Fitted a new stereo in the vRS today.

Mainly because my old Sony didn't support the ipod I got for Christmas.

(Shame, it was a very good head unit and matched the plastics in the car and green illum)

After the usual glovebox and heater vents out to get all the wiring tucked away

I fired it up and at first things seemed okay.

I was sitting there with the engine running while I faffed around with

the settings and colour etc.

Then I noticed my ESP light was on in the dash pod.

Switching the ESP button off and on had no effect and it did not extinguish until

I turned the ignition off and removed the key.

Started her up again and it went out after the usual startup sequence

but after a short while (engine running) I noticed it had come back on again???

Engine off and on again then went for a spin around the block to see if

it came on again which it didn't.

I don't trust it now and I am baffled as to why it's suddenly started doing

this.

Any ideas folks?

Cheers

Garry

not disturbed the wiring that goes to the button have you?

Don't think so but I may have I guess... :wonder:

There's a lot of wires and plugs to squeeze back there with my

Parrot hands free and I shove 'em where I can to get the H/U

to fully click home. I'll pop it out again tomorrow and have a look.

I can move the esp switch elsewhere along the row of blanks and see how

I go.

On the upside the Elegance drawer works better than it did before

and the new head unit is smashing. Full ipod control with rear

usb port running into the glovebox.

Just worried I've damaged something expensive somehow.

I'm off out in the car in a bit for an hour or so.

I'll monitor it further and report back here later.

try releasing the head unit forward again and see if it makes a difference will be the easiest way to tell if its tugging on a wire. They're keyless no anyway aren't they? or is that just Alpine (like mine)

The plot thickens...

There's more to this than meets the eye.

The ESP lamp comes on after exactly 10 minutes, consistently.

When it is off, the car drives as normal and wheelspin is scrubbed out

as it should be.

When it's on the traction control does not work and the wheels will

spin unhindered.

Going to try a trial run with the face off the stereo in the morning to see if

the stereo being on or not has anything to do with it.

Apart from switching the yellow and red wires around (I tried both ways to be certain)

Nothing else has been changed on the wiring at all.

Is this some kind of canbus witchcraft at work?

It's the 10 minute thing that makes me think this...

after it came on (10 minutes exactly)

and when I could safely do so at the traffic lights

(12minutes into the drive exactly) I switched the car off and on

and it goes out again but lo and behold at trip time 22 minutes

exactly it flashes back on again exactly 10 minutes after I switched

the engine off and on at the lights.

What the hell is happening to my car?

The plot thickens...

There's more to this than meets the eye.

The ESP lamp comes on after exactly 10 minutes, consistently.

When it is off, the car drives as normal and wheelspin is scrubbed out

as it should be.

When it's on the traction control does not work and the wheels will

spin unhindered.

Going to try a trial run with the face off the stereo in the morning to see if

the stereo being on or not has anything to do with it.

Apart from switching the yellow and red wires around (I tried both ways to be certain)

Nothing else has been changed on the wiring at all.

Is this some kind of canbus witchcraft at work?

It's the 10 minute thing that makes me think this...

after it came on (10 minutes exactly)

and when I could safely do so at the traffic lights

(12minutes into the drive exactly) I switched the car off and on

and it goes out again but lo and behold at trip time 22 minutes

exactly it flashes back on again exactly 10 minutes after I switched

the engine off and on at the lights.

What the hell is happening to my car?

Check the kenwood (not alpine) instructions against the ISO or DIN diagram in the ICE Security and insurance section.

HTH

J.

Edited 16 February, 201214 yr by vindaloo

Did you disconnect the battery? Maybe try that? Else, vagcom it. Most likely something tripped so the computer trying to access/connect to something, then after 10mins it fails and throws a wobbly.

Going outside in a bit to have a play with it again and

I'll fully remove it and see if the fault re-occurs with no

stereo fitted.

It's a kenwood unit KDC 6051U by the way (I don't know if that's relevant)

and I forgot to mention that the ESP button functions as normal during the

first 10 minutes then once the light comes on by itself then the button doesn't

work at all.

The instructions state that on "volkswagen" cars the red and yellow wires

are to be switched round which I have done and the Head unit functions

as it should and stores preferences and settings etc.

Oh well, I've got all day if necessary so I'll experiment and try a few

things.

If anyone can shed any light then that would be great.

I'll start by disconnecting the battery for half an hour.

I didn't disconnect it when fitting the thing and I really should have done. :(

Perhaps thats it....

I have a Kenwood HU in my car (it's a 6144 I think, so possibly the same range as yours but an older model?) with no problems. ESP button works as it should, when it should. So I don't think it's a problem with the HU or your fitting of it, sounds more of a coincidental thing to me. If you'd forgotten to swap the red/yellow then the worst that would happen is that the HU wouldn't store settings as its power supply would be interrupted every time you turned the ignition off, it still shouldn't affect your ABS...

Possibly the same problem as this?

See post 15 specifically.

Comparing this...

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/43971-ice-iso-connections/

...to pages 62-65 of this...

http://images.kenwood.eu/files/prod/2062/5/KDC-6051U_BT61U%28EN%29.pdf

J.

Could be the diagnostics wire from the Skoda loom is still connected as this causes problems....read my post for info.....linky

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/196288-oem-wiring-loom-colours-pins-for-stereos/

BLACK CONNECTOR (this has the release clip offset on the side)

8d/pin3 = Grey cable with White stripe = VAG diagnostics through EOBD socket (DO NOT USE WITH NON OEM as 12v and can muck up your new head unit, especially if a diagnostic tool is connected!!! So disconnect from plug or cut and seal live end of wire) (This according to ISO is for the reversing light signal)

Disconnected the battery -terminal for 40 mins and reconnected it.

Fired up car and ran it for 10 minutes with no face on the radio.

Bang on cue, light came on again.

Taking head unit out to check connections again next.

Had the Sony in for over two years on the same connections/plugs

and this never happened with that?

Will also try running the car with the whole thing taken out

loom and all and see what happens then.

Thanks for the replies fellas

See below?

Seen this a few times, 10 minute thing is what reminded me of it.

Possibly the same problem as this?

See post 15 specifically.

See below?

Seen this a few times, 10 minute thing is what reminded me of it.

Sounds like it's definitely this!

try this next time. When you want to have the car idling rev the engine over 2500rpm first. If it is this wire that's broken then revving the engine first will kick the alternator in to provide charge. If the light doesn't come on this time then that's your problem. Also when you turn the ignition on without the engine running does the battery light illuminate.

It's a very common problem and probably just not come to light before because you have not left the car idling for a period of time.

See below?

Seen this a few times, 10 minute thing is what reminded me of it.

Yes, I had a quick scan through it, thanks for posting the link .

Hope it's not that but want to rule the stereo out completely before I

crawl around under the car. It just seems too much of a coincidence

that this happened as soon as I ran the car with the new radio in it.

I may have disturbed wiring to the switch cramming all the wires behind in into

every available nook and cranny but I doubt it as it works as normal

for the first 10 minutes. It could be as fabdavrav suggested and I have the

reverse sensor wire still attached, I'll give that a look after lunch when

I go back out there.

I may connect the Sony back up and see if it's still doing it with that fitted.

It's just trying things and ruling things out for me as I have no access to

VAGCOM without paying my indy to do a scan. :(

Just too much of a coincidence...

Also when you turn the ignition on without the engine running does the battery light illuminate.

It's a very common problem and probably just not come to light before because you have not left the car idling for a period of time.

I had the car idling for a good 20 minutes the week before last while I scraped

the worlds hardest ice off of my windows, it didn't do it then.

Just been out and double checked this.

The battery light is illuminating as it should when the ignition is turned on

and goes out once the engine is running as it's supposed to.

Hmmm. That's strange.

Is the speedo working ok and seeming about right?

The reason I ask is that another potential cause of this is a dodgy ABS wheel speed sensor. If the car can't get a signal from the sensors it will ignore it for 10 minutes then pop up a warning light and the TCS/ASR won't work until the next re-start.

Think you're going to need a scan. You checked on the VCDS list to see if someone is near you who can do a scan?

Phil

Hmmm. That's strange.

Is the speedo working ok and seeming about right?

The reason I ask is that another potential cause of this is a dodgy ABS wheel speed sensor. If the car can't get a signal from the sensors it will ignore it for 10 minutes then pop up a warning light and the TCS/ASR won't work until the next re-start.

Think you're going to need a scan. You checked on the VCDS list to see if someone is near you who can do a scan?

Phil

I know Phil, it's a weird one this...

I've changed many radios many times and never had something like this happen.

But it is a modern unit so maybe I'm a bit behind the times with all this stuff now.

I'll get my indy to scan it as he owes me a favour after a recent £1500 engine rebuild

on my Kangoo which suffered a cambelt failure.

Plus replacing the cambelt and waterpump on our other Fabia as well

and all in the last month.

All this aggro and expense and I'm getting

married in 2 weeks and 2 days just to ice the cake. I could honestly do without the headache

I just wanted to be able to use my ipod in the car :( :S :(

Speedo fine and accurate as far as I can tell.

Drove her for an hour last night and brakelights and reverse lights are fine and

normal as is electric window function, interior lighting, dash illum and as far as

I can tell everything is tickety boo. Cars driving fine plenty of power, normal

performance in that respect. Both ESP and TCS working during initial 10 minutes.

Tested both on a quiet bit of road and can confirm that they are both working.

Takes a fair bit of effort and some clean underpants afterwards to make the ESP

work but it did and the dash light flickered while the system was working, again

as normal. It's just the 10 minute and light on thing that seems to be the only

thing that's not 100%.

I'm off out now to remove the H/U and wires for it and will run her for

10 minutes and see if it happens again.

Back in a bit...

Removed the radio and it's wiring and ran for 10 mins.

Light came on again...

I also forgot to mention that I fully disconnected the Parrot kit

in a bid to tidy up the spaghetti wiring when I fitted the radio.

That's still connected btw.

I'll take that out next and repeat the experiment.

See what the car does without any external devices fitted.

Right...

The car is stil doing it despite no external devices fitted

so it looks like it was simply a coincidence.

I'll shoot down to my indy tomorrow for a scan.

I'm satisfied that the radio and parrot kit arent to blame,

all the wires into the esp switch are undamaged and secure

so I'll have to look into the alternator option but with the battery

light working as normal I just can't see it but I am no tech and hopefully

it is something silly like a broken wire.

Right...

The car is stil doing it despite no external devices fitted

so it looks like it was simply a coincidence.

I'll shoot down to my indy tomorrow for a scan.

I'm satisfied that the radio and parrot kit arent to blame,

all the wires into the esp switch are undamaged and secure

so I'll have to look into the alternator option but with the battery

light working as normal I just can't see it but I am no tech and hopefully

it is something silly like a broken wire.

Good luck.

It could still be one of those wires. There are two in the same connector that both relate to the load signal for the alternator. If one of them has broken could be causing some problems. Both of mine were broken but never had any warning lights as it obviously got revved a bit but did get an fault code logged for it.

Phil

Spoke to my indy.

Popping in tomorrow for a free scan up

(I should think so too, he's had nearly 2 grand out of me in the last 5 weeks)

Stereo and parrot all re installed etc.

We'll be having a look at this alternator wire tomorrow as well.

Thanks everyone for your help

Removed the radio and it's wiring and ran for 10 mins.

Light came on again...

I also forgot to mention that I fully disconnected the Parrot kit

in a bid to tidy up the spaghetti wiring when I fitted the radio.

That's still connected btw.

I'll take that out next and repeat the experiment.

See what the car does without any external devices fitted.

I have this problem with mine that I have not fixed yet, but mine shows as two codes. One of them is a loose connection inside the engine bay somewhere and something else.(when connected to the engine mangagement connection at a garage.) I can dig the codes out for you if you like.

Kev.

Spoke to my indy.

Popping in tomorrow for a free scan up

(I should think so too, he's had nearly 2 grand out of me in the last 5 weeks)

Stereo and parrot all re installed etc.

We'll be having a look at this alternator wire tomorrow as well.

Thanks everyone for your help

codes I got read ABS E.C.U. P1857 Load signal error

and in engine E.C.U. P1503 Load signal from generator implausible.