"button for driver assistance system defective", "brake fault: workshop!" and loads of warning lights :(

[paudc100]

Hi all,

 

2010 vrs octavia.. CR170

 

Driving home from work this evening and got a message saying "button for driver assistance system defective", and then "brake fault: workshop!" Followed and by what seemed like every warning light on the dash. 

 

I had to keep going as I had no where to pull in, then I got a message "STOP Oil Pressure Engine Off" and a red oil can, the rev counter, speedo were not moving whereas the fuel gauge was moving over and back, also mileage mileage wasn't increasing. Cruise control would not work and I thought indicators were not working but they were ( no noise for the relay and no display) 

 

Eventually I was able to pull in, I turned off the ignition for 10 minutes but made no difference, then when I went to start it stated for a second and cut out again. Had to tow it home and here I am now pulling my hair out. Going to try and find someone with a VagCom tomorrow.

 

p.s checked all fuses and dipped for oil all seem ok..

 

Any one with info it would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

Paud

[Anddenton]

Sounds like the car and cluster have lost comms. The immobiliser is in the cluster so if the car can't communicate with it, it will start and then die due to the imob. 

[Vegasphil]

Looks like a problem with the clocks - Possible that the connector has become loose? Simple stuff first!

 

They have lost power/reset according to your mileage and clocks somewhere along the line!

[pikpilot]

Start with the basics. Check your battery voltage. Low battery due to alternator not charging can give multiple cluster display warnings.

[langers2k]

I've seen similar warnings both when removing CAN gateways and powering up clusters when not in a car.

 

As others have mentioned, I'd be checking:

- Battery voltage

- VCDS scan for obvious faults

- Wiring to the cluster

- Wiring to the CAN gateway

 

It does very much sound like a loss of communication between the cluster and the car.

[KenONeill]

@paudc100 As others, I'd start by checking battery voltage, particularly since I don't see the "low charge" light coming on, which makes me suspect a loose or broken alternator control wire.

[paudc100]

Thanks I checked battery voltage it was reading 12.5v.. Sent it to local German specialist so hopefully they will diagnose the issue. Will keep the thread posted, thanks again.

 

[paudc100]

Just got confirmation that it is indeed the instrument cluster that has lost comms with the car.. I was told they can not find a second hand part so i was quoted over a grand for the new cluster or have my own sent off and try repair it, rough estimate of €300 to have it repaired plus labour to the garage after that.. Do these prices sound right? Seems a bit high to me!

[Papfox]

Is the driver assistance button in the cluster or somewhere else on the dash?

 

This appears to be a widespread communications failure. Is there anything else that doesn't work? Lights? Indicators? Heater controls? Setup options the radio may have for other things on the car? The instrument cluster is a computer driven display device. It doesn't measure any of the things it displays. It just puts the needles where the ECU/CAN gateway tell it to. I would start on the premise that there is a problem with the data getting (or not) to the cluster, rather than assuming cluster was dead, particularly if other pieces of the car are affected. A faulty CAN gateway is also a possibility. Has any work been done on the car recently?

 

If you can come up with a list of everything in the car that doesn't work, it may help to narrow down where any fault in the CAN bus wiring could be. Hopefully someone here has a copy of the CAN bus wiring diagram and could check what common pieces of wiring might affect all the malfunctioning bits.

 

The first thing I would do is to trace the wires from the CAN gateway into the dash and make sure they aren't damaged and there's no bad connections, shorts or plugs loose. I would also check the earth wire on cluster is properly electrically connected to the body ground. A missing or corroded earth would cause all kinds of symptoms. It might be worth checking the driver assistance button and its cable are healthy.

 

Good luck,

Paul.

Edited 8 July, 2017 by Papfox

[Vegasphil]

1 hour ago, paudc100 said:

Just got confirmation that it is indeed the instrument cluster that has lost comms with the car.. I was told they can not find a second hand part so i was quoted over a grand for the new cluster or have my own sent off and try repair it, rough estimate of €300 to have it repaired plus labour to the garage after that.. Do these prices sound right? Seems a bit high to me!

 

Have you asked if they have removed and refitted the clocks to rule out any obvious faults and making you fork out a fortune for parts that might not be needed. 

 

I very much doubt the clocks have failed and need replacing from the pictures you have posted. 

[paudc100]

Update..

 

I got word back from the garage yesterday, the cluster was sent to England to try and repair it but no joy. Second hand part is near impossible to find, I had a look myself toady. There seems to be plenty mk I clusters about, the trouble is to find a mk II cluster in Kmh (although I am not sure if it easy to change from mph to Kmh, seen some threads on it but nothing definite, in any case these are still rare) so looks like my only option is to go through the stealers, looking at €790 for the part alone. 

 

 

[BoscaMarius]

On 28/07/2017 at 15:41, paudc100 said:

Update..

 

I got word back from the garage yesterday, the cluster was sent to England to try and repair it but no joy. Second hand part is near impossible to find, I had a look myself toady. There seems to be plenty mk I clusters about, the trouble is to find a mk II cluster in Kmh (although I am not sure if it easy to change from mph to Kmh, seen some threads on it but nothing definite, in any case these are still rare) so looks like my only option is to go through the stealers, looking at €790 for the part alone. 

 

 

Hello @paudc100
Can you please make an update of this topic, 
How did you solved it in the end ?

I'm having the same problem and is driving me craaazyy

[paudc100]

1 hour ago, BoscaMarius said:

Hello @paudc100
Can you please make an update of this topic, 
How did you solved it in the end ?

I'm having the same problem and is driving me craaazyy

Sorry to hear your having trouble lad I know your pain.. but there is hope!

 

if you haven’t done already I would suggest following the advice above to check the basics e.g battery voltage,Vag com for common vaults etc.

 

So basically the local german “specialists” gave me the run around for two months.. I had a new cluster fitted only for the lights to come back on a week later while I was selling the car, while the guy looking to buy it was test driving it!! 

 

Back again to the garage and and they traced the loom from the instrument cluster back to the Ecu. What I was told was one of the wires had a resistance that was out of spec so possibly a short, they ran a new wire from cluster to ecu to replace the fault wire and hey presto problem solved! .. 

 

i traded it it in the following week!

[mac11irl]

So.... given they didnt do the basic checks like continuity in the loom day 1, did they refund you a chunk of the money you didnt need to spend on the new cluster???

[Boules]

[Boules]

Hi all data appear on screen 

Car not work 

By remove tow cables of buttery then attach cables again car can work but data still appear all data like a picture  I sent

Thanks for help

[pikpilot]

Probably needs a new battery. The electronics give that display when you try to start with a battery that cannot supply the starting current. 

You can prove it by temporarily swapping the battery with a known good battery; perhaps even when using jumper cables from another car.

 

Once started, (1) check that the alternator is recharging the battery and (2) there is no continuous discharge overnight such as when a non VAG radios have been fitted incorrectly.

[jurgins]

So I have the same problem as described in the beginning.

Only not skoda, but Passat B7 2012. 2.0 TDI DSG 4motion

Left car in the morning. After work was ready to go home and fun began.

Button for driver assistance sys. faulty message. Then 

Error: Brakes. Workshop!
Engine starts and stops within a second. Sounds like immobilizer is blocking engine.

No turn signal indicators in instruments, no high beam indicator in instruments.

Steering wheel wont lock when key removed.

Analogue clock is not synchronizing with the dash clock. Lives its own life. 

Cant start aux heater with button, but ac I can adjust temp and fan speed

 

So far tested -

Cant access to any module from VCDS. 

Removed can gateway and made bench test. It is communicating with VCDS, so it is ok.

I can remove instrument cluster completely from car and the same appears - car starts and stops within a second

I can remove can gateway and the same - car starts and stops within a second.

Tried both keys. Same result

There is fuel in the tank.

The battery is good. Fresh charge.

 

What to do? any ideas?

 

[jurgins]

Checked all the fuses. They are good

[langers2k]

Can you communicate with the CAN-gateway when it's in the car?

[jurgins]

No communication possible to any module in the car

[mac11irl]

are you connecting from the obd2 port in the car?

[langers2k]

1 hour ago, jurgins said:

No communication possible to any module in the car

 

In which case, the first problem is getting the CAN-gateway to communicate in the car.

 

As you've seen it doesn't take much to talk to the CAN-gateway so I'd try:

- checking the twisted pair between the CAN-gateway and OBD port

- checking the grounds at both

- checking the power is on all the necessary pins

 

At a guess, it'll be a permanent or switched live that's not getting power so the CAN-gateway or HEX-CAN aren't powering up properly.

[jurgins]

Found the problem. Oxidation killed CAN gateway power supply cable behind/below battery bracket. Close to firewall. 

I will leave this here and hope that this could help someone in future 

[Breezy_Pete]

9 hours ago, langers2k said:

At a guess, it'll be a permanent or switched live that's not...

Top work @langers2k.