E320CDi Electrical woes

[HiTowerUK]

I have a 2003 E320CDi with 90K on the clock. After about 30 miles of driving from cold start, I get the following display messages:

Display Failure - Visit Workshop
SRS failure - Visit Workshop
Red battery graphic and Visit Workshop

This is accompanied by a variety of electrical problems. First time it happened the aircon fan speed was going up and down along with the indicator leds. The SRS Led and the brakes led flash intermittently. When using the the indicators, they flash completly irregulalry.

Yesterday, whilst on the M4, the nearside headlight and sidelights were flashing in a completely random manner. I discovered this when I got home and was putting the car in my garage.

The car has been to my local dealer 3 times now and in fairness, they have been great, but they cant find what's wrong! On Friday, they changed the gateway controller and that didn't fix it.

Does anyone have any clues as to what might be causing this. My car is effectively undriveable for more than a few miles.

Regards
Roger

 

[television]

Hi Rodger, I will have a look and think during the day and post back on your problems. Just out of interest is it worse if it has been raining

 

[HiTowerUK]

Hi Malcolm. The weather makes no difference at all. It happens everytime I go out but the quickest was after about 12 miles and the longest after about 65 miles.

As an afterthought, if I switch off the ignition and then immediately switch it on again, the faults remain. If I switch off the ignition, remove the key and leave it off for about 5 minutes, the display reads "No Malfunction" but then all the faults return, one after another within about 2 minutes. If I switch off the ignition and leave the car for at least half an hour, the faults dissapear and dont seem to come back until I have driven some distance again. Sounds like possibly a temperature related problem perhaps?

 

[television]

OK thank you for that at least one can forget water in the units, it sounds harder by the minute

 

[jonathanjhann]

there is an extra battery under the bonnet you should check 1st, this supplies the on board voltage, which with sbc requires about 14v.
If this is at the required voltage and being charged, it sounds like a typical instrument cluster failure.
Best and only way is to connect diag tester and check for can communication faults at the cluster.

 

[television]

there is an extra battery under the bonnet you should check 1st, this supplies the on board voltage, which with sbc requires about 14v.
If this is at the required voltage and being charged, it sounds like a typical instrument cluster failure.
Best and only way is to connect diag tester and check for can communication faults at the cluster.

Yes most faults are still basic, if this battery is partial short circuit it can pull down the running voltage

 

[HiTowerUK]

Thanks guys. I will take a copy of your suggestions with me to the Dealer tomorrow.