Using the screwdriver to ear technique, I have tried to listened to the relays in the engine bay fuse box. The big square (T07) clicks. It's impossible to say if any of the others are clicking (too quiet). I re-arranged T02 T03 T05 T10. No change. Put them back to original slots.

Does the engine mil light come on and go off when key on?

I have MES running on the PC. It's late now so will plug it into the car tomorrow morning.

I have a set of OBD cables and a good USB cable. Are there any tips for connecting it? Do I need to faff about with com ports?

I have just been out to try.

Forgot to mention. I checked the cam is turning. It is moving as it should.

I have disconnected the battery and gone through every single fuse (again) that I can find

• Engine bay
• Adj to OBD connector
• Tucked away on body computer. All are fine. The BC fuses are a nightmare to extract but I checked carefully and all were OK and all put back correctly.

Battery shows 12.2V. Engine spins at normal starter speed.

Just tried a restart after reconnecting battery.

All sorts of errors including an ABS warning

• "Have power " showed on the dash display I think its the power steering thinking system volts are low.
• Immobiliser stayed on while cranking.
• Engine light stayed on.

I have put the battery on charge so will see how it looks tomorrow. That said, the starter is spinning just as fast as ever so perhaps due to the battery disconnection.

"The immobiliser light goes out and it cranks normal"

or

"Immobiliser stayed on while cranking."


post 1 or post 24


which one correct


if the immobiliser light is on it will not start ?

koalar said:

"The immobiliser light goes out and it cranks normal"

or

"Immobiliser stayed on while cranking."


post 1 or post 24


which one correct


if the immobiliser light is on it will not start ?

Click to expand...

Both keys switch OFF keycode..
DaveMcT Can you check for HT power: (sparks)

With charged battery, starter motor sounds just the same but this time no strange symbols. All expected lights go out while starter is cranking the engine. No start of course.

Not had time to check for sparks as it means pulling stuff to reach the stick coils. I doubt its possible see the sparks as the coil control wires are short.

I have spent the day so far F-ing about with Windows 10 and the elm drivers trying to get the MES software to work. It's an even bigger nightmare than trying to sort the car.
The big hassle is that all instructions seem to be for other Windows versions so things dont match as they describe.

Seriously pissed off. Right now a tow rope and can of petrol would be handy and the computer can join in the fun.

Most of us have been in a similar frustrating position , you are not alone.

jackwhoo said:

Most of us have been in a similar frustrating position , you are not alone.

Click to expand...

Thanks

I think we should stop telling people to buy MES. Unless you know your way around Windows (really well) the software is simply is not fit for purpose. It has been a while, but I'm no idiot with PCs. So far I've wasted most of today and still no further into looking into my broken car.

I have had less hassle with Ubuntu drivers than sorting this mess.

Dave

I bought a small netbook for this sole reason; none of the diagnostic software I use seems to like Windows 10

DaveMcT said:

Thanks

I think we should stop telling people to buy MES. Unless you know your way around Windows (really well) the software is simply is not fit for purpose. It has been a while, but I'm no idiot with PCs. So far I've wasted most of today and still no further into looking into my broken car.

I have had less hassle with Ubuntu drivers than sorting this mess.

Dave

Click to expand...

I run Windows 10 and had zero issues with elm drivers
Just had to set up the interface on mes

I don't have a problem with windows 10 tablet, with multiecuscan, VAG COM KKL and an OTG adaptor

Got a switched one so reads steering, engine and airbags.

Only needed the install the FTDI diver then follow the MES instruction

I believe some of the newer versions of ELM doesn't work wellwith MES

some ELM cables need modifying

and Bluetooth versions are even more problematic

I should learn to ignore instructions.

Mine is from iDiagnostics (based in West Mids). I installed drivers as instructed but got nowhere. Not surprising as they are not needed. The issue was com ports. I got that sorted and the MES is now working.

Tested out on Wife's 1.2. MES connects, reads the codes etc. It does not do much else but I've not yet got the licence for full operation.

Tested on the 100HP and MES cannot see the car.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE OBD PORT IS NOT GETTING POWER. No wonder everything I tried had failed.

Any ideas where to look now?

All fuses check out ok. Relays still to be checked.

Check for battery voltage at obd socket with multi meter plus check ground at obd socket

Have you checked the ground wire between battery and bodywork not just battery to engine/gearbox?
Try jump lead between battery negative post and somewhere clean on body metal

jackwhoo said:

Check for battery voltage at obd socket with multi meter plus check ground at obd socket

Click to expand...

Can you tell me where would I put the volt meter pobe to see the voltage at the OBD socket. I don't have a wiring diagram.

The battery earth is fine and battery fully charged.

The engine earth is ok checked with jump lead but also the engine spins over as it should. In fact, the starter sounds just fine even when the battery is low enough to cause steering and ABS errors. Quite a surprise there.

I have checked the engine ecu earth with a jump wire. No change on non-starting.

Edit - Just found this

Is your ecu ground a body ground too?
If so great if not try the jump wire battery negative to body ground.

Yes obd pin out, check grounds and +ves

Engine ECU measures 0 ohm to battery -ve, but Ive added a link wire to no effect. Body computer looks ok but I have not touched anything other tan checked all fuses access is horrible.

The battery is fully charged but I am getting "check power steering" and "check ABS" errors on the LCD display so something odd is going on there.

OBD details -

Pin 1 ABD K line = 9.5V
Pin 3 Airbag K line = 10.65V
Pin 4 Engine ground = near zero resistance
Pin 5 Signal ground = 18 ohm
Pin 6 CAN+ = 0.4V
Pin 7 Engine auto box = 0.1V
Pin 8
Pin 9 = Code (electronic key) = 11.4V
Pin 10 (empty)
Pin 11 (empty)
Pin 12 (empty)
Pin 13 = 0.1
Pin 14 (empty)
Pin 15 = L Line 4.8V
Pin 16 = Always on 12.5V
Pin 16 has 12V

koalar said:

"The immobiliser light goes out and it cranks normal"

or

"Immobiliser stayed on while cranking."


post 1 or post 24


which one correct


if the immobiliser light is on it will not start ?

Click to expand...

and now

"check power steering" and "check ABS"


we are slowly going backwards

stop we need to get back to how it started

check the fuses are properly seated and in the correct locations. All the fuses should be the same height. The body computer especially is easy to get wrong. Mine has a random blank space and if you don't notice its easy to put them back in the wrong order.


there a Good chance the original problem was just a relay or similar but we can't move onto this until we are back to square one.

I agree it's going backwards. And working blind without a wiring diagram or much idea what connector does what.

I have been though the fuses one-by-one at least 2x. I'll try again, but I'm not hopeful. It's easy to tell if any are loose, because they all need pliers to extract them.

Relays have not been tested. I need to rig up a test stand to try them all.

The check steering and ABS came up yesterday. I thought it was weak battery due to all the start attempts. Fully charged battery is just the same. That said it might have been like that from the point it refused to start. I have the front on stands as I was working on the bumper.

I don't think that's part of it, because the bumper spot lights have a separate fuse box with leads to the battery terminals and That's not yet fitted.