Dreaded car/lock symbol on the dash and not starting (2 Viewers)

[NigelNovice]

So I had the dreaded car/lock symbol appear on the dash, the engine would turn over but not start so I assumed a key/immobiliser fault,
I had an Auto locksmith out and he couldn't fix it although he did say it is recognising the keys so not a key fault, did a bit of research and came up with ECU issues, I finally found and got a diagnostic guy to come round last night what with Christmas and New year, he couldn't clear fault and his Scanner couldn't connect to immobilser/ECU other than seeing it, so I decided to use the service provided by Autotronics (http://www.autotronics.co.uk) and send off my ECU and BCM plus keys to have them checked and repaired, the immobiliser is not a separate module like some earlier models, mines 2009 , so this has meant removing a fair chunk of the dash above and around the fuse box to gain access, there is a metal cage preventing access to the fixings to the fuse box and BCM (one piece btw) that we had drill out the shear head bolts (a bolt where the head shears off when tightened) holding it in place to gain access, the ECU is under the bonnet behind the fuse box and is easy to get to compared to the BCM (harder to get fuse cover off when I was checking fuses under there) all this was performed by the diagnostic Guy with me ably assisting, parts were boxed up and labels printed off as per Autotronics sales page instructions (approx £310) and these have now been collected by DHL with a 3 working day turn around so hopefully they will be back and fitted by next weekend.
Trying to work out why, I can only assume it is because my drive (thankfully it happened at home) is on a downward incline and I usually park it facing down but as it was a bit awkward reversing out into the road with traffic I started parking facing up and this combined with torrential rain storm/hurricane lately and the small scuttle drain hole above the ECU/fuse box has caused the problems and I shall be looking at creating some kind of funnel/drain once fixed.
Fingers crossed it comes back fixed

 

[NigelNovice]

Update - nearly fixed, awaiting part, all the bits came back from Autotronics with a clean bill of health, annoyingly in one way, so my diagnostics man came back to refit the bits and try to solve the puzzle started checking wiring harnesses and fuse boxes, tracing wiring etc. having checked all the fuses in the under bonnet one again he noticed that without fuses in he was getting a reading on the multi meter, so he set to and took the fuse box out and and thats when the water came out, on dismantling the box it was suffering from the onset of corrosion, so a new fuse box is on its way, £178 off Ebay, chuffing hurricanes and a stupid hole in the scuttle, both happy now we know what the issue was.

 

[Two on Tour]

Update - nearly fixed, awaiting part, all the bits came back from Autotronics with a clean bill of health, annoyingly in one way, so my diagnostics man came back to refit the bits and try to solve the puzzle started checking wiring harnesses and fuse boxes, tracing wiring etc. having checked all the fuses in the under bonnet one again he noticed that without fuses in he was getting a reading on the multi meter, so he set to and took the fuse box and and thats when the water came out, on dismantling the box it was suffering from the onset of corrosion, so a new fuse box is on its way, £178 off Ebay, chuffing hurricanes and a stupid hole in the scuttle

I fitted one of PaulandChrissy's scuttle drain kits which takes the water from the scuttle down the the back of the inner wings.
Might be worth a look at to avoid the same problem in the future.

Ducato Windscreen Scuttle Drain Kit +Burstner +Mobilvetta

WE ARE AWAY FOR THE WINTER UNTILL MIDDLE OF MARCH. 😊 This is my 3D printed windscreen scuttle drainage kit for Ducato X250 vans. Drainage holes are increased to 8mmx2 and 6mmx1. Kit also includes instruction sheet, hole template and hosing to direct...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

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[NigelNovice]

Good post I had forgotten about them

 

[NigelNovice]

As it was Saturday when I ordered the fuse box the nice people I was getting it off rang me (and emailed) 9am Monday to check I was getting the right one, I took part number off old one, they said it was after taking the reg. it was in my hand 1pm today (Tuesday), inside the cardboard box was a leaflet showing another line the do - Moho Mirrors
put www.magnumvs.co.uk in your book, they do all sorts of moho and commercial vehicle spares, well happy with their service, getting it fitted tomorrow

 

[NigelNovice]

It lives at last, what a saga, so the fuse box arrived and was duly fitted, still not starting so my man started to check things out again after thinking we had it nailed with the wet fuse box, OBD scanner still not able to communicate properly, he started peeling back the tape holding the loom together after checking out the wiring diagram, researching further he discovered fuse 22 under the bonnet was the one needed to rid us of the lock symbol but it had no feed unlike with the old fuse box full of water giving a 3.8 volt reading even without a fuse in, this he found was supposed to be energised by the relay next to it, the relay was not kicking in and so he checked its feed and it had power but had no earth or grounding for it to operate, he rigged a temp earth and and she started and OBD scanner connected, I was so happy I nearly peed, by now it was getting late and bloody freezing, this was the second night on the trot, till 9 first night and 8 last, as he now knew what up he came back tonight and traced this ground wire and found a break, now when I said wire! I have seen thicker pubic hairs! anyway it was soldered together heat shrinked, she started again so he then set to rewrapping the loom where needed and I started putting all the dash trim etc back on, one happy bunny tonight I've even set the clock to the right time
Hope this helps others

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[JockandRita]

now when I said wire! I have seen thicker pubic hairs!

Pleased to see that you got sorted in the end.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[97243]

Our Laika which was on a Ducato base also did this randomly and having read similar threads here in the past, that was another reason we opted for a Sprinter based replacement. The main reason was to get a van with a proper torque converter auto box within our budget.