Multiple Faults?

[Hyeung]

Hi,

 

Just started the car this afternoon, and was suddenly presented with an array of errors on the maxidot?

 

The maxidot reports the following error "Error: ABS/stabilisation control (ESC)"

However, on the dash it reports the following yellow warning lights

1) ABS

2) Traction Control

3) TPMS (Tyres) ?

4) Steering ?

 

In addition to the above dash lights, the Parking Sensor button is flashing and i get the following message on the main radio/nav screen - "Optical parking system is not available at present".

 

The car started fine, and i can confirm that the parking sensors are no longer operational. 

I've given the car a drive, and all seems fine?

Haven driven the car about 20mins; the car was parked for a few hours and then i started it up with the same faults again. 

Drove another 20mins and the faults still remain.

 

Based on the maxidot error it would suggest that I might have a faulty wheel sensor for the ABS (not sure which one as I dont have any equipment to check).

However, what confuses me is why would I also see a warning for the TPMS, Steering and for the Parking Sensors to suddenly disable?

Surely none of these could be related to ABS/Stabilisation control which would suggest perhaps a faulty sensor on a given wheel?

 

Short from going dropping the car into a garage to check. 

Any ideas why i would see the multitude of errors which appear unrelated?

 

Cheers,

Hung

 

 

 

Edited 15 February, 2021 by Hyeung
Add photos

[Kenny R]

Sounds like low / faulty battery. 

[Hyeung]

Sorry I don't understand ? Can you explain how a low or faulty battery can cause these multitude of errors ? 

Surely if i had a bad battery issue, I would expect to get a battery fault and most likely the car won't start right?

 

 

[J.R.]

Wrong!

 

For reasons unfathomable to me VAG made engines that will start with a significantly discharged or failing battery but communications between electronic modules that cannot.

[Hyeung]

So whilst the car has started.

Are you saying that all the communications across these areas (TPMS, ABS, Parking Sensors, Traction, Steering) are dependant on the current battery state even when the car is running?

 

So if i was to get my car battery charged back up (i.e. trickle charger which i have); and assuming that the battery does charge up to a good level. Will all these faults just resolve themselves without any action?

 

Its rather funny that you mention that the issue is battery related. As I previous experienced a flat battery on the yeti a month or so ago. Would not start due to lack of use in lock down. I had a trickle charger which i charged it back up for 24hrs and all was well. However the charger also had a battery status check (red, amber, green) which appeared to only show amber despite charging for over 24hrs. In the end it started fine and worked without issue, so never really bothered looking at it any further.

 

I should also say, that I had RAC out a few days ago to replace a battery on my mothers car. Whilst doing this, I asked him to check my battery on the Yeti and he actually said my battery was in good condition? Two days later (i.e. today) i experienced these issues all of sudden?

 

What is your thoughts, do you still think my battery has caused these problems?

As I mentioned before, if i charge the battery back up will it simply resolve these faults without further action? 

Appreciate if the battery fails again, i will get these issues again.

 

Cheers,

Hung

[Ootohere]

@Hyeung The reason for the members saying the battery is because it often is as seen in the many threads every year in every Briskoda section where members describe something exactly the same as you have.

[Hyeung]

 

3 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

@Hyeung The reason for the members saying the battery is because it often is as seen in the many threads every year in every Briskoda section where members describe something exactly the same as you have.

 

Thanks! I found some posts that reported similar, but not identical? 

They seem to suggest that the faults disappeared after a drive (don't mention how long etc). 

Having driven the car for a period (x2 trips about 20-30mins each time), my faults are still present?

 

I think I'll give the battery a trickle charge tomorrow. If I can successfully charge it up, I'll take it out for another drive thereafter? See if this helps resolve these faults? If successfully, then i'll know its battery related and can potentially look to get it replaced.

 

Any thoughts and advice on this approach? 

[AndyC]

I used to get simalar problems with my 2010 Yeti. I had a dash cam fitted and it used to slighty drain the battery on occasions. The car would still start, although the starter was sluggish, but it lit the dashboard up like a proverbial christmas tree. Recharging or switching the dashcam off solved the problem.

 

[Hyeung]

1 hour ago, AndyC said:

I used to get simalar problems with my 2010 Yeti. I had a dash cam fitted and it used to slighty drain the battery on occasions. The car would still start, although the starter was sluggish, but it lit the dashboard up like a proverbial christmas tree. Recharging or switching the dashcam off solved the problem.

 

Thanks, good to know. Will definitely give the battery a trickle recharge and see how I get on? If it resolves then I’ll look to get the battery replaced soon.

If all else fails, I’ll check into the garage and take it from there. 

[Parkesie]

Most of those faults could be linked to a wheel speed sensor failing as they are interlinked systems that rely on the same sensors. Still worth checking the battery health as they can and do create an array of seemingly random faults even if the car still starts.

[Hyeung]

I agree that ABS, Traction and TPMS could all be related and linked to a single wheel speed sensor; this makes sense!

However, what confuses me is how the Parking Sensors and Power Steering warning could have any link to a wheel speed sensor? These other warnings also appeared at the sametime.

 

Hence my original question as to how these specific items could be related?

 

I had trouble finding a multi-meter this morning to check the voltages; and could only do a primitive check using my ctek trickle charger this morning. It showed red whilst idle out of a red, amber and green (red suggesting under 12.4v?). I'm not sure that test is reliable tbh.

Tried starting the car up again this morning without issue, but the lights still remain.

 

I've started doing a full trickle charge on the battery as we speak. Once its complete, i'll re-test the car start up and give things a drive to see if these faults clear up? Assuming i've got a recharged  battery, will the faults just clear or do i need to give the car a drive for a few minutes? Does anyone know?

 

 

[langers2k]

It's pretty hard to guess an exact problem based on a few dash lights as they cover so many different faults.

 

I'd certainly agree that a failing battery can give a multitude of seemingly random faults. It's also plausible that a bad ABS sensor could upset the ESP/ESC and cause the steering light to come on as the two systems are closely linked. As for the OPS issue, some versions rely on the ABS sensors to assist with self parking etc but low voltage seems more likely.

 

If you really want an accurate answer, you'll need to get the car connected to diagnostic equipment such as VCDS to read the fault codes.

 

It'll depend what faults have been stored to whether a drive with a fully charged battery clears the warning lights 

[Hyeung]

 

11 minutes ago, langers2k said:

It's pretty hard to guess an exact problem based on a few dash lights as they cover so many different faults.

 

I'd certainly agree that a failing battery can give a multitude of seemingly random faults. It's also plausible that a bad ABS sensor could upset the ESP/ESC and cause the steering light to come on as the two systems are closely linked. As for the OPS issue, some versions rely on the ABS sensors to assist with self parking etc but low voltage seems more likely.

 

If you really want an accurate answer, you'll need to get the car connected to diagnostic equipment such as VCDS to read the fault codes.

 

It'll depend what faults have been stored to whether a drive with a fully charged battery clears the warning lights 

 

Thanks for your input, and appreciate without the proper VCDS equipment its hard to guess the exact faults.

Hopefully once the car battery has had a full charge, this might help me rule out the issue of a low battery and shall see if these faults still appear.

Otherwise its suggesting something else (i.e sensor fault) which i'll need to get it into a garage for investigations.

 

 

 

 

[softscoop]

Have you got park assist, or just front and rear parking sensors?

 

Park assist uses data from the wheel speed sensors, as does tyre pressure monitor, ABS and ESP.

 

A faulty sensor or cable will stop all of those working.

 

If the battery has gone low, the power steering light would normally go off on its own after a few meters of driving, but with the ABS light on, it won't clear itself.

[J.R.]

15 minutes ago, Hyeung said:

 

 

 

Hopefully once the car battery has had a full charge, this might help me rule out the issue of a low battery and shall see if these faults still appear.

 

If as has been explained the EML's dont extinguish within a short while of driving then they will remain until read and cleared with VCDS or similar, its not a case of still appear by which I think you mean re-appear but of remaining.

 

I would charge the battery, invest in a cheap voltmeter, have a VCDS scan done, if all the fault codes are of a similar nature, failure to communicate or low supply voltage then you can be fairly secure that the start up with a discharged battery is to blame, using the voltmeter to monitor the standby voltage over a period you can decide whether to change the battery or simply keep an eye on it as I do and drive the car when the voltage iss getting low, I have an LED voltmeter mounted on the centre console that I can read from outside without waking up the canbus network which will give a false low reading.

[Hyeung]

18 minutes ago, softscoop said:

Have you got park assist, or just front and rear parking sensors?

 

Park assist uses data from the wheel speed sensors, as does tyre pressure monitor, ABS and ESP.

 

A faulty sensor or cable will stop all of those working.

 

If the battery has gone low, the power steering light would normally go off on its own after a few meters of driving, but with the ABS light on, it won't clear itself.

Yes I "do" have park assist as well as front/rear parking sensors. 

I did not realise that the park assist would use data from the wheel speed sensor. So if that's the case, it would certainly explain the relation to the other warnings i.e. a related wheel speed sensor.

 

For the Power Steering light, as mentioned I had driven the car x2 each for about 20-30mins. This did not make the steering light go off.

I have not tried doing a full lock side to side yet once startup (having found posts that this helps to reset/clear this?)

I'm still not entirely clear as to how the Power Steering would have any dependency on the ABS light being on thou?

 

 

6 minutes ago, J.R. said:

If as has been explained the EML's dont extinguish within a short while of driving then they will remain until read and cleared with VCDS or similar, its not a case of still appear by which I think you mean re-appear but of remaining.

 

I would charge the battery, invest in a cheap voltmeter, have a VCDS scan done, if all the fault codes are of a similar nature, failure to communicate or low supply voltage then you can be fairly secure that the start up with a discharged battery is to blame, using the voltmeter to monitor the standby voltage over a period you can decide whether to change the battery or simply keep an eye on it as I do and drive the car when the voltage iss getting low, I have an LED voltmeter mounted on the centre console that I can read from outside without waking up the canbus network which will give a false low reading.

 

Will report back once the battery is fully trickle charged and see what happens?

But based on recent feedback, it does now sound like the issue is more likely a wheel sensor fault that explains all the related warnings shown. Previously I was just not aware that Park Assist/Parking Sensors or the Power Steering had any relation to the other items ABS, TPMS, Traction etc.....so was more inclined to believe the cause would have been battery only.

Unfortunately  I don't have VCDS, so if there's no joy after charging then the car will need to be checked into dealer etc to investigate/fix.

 

Thanks for everyone's info..

 

 

 

 

[gumdrop]

Check your tyre pressures as well (cold) and if necessary equal them up and reset,

then thats another symptom causing item laid to rest

[langers2k]

Might be worth checking the VCDS owners list and map to see if there is anyone local?

 

An autoscan from VCDS takes a couple of minutes and will give you a much better idea of whether you actually need a garage or their diag fee!

[Cogra]

Had the same fault codes up.replaced battery still the same.My local independent soon diagnosed the fault as a faulty wheel speed sensor ,sensor replaced at approx £100 all ok

[Hyeung]

3 minutes ago, Cogra said:

Had the same fault codes up.replaced battery still the same.My local independent soon diagnosed the fault as a faulty wheel speed sensor ,sensor replaced at approx £100 all ok

 

Did you get the exact same codes including the PoweSteering and OpticalParking as well?

 

[Llanigraham]

When you do check the battery voltage remember it is the "resting" voltage you need to know, so don't check it until atleast 3 hours after disconnecting the charger or turning the ignition on. 

Anything below 12.3v means the battery is failing.

[Hyeung]

7 minutes ago, Llanigraham said:

When you do check the battery voltage remember it is the "resting" voltage you need to know, so don't check it until atleast 3 hours after disconnecting the charger or turning the ignition on. 

Anything below 12.3v means the battery is failing.

 

Did realise you had to wait hours before checking? But will keep that in mind now!

In the past I've just checked it after charging or certainly within 3 hrs from charging or turning the ignition on....

 

[Cogra]

Yes same fault codes other than optical parking my yeti does not have this.

[J.R.]

20 minutes is enough for it to go into sleep mode, no harm in leaving it longer to be sure, but what is far more important is making the necessary preparations to be able to measure it without waking up the systems, unlocking the door to open the bonnet is enough, it will not go back into sleep mode with the bonnet open.

 

A properly charged battery in good condition may show 12.3v if the vehicle systems are awake.

[Urrell]

4 hours ago, Hyeung said:

I was just not aware that Park Assist/Parking Sensors or the Power Steering had any relation to the other items ABS, TPMS, Traction etc.

It uses that to know exactly where it is when self parking.