[Blow By Blow]

So Day 1. (Monday)

Heading out to flicks the car got 800 yds from home and in the middle of a bend, the engine died, closely followed by the speedo dropping instantly from 30 mph straight down to zero whilst still rolling, followed within a few milliseconds of the tacho dropping to zero. So in the middle of a long bend, the engine cut out, and as I dump the clutch the engine stops turning, so no power steering, but manage to bring the car to a safe halt roadside about one hundred meters beyond.

Turn off the key, and try to restart. the Engine Management Light does not come on (but not noticed at the time), but the immobiliser key symbol is lit. The matrix display reports Ignition Module Fault and the fuel lift pump can not be heard running. The short cranking that usually starts the engine fails to do so.

Try turning on and off the ignition key several times, no change, key lamp stays on, lift pump not running, matrix display reporting "Ignition Module Fault". Knowing it's a diesel I'm suspecting a key recognition issue at this time because of the lamp, and that it's the immobiliser preventing the car from starting.

Get out and disconnect the battery in case it's a bsi glitch, and wait a few mins before reconnecting.
Turn key to ignition, key light comes on.
Keep trying, key on and off and then for some reason, I hear the lift pump run, with no key symbol.
Turn key, engine fires up runs but for no more than 7 seconds then dies again.
Key symbol lights again and no lift pump again persistent, now an hour has gone by so call for recovery. I not going to make it to the movie today.

Whilst waiting for recovery truck check each and every fuse visually under dash, the six on bsi and the big master fuses and sundries under bonnet those that look lightly corroded get cleaned with pen knife blade to hand.

Recovery truck arrives, chap tries to start the car.
Turn key, engine fires up runs but for no more than 7 seconds then dies again.
Trying again, non starter, car loaded and taken home.

Go to the attic and dig out dedicated laptop loaded with Win XP with only PP2000 loaded for just such situations.
Machine fails to boot, not even a POST bleep.
Great.

Spend Monday night trying to breath life into a dead laptop.
No Joy - load PP2000 onto old desktop so I can diagnose on Tuesday.

This issue is now resolved on my vehicle
I would urge you to read through the entire thread since it highlights other faults that could be the cause on your vehicle or may be present on your 406 and need attention.
Issues with corrosion in the under carpet connectors.
Corrosion on the Built In systems interface connectors.
If you wish to jump to the fix and a list of things to check for.
This link will take you to the resolution posting
I would suggest you read through the full thread for a few minutes to save your self days of diagnosis, in my case it was 2 weeks without the use of the car, but the eventual fix was just pennies, some soldering and a bit of wire.
It was neither the BSI or Engine ECU electronics that stopped the car from running it was a broken wire in the loom.

 

[Blow By Blow]

2nd day (Tuesday)

After charging the battery overnight off the vehicle as it took a lot of hits cranking on Monday, hook up the battery, and connect the ACTIA + PP2000 to get a read on what's going on.

Turn on ignition, Matrix display reports Ignition Module Fault, the fuel lift pump is not running.

Run Global Scan
Bsi reports "permanent fault not communicating with engine management control unit".

Clear that code, and run engine ecu diagnosis.
Results displayed in attached screen grab image file.

Clear those fault codes, and turn the ignition key off.
Cranking the engine it starts, runs for about 40 secs and dies again.

Suspecting a key problem, because of the key symbol light on dash.

Go into bsi configuration and run the procedure to code keys to car using 4 key code

Results in screen grab image below.
Run test to see if system chimes with key ignition and door open.
Good result both keys, assume coding keys is the fix.

After coding keys, engine starts and runs, stays running long enough to warm up.
Spent 3 hours going through all this, pack away tools and computer then drive car around the block to test drive, park up and go catch up on missed work.

That evening go out to try and start car again to be sure it's OK for the morning, and back to square one:

Matrix display reports Ignition Module Fault, the fuel lift pump is not running. Car won't start. Key symbol lit, No EML on turning on the ignition.

Based on PP2000 report of fault being intermittent fault control unit engine internal microprocessor fault, and success with coding keys to bsi, and subsequent test suspect faulty ecu.

Order replacement engine ecu from internet vendor.

TBC

 

[Blow By Blow]

3rd Day Wednesday

3rd Day Wednesday was mostly a wet washout, spent the day indoors searching the web for an answer or to see if anyone else had similar symptoms or issues and seeking a resolution.

Ploughing through endless threads on keys and transponders.
Courier brought spare ecu (fast service)
Weather cleared in the late afternoon.

Hooked up ACTIA and ran PP2000 and to see if the new ecu would solve the problem.

Matrix display reports Ignition Module Fault, the fuel lift pump is not running. Car won't start.

Did a parameter measurement read on the bsi as the ecu wont communicate.

Screen grab attached shows result.
Listing Engine ecu as unlocked: Presume this means bsi is happy with keys, and the fault is a physicial, lack of communication between bsi and ecu.

Back to the web, enrolled in this forum, searched more threads.
Noted comments online about bsi being unreliable, other issues caused by bad connections and considering the nature of the original breakdown this has to be a dodgy wire or component.

Observe the status if Engine ecu relay as not controlled and decide to test connections for feeds on Thursday.
Plan to inspect the bsi connectors on Thursday.

TBC

 

[Blow By Blow]

4th Day Thursday

• Tried the bsi reboot routine, no change.
  
• Tested the management relay feeds and functions on car.
  
• Observed relay clicked when ignition is shut down. +ve and +ign feeds test out OK.
  
• Removed relay to test all terminals. All connections test out for correct switching function when both relay coils are energised.
  
• Analyse that fault is not in relay, and reason it's not switching must be under control (command) of bsi related to key symbol on dash.
  
• Spend evening researching more and updating PP2000 to V24.21, as can't locate password to do V24.99 final upgrade.
  
• Flash ACTIA with software version V.4.2.9
  See screen grab attached.

Spend more time looking for hints on line.
Found the thread on the fuel flap failed spring, replace with a spring from a clothes peg. Neat idea will do that on Friday too.

 

[Blow By Blow]

5th Day (Friday)

Removed every single fuse and tested continuity on each in case one had a broken filament. Today the bsi is in economy mode so no reading of the info matrix message.
Hooked up the PP2000 + ACTIA and got a read back:
The (engine) ECU has not replied.
Thinking this is a connection issue or an economy mode variable so:

Removed the bsi for inspection and found evidence of water ingress and corrosion under the yellow and blue multi-plugs: See images attached.

Using switch cleaner (isopropyl alcohol) and cotton buds I very carefully cleaned the terminals, (this is brain surgery one wrong move and dead car) finding that pin 16 under the yellow 26 way connector is mechanically loose, obvious dry joint. Opened the casing and refreshed the solder where the pins meet the pcb, for good measure did all the other small data connecting pins on the ecu board, blue maroon and yellow plugs. Pin 16 now firm. I cleaned all the female sockets on the mini multiplugs with the same can of squirt and a needle.

Returned all to car dosing with a touch of 3 in 1 spray, connected up bsi + ACTIA then ran PP2000 again.

Key light still on, fuel lift pump still not priming, EML still unlit on ign switch on;
Message back on PP: The ecu has not replied.

Presuming the fix on the bsi is good (might yet be a discreet component failure on the pcb).

Moved on to test all connecting wires between ecu 88 pin multi plug and yellow and maroon connectors for continuity with extended meter probe leads following wiring diagram (9) in Haynes Book for the 406. (section12.32)

Diagram shows 11 connections, 8 at the yellow plug as one is paired.
The 3 to the maroon plug all tested OK at zero ohms.

The rest on the yellow plug all tested at about 1 ohm which I assume is the extended leads plus a not perfect contact into the ecu multiplug as I'm using a needle in a croc clip.

Yep the car is given me needle so i'm giving it right back. I keep a handy keep a needle in the car to clear and steer the washer jets, and it stows in the hidden areas of the luggage space in the black fabric inside.

However from pin 36 at the ecu reading back to the pair of wires that go to pins 3 and 16 in the yellow connector reading is 13 ohms.

Testing the joined pair and the reading between pins 3 and 16 is zero ohms, yet over the length of the loom that rises to the 13 ohms by the time it reaches pin 36 of the 88 pin mult iplug on the ecu.

So now I'm calling out for help.

Is it simply this high resistance lead that's the issue, or:
Has the high(er) resistance connection over time (17 years) stressed the bsi components and that now I have a failed bsi ?
I don't think it's the cause of the loose pin 16 problem, that may have been mechanical adhesion of the connector where the water ingress had occurred, but the fact that very pin that was loose on the same lead that has the highest resistance does seem an odd co-incidence.

At least the fuel filler flap pops open now when I pull the lever thanks to the peg spring mod.

Please super experts tell me I've missed something really basic and cheap to sort.

Mac

 

[Blow By Blow]

Oooh er Missus

Having found this post deep in the older section of the engine forum, I'm a little concerned now my original ecu and web order second user replacement (£30) are of no use to me.

 

[storeman]

From what I've read you have
a) replaced the ECU with one which may or may not have ben virginised so no idea if is is even programmanble to your BSI and key.
b) found corrosion and a loose pin on a BSI connector and addressed the issue (hopefully successfully)
c) found yourself still in the same position

What I haven't read is that after discovering and addressing the corrosion & loose pin in the BSI you still haven't tried the original ECU with the repaired BSI.

My first step would be to put the original ECU back in and start from there. The ECU / BSI / Key transponder all need to be matched and are write once unless the ECU and or BSI are virginised. Key transponder chip and transmitter board are basically WORM devices so if a replacement is needed they do need to be new and unused.

 

[Blow By Blow]

Hi Storeman thanks for the reply.

Sorry I didn't make it clear.
Yes the ecu presently on the car after resolving the bsi corrosion issue and checking the loom is the original that came with the vehicle, and I believe to be the factory fitted unit.
When running PP it reads back: The ecu has not replied. (image attached).

Thing is that is the ecu that gave the faults first described in my (Tuesday) post and listed in the screen grab when I was able to read it the first time I thought I had cleared the codes and fixed it. If PP2000 is to be believed that ecu has a processor fault.

I was not aware ALL the devices were write once, read many, so does that mean I was not successful in overwriting the keys onto the car with PP2000 ?

The read back from the bsi suggests the keys are being accepted, as per screen grab I posted, though the key symbol on the dash suggests otherwise.

Mac

 

[Blow By Blow]

Key transponder chip and transmitter board are basically WORM devices so if a replacement is needed they do need to be new and unused.

In which ecu is the key "transponder chip" located that stores the 4 character alphanumeric code, is it in the bsi, and/or in the ecu, or do they both have a worm chip that stores the code?

I would surmise it's inside the ecu, making the non virgin 2nd user unit from the web of no use to me, unless I can get that one unlocked/modified/re-chipped with the code in my bsi.

Any suggestions on who has the appropriate kit and can undertake such work would be appreciated.

Mac

 

[reliable406]

Your problem is NOTHING to do with BSI ecu or key it is most likely the wiring under the drivers side carpet it gets wet and rots causing this along with other problems

I have not read fully your posts as your posting way to much for me to be bothered reading and you are going down the route i always recommend to avoid planet does not need updated for a 2000 model car quite the opposite the older version is best !!

Put ALL your original bits back on and check under carpet wiring FIRST you may now have lost the key codes due to battery disconnection without waiting 3 mins but you need to find the real problem before you can even recode the keys

 

[Blow By Blow]

Hi Reliable406

Noted your comments on the original version of PP.
Consider the posting all info of steps taken as wise to avoid repeating steps, as 'Ive spent a lot of time on it already, before asking for help.
If you got to the post for Friday you'd see I did do a wiring continuity check between ecu and bsi. Those connections though not under the carpet.

Ok will pull the carpet up and the cover at the base of the A post and seek out bad or rotten wiring, thanks for the excellent advice.

Is there a sticky thread somewhere for this common fault ?

Mac

 

[Old Pug]

I would go with what reliable406 says.
Its never an ECU problem, nearly always something stupid like bad wiring.
We had a 406 that was doing all sorts of strange things.As realiable406 has mentioned,we found that the wiring loom under the driver`s carpet was submerged in water !!
and we also found a broken wire from the comms2000 to the BSi.

 

[Blow By Blow]

Day 6 Heavy hail and Lightning. No fixing today.

Thanks for the confirmation Old Pug, If it stops chucking it down here today, I'll go look for my own personal paddling pool in the front floor pan.

Heavy hail and Lightning is forecast.
May have to wait to tomorrow at this rate.

Is this front floor flooding related to the ingress of water past the rear door rubbers ? Does the moisture wick through the carpet and underlay to the front and condensate in the front floor?

I've suffered a lot with water ingress in the back, had ponds of water (over 3 litres) in passenger side rear foot well four or five times if car not parked level or slightly nose high for water to run off the roof rearwards.

Being on the coast I'm used to bailing out boats, not so much cars.

 

[reliable406]

If you have water in the footwells front or rear it will find its way to the multiplug under the carpet eventually might be worth checking both sides !!

 

[Blow By Blow]

Day 7 (Sunday) Sunshine after the Rain

On advice of Reliable406, lifted both front carpets, after downpour yesterday expecting to find evidence of water ingress. No sign of water or damp on driver's side floor, wiring looks sound and rot free (see image), metal bracket bolted down atop carpet for bonnet release handle has old rust on the blind face against the carpet, something has been wet here before, but not today. There is some grit there that's found it's way under the underlay.

Hand up the A post, no feeling of any fresh water/damp today.

Passenger side under carpet completely dry and wiring running along sill to B post serving rear passenger door is untainted.

Opening the 4 connectors for inspection 3 are clean and dry, but the black one is very corroded (see images). Test all 3 clean connectors rear face to rear face and get zero ohms on every connection.

Clean the terminals on the black connector best as I can for now, and re-assemble and test continuity connector male rear face to female rear face. All now reading zero ohms but with this condition of this multi-plug I'm going to rig a replacement/by pass going forward.

I also double checked the earthing point bolt and that's clean and corrosion free also.

Put everything back together.
Ign On, no EML, key symbol lit, lift pump not running.
Connect PP2000 and still reporting "The ECU has not responded"

Do I need to pull all the tape from the under carpet loom to seek out damaged cables, since they look clean and dry enough and undamaged as per photo.

Can't determine from wiring diagrams I have which circuits are controlled by pins 9 through 15 of black connector, so i can go looking further afield to see if this corrosion has caused other connectors on far end of these leads to run hot.

Guess I'm missing a simple step here still, to get the ecu to communicate.

 

[Blow By Blow]

Oh both keys invoke chime when still in ignition and door is open.

 

[Blow By Blow]

assume nothing check everything twice !!

Although the pins through the connector now show continuity, there's a good chance the ends of the copper wires inside the crimped pins are corroded not conducting properly. Will gather supplies tomorrow to replace connector, and try again.

 

[storeman]

In which ecu is the key "transponder chip" located that stores the 4 character alphanumeric code, is it in the bsi, and/or in the ecu, or do they both have a worm chip that stores the code?

I would surmise it's inside the ecu, making the non virgin 2nd user unit from the web of no use to me, unless I can get that one unlocked/modified/re-chipped with the code in my bsi.

Any suggestions on who has the appropriate kit and can undertake such work would be appreciated.

Mac

The transponder chip and the transmitter board I was talking about are both in the keyfob.

 

[storeman]

Hi Storeman thanks for the reply.

Sorry I didn't make it clear.
Yes the ecu presently on the car after resolving the bsi corrosion issue and checking the loom is the original that came with the vehicle, and I believe to be the factory fitted unit.
When running PP it reads back: The ecu has not replied. (image attached).

Thing is that is the ecu that gave the faults first described in my (Tuesday) post and listed in the screen grab when I was able to read it the first time I thought I had cleared the codes and fixed it. If PP2000 is to be believed that ecu has a processor fault.

I was not aware ALL the devices were write once, read many, so does that mean I was not successful in overwriting the keys onto the car with PP2000 ?

The read back from the bsi suggests the keys are being accepted, as per screen grab I posted, though the key symbol on the dash suggests otherwise.

Mac

I maybe wasn't perfectly clear myself. The BSI and ECU can both be programmed. It is just the part that matches then all as a set that are write once as a security feature. If a key has been programmed to one car it cannot then be programmed to a different vehicle unless the key, bsi and ecu are swapped out as a set.

To use a key with a different car would mean that the transponder chip would need to be replaced with an unused chip but the remote locking wouldn't work as the transmitter PCB is also locked to the original car. Prevents the possibility of a key from a different car unlocking the doors.

Likewise, if you replace the BSI & ECU with a set from another car, your key won't work with them because the BSI has been programmed to a different chip and your key cannot be changed to work with the replacement.

 

[reliable406]

The wiring in the black plug could well still be the issue.

As for no comms with ecu are you using correct option when logging on as d9 models are 406R not just 406 some people get this wrong and have problems

If it is recognising the key then the key and BSI are happy the fault lies between the BSI and engine ECU.

If engine ECU is not getting the wake signal from the BSI you wont get comms as it has no power also check the earth on strut behind ECU box as this has been known to cause issues with comms to ecu.