has power even with Ign off, guess that is normal.

Dash lights up, inc SRS lamp which goes out after a few seconds, stereo etc working with Ign on pos 1 then go to pos 2 all still works plus fuel gauge reads, ABS, check engine, ESP triangles etc light up, indicators and wipers work, stop lights work, press brake pedal and shifter comes out of park...............
So to my limited knowledge of this car, EIS looks to be working ok, but is there more than 2 outputs, or is their another circuit from EIS that may be down ???

Gave up on electrics, fixed boot lock properly, seized tumblers in barrel, and did a couple of other mundane jobs :laugh

My head is fried with wiring diagrams, looks like I'm going to need to print out more diagrams, maybe take out seats and carpets etc to look at wiring under there ??

Anyone got any other Ideas ???

Oh, quick Q, does anyone know where the 2 60Amp fuses X4/10 and X4/22 are located, are they behind boot trim panels, I see from EIS Wiring Diagram that there are 2 feeds to EIS, one from each of these fuses, ckt 30 and ckt 30z , just a though, maybe one of these is bad and will affect the circuits that are not working ???

Cheers Dave
 
#18 ·
Yes, the prefuses. Check out the W220 prefuse location on google/youtube -- it's behind the front passenger foot rest area. Pull the carpet, remove panel and it's there.

That's one possibility, though doubtful.
 
#19 ·
Thanks Deplore,

Will look there, it's worth a shot before pulling out all seats and carpets to access all hidden wiring and plugs.

Do you know, is there anything on WIS that will tell me what voltages I should get from EIS terminals at pos 1, pos 2 etc?

Thanks,

Dave
 
#20 · (Edited)
Hi again,

Well, don't I always get them !! Problems no one else has ever had, always right obscure ones, that don't follow the usual rules :crying
All the local garages up here send jobs to me that they can't sort, usually diagnostics or wiring issues LOL
Still I'm not complaining, it earns good money :grin

There is something really stupid wrong with this car, but I just can't get my head round it.

I have studied the wiring diagrams until I got headaches, over several nights, and reckon the fault could be in Circuit 15.

Looked for the under foot well main fuses, and removed the passenger (Left) footrest, nothing behind there :confused: I suppose when WIS says "passenger side" it really means right side of car, and mine is a RHD, so not so easy to pull carpet back, or is it possible my car doesn't have the 60 A Mega Fuses ?

So I pulled the relays B & C from a mates CL, and that did same as mine then, ignition on, dash lights up, no cranking, no start, put back Relay C, same no crank no start. Looks like I'll go with circuit 15 for a while then !!

Went back to mine, pulled relays for Circuit 15 and 15r in LH Fuse / Relay Module and tested the pins in the fuse box, + 12v power on both sides of the relay contacts with no relays in !!
12v power on relay coil terminal, but no -ve relays don't click when Ignition switched on :frown

What the feck is that all about, how can it have 12v + on the side that the relay is supposed to apply power to ??

Put links in, in place of relays, and with ignition on, dash lights go out, still no crank / start.
Pulled the 3 x 5 amp dash fuses (f20,f21 & f22) and lo and behold the dash lights go out, no surprises there then, but.........

More surprisingly, the Air Suspension Compressor starts up and runs, and the car rises and levels itself out. Put the dash fuses back and compressor doesn't run, dash comes back to life, repeat several times with the same results, compressor cuts in then shuts off with a little psssssh :confused:

Still at least the car is now sitting level and not slammed on the deck :laugh:laugh:laugh

Any ideas ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Got a day off work tomorrow, hopefully will spend most all of it on the car, after sorting out the inlaws latest catastrophe, Toilet cistern overflowing............... I swear they do it deliberately, every time I have a day off to do my own stuff they have some sort of disaster that I have to sort out :frown

Anyway in the absence of any better advice by morning, I will strip the Left Fuse / Relay module, clean tighten and rebuild, looking for a short, possible someone has been in it before, maybe put a link in wrong if I'm really lucky. At least the wiring in the left one is nice and tidy with no butchery to repair, like the right one had. I did unplug SAM and all fuse box plugs, all looked clean and good with my best glasses / magnifying glass :laugh

Found out how to set Dash Clock and Comand Clock so they both tell the same time LOLOLOLOL

Cheers for now Dave
 
#21 ·
Dave on a RHD car the fuses are under the drivers side carpet, they also have the footrest covering them up. So pull back the carpet undo the 3 nuts and remove the plastic footrest on the left side of the footwell to find the fuses. You may find the relays you are speaking about are a ground switched setup and will always have +ve and just no -ve till switched.

Yes the 3 5A fuses will take out the Dash, don't know why that would start the compressor though. Have you tried the relays from your mates car in it?

Dean
 
#22 · (Edited)
Hi Dean,

Thanks, and nice to see your back on the case too :smile

I thought they may be under Right carpet, just ran out of time last night.

I tried 2 brand new relays to no avail, CL is back to owner, probably in Inverness by now (65 miles away).

Re "You may find the relays you are speaking about are a ground switched setup and will always have +ve and just no -ve till switched."

I think I wasn't clear :wink with this statement :-

"how can it have 12v + on the side that the relay is supposed to apply power to"

With the relays removed, their terminal sockets have the + to coils of B & C relays, but no ground switching -ve to relay coils with Ignition on.
It is the other 2 terminals, the switched contacts part of the relay, (numbered 30 & 87), at the terminal sockets without the relays in are both 12v +ve.

BTW that is a proper +ve, not a no load "Multi meter" positive :wink , tested them with a good old fashioned light 5w sidelight bulb :wink

That's what made me wonder if the fuse / relay box has a short on it.

Trouble with this car is it has had so many numptys working on it in the past, that I simply can't assume anything :laugh

Unfortunately I would need a seance to contact the only person who knows where the car went and exactly what was and wasn't working when it was laid up in the barn.
Again, I have to conclude that his son who I bought the car from is just guessing that it was driven home after it left the last "workshop" some 3 years ago, maybe it was towed home not running :confused:

Anyway, on the up side, the good news is that I've just been out to the car, which has stood all night, and the air suspension is still up, and car sat nice and level, so no leaks there then :grin

As I've said before, most of the fleets I work on up here are CDI's, so this is a good chance to get my teeth into a fully loaded petrol MB, and learn about it's systems, and learn more about my WIS / Star :grin

So today, look under drivers carpet, see what is there, and then if no dice, strip and check LH Fuse / Relay Module.

Thanks for your input, always welcomed,

Regards Dave.............Oh, a PS :-

When removing the dash fuse, and the Airmatic comes to life, the Right Dipped Beam Xenon Headlamp and Left Sidelight comes on, so anther reason for me to think there is a short or feedback in the Left Fuse / Relay Module ??????
 
#23 ·
The relays are controlled by the SAM unit N10/6 (left). Both relays B & C pins 86 & 87 are linked together and connect to pins 3 & 9 at the SAM. So I don't think you will have much luck testing.
If you have WIS check docs. pe54.21-p-2101-99sa and pe54.15-p-2101-99sa.

Good luck with it.

Dean
 
#24 ·
Hi Dean,

I got a few hours on it today, in between other stuff :wink

Had both front carpets out and footrests, found evidence that "Mick" had been in under the soundproofing ("Mick the mouse") :eek

Checked the 3 Mega fuses, all good under load.

Hoovered out the mouse nesting debris and then pulled modules out of both boxes and carefully examined all wiring from cable trunking back as far as just under the seats which were right backwards, and all the wiring up to the boxes was fine, no evidence of Mickey chewing, chafing, damp, verdigris etc etc.

In the left hand box, I found a black connector in the bottom of the box, 7 wires green and rotten, it does not connect to anything inside the box, the 7 wires just pass from the inside of the car to the front left loom along the inner wing.

I thought perhaps I'd found it, so cut out the plug and soldered and heatshrink'd the wires together, put all the modules back but no dice, the only thing that has changed is now i have a red light on, on the heater controls that is labelled "A/C off" so I presume this little bunch go to the A/C pressure switch, etc. Can't think what else they'd do :confused:

I also checked all earth leads and multi plugs under the front footwells while I was there, and had a look up behind the dash, gave the plug on EIS a wriggle etc etc, but all to no Avail, everything I can see without stripping the dash out looks OK.

I found what looks to be can bus joint above the pedals, brown/red twisted wires, that all looks ok too.

Anyway, I put all the front footrests and carpets back and gave all that end a good clean as the hoover was out.

I will have to strip the L/H fuse box another day now, as I'm away at a stage rally this weekend, doing the music at the pre event "Barn" party tomorrow night, then same at the presentation evening on Saturday night. Sadly I'm not doing it this year, Rally car is needing some work too :laugh:laugh:laugh

I think after the L/H fuse box, I may pull all the seats and lift up the back carpets etc and centre console out, can clean up the mouse debris, and check for loom damage in the left and right trunking, although I can't see that being my specific problem, as the front half, all looks OK so far.

I guess I'm going to have to start chucking parts at it soon, although I hate that, but I suppose the Horn, lights etc is indicating that the right front SAM is dud, peculiar though in that the other one I tried has exactly the same faults................... That's what makes me think it's a wiring issue.

Also, I guess left one could be dud if that's what controls those relays, although maybe it's needing to communicate with Engine ECU before it will switch the relays, as I opened up the Left SAM and it looked mint, no signs of any verdigris like the 2 right ones I have, before I cleaned them up !!

Still don't understand how both the inputs and outputs from the relays are live in the Fuse Relay Box with no relays in, that indicates to me a short or feedback from somewhere, very puzzled. It's like removing the light switch in the house but the light stays on :confused:

Very strange, and getting a little pee'd off with it now, need a break from it for this weekend.

Can you think of anything else worth looking at at this stage ???

I suppose I could go a bit more in depth with the SDS one night next week, see what I can learn :grin

Cheers for now,

Dave
 
#26 ·
The green wires you found are CAN wires and should be on a distributor block. With Mick in the car you might be looking for CAN errors.

Dean
LOL, they aren't green in colour, the plug terminals were green with verdigris :wink

I'll have to be more careful how I word things.

So the green / white wires are can bus ???

I thought the twisted brown and red were CAN ???

Yes the car has lots of modules saying CAN com error with engine ECU, but SDS won't communicate with Engine ECU either, and suggests looking for power faults.

I stripped and cleaned / tightened the Left Front fusebox today, but no problems in there.

Those relay contacts are definitely not right, checked them again tonight, at the sockets, without relays in :-

No earth is applied to relay coils with ignition on or off. Don't think this is correct, surely SAM should switch relay coil negative when Ignition goes on.
2 positives one for coil and one for contact with ignition off, that seems ok.
3 positives with ignition on !! Definite feedback or short from somewhere.

As much as I hate doing it, I'm going to order a couple of front SAM / Fuse / Relay Modules and chuck them at it when they arrive, can get guaranteed working units quite cheap, will prove a point, and may fix the Right front lighting / washers / horn issues. I powered up the Headlamp and windscreen washer pumps the other day and these too work fine, also double checked all the front right bulbs, which also work fine.

I guess next step is all seats and rear carpets out, and check over the rest of the loom especially looking for Mick / physical damage. From there I don't know, will see what i can get done this week in the evenings.

Cheers Dave
 
#28 ·
Hi Dean,

Thanks for that link, it's a lot easier to understand than the stuff on Can Bus in the Encyclopaedia, I found that hard going, but still very informative, have printed copies of both now :smile

I had a right stroke of luck today, which will hopefully open and shut a few doors on my car.

A guy has left a dog of a CL500 with me for a second opinion repair estimate, but is probably going to scrap the car, 2001 MY.

It's needing way more than it's worth spent for it's annual test. Various repairs including ABC Strut, 2 dead Air Bags, Brakes and Park Brake all round, some Swivels and a pair of CAT's plus Exhaust. It also has a host of other work to get it up to scratch.

Anyway, it starts runs and drives, so tonight I pulled both front Fuse / Relay Box SAM's and the Engine ECU off my car, will take them to work and plug them in one at a time and run DAS on it to see if I can communicate with them, and also see if my SAM's put the same faults on the CL..................

That way I'll know if mine are any good, as I have no way of knowing for sure atm.

Hopefully this exercise will save me from buying more modules just to see if they made a difference, if they check out OK I know I gotta concentrate on CAN BUS and Wiring issues, which is my gut feeling right now.

If they don't check out OK I can try the good CL SAMs on my car to see if I get different results :wink

If he decides to sell the car for scrap money I might well put a bid on it and break it, would be especially useful if it turns out I need EIS, ECU, Key and Shifter set, as well as all the other spares, and all parts that don't fit mine can go on EBay :grin

Cheers for now

Dave
 
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#29 ·
Hi Dean,

Thanks for that link, it's a lot easier to understand than the stuff on Can Bus in the Encyclopaedia, I found that hard going, but still very informative, have printed copies of both now :smile

Dave
Ummm - Dean's link takes you to one of those shown in the Encyclopedia, after the introduction "About CAN Busses."
 
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