xsara Picasso faults

[finaldj]

It's not new they said it would cost £900 to get a new one from main dealer. What they said was they looked on the internet found one that matches our ecu serial no £600 etc. So sent ours down to the company in Plymouth to get the data from it and put it onto this other one.

 

Wife asked what kind of warranty she had on this and could she have a copy of the receipt for our records. He said he didnt have a receipt as it was a like for like swap and he didn't know what warranty it had.

[scaniaman]

There is a set procedure for disconnecting and reconnecting a Picasso battery. If this is not followed you can have trouble.

Suggest you post on the Picasso owners website where there is plenty advice. Also, has car never been checked by a Citroën dealer or someone with a Lexus computer??

 

 

citroenpicasso.org.uk

[rebel11]

The Goods and Services Act 1982 applies:-

 

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/supply-of-goods-and-services-act-1982

[angrycrow]

Here is the correct proceedure for reconnecting the battery, it appears the the garage failed to follow this process resulting in damage to your ecu.

 

"PROCEDURE FOR BATTERY RECONNECTION

Unless otherwise instructed by Product Service, you must always

carry out the following procedure, often referred to as a "soft re-boot", to

minimise the possibility of the BSi corrupting its own software when

reconnecting the vehicles battery supply.

Ensure the procedure for battery disconnection has been adhered to and

importantly all BSi functions were switched off with the drivers window left

down.

1 Close all doors

2 Remove ignition key if left in ignition

3 Reconnect battery. DO NOT open any doors

4 Wait 10 seconds

5 Switch on headlights through the drivers window (you will hear a "bong") (note: Snap-on says Side-lights)

6 Switch on ignition then start the vehicle and check system functions

 

NOTE: Upon reconnection, if any vehicle function controlled by the BSi i.e .

interior light is switched on,the internal operation of the BSi has the potential

to spike or corrupt its configuration and software program"

 

Likely you have already checked this but make sure the factory fit stereo if present still works. The stereos are coded to the cars vin number through the link up to the ecu. As a result changing the ecu or stereo can cause the stereo to throw up a coding error and stop working.

[rebel11]

Have you paid for the 'service' yet?

[finaldj]

Sorry for the delay......I've had the service they did the service and the clutch then buggered up the ecu during this time. They replaced the ecu took 2 weeksand 24 hrs after getting the car back the engine fault light keeps coming on then it might go off for a few days then come back on again.

 

They said that sometimes after a service this can happen...so they hooked the computer up and it was saying engine coil. So they changed it and it was still doing it so they changed it for another one and its still doing it. They now think it's either the wiring, sensor or faulty ecu they put in. So carbis going back to them this Wednesday and letting anothet garage that can deal with it look at the car.

 

For the service and clutch it was £500 they threw in a free tire they said needed replacing for the inconvenience but then charged me £48 for the coil pack so i ended up no better off.

[rebel11]

How did you pay for the service? Credit Card?

 

What date did you pay?

[finaldj]

I paid for the service by credit card around 1st week of November this year?

[rebel11]

Contact your Card Provider ask if you can carry out a Section 75 claim. The card company will play 'hardball', but persist.

 

Follow up with an amended template, send it Recorded Delivery. Send all the evidence you have with the letter to your Card Provider, receipts etc.

 

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/section-75-of-the-consumer-credit-act

 

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/consumer_e/consumer_different_ways_of_buying_e/consumer_buying_goods_and_services_on_credit_or_by_debit_card_e/consumer_extra_protection_when_you_buy_on_credit_or_debit_card_e/consumer_credit_act_1974_-_section_75.htm

 

I paid for the service by credit card around 1st week of November this year?

[finaldj]

Sorry I'm confused why would I claim back for the service I had done on the car?

[rebel11]

Claim for 'Consequential losses', the additional expense due to the fact that the garage has messed up.

 

Sorry I'm confused why would I claim back for the service I had done on the car?

[finaldj]

Thought i might add to this post with the misery of this car...decided to put it through an mot early 10 month mark...

 

Failed on track rod end ball joint has excessive play, front anti roll bar linkage has excessive play and a brake light out...nice not much then.

 

 

Then i get all these advisery items 8 intotal a few not worth posting.

 

Exhaust slight blow at rear

 

Clutch/gearbox noisy

 

Engine vibration

 

Engine oil leak

 

Nearside sill distorted at rear

 

 

Just wondering with so many problems with car since buying last year we decided to put it in for the mot early just hoping there wasn't any big problems.

 

Does anyone think i have to worry about the advisory stuff been expensive we had a new exhaust fitted in august last year and a new clutch fitted October last year so unless the gearbox is on it's way out?

 

Same with the engine vibration not even sure if that's a problem or not?

[Billy's mate]

Apart from the exhaust blow, none of the other items would cause an m.o.t failure. Most engines leak oil to some degree. I'm guessing your car is a diesel, because they tend to vibrate more than petrol engines. If you've had work done on the clutch and exhaust, take it back to the garage, as these items should be covered under their warranty.

[finaldj]

Thanks for replying.

 

It's a 57 plate 1.6 petrol.

 

Going to get the failed bits done next week. So when it goes back in for re-test will ask them to be more specific with the engine vibration and clutch /gearbox noise.

[finaldj]

Just an update on this. Motosave have passed the car onto another garage with more knowledge how to fix the car. They hooked the car upto their diognostic equipment so they could see the codes. Wife mentioned that it picked up the coil pack, a couple of sensors and something to do with the clutch but didn't seem bothered about that.

 

They said they think it could be the wire running from the coil pack to the ecu that's damaged. Failing that it could either be a damaged ecu. the car has a steering rack leak. Not a bad one i don't think but the last owners had the sensor capped off and they think that when the new ecu was put in it wasn't programmed to ignore some of the codes like the old one.

 

I did ask motosave if the new ecu had any guarantee and they said they weren't sure as it was a like for like swap. Which i would have assumed if they had taken the data off the old unit for this other one then there shouldn't have been any faults.

 

So the car is booked in for the 16th of this month at motosaves cost to get fixed if fixable.

[Conniff]

Are you saying the engine vibration and clutch/gearbox noise was on an MoT advisory ??

[Conniff]

This is pushing 5 months now. If this next attempt at fixing it fails, take it to the dealer and get a proper diagnostic and price for fixing then you can talk to Motosave with authority.

[labrat]

Failed on track rod end ball joint has excessive play, front anti roll bar linkage has excessive play and a brake light out...nice not much then.

 

Exhaust slight blow at rear

Clutch/gearbox noisy

Engine vibration

Engine oil leak

Nearside sill distorted at rear

 

brake lights a couple of quid at most - try your local auto factors and its more like 60p

track rod ends are about £12 a pair and about 45min each side to self fit, i recommend a dremel and blowtorch as optional extra

oil leak is quite common, if you can get under the car check the drain bolt on the bottom of the sump, the copper washer goes and is a common leak point

exhaust leak could be one of 2 fixes, putty will probably get it through MOT to repair later or if you know someone with a welder ask nicely and they may be able to patch it

nearside sill distorted could mean that its starting to corrode, again a welder will patch no issues

 

we had a friends xsara picasso up on stands for a couple of days, in two days we did anti-roll bars, track rods, pads and disks, welding to exhaust, lights, lower suspension arms, oil, filters and various other small works - garage quoted nearly £600 all in all with parts costs we managed to do it for £150ish

[finaldj]

Thanks, if i was any good with cars i would have done it myself unfortunately i don't know how to so kwik fit did the work today for £140.

 

As for the mot advisory then yeah it was down for the clutch/gear box noise and engine vibration.

. I asked them to be a bit more specific and he couldn't be othet than been some noise.

 

The gear knob clicks whan changing certain gears which we googled after getting the car last year. But it's pretty common for it to do that apparently so if the guy is picking that up nothing to worry about

[finaldj]

Yeah i might do that actually i wasn't sure what my next steps would be if they can't solve the problem.

[finaldj]

well the car has been looked at by the garage and they have said there is nothing wrong with the wire leading from the coil pack to the ECU and they have checked all the wires and they are fine. the only things they can find are there is a sensor for the clutch pedal that some models of picasso have and it's picking up a fault with that and there is a plugged sensor from the power steering that's been capped off that they said the ECU is picking up.

 

They said in order to possibly get rid of the sensor warnings would be put new sensors in but they said that it might not work they weren't sure. The sensor for the power steering had already been capped off when we got the car last May which Motorsave said when we went in for a service in October that there was a small leak from the power steering rack which the last owners must have had the sensor capped off and the ECU told to ignore it. So there was no ECU problems right up until Motosave buggering it up in October.

 

The garage have said inlight of the coil pack coming up as a fault in the ECU codes suggests to them that the ECU is faulty and nothing is wrong with the coil pack or the wires leading to the ECU. My wife has been incontact with Motosave today to discuss the next option as the garage had told motosave the problem.

 

The manager has said that he needs a couple of days to look for another ECU (recon) one that matches ours so that he can get it programmed. so far he has looked on Ebay and a few other places but no luck at the moment. the other garage has said he was moaning at them because the cost so far has cost Motosave £1000.

 

Wife is going to contact MS HQ tomorrow as this has been going on too long and not happy about getting another 2nd hand ECU installed and is really confused as to why this ECU had no guarantees if faulty that Motosave have to buy another one with no guarantees.

 

The garage that looked at the car said that even another ECU might come up with the same faults as the other one due to the sensors on the car. Wife asked how come the other one was fine then with these faults and they said it was probably programmed to ignore them and this other one wasn't but they couldn't say for sure.

 

It's cost us £127 for a rental car Mon-fri this week while our car was in getting looked at because motosave assured us that this garage had a courtesy car, which they did but failed to tell us that it had to be put on our insurance not theirs and it would have cost more to do that than higher a car for a week.

 

What do you think our next step should be? let MS try and sort the problem out with another 2nd hand ECU (thats when he finds one) Ask for a new ECU from main dealer? or just take it court?

[Conniff]

What garage, the official dealer ??

 

 

well the car has been looked at by the garage ...

[finaldj]

No it's just a back street garage that can do more work on cars than the likes of motosave. I'm assuming it was sent their because they know more about ecu faults/electrics. They will be doing the work once this other ecu comes in motosave said they won't touch the car now.

 

Probably trying to lay blame and work on this other garage now if this other ecu doesn't work

[Conniff]

So you haven't taken it to the main dealer to find the real cause of the problems.

 

There is no maybe it's the sensor, if the sensor is duff that will show up and if it's not then there is a problem with the engine part that it is monitoring.

 

You are letting them take control over you and the problem will never get sorted by amateurs without the proper tools.

[finaldj]

Here is the latest update from motosave...

 

They have called this morning to say the the garage looking at the car are taking the ECU our of it today and sending it to Sheffield for a company to look at to see if it's faulty and they can't see it coming back till at least Friday next week. I asked them what if the ECU doesn't come back with any faults but the garage looking at the coil pack and wires that this ECU is picking up as a fault say nothing wrong with it where do we go from here. I said the manager of Motosave told us yesterday that he was sourcing another ECU but today you are telling me you are getting the current one looked at for faults first.

 

This other Guy from Motosave couldn't say as the manager just left him a message to call us and update us. My wife is emailing the HQ of Motosave as we've hired a car for the week while ours was in at a cost of £147 because they didn't tell us till the day we dropped our car off that their courtesy car has to be put on our insurance and when we called it worked out more expensive to do that so ended up hiring a car. We are now going to have to extend the hire of this car till friday next week with no guarantee that this ECU will be back for friday and it's going to cost us another £200 that's £347 we are out of pocket so far and might have to hire the car for longer.

 

I'm going to try and claim back the costs from Motosave as we have a baby as well so getting to work and her to nursery is going to be difficult without a car.

 

I apprectiate the advice given so far though.

 

At what point do you think I should say to Motosave I've had enough take it to a main dealer to get them to look at the car?