Car cuts out no electrics at all !! please help :(

[grebidge]

ok does anyone know if the ecu has anything to do with the headlights or why there would be any reason why it could effect it, i took the car to a garage cause it just cuts out, no electrics what so ever, it came back with ecu fault so i was going to get it repaired, i just tried to run the car to see what happened it was running ok then cut out as soon as i put the headlights on, what could this be? i did it three of four times so its a definate cause. It also eventually cuts out on its own when the lights arnt on but i didnt know the ecu was connected to the headlights in anyway? When i brought the car the passenger headlight was loose and kept going out i tried to wiggle it around then my lights got stuck on full beam ! Im wondering if that has blown something that is causeing the car to loose all electrical power ?? i know its probably a bit jumbled up but im going mad with no car and i dont want to have to spend £250 which i have been quoted for a repair if i dont need to :( i dont suppose anyone on here has a decoded ecu i can put on to see if this sorts it out im in the chelmsford area in essex and im desperate, my girlfriend is pregnant and we have no car so no way of getting to hospital if we need to :( please help i will be forever in your debt :( i have a vts 2002 3 plug ecu

[Alanapone]

I don't think the lights are connected directly to the ecu mate, it sounds more like the dodgy headlight is shorting and causing the car to dye. Try unplugging the headlight and see if it works normally. if it does, you probably just need a new headlight.

[grebidge]

i did that :( still not working properly it eventually cuts out :(

[Alanapone]

Give it a bit of time on here mate, someone will know whats going on. just bump this thread at about 5-6 o'clockish. Someone is bound to have had this problem before and be able to help you out.

[grebidge]

i will pay someone if i can use their decoded ecu lol please help !!

[grebidge]

cheers mate

[littleracer]

grebidge,the headlights have absolutly nothing to do with the ecu any way at all.

i have a code reader,just seen were you are.

does the car run start and dive normal with headlamps off?

[Alanapone]

Try changing the thread title to help... car cutting out, or something too, just to get peoples attention. also have you tried searching using the search button at the top? you'll be amazed at what you can find. you'll have to experiment with the way you word it to get the best results.

[grebidge]

its starts and runs better but still just cuts out intermittently :(

[littleracer]

ok when it is running,is the idle eratic?revving up and down by itself etc.

i dont think this is just brelated to the headlights

[grebidge]

ok just went out to test a few things i have disconnected the headlights the car starts but still cuts out, it now uts out as soon as i put it in reverse ? i aint got a clue !!!

[littleracer]

ok,what is the idle like?smooth?

[grebidge]

yeah idle is smooth enough not erattic

[littleracer]

hmmmm,could have an air leak.
take the induction piping off so you got just the throttle body,start the car up,then cover your hand fully to seal the throttle inlet.if it stalls then you have no air leak and all ok,if it carries on running and you can here air then theres a leak somewere.

[grebidge]

no its not stalling, the electrics just completley go like the car has no battery in it, then all of a sudden the lights all ping back on its like its shorting out at points too

[littleracer]

check your battery connections,both terminals

[grebidge]

just thinking thats why if anyone has a decoded ecu i can put on my car to see what happens, if it works then i know i ned a new ecu

[grebidge]

checked battery :(

[grebidge]

i cant understand that now it completley swithces off when i put it in reverse ??? its like as soon as u do anything it stops

[littleracer]

if engine cuts out,caused by electrics it wont be the ecu,the ecu only has control of the engine.
check all plugs and earths.

[raunchz]

disconnect the sensor ontop of the gearbox, then put it in reverse and see if it does it?

[grebidge]

so the ecu has nothing atall to do with the electrics, so if the engine cut out due to ecu atleast the instument panel lights would stay on ??

[grebidge]

raunchz where is that sensor is it in the car???

[raunchz]

raunchz where is that sensor is it in the car???

ontop of the gearbox, white coloured. Let us know if that sorts it? Or makes a difference?

[grebidge]

i cant even get in the car now lol my central locking is paying up ? one minute it works the next it dont :( what the hell is going on

[raunchz]

sounds like a battery fault - if you have electricity one time and then not the next.

check the wiring around the battery, and put a multimeter across the battery and see the voltage it reads with the engine off and with it running.

battery secure? All fuses okay?

[grebidge]

battery is secure fuses look ok i dont know what the hell to do lol

[littleracer]

when you get into the car,start it and put a voltmeter across the battery,should read 13.5v+

[grebidge]

ok i just did it again ran ok for a bit then powere looked like it was flikering then it cut out eventually when i out the indicator on so its not one main thing causeing it to stop i have taken a vieo on my iphone but dont know how to get it on here ?

[raunchz]

so it still does it with the sensor unplugged from the top of the gearbox?

So it cuts out when any light is put on ?

Alsmost sounds like it's cutting out when there is more of a draw from the battery, ie when the lights are put on, but then would expect it to do it all the time due to power steering.

Give us a clue as to the voltages across the battery when its running and when its just sat with the engine off and the car just sat there (no lights etc. on)

[grebidge]

ok erm i aint got a volt meter let me call some mates and see if i can get one :)

[grebidge]

anyone know how to put a vidoe up on here from my iphone ?

[raunchz]

upload it to photobucket in the right format

get an account on there, is free

[grebidge]

ok just a thought now theres kind of a pattern emerging, it seems to be something to do with lights as i see it bacause it has cut out when i either put lights on, indicators on or put it in reverse and the reverse lights come on have i blown something in which it makes it turn all the electrics off when it shorts out?

[raunchz]

Unplug the gearbox sensor and put it in reverse and see if it does it

[grebidge]

lol it sounds stupid but i dont have a clue where that is haha and also it doesnt always do it when i reverse its very intermittant its a pain in the fooking arse!!!

[mickyfinn]

mate mine did this the little flip bit on the + side of the battery fliped up :)

[grebidge]

nah checked it lol

[blackie_2k5]

defo an electrical fault i wouldnt say it had anything to do with the ecu, you may have lost a good earth so when you use anything electrical related as raunchz says the draw on the battery is too much and its cutting the engine.... have you fitted anything to the car? and how long has it been like this?, if the battery is fine and hasnt totally died all together yet id rule out the altenator too?, check all earth straps inc the one from the battery to the top of the gearbox(these are comman to rot) and let us know what you can see
edit- what was the fault on the ecu, if its a sensor or something it could be a dodgey wire or conection and this may well be causing the prob

[grebidge]

its just strange how one time it will be the headlight did it the next the indicators the next the reverse lights and now im thinking the reason it does it during the day when im not useing any lights its when i break and my breaklights come on it has to be soemthing to do eith the lights ?

[grebidge]

the only thing that has heppend recently and its quite embarrising lol the passenger side headlight kept going out so i wigled it about the a wire came out, it was at night and i needed to get home so i pushed the wire back in and all i got was full beam, i then looked at it the next day and it melted the connector to the back of the light so i got a new one and fitted it but its been doing it since and even now when i unplug both the headlights whenever anything to do with lights happens it cuts the electrics every now and then

[raunchz]

the only thing that has heppend recently and its quite embarrising lol the passenger side headlight kept going out so i wigled it about the a wire came out, it was at night and i needed to get home so i pushed the wire back in and all i got was full beam, i then looked at it the next day and it melted the connector to the back of the light so i got a new one and fitted it but its been doing it since and even now when i unplug both the headlights whenever anything to do with lights happens it cuts the electrics every now and then

Sounds like your problem - maybe try a new light?

[Ben3991]

as blackie says, hav u fitted anything recently? engine/interior or anything?

[Ben3991]

lol sorry u replied as i was writing :P

[grebidge]

but it doesnt matter if the light is plugged in or not so i think the damage has been done somewhere else not the light ?

[Ben3991]

but u sed it melted the wire right? whether the light is plugged in or not the wire may be touching somethihg it shouldnt be? maybe you could look at one on the oppisite side and see the arrangement of wires and compare the two, one might touching something?

[blackie_2k5]

check fuses etc you may have burnt one out while doing this, im 99% this prob with the light has caused your trouble its just working out what the damage is, as said above check the wiring around as you may have melted the casings on one of the wires which may now be lying on the body or something

[grebidge]

thanks for the replies i changed the wiring plug so no wires are now touching anything but still not working go my breakdown coming out to have a look at it so hopefully they can tell me whats going on lol

[matt19]

let us know mate mines doing the same going into reverse sometimes

[grebidge]

ok the bloke couldnt really do anything with my breakdown recovery as its electrical which cant be done on the side of the road but he is saying it IS a possibilty it could be ECU as its all electronically managed so again im on the beg for someone thats got a decoded ecu i can use for 5 minutes to see if this will sort the problam out and i will apy for that 10 minutes lol does anyone know anyone ??

[Morgiee]

I work for maplin Electronics and there are a few guys there that are big in electrics and cars and they say when you are in reverse it uses the battery. There is one guy on here that does ECU mods and thats ryanmt. Search for him and pm him.

My advise try the following:

Get a new battery

Check that the connections to the alt are on not loose or corroded

start the car with with your battery hooked up to someone elses car and leave it to charge for 15 mins


Apart from that the next step for me would be to replace the alt as it wont be keeping the charge you can get a new one which is recommended or get one from a scrappy for about £25 or get a disel version of the saxo alt as it has more mah's

Good luck mate it looks like a right pickle your in hope you get sorted :y:

[xxo0pko0xx]

Seems like a short circuiting mate or maybe y
your alternator is fucked?