OK MKI vRS been having issues with starting car when its been sitting in direct sunlight, so car has been at dealers since monday get a call today saying they have traced the problem to the ECU :'( now there saying its a bad earth within the ecu and they can supply a new one for a small amount of money £900+ vat + fitting needless to say I have declined there kind offer. Does this fault sound like it could be causing my problems?

OK another question for ya anyone heard of ECU doctor?

http://www.the-ecu-doctor.co.uk/

need to get it sorted as im away from next friday anyone got any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

If it really is the ECU, then I have one on the shelf and it would be a darn site cheaper than £900 + VAT.

What are the symptoms of the problem? Any warning lights? ESP light? Does it start if you take the battery off?

Feel free to call the office tomorrow to discuss the problem if you'd prefer.

Edited 22 July, 201015 yr by shark_90

Hi Shark_90 there have been no warning lights car runs like a dream its just this starting problem if its cloudy, cool, wet and even earm its fine its when the sun is strong and the car has been driving around in it or parked up it just dosnt want to start, sometimes it will catch after 30 minutes or so but most it just doesnt want to play marbles.

Think Is I have already spent over £200 on diognatic time with the local stealers if I then get another ecu (new or ebused) its back to them for coding everything in yet more money for them, thats why I did a search on ECU repairs.

But im open to all suggestions as im supposed to be going away next friday on holiday and cant risk pulling up at a services area for fuel for both the car n me and then it not starting.

We can code a new/used ECU in for you, you're not limited to the dealers.

If you'd like to call the office later (number in my signature) and ask for Ben, I'll see what we can do.

Cheers

hi Shark_90 but looking at your location your a little to far out for me as it played up twice on a 10 mile journey this evening when I collected it.

ECU is out and getting to get sent out to ecu doctor to see what they can do.

Thanks for your offer though

No problem, good luck!

You probably know this already, but a faulty coolant temp sender can cause sooo many problems on VAG 1.8T engines. It's common when the CTS is failing for your dash temp gauge to be showing 90 but the ecu is getting a different reading from the CTS.

Could be on a hot day & the engine fully warmed up the ecu is seeing incorrect temp from the CTS, Possibly thinking the engine is way too hot the ECU is shutting things down as it would if the engine has overheated.

If you haven't got vagcom you can use the climate control display to see what temp the ecu is seeing. Press fan down, colder,& econ at the same time, & use the temp controls to go through the channels, you want channel 51, which displays the engine temp that the ECU is seeing from the CTS.

It's a long shot, but in all the years I have been on VAG car forums I've never heard of the diagnosis you have quoted.

Edited 24 July, 201015 yr by pauldazzle

Thats diagnosis does sound a little wierd tbh.

You probably know this already, but a faulty coolant temp sender can cause sooo many problems on VAG 1.8T engines. It's common when the CTS is failing for your dash temp gauge to be showing 90 but the ecu is getting a different reading from the CTS.

Could be on a hot day & the engine fully warmed up the ecu is seeing incorrect temp from the CTS, Possibly thinking the engine is way too hot the ECU is shutting things down as it would if the engine has overheated.

If you haven't got vagcom you can use the climate control display to see what temp the ecu is seeing. Press fan down, colder,& econ at the same time, & use the temp controls to go through the channels, you want channel 51, which displays the engine temp that the ECU is seeing from the CTS.

It's a long shot, but in all the years I have been on VAG car forums I've never heard of the diagnosis you have quoted.

thanks fitted new coolant tempreture sender about 3 weeks ago

ecu is going off this morning £40 diog time if fault found its going to be about £180 all in repaired.

If that dont cure it cars a gona fingerts crossed as I have enjoyed her for the 6ish years i've had her

Hope you get it sorted. It's definitely a rare fault if it is the ECU. The only thing I can think of that could cause a bad earth in the ECU is a dry solder joint.

just got my fingers crossed that its the ecu

thought I would update this as I was still having problems up until last week, I had done all the usual things checked/cleaned earth points (atleast all the ones I could find) cleaned contact to ecu, tempreture sender thingy wotsit and it was still beem a beggar to start at times.

That was till last week when I needed to borrow a fuse out of it as I was working on another car and had misplaced the fuse.

On inspection the fuse contacts looked dirty/greasy? so i dug out the old baccy tin with loads of fuses and replaced all the ones that refered to engine controls and electrical and touchwood the car has been fine, am I clutching at straws hoping I have found the problem that has been plagueing me?

You probably know this already, but a faulty coolant temp sender can cause sooo many problems on VAG 1.8T engines. It's common when the CTS is failing for your dash temp gauge to be showing 90 but the ecu is getting a different reading from the CTS.

Could be on a hot day & the engine fully warmed up the ecu is seeing incorrect temp from the CTS, Possibly thinking the engine is way too hot the ECU is shutting things down as it would if the engine has overheated.

If you haven't got vagcom you can use the climate control display to see what temp the ecu is seeing. Press fan down, colder,& econ at the same time, & use the temp controls to go through the channels, you want channel 51, which displays the engine temp that the ECU is seeing from the CTS.

It's a long shot, but in all the years I have been on VAG car forums I've never heard of the diagnosis you have quoted.

Hi, do you have any other tricks that can show diagnostic values on the climate control, and a translation table for what channel does what?

You probably know this already, but a faulty coolant temp sender can cause sooo many problems on VAG 1.8T engines. It's common when the CTS is failing for your dash temp gauge to be showing 90 but the ecu is getting a different reading from the CTS.

Could be on a hot day & the engine fully warmed up the ecu is seeing incorrect temp from the CTS, Possibly thinking the engine is way too hot the ECU is shutting things down as it would if the engine has overheated.

If you haven't got vagcom you can use the climate control display to see what temp the ecu is seeing. Press fan down, colder,& econ at the same time, & use the temp controls to go through the channels, you want channel 51, which displays the engine temp that the ECU is seeing from the CTS.

It's a long shot, but in all the years I have been on VAG car forums I've never heard of the diagnosis you have quoted.

Hi Paul, we probably need to start a new thread on this subject but I tried your ch51 trick and the reading is 0. I then looked at all channels which have units of ºC and are shown below:-

1 26 ºC

4 245 ºC

5 305 ºC

6 285 ºC

7 213 ºC

23 213 ºC

24 387 ºC

40 60 ºC

45 -99 ºC

I found an earlier thread where ch 7 is the CTS but that version of climatronics had only 45 channels.

I guess it depends on the software age/version and whether petrol or diesel if type dependent.

Any idea what the data above decodes as?

Mike

Edited 23 April, 201115 yr by pikpilot