Weird problem tonight, just around 3am the Citigo (2014 elegance model with start stop) horn started to go constantly (well I thought it was the horn) , not intermittent beeping but constant blaring, I got up, dressed and went out to car, unlocked car and pressed the horn in an attempt to see if it was a stuck button, but a different normal horn sound happened ..... weird, so I then thought it must be the alarm sounder, but it wasn’t an intermittent alarm sound, it was a loud continuous horn sound just as if someone was leaning on the horn constantly.

 

As I have neighbours and didn’t want to wake them all, I started the car and drove it away from house to look at it.

 

While driving to a quiet location, I could smell a faint electrical burning smell which i thought must be the horn/sounder thats not designed to be going constantly overheating.

 

When I arrived at the quiet location away from houses and switched off the car it just kept going, opened bonnet and closed again and ensured all doors and boot closed (in case alarm was triggered from those)

 

Didn’t find anything , tried locking and unlocking the car, nothing just kept going, realised I’d left my tools at home in the rush to take the car away from house, so had no way to disconnect battery so I jumped in and started car, the noise changed, but more like it warbled a bit then went constant again. So I switched off and started a few different times the noise kept changing and warbling a bit and finally the noise stopped. (or burnt out....)

 

 

So drove home to disconnect battery and look at it in the morning, but as I got closer to the house the electrical burning/hot smell was getting stronger, but not strong, no smoke and was still faint but was stronger than initially was, then my driving lights started to go on and off, indicators stopped working , headlights eventually went off all together, engine management light went on, car was still driving normally though as I pull into driveway, switched off, grabbed tools and disconnected both poles of the battery to look at it in the morning.

 

So after that long explanation of what happened, anyone any ideas for the morning ?

I’m thinking maybe the main battery is faulty? Although the car started no problems (it is a start stop model), although the battery is under a year old!

 

I’m hoping the brain is ok and hasn’t fried hence the headlights on and off and MIL notification coming up, indicators not working etc .....

 

 

Sigh.... always something !

update after looking at it again this morning, its no different, car will not remotely unlock, only by door key, car starts and drive on, but no interior lights, indicators, headlights, DRLs etc.... Radio is working as is the GPS.

 

Any further thoughts? Where is the ECU ?

 

 

Ecu is behind the battery, I'd get it to a dealer to be checked, could be a BSI issue or something else

Hey David, further checking shows some corrosion around the OBD port and actually on a couple of fuses (including leaking onto the fuse cover as show in photos below) so there is definitely some moisture ingress somewhere, I've now put the car in my garage in order to get the best chance of drying/moisture trapping.

 

I have put bags of Silca crystals around this area and moisture traps just below in order to draw out the moisture (if still there)

 

Where is the BSI module located?

 

In terms of taking it to Skoda, which is only about 7miles away, unless I get towed or flat bed I cant drive it, while it does drive ok, the electrics are flicking on and off now, DRL's on off on off constantly.... and I can hear relays clicking when it does this. Maybe disconnecting the BSI module will stop this happening and avoid risking any further damage until I can drive it there ?

 

Any further thoughts ?

Replied to you on Facebook mate, get it to the dealer when you can, possibly water ingress from blocked drainage from the scuttle panel has got into front footwell, hopefully not expensive

2 hours ago, Hyphons said:

Replied to you on Facebook mate, get it to the dealer when you can, possibly water ingress from blocked drainage from the scuttle panel has got into front footwell, hopefully not expensive

 

Thanks

 

will let this thread and FB thread know the outcome in case it helps others

 

 

ok only managed to get back looking at this....... Cars been sitting in my garage since.

 

Took all the fuses out and refitted them one by one.

 

Strangely I have a fuse in Fuse position 26 (7.5A) which according to owners manual is NOT ASSIGNED, when this fuse is in position the lights do the weird self flashing thing with relays clicking.

 

Any ideas what fuse 26 is all about, seems whatever system its related to is the root of the problem, strange no details in manual (or web search!)

 

 

Vw Up! Fuse layout shows it as "switch wiring harness" if its causing problems, leave it pulled (esp if its unassigned in you manual)

And drive, or test systems to see what doesnt work with it pulled.

 

Up fuses layout

On ‎02‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 12:26, shmern said:

ok only managed to get back looking at this....... Cars been sitting in my garage since.

 

Took all the fuses out and refitted them one by one.

 

Strangely I have a fuse in Fuse position 26 (7.5A) which according to owners manual is NOT ASSIGNED, when this fuse is in position the lights do the weird self flashing thing with relays clicking.

 

Any ideas what fuse 26 is all about, seems whatever system its related to is the root of the problem, strange no details in manual (or web search!)

 

 

 

When I look at fuse assignment for Citigo RHD as of May 2013 and as of Nov 2014, I see the following listed for fuse 26 (and 7.5A rating):

Main relay -J271-

Dash panel insert -K

Steering angle sender -G85-

 

Knowing the exact date the car was built and engine code would enable me to dig a little deeper.