Member Since: 23 Sep 2019
Location: Durham
Posts: 4
IID making ECUs vanish?
Hi all, been a member for a while but first time poster!
I'm having a suspension issue on my 2005 D3 which I'm trying to track down. Amber light comes on with warning message, short while later red light and car drops to the ground. Turn off and on and it's as good as new - sometimes for 6 months, sometimes 2 minutes, never can tell.
Anyway, to try and diagnose the suspension I'm plugging in the IID to see what codes it's throwing and herein lies the problem...
Ignition on -> IID in -> wait for it to connect but after around 30s the dash lights up with all the faults. When I connect through the app and go to fault codes it says that every single ECU is not fitted.
I really don't know where to start so I've emailed GAP and wondered if anybody on here has seen this sort of thing before?
Car was in with my local indy for MOT and service 2 days ago and he's been able to read and reset fault codes just fine so I'm leaning towards there being a problem with my IID? But on the other hand this suspension thing seems odd in that it's so intermittent, and the IID had worked flawlessly until this appeared, so perhaps there's something dodgy lurking in the car's electronics that's triggered when I plug in the IID? TIA
15th Nov 2020 5:44 pm
MikeO
Member Since: 15 Jan 2014
Location: The Cotswolds
Posts: 1391
Have you checked your battery voltage? And I think it should really be IID in then ignition on to avoid damage.2016 Skoda Octavia VRS Estate
<gone>2009 FF Vogue TDV8 Buckingham Blue</gone>
<gone>2015 BMW 520D SE (not my favourite car)</gone>
<gone>2009 D3 HSE Galway Green</gone
15th Nov 2020 6:51 pm
richardarby
Member Since: 23 Sep 2019
Location: Durham
Posts: 4
Thanks Mike. Voltage sits between 13.8 and 14.1, which seems ok?
IID manual says ignition on and then plug in but happy to be corrected on that.
Email back from GAP today suggested some contact cleaner in the port and making sure the tool isn't loose but no improvement. Tool is very secure
16th Nov 2020 4:49 pm
MikeO
Member Since: 15 Jan 2014
Location: The Cotswolds
Posts: 1391
Quote:
IID manual says ignition on and then plug in but happy to be corrected on that.
My apologies in that case - definitely do what they recommend in the manual. Battery voltage sounds okay and you can always try with engine running.
Assume you've checked for any obvious damage on the pins (both plug and socket)? Might be worth trying to update it - even if it has the latest firmware - just to see if that process works? If it doesn't it would definitely point to a problem with the tool.2016 Skoda Octavia VRS Estate
<gone>2009 FF Vogue TDV8 Buckingham Blue</gone>
<gone>2015 BMW 520D SE (not my favourite car)</gone>
<gone>2009 D3 HSE Galway Green</gone
I have seen this before, the pin's on the IID are the LR standard pins and are small and thin, if somebody has been using a cheapo diagnostic tool on the car, these tools have a lot thicker locating pins and they spread the contacts open on the OBD port causing the slimmer pins on the IID tool to not make contact.
Check the contacts on the OBD port to see if they have spread apart, if so gently squeeze them together and try again..
Flack
16th Nov 2020 9:20 pm
richardarby
Member Since: 23 Sep 2019
Location: Durham
Posts: 4
Ok GAP had emailed again last night and suggested the same thing with the contacts Flack so I gave that a go this morning but no joy. Tool is also up-to-date with latest firmware Mike. The warnings that appear after around 30 seconds of the tool being plugged in are:
• Park brake - amber (this usually pops up a few seconds before the others)
• Air suspension - amber (this is the problem I'm trying to find anyway so is on before the tool is in)
• DSC/Traction - amber
• Adaptive front lighting - amber
• Brake warning - amber
• Coolant temperature indicator shoots up to the max with red warning light
Inspired by a few posts elsewhere I also took a few readings across the port itself but to my amateur eye these seem to be normal....
Voltage from the battery (ignition off) 12.1V
Pin 16 11.6V
Pin 11 2.35V
Pin 3 2.68V
Pin 14 2.36V
Pin 6 2.63V
Across pins 6 - 14 60 ohms & 3 - 11 61.9 ohms
I really thought the open connectors was going to be it since they didn't look the tightest but now they're as tight as they could be and it's still throwing the faults.
The IID is being replaced but I'm still in two minds whether this is a problem with the tool or some gremlins lurking in the car.
17th Nov 2020 2:08 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 14177
Hi
Looking at those readings , With the ign off , Battery needs to be a min of around 12.6 , know the gap iid doesn’t like it if the Vdc drop too low
Also won’t hurt checking with a multimeter to see what ur battery voltage are with the ign off
Try charging ur battery up first and then if it makes any difference
Hope that helps
17th Nov 2020 6:11 pm
Motolab
Member Since: 18 Oct 2019
Location: Sleen
Posts: 1820
richardarby wrote:
Voltage from the battery (ignition off) 12.1V
Measured where?
As gstuart says, measured ON the battery itself, 12,1 volts means almost empty.....
12V IS 100% empty
Measured/read in the display through the IID 12,1V is quite common although... because you only see that when a lot off electronics are “online”Best regards
Harold
Always looking for Pre '55's & Pre war British Motorcycles! knowing or having one for sale? PM please. I visit the UK 6 times a year
Ps. I edit my texts quite often, english is not my native language, so I will edit My “typo’s” etc.
17th Nov 2020 6:19 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 14177
MikeO wrote:
Quote:
IID manual says ignition on and then plug in but happy to be corrected on that.
My apologies in that case - definitely do what they recommend in the manual. Battery voltage sounds okay and you can always try with engine running.
Assume you've checked for any obvious damage on the pins (both plug and socket)? Might be worth trying to update it - even if it has the latest firmware - just to see if that process works? If it doesn't it would definitely point to a problem with the tool.
Plus 1 , also didn’t know that , always plugged mine in first then turned the ign on after
17th Nov 2020 6:25 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 14177
Motolab wrote:
richardarby wrote:
Voltage from the battery (ignition off) 12.1V
Measured where?
As gstuart says, measured ON the battery itself, 12,1 volts means almost empty.....
12V IS 100% empty
Measured/read in the display through the IID 12,1V is quite common although... because you only see that when a lot off electronics are “online”
Hiya
May i pick ur brains plse, as I’m wondering , when ur looking at the gap iid screen on ur device , I can’t remember if the voltage display at the top of the screen changes from green to red if the voltage gets to low as a warning that the main battery is too low , , more than likely I’m wrong and thinking of something else
Many thks as always
17th Nov 2020 6:46 pm
Motolab
Member Since: 18 Oct 2019
Location: Sleen
Posts: 1820
I was “talking” about the dash screen between the clocks
If you have the IID plugged in on contact, NOT using it with a device/software it shows battery voltage..
But indeed it shows also on a device when GAP connects...
I can not remember, that the ipad i use whith GAP gives different colours for the voltage though...
But will not put money on that Best regards
Harold
Always looking for Pre '55's & Pre war British Motorcycles! knowing or having one for sale? PM please. I visit the UK 6 times a year
Ps. I edit my texts quite often, english is not my native language, so I will edit My “typo’s” etc.
17th Nov 2020 8:14 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 14177
Oooops,
Thks as indeed couldn't remember for sure ref the colours
Plus will be interesting to see if there’s much of a difference in Vdc between the OBD2 socket and the battery terminals
Thks again
17th Nov 2020 8:58 pm
richardarby
Member Since: 23 Sep 2019
Location: Durham
Posts: 4
Taken a while to get here but new tool arrived from Gap and works perfectly. Old one going back to them for diagnosis.
Gstuart and Motolab thanks for pointing out the voltage. At the time I was fixated on there being a bad cable or module somewhere so completely overlooked that it was low. I'd been cycling the ignition quite a lot so that'll explain it. Anyway with a good charge in it the battery was holding but the tool was still faulting so it wasn't the cause of the problem this time but it was another thing to check while I waited for the replacement iid to arrive
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