Hey guys, ready for an essay?
We shall begin at the start. My Ford Fiesta 2006 1.6 Zetec diesel car broke down on me on the 23rd Dec last year. The car wouldn't turnover at all. The AA came out and suspected the cause to be a shorted out or faulty battery. The guy tested it on site, and concluded that it might be the starter motor having found that the battery was fine when tested.
My car was then towed to a garage [Autosave] used by the AA near to my home. They then checked the starter motor and found it to be ok - no feed from the starter motor and immobiliser light permanently on. They carried out a diagnostic scan and fault codes stored for: lost communication with electronic module, immobiliser module com fault, lost communication with instrument cluster, camshaft sensor performance bank 1, ecu defective.
They re-programmed the key - no difference suspect ECU fault.
Autosave then recovered the car to Swansons Ford for further investigation - found main power control module failed. They removed ECU, instrument cluster and key, and sent off for testing at BBA reman. After minimal repair to dry solder joints the ecu and instrument cluster were both bench tested and appeared ok. When sent back Autosave they installed them back in the car and it would still not run.
Ford stated that the only way the vehicle would run would be if the main ecu and instrument cluster were replaced with new and coded to the car.
Autosave then started going through wiring loom again and recommended the next stage to be to have a good auto electrician go right through the car or to carry out repairs as per Ford recommendation.
We gave up on Autosave and had the car towed to another local company who specialise in Auto Diagnostics. They carried out extensive diagnostics and wiring checks. They found the immobiliser signal to be not processed by engine control unit. The instrument cluster had no error codes. The engine control unit/PATS module was showing immobiliser signal error. The keys were reprogrammed with incode calculator. The instrument cluster and engine control unit were reprogrammed. They sent the engine ecu and cluster for testing. There appeared to be a fault with both but unable to determine which.
They have now suggested that a battery short/spike or polarity reverse has taken place.
This second garage has advised to replace the full set of parts; ECU, cluster, key reader and GEMS unit, and to re-program both keys. They have advised that a Ford IDS would be required to program the new electronic components.
They informed me that model year 2006.5 had 4 wiring loom changes so 2nd hand units have to be an exact match or electrical damage will occur.
I would like advice please guys on where to go from here. I have had to have the car towed back to my house as I certainly cannot afford a complete new set of parts, and if a new set IS in fact required, it will take a while to source the whole set.
Many thanks in advance.
