Electrical problems now!

[kirton]

Need help again guys. This time whenever I turn the car off and then back on again the clock is reset and flashing 0:00 and the radio code needs to be entered. also my interior light is not coming on when i open the door, and i have a strange noise coming from the steering column for the first 10 or so seconds when I turn the car on. This french heap is getting right on my friggin nerves atm!

 

[sean]

check your fuses , probably cigar lighter , clock or courtesy light fuse blown , they are linked to clok and radio.

 

[bmh.01]

Yeh it'll be fuses for the electrical bits. They've lost the constant live by the sounds of it.

 

[kirton]

Thanks lads! I have checked all of the fuses and one of the big 20amp fuses had blown, so I changed it.

That fixed the problem of the clock resetting and it asking for the radio code everytime i turn the car on, but now when I turn the car off the radio will not turn itself off, I have to press the button, and the time and temperature stay displayed???? :S

 

[bmh.01]

Any other fuses blown? That usually means the ignition live is gone. Does the radio come on with the car?

 

[kirton]

No, I've checked the fuses 3 times and i can't see any others blown. The radio does not turn on with the car, only if i press on/off button on the radio itself, nor does it turn itself off when i turn off the car, i have to do it manually. I have also tried disconnecting the battery for an hour but no luck. It's really starting to annoy me now, especially since renault want over 70 quid to run a diagnostic.

 

[bmh.01]

Its lost the ignition live to tell it when you've turned the ignition off/on. A diagnostic check won't show anything conclusive I doubt as its a physical problem. Do the lights in the sunvisor mirrors work?

Hate to sound like a broken record but have you removed them all to check them? Using a meter would be the best way as sometimes they look ok but are still fecked.

The ones your interested in are Fuse 7 and 29.

 

[Bloooor]

Ben your knowledge astounds me :approve:

 

[bmh.01]

Why thank you . (knowledge = nerdyness? )

 

[172blue]

Yeh it'll be fuses for the electrical bits. They've lost the constant live by the sounds of it.

I agree.

 

[kirton]

Yeah the lights in the visors work mate. Yep I have took ALL the fuses out 4 times to check them and replaced number 29 which was blown and replaced number 7 even though it didn't look like it was broke.

 

[bmh.01]

Well its lost the ignition live somewhere, take the radio out and check the plugs would be my next step. Gets much more fun after that.

edit: Actually try taking the battery off the car for a few minutes so it resets the radio, it may have gotten confused somewhere along the lines with loosing power and getting it back as you've been messing.

 

[kirton]

There is one more thing that I have just thought may have caused this problem. I posted another thread the other day: http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=314652 basically asking what this part is:

as I found it on the floor in the passenger footwell.

So when I went under the glove box to plug it back in, I tried to put it in this little black and yellow connector first before noticing where it was meant to go next to all the other relays.

Could touching the pins in the small black and yellow block with the pins in the relay have caused any problems?

Also one last thing... when turning on the ignition there is a distinctive noise coming from the centre console/behind head unit.

 

[bmh.01]

Theres your problem then. That relay needs to go back with the others, or have you already put it back? You should be able to bend the pins straight again with some pliers.

 

[gaz_5103]

id say its deffently the radio fuse blown, cant remember the number. have you checked them all with a meter as sometimes they look ok and arnt! replace the radio fuse and see if that fixes it

 

[kirton]

Yeah I have put the relay back in, just bent the pins back straight. I don't have a meter though. Think I've tried everything I can tbh. Looks like a trip to the stealers. Thank you for all your help though mate, appreciate it!

 

[bmh.01]

I think either the relay is fudged or you've damaged something by trying to put it in that other connector. Just hope its just the relay as I wouldn't have any confidence in a renault stealer finding what could be a complex wiring/components fault.

 

[kirton]

Tried replacing the relay... It isn't that :dapprove:
So took it to an auto electrician yesterday to put their computer on it and they couldn't solve it. £35 for nowt! Looks like this could prove expensive.

 

[bmh.01]

Try swapping it with one of the other relays, the relay might be shagged after getting bent like that.

 

[kirton]

Try swapping it with one of the other relays, the relay might be shagged after getting bent like that.

I tried it yesterday mate.

 

[adamRS]

Hope you get it sorted, damn froggie electrics eh!

 

[Da]

Have you checked all the fuses in the engine bay too? Clutching at straws really but to be honest it sounds like a UCH problem which will be expensive! Are there any faults stored in the dash?

 

[kirton]

Have not checked fuses in engine bay no. I don't even know where they are, lol. There are no fault lights on the dash. What is a UCH? and how expensive are we talking? :S The car is booked into Evans Halshaw for saturday morning.

 

[Da]

A new UCH is expensive, we're talking hundreds rather than tens! Pray it's not that!

The UCH does control all the 'none-essential' electrics in the car though,
it's is an electronic control module that is fitted to many late model Renaults (early 2000's onwards.) It is responsible for controlling many of the non-engine related functions of the car, such as central locking, electric windows, and even some of the lights (e.g. indicators.)

A brand new UCH is supplied with a blank memory. This must be coded (using the Renault Clip computer) to match the serial number of the ECU and key/card before it will work with the car. The memory can only be written once, so a used UCH cannot be taken from a donor vehicle to be used in another unless the ECU and keyfobs/cards are also transferred.

As for the fuses in the bay, it's unlikely really as they tend to control more important functions but are worth checking over.

 

[kirton]

jesus christ man! I just know that's what it's gonna be then. Would be just my luck, and deffinately can't afford to get it fixed atm if it is. But thanks for your help mate, and for everyone else who has posted, cheers!

 

[Da]

No problems and best of luck.

Can you just post all the symptoms again please mate to save me looking for them?

 

[kirton]

yeah... erm, When I turn on the car I have to turn on the radio via the on/off button, and when I turn the car off I also have to turn off the radio by pressing the button. Also the clock and temperature display stays on constantly even when the car is off, unless I take a fuse out to make it go off so that It doesn't flat my battery.

 

[Da]

Thanks, is it a standard Renault head unit mate?

And your courtesy light isn't illuminating anymore?

 

[kirton]

Yeah it's the standard head unit mate. The light is coming on as it should now though. It wasn't working when my dash lights wern't working either, but that was before i put the relay back in that had fell out.

 

[Da]

Right, if you're taking the fuse out when you turn the car off (to save the battery) this will no doubt be causing issues with the head unit what with entering the code etc.
As the fuse had blown controlling the illumination I would remove the head unit and simply check everything is ok behind there, also check if there's an in line fuse to the head unit as I can't remember at present.
You can always turn a standard H/U on after switching the ignition off as they have a preset timer of 15 minutes from memory, after this it should not switch back on without the ignition.

Personally I would disconnect the battery, put back any fuses removed and leave the battery off for 30mins plus.
Then reconnect the battery and get in the car as normal. Do not switch on the H/U but start the car and see what is/isn't working correctly/incorrectly.
Check everything, auto lights, wipers, rear wiper, autolocking etc etc.

 

[kirton]

ok mate, I will try this tomorrow then report back. If no luck, then I will be put out of my mysery on saturday no doubt, lol!

 

[kirton]

Just to let you know the outcome... I picked the car up from the dealers today and they have said it is the alram control unit? at fault and the part is now on back order from the factory. But I'm a lot happier now, knowing that it isn't costing me anything. Bloody good job I took out Auto Protect Warrenty when I bought the car.

 

[bmh.01]

Don't hold your breath until it been sorted. I can believe it though as that plug that you tried to put the relay in is the alarm interface plug (ish) so you've probably killed something.

 

[kirton]

that plug that you tried to put the relay in is the alarm interface plug (ish)

LOL! They have already removed the part, its on the floor in the car and has fixed the problem, so I'm pretty sure it is sorted. Just need the new part putting in for the alarm. I think i will have to be more carefull when clarting about next time, haha!

 

[bmh.01]

hairy muff then looks like problem solved, at least it seems to be an easy fix.