[panthersteve]

Hi all

I have encountered a problem that searches on here have only shown up single incidences, not all of them together.

Over the weekend I noticed that the EPS and ESP OFF lights had come on and the tacho and temp gauges stopped working. Everything else functioned normally, including the power steering. After a little while all went back to normal while driving. Later the same day when I went up to the shops the same problems were there again.
This morning when I came to work all was normal again.

Any ideas what might be going on ??

Cheers
Steve

[Phil №❶]

Well, it could be a loose plug connection behind the instrument cluster. The connectors used are multi pin types and carry a stack of different information which can affect multiple instruments and indicators.

I would try 30 minutes of battery disconnect as a first option. Remove the negative clamp at the battery for 30 minute and then reconnect. This will reset the ECU and may resolve the problem, otherwise you may have to visit a dealer and have them take a look.

[Aussie Keith]

The reset process for some cars is to disconnect the battery and then put the foot on the brake. Apparently this fully discharges something somewhere.

[Aussie Keith]

[TMO] ECU Reset Mythology

Reset Car Computer? - Ask.com

[Phil №❶]

That may be so AK, but it has sorted some problems in the past, is easy to do and MAY cure the problem, if it was my car, I would certainly give it a try. Unless the article relates to the specific make & model of car, some allowance has to be given to it's advice value, IMHO. 

[Aussie Keith]

Right, generic advice above not tested no guarantee of its effectiveness. I should have made that clear.

[panthersteve]

Hi all

Here I am again asking about the same problem as I recently had it happen again.

Normally my car is kept in a garage or parked at work in a covered car park. The first occurrence of this problem was after a day out on a weekend where the car was parked in full sun. I didn't think of mentioning this factor until it recently happened again, this second time was also after being parked in the full sun on a very hot day. The other part to this is that the fault doesn't clear until the car has been parked in the garage overnight, apparently after cooling down.

With this extra information does anyone have any suggestion as to the possible cause?

Cheers
Steve

[eye30]

Would seem that the heat must be having an effect on certain components.

Did the top of the dash feel really hot which may effect the curcuit behind.

I'll leave it to our own #2 world hy techi to suggest what it may be.

[panthersteve]

Did the top of the dash feel really hot which may effect the curcuit behind.

I didn't feel it but it would have been, having full sun on it.

[Dazzler]

Did the top of the dash feel really hot which may effect the curcuit behind.

I didn't feel it but it would have been, having full sun on it.

Might be worth investing in a dash mat and reflective windscreen cover.

[panthersteve]

Might be worth investing in a dash mat and reflective windscreen cover.

Yes you are right, I have thought about getting these items a few times but as the car is in the shade such a lare proportion of its life I haven't got a round tuit 

Though having said that, whatever is causing it, shouldn't be 

[Dazzler]

True, mine is the lazy man fix!

[ibrokeit]

Might be worth investing in a dash mat and reflective windscreen cover.

Yes you are right, I have thought about getting these items a few times but as the car is in the shade such a lare proportion of its life I haven't got a round tuit 

Though having said that, whatever is causing it, shouldn't be 

Correct it shouldn't!  I live somewhat close to you - enough that the temp here is usually much closer to Ipswich than Brisbane temp.

My car is often parked uncovered and it has not shown these faults.  However I do have a dash-mat and have recently been using a reflective shade - if only so as not to burn hands on the steering wheel.

However as I suspect this is probably related to heat soak - everything warming up due to radiant heat absorption and lack of heat dissipation (which occurs via. convection e.g. moving air) - I suspect a dash-mat wouldn't necessarily have a preventative effect but could extend how long it takes until it happens.

I suspect the issue is a bad connection - likely a dry soldier joint... as things heat up the PCB and/or components flex as they (minutely) expand and that expansion movement can be enough to break (or make - but probably break in this case) contact.   If it is an SMT component where one pad is resting, and contacting, on the solder that should have made joint laterial expansion in both component and PCB could be enough to break contact (being they are at a slight angle to each other).   When things cool down contact is restored.

As for what to do about it - I think further investigation as to actual root-cause would probably require getting behind the dash display 

[Phil №❶]

That's a valid theory and certainly a possibility, but it could be as simple as a plug connection, so I agree, need to get behind and do a few tests. These are the worst types of problems to find and fix. These cars are quite capable of performing under hot conditions, there are some in Eqypt, Israel and Oz.

[The Gonz]

My Electronics Engineer sense is tingling: definitely look at a dry joint in the connectors reacting to heat expansion as a first course of action!

[ibrokeit]

That's a valid theory and certainly a possibility, but it could be as simple as a plug connection, so I agree, need to get behind and do a few tests. These are the worst types of problems to find and fix. These cars are quite capable of performing under hot conditions, there are some in Eqypt, Israel and Oz.

I agree that it could be a plug connection - though I did consider it might be less likely in this circumstance being metals expanding in heat would likely make better contact.  But of course the could be dissimilar material and if the outer one (socket) expands more than the inner one (pin) and they were only just making contact before....

If it can be permanently solved by just replugging the connector - great!

Definitely agree they are one of the worst to find and fix - physically damaged with no visual indication and no direct method of measurement (such as SMT caps for noise suppression on inputs - need to determine by indirect measurement and/or experience/gut on what should be observed vs. what is and likely cause) or broken via in the PCB than makes contact when in test fixture but not in product case 

My Electronics Engineer sense is tingling: definitely look at a dry joint in the connectors reacting to heat expansion as a first course of action!

Oh yeah - good point... it is the point on the PCB that is likely to get the most stress via. vibration, etc. and likely to experience movement due to the wires being on it.

[panthersteve]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions, all good food for thought. 

Is there any wiring diagrams available 

If there were I should be able to determine a common area that would affect just the lights/functions that I have mentioned making it a bit easier to fault find.

Then again maybe a dashmat and reflective screen might prevent it happening in future 

Cheers
Steve

[Phil №❶]

This may help.

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[The Gonz]

This may help.

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Good ol' GDS.