Self induced errors.

[loanrangie]

Yesterday i had the center console and dash fascia off while i hooked up the power lead for my UHF and fixed an intermittent fault with the aux input i added to the stereo.
I musnt have used the correct procedure to remove and install the console as i got a transmission fault just after startup and then this morning after 20mins i got a HDC not available, suspension lowered and an orange handbrake icon on the dash. I pulled over and shutdown waited for 10 secs then restarted and back to normal until almost home tonight when i got the same erorrs ?

[LRD414]

Transmission and EPB wiring under the centre console including a few plugs.
Something knocked or loosened?

Scott

[Tombie]

Your battery needs a charge.

[loanrangie]

Your battery needs a charge.
I just installed a traxide sc80 and agm , main battery and alternator are 2 yo.

[Tombie]

And the vehicle was awake so discharging all day whilst you worked on it..

[Redtail]

And the vehicle was awake so discharging all day whilst you worked on it..
Which would mean that the battery should be disconnected while doing this kind of work?

[Tombie]

I personally never do, but I charge mine regularly.

And I run an odyssey battery. It charges much much quicker.

[loanrangie]

Thanks Mike makes sense, just put the charger on and will leave it overnight.

[Redtail]

I personally never do, but I charge mine regularly.

And I run an odyssey battery. It charges much much quicker.

Ta. I think I saw it in one of powerfulukltd's videos. And I'm about to do some similar work myself.

[Aussie Jeepster]

I personally never do, but I charge mine regularly.

And I run an odyssey battery. It charges much much quicker.
Tombie - is your battery a 1350??
Alan

[Tombie]

Tombie - is your battery a 1350??
Alan

Yes

[loanrangie]

No issues this morning although i did notice that the LED on the SC80 wasn't lit at all ?

[jonesy63]

As your main battery was low, the SC80 would have disconnected the Aux. After you start your car and the main battery goes over 13.2V, the SC80 would connect them again and the LED would show solid green.

[loanrangie]

All good coming home so just a low soc of the main battery, I couldnt find anything that mentioned what the led not lit meant.

[Ean Austral]

Is your earth lead from the traxide connected correctly. I have had my battery down to 10 volts and the light on the traxide was still on.


Just a thought - Tim would be best to ask.

Cheers Ean

[loanrangie]

Is your earth lead from the traxide connected correctly. I have had my battery down to 10 volts and the light on the traxide was still on.


Just a thought - Tim would be best to ask.

Cheers Ean

I believe so Ean, i did crimp another connector on it with a larger eye so will check it out.

[loanrangie]

Issue reappeared on the way home, coincidently maybe but my ds door switch is playing up and wouldnt go out along with the corresponding door open message on the dash.
I just measured both batteries, main on 13.1 and aux. on 13, and a correction on the LED it is on just not as bright as it is with engine running.

[loanrangie]

I think i have found the problem and i believe it is the door micro switch, this morning the interior light didnt come on when i opened the door and on the way home from dropping kids at school i ad the same HDC,handbrake and lowered suspenion error come on.
Got home and testing the door i still get door open, sprayed some wd40 in there so hope it may loosen the switch if only temporarily.
I believe that the switch is in the actuator so hoping some one can confirm that for me.

[SPROVER]

I think i have found the problem and i believe it is the door micro switch, this morning the interior light didnt come on when i opened the door and on the way home from dropping kids at school i ad the same HDC,handbrake and lowered suspenion error come on.
Got home and testing the door i still get door open, spayed some wd40 in there so hope it may loosen the switch if only temporarily.
I believe that the switch is in the actuator so hoping some one can confirm that for me.missing the simplicity of the D1 yet Nick?
[emoji16]

[loanrangie]

A minor stumbling block Chris.[tonguewink]

[loanrangie]

Sprayed WD40 into the latch and so far so more door open messages or interior light staying on, also the LED status on the SC80 is indicating 85-100% charge so all is good for now.
New actuator will be ordered soon.

[loanrangie]

I spoke too soon, door light doesnt appear to be a problem bit got transmission error on dash plus lowered height and hdc not available.

[Ean Austral]

From my experience with similar faults , did these start since you fitted your aux battery ?

I chased a similar issues of random faults which in the end was a dropped cell in the battery, the battery voltage was fine, the car started fine , alternator charge was fine and after pulling things out, checking connections etc I decided to load test the battery and it was not good. A new battery under warranty and the issue never came back until I disturbed the earth leads on the studs in front of the main battery box, then the car went crazy with faults.

I could be totally off track but for me if it did start then , I would remove the wiring from the auxillary battery and see if the same thing happens then progress from there.

Cheers Ean

[loanrangie]

From my experience with similar faults , did these start since you fitted your aux battery ?

I chased a similar issues of random faults which in the end was a dropped cell in the battery, the battery voltage was fine, the car started fine , alternator charge was fine and after pulling things out, checking connections etc I decided to load test the battery and it was not good. A new battery under warranty and the issue never came back until I disturbed the earth leads on the studs in front of the main battery box, then the car went crazy with faults.

I could be totally off track but for me if it did start then , I would remove the wiring from the auxillary battery and see if the same thing happens then progress from there.

Cheers Ean

Thanks Ean, yes it did start right after fitting the aux. battery. I used the top unused stud in front of the main battery for the sc80 earth point. I will disconnect the aux and see how it goes, i know its something simple.

[Ean Austral]

Thanks Ean, yes it did start right after fitting the aux. battery. I used the top unused stud in front of the main battery for the sc80 earth point. I will disconnect the aux and see how it goes, i know its something simple.

Funnily enough , when I used that same stud for the SC80 my car lit up like a Christmas tree. I ended up making a piece of stainless steel that went over both those studs and had a separate bolt for any other earth leads.

Sounds stupid but the car went into melt down when I did what you did , I couldn't clear the faults quick enough. I had to remove the SC80 wire and put things back the way they were.

Cheers Ean

[DiscoJeffster]

Funnily enough , when I used that same stud for the SC80 my car lit up like a Christmas tree. I ended up making a piece of stainless steel that went over both those studs and had a separate bolt for any other earth leads.

Sounds stupid but the car went into melt down when I did what you did , I couldn't clear the faults quick enough. I had to remove the SC80 wire and put things back the way they were.

Cheers Ean

Is there a paint / coating issue that’s leading to a poor earth maybe? A bit of wire brush action needed?

[Ean Austral]

Is there a paint / coating issue that’s leading to a poor earth maybe? A bit of wire brush action needed?

I don't know , it was strange, took 1 lead off ( the extra SC80 put on ) and all good again.

I think I used a piece of stainless about 60mm x 30mm( that's a rough guess but easy to measure , it went over the 2 studs and had enough room to fit a bolt in the top corner , then I put the existing earth leads back on the studs and the extra battery neg lead and the SC80 lead onto the bolt.

so far no issues . I think Tim Traxide has a similar set up for the fitting of a winch and extra earth stud.

Cheers Ean

[loanrangie]

Strangely both batteries are fully charged, aux 13.0 and main 12.8. Maybe i should try one of the other earth studs.

[LRD414]

In my Traxide kit you also make use of an earth stud behind the driver footwell kick plate, not sure if you have that.
These symptoms are also similar to that seen when the brake light switch is faulty.
Your accessory fitting could be coincidental.

Scott

[DiscoMick]

Maybe try a different earth for the SC80?

[DiscoJeffster]

An earth is a simple concept. The only thing that complicated an earth is poor conductivity which results in voltage differential between earth points. For this reason I’d be cleaning the earth used as suggested with a wire brush on both the spigot and the nut. There should be no performance difference between the two earth locations in front of the battery.

Actually, they’re no so simple when we get into things such as earth loops in audio, but even that’s not too hard to deal with.

[loanrangie]

It should be simple, i bolted plenty of things to my D1 and didnt need to think twice about a simple earth connection yet the D3 has a hissy fit with a non essential earth addition.

[Ean Austral]

I think it tells you that those earth wires are some of the most important on the car . All the codes that came up were loss of Comms to this and that and a heap of issues like no suspension , limited gears etc etc .

They are getting treated very gentle on my car .if they want their own seperate earth stud they can have it .

cheers Ean

[loanrangie]

But i didnt touch any of the factory earth leads or points, i only attached to an unused earth stud.

[Ean Austral]

But i didnt touch any of the factory earth leads or points, i only attached to an unused earth stud.

ok I didn't realise it was unused both the studs on my car had wires on them I tried to add the extra wire from the SC 80 to 1 of the studs already in use.

cheers Ean

[loanrangie]

ok I didn't realise it was unused both the studs on my car had wires on them I tried to add the extra wire from the SC 80 to 1 of the studs already in use.

cheers Ean

The bottom 2 are used, the top one is empty - three total. Although there is 1 wire on the earth stud that i used for the aux. neg connection.

[Ean Austral]

The bottom 2 are used, the top one is empty - three total. Although there is 1 wire on the earth stud that i used for the aux. neg connection.

Well that's totally different to my D3 , mine only had 2 studs there and both had wires on them , hence having to get the stainless steel plate and make the extra stud .

Cant help with that one .

Cheers ean

[loanrangie]

I think I'm leaning to wards a brake switch , same error coming home after I disconnected the sc80 .
Or maybe need to clear the fault

[Ean Austral]

I think I'm leaning to wards a brake switch , same error coming home after I disconnected the sc80 .
Or maybe need to clear the fault

Buy 1 from Ford if you have to get 1. same switch on the SZ territory and the BA ???? Falcon

Cheers Ean

[loanrangie]

No issues for over a week so doesn't appear to be the brake switch, i did adjust and tighten the earth stud near the aux. battery so i can only assume that was the cause.