Hi everyone,

 

I’ve just hit a bump in the road with my 2011 Fabia Mk II 1.2tsi. 
 

Wife got home from work last night and tried to lock the car - nothing happened with the remote. I went to investigate and the brake lights, front wipers (not rear), air con, elec windows and a few other things were not working.

 

RAC came out today and the guy said it was the Body Control Module and promptly ‘whacked it’ and everything started working again. Said it must be a dodgy connection.

 

Is the BCM repairable/replaceable?

 

Cost?

 

Can it be a DIY job?

 

Any thoughts are welcomed. TIA!

yes its replacable, but you need to "copy" the config from your unit to then copy it to the new one, doing this will require dealer diagnostic tools or VCDS  or similar.

 

My question would be, "if" a whack has fixed it and its a dodgy connection, it may well be worth disconnecting the battery, then unplugging the BCM completely, having a nosy at the plugs for condition, if all appears well then reconnect and see how it goes.

It is entirely possible that the connection to 1 or a few pins has been "broken" / dislodged after its been plugged in for over 10 years in a car enviroment with vibration, bumps and bangs etc etc, so definitely worth a try imo.

Edited 24 October, 20223 yr by UrbanPanzer

Thanks UP, that confirms what I thought.

 

Now I need to find a good guide about how to find and remove the BCM and give it a good once over.

 

The 'whack' has held up so far with no issues which makes me more comfortable with the 'dislodged' theory.

 

Any ideas on the best method for removing the BCM?

 Until someone comes along with a Fabia specific write up, the below is the method of BCM swap on a Polo which while not necessarily the same may assist in identifying why you need to match part number, and suggests that this is not something to be taken lightly. As UrbanPanzer has pointed out, a thorough review of your existing unit should be your starting point, maybe even resorting to suing electrical contact cleaner on the plugs and sockets.

VW Polo DIY: Upgrading the BCM (Body Control Module) - Team-BHP

I have just replaced the BCM on my daughter’s FII. It is o.k. To access under the driver dash. Remove the trim, which is only propped in under the dash. When you look up towards the right you will see a 15 x 5 cm “box” upright. It is held in with 2 pegs at the bottom. Pull the bottom towards the front and then it will slide down a little. Not sure which BCM you have on a 2011 Fabia. You might either have 3 - I think - large connectors to remove or 2 rows of 8 or 9 smaller connectors. This is fiddly.

Then it will slide out down. The connectors all have a tab that you have to press.

 

But as said above save the coding.

On 24/10/2022 at 19:10, UrbanPanzer said:

you need to "copy" the config from your unit to then copy it to the new one, doing this will require dealer diagnostic tools or VCDS  or similar.

 

OK, as someone who has passable IT tech skills, but never entered the Venn diagram of IT & cars, is this something that can only be done by a garage/someone with a very specific bit of kit..? 

I'm increasingly leaning towards BCM as the source of my haunted electrics. As well as a couple of actual broken things I'm working through. 

You can try and find someone with a VCDS or similar near you through the Briskoda site and get the car autoscaned.

2 hours ago, 26DIPP said:

You can try and find someone with a VCDS or similar near you through the Briskoda site and get the car autoscaned.

Out of curiosity I searched for budget ones and I’m still picking myself up off the floor at the prices 😱

Where are you in the UK ?