1 hour ago, Breezy_Pete said:

It's a dummy sensor, pull it out of diff and you'll see. ABS wheel speed sensors do the job on your car.

Yes it pulls off quite easy, but it is wired up. Hall effect sensor surely?  But anyway, can’t see its related. 

Edited 11 June, 20232 yr by Bmwdumptruck

Just somewhere to plug the loom connector so they didn't have to revise the loom when they changed to using ABS system, at a guess.

So I’m pondering the idea of getting a SH ecu to try. I’ve found one on ebay for £22 thats the right part no.  
Does anyone know if its a straight plug n play thing or if we’d end up involved in all sorts of programming to match to the keys and anything else on the car? 

Might sound daft but have you checked that the brake servo hose hasn't become detached and open to atmosphere following the cattle grid?

Think another ECU might throw immo system, but it might start and run for a few seconds before cutting out due to that. Could be informative?

Edited 12 June, 20232 yr by Breezy_Pete

There are cracks in the hose where they swage over fittings. Having had that issue on our first Sharan it’s something I’m aware of, and had planned to look at if we get her running again!  I Guess I should go tape the splits up just in case, although they’re not that bad. With all the searching a prodding around them they’ve not come apart or fallen off. But I will check again.

Edited 12 June, 20232 yr by Bmwdumptruck

21 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Think another ECU might throw immo system, but it might start and run for a few seconds before cutting out due to that. Could be informative?

 

At only £22 its worth a punt although I very much doubt it is the problem.

5 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

At only £22 its worth a punt although I very much doubt it is the problem.

Clutching at strawers now.  Can’t get my head round why the Throttle body test moves the throttle to various positions, but the pedal doesn’t. We’re not even getting any fault codes now!  
I’ve just read about another box of tricks under the dash above the pedals. Is it as likely to be in that one maybe? 
Wifes got her eye on another near identical car thats not far away.  Much lower miles and mot’d for a year. We could try swapping all manner of parts over.

That would cost us £12-1300 to buy, plus insurance plus tax etc, and we end up with another car out front. Already got my old Astra with a dead turbo waiting for my attention!! 

Edited 12 June, 20232 yr by Bmwdumptruck

The box above pedals  is mainly controlling body functions like wipers, rear screen heater, interior lights, horn etc. It does coexist on the same circuitboard with the CAN gateway though.

Just done a compression test and we’ve one very low at around 50-70 pound. Rest are all 150-170.  But, it would run at that, just roughly. Ordered a spark tester, but it wont come till tomorrow, that’s tomorrow nights tests. 

Unreassuring. 🙁

So I’ve been messaging a vw tech guy on a vw forum and he’s now suggesting the cranking speed is too low meaning the crank sensor is failing.  Apparently it’s one fault that doesn’t show a code!!  Pretty sure thats behind the flywheel, so a gearbox out job.  The clutch is well worn so we’d have to replace all that too before finding out if a new sensor works.  Could be a whole new bundle of money and time and effort for nothing.  

3 minutes ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

So I’ve been messaging a vw tech guy on a vw forum and he’s now suggesting the cranking speed is too low meaning the crank sensor is failing.  

 

That is bizarre. The crank sensor has nothing to do with cranking speed.

19 minutes ago, TMB said:

 

That is bizarre. The crank sensor has nothing to do with cranking speed.

It shows up in the measuring blocks in vcds. We’re only getting about 127 revs on the starter which aparently is half what we should have. Doesn’t sound any slower than usual, so I guess the suggestion is its saying it’s too slow to cause the next stage of ignition to happen.  Need to get out and double check the cranking speed and to try the new spark tester that arrived yesterday to see if we’re getting any spark. 

Edited 14 June, 20232 yr by Bmwdumptruck

1 minute ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

We’re only getting about 127 revs on the starter which aparently is half what we should have.

 

Yeah but that's nothing to do with the crank sensor, all it does is measure the crankshaft rotation speed. Slow cranking is to do with starter motor/battery/bad connections.

Just now, TMB said:

 

Yeah but that's nothing to do with the crank sensor, all it does is measure the crankshaft rotation speed. Slow cranking is to do with starter motor/battery/bad connections.

But it’s not cranking slowly. It sounds fine, same as it always has. What’s being suggested is the sensor is lieing, giving false info. 

Oh, I kind of see what you are saying, that you think the crank sensor might be reporting a slower speed than actual? I doubt that very much tbh.

Edited 14 June, 20232 yr by TMB

If the sensor is kidding the ECU into thinking cranking is too slow, that could be the issue.

I'm near certain that you can change the crank sensor without removing gearbox, will see if I can dig up instructions. Or ask your VW guy? Not Crasher is it? He's on here too.

You certainly can change the crank sensor without removing the gearbox but you need to get right under the front of the car to get at it.

 

Edit: I did try flagging the CPS ten days ago but it got buried under the dogpile.

Edited 14 June, 20232 yr by sepulchrave

Actually, not so sure now I've looked at some workshop manuals. Would be odd if it can't. Are you saying you've done one on an AUB sep?

Edited 14 June, 20232 yr by Breezy_Pete

Would the BKY engine be the same?

 

Reckon so, top work Lee.

Yes it's the same engine core, I didn't change mine but I saw where it was when I was under it and I've done a few on other vehicles that were even harder to get at, the Jeep CRD was probably the toughest, had to do it completely blind due to the location.

1 hour ago, sepulchrave said:

You certainly can change the crank sensor without removing the gearbox but you need to get right under the front of the car to get at it.

 

Edit: I did try flagging the CPS ten days ago but it got buried under the dogpile.

We did see your suggestion, and did what we could to test it.  Once we found it we disconnected it, cranked engine over and read the fault codes and it flagged up a faulty sensor.  Reconnected and erased faults, cranked over again and no more fault. From that we assumed it was ok. But that of course doesn’t check it’s giving correct info.  
 

Be good if it can be done from underneath, but the wire disappears through a big grommit into the area behind the flywheel.  So I’m guessing it’s part of the crank oil seal like the one we had on old 09 Sharan 2.0tdi.  

1 hour ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

But it’s not cranking slowly. It sounds fine, same as it always has. What’s being suggested is the sensor is lieing, giving false info. 

 

I used to have a Signum (like a Vectra but better) and cranking sounded just fine on a new battery or being jumped. A new starter, a weak point on the diesels, cured it.

 

Have you tried some Start Ya Bastid (aka easystart)?

53 minutes ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

We did see your suggestion, and did what we could to test it.  Once we found it we disconnected it, cranked engine over and read the fault codes and it flagged up a faulty sensor.  Reconnected and erased faults, cranked over again and no more fault. From that we assumed it was ok. But that of course doesn’t check it’s giving correct info.  
 

Be good if it can be done from underneath, but the wire disappears through a big grommit into the area behind the flywheel.  So I’m guessing it’s part of the crank oil seal like the one we had on old 09 Sharan 2.0tdi.  

 

It's not, it's extremely inaccessible but it can be done, there's a geezer on YouTube who does it from the top by removing all the inlet manifolding etc.

 

You may be able to do it from underneath by removing the starter motor which is how I spotted it, I guess it depends how high you can get the front, I had fully extended axle stands under both consoles.