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Faulty Electrics (immobiliser issue)

Bondiblu

Enthusiast
Mar 18, 2007
1,648
1
Cheshire
nice to see that there is still some success stories :D !!!

Mobo, pitty you weren't closer I would have lended a hand.
 

BigDave67

Guest
I've got the immobiliser problem, so it looks like its out with my dials for some re-soldering of pins 1 and 17. Is it best to disconnect the battery or can I just unplug the green connector from the dials?
 

Hargo

Active Member
Apr 28, 2010
32
0
North East
I resoldered mine 4 weeks ago following Bondiblu's excellent directions ( thank you :) )

Touch wood ( ! ) it's been ok since. I'd disconnect the battery first just to be safe.

Took me longer to actually remove the dials from the car and dissemble them than to do the soldering.

There's a place up here that charges £80-£120 to do the same thing. They reckon they've done loads.

If mine plays up again I've found a few places that will disable the factory immobiliser for around £90 and then get a separate aftermarket one fitted.

Cheers
Al
 

BigDave67

Guest
I've had my dials out and now have the airbag warning light on. Seems you get the airbag light if you don't disconnect the battery. Ther eis the green connector and a black connector going to the dials, I thought the black connector was in fully but it wasn't and it fell out after I powered up, now I have the airbag light on :( Did you get yours to clear? and if so was it a dealr or VAG com. I have a AG com but not sure its safe to scan the airbag. It's an 02 Ibiza 130 sport so I think it should be ok. I know there was some air bag controllers you shouldn't but these were on 2000 - 2001.
 

BigDave67

Guest
Yes! I did mine last night and took a picture. It was a pig to get the dials round the steering wheel to remove the cluster from the car. Also the bottom screws are star type, when the picture shows all as + , the two in the top of the surround are +. Here is a picture of the back of the dails, you have to remove this black back cover. It has screws and 4 clips, you need to remove the covers on the back of the side dials too as they have a bit that hooks over the main cover. You then lift the dials right out of the housing.
picture.php

Here is a picture of the green connector and how little room there is to solder the pins.
picture.php

The two to solder for the immobiliser coil are the pair nearest the green peg.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Feb 28, 2008
3,990
1
Scotland
^^^^just the trim around the cluster (the 2 screws you can see, then the trim has 2 clips below the cluster) then the cluster has about 4 screws, 2 plugs and you can remove it. and you don't even need to remove the steering wheel.

I had my bro's out twice and re-soldered all the pins on both the sockets, tinned the pins to make them shiny, re-soldered the gauges and still had the same intermittent problems. He went for a new cluster in the end and got small change from a monkey :(

how much was he charged for a new set of clocks and coding?

I resoldered mine 4 weeks ago following Bondiblu's excellent directions ( thank you :) )

Touch wood ( ! ) it's been ok since. I'd disconnect the battery first just to be safe.

Took me longer to actually remove the dials from the car and dissemble them than to do the soldering.

There's a place up here that charges £80-£120 to do the same thing. They reckon they've done loads.

If mine plays up again I've found a few places that will disable the factory immobiliser for around £90 and then get a separate aftermarket one fitted.

Cheers
Al

what place will do this for you??
 

Hargo

Active Member
Apr 28, 2010
32
0
North East
Hi Scott,

The place that will fix it is pdtuning.co.uk

They seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and said they had done a lot. Said they've seen some with cracked boards which is why there isn't a set price as it depends on what they needed to fix.

The place that will disable the factory immobiliser is turnerautomotive.co.uk

However it seems to depend on who you speak to whether they tell you it can be disabled or not. PD said it couldn't and Turner said it could. I'd be more inclined to believe Turner though.

I got a quote a few weeks ago from Seat for a new panel and it worked out at just under £500 fitted with the keys recoded. That's exchange though so you're not getting a brand new panel by the sound of it although I could be wrong. I asked about a guarantee and they said the parts came with a 2 year warranty

Cheers
Al
 

Hargo

Active Member
Apr 28, 2010
32
0
North East
PD Tuning is in Boldon, South Tyneside and Turner Automotive is in St Albans but there is a place is Hexham that can disable the immobiliser too but he didn't sound very keen about doing it for some reason ....... :confused:

Cheers
Al
 

Mobo

Active Member
Jan 20, 2010
328
4
West midlands
Finaly got round to fixing it but put to much solder on 1 of the joints
all is working well now so hopefully it still works as long as i have the car
 

bald_eagle

yeah its blue but i like
Mar 25, 2007
528
1
Hi Scott,



The place that will disable the factory immobiliser is turnerautomotive.co.uk

However it seems to depend on who you speak to whether they tell you it can be disabled or not. PD said it couldn't and Turner said it could. I'd be more inclined to believe Turner though.


Cheers
Al

well Turner is correct,i know for sure because mine is disabled.
 

baashaa69

Guest
do you have to solder all the joints or just the speedo and fuel gauge ones as mine ahs the fault fuel gauge thing going on and the speedo not working
 

Bondiblu

Enthusiast
Mar 18, 2007
1,648
1
Cheshire
do you have to solder all the joints or just the speedo and fuel gauge ones as mine ahs the fault fuel gauge thing going on and the speedo not working

It is better to resolder them all, as dry joints are not always visible, and you can possibly avoid having to remove the cluster again in the future.
 

tetsukobushi

Active Member
Jul 16, 2010
79
0
Big Dave...
Did you manage to get rind of the airbag light?? I have re-soldered but now I have the airbag light on. Can I get rid of this with Vag-com?? or did you do it some other way??
 

BigDave67

Guest
Yes I got rid of it with the VAG com. VAG com instructions warn agains scanning aibags on some vehicles of a certain age. I don't have the instructions to check but my car is a 2002 model and that was safe to scan. I was then able to clear the warning.
 

H1JJY

Active Member
Apr 29, 2010
85
0
Rochdale NW
Sounds like mine on the slope into the clock hell.

The immobilisers as been playing up for a bit. takes 2 or 3 goes to start then fine for a few days and the does it again.

But now the temp keeps dropping. so mite have to find that place as i am crap with a iron
 

Bondiblu

Enthusiast
Mar 18, 2007
1,648
1
Cheshire
Sounds like mine on the slope into the clock hell.

The immobilisers as been playing up for a bit. takes 2 or 3 goes to start then fine for a few days and the does it again.

But now the temp keeps dropping. so mite have to find that place as i am crap with a iron

Yip, those are the common starting symptoms.... A few people have successfully DIY repaired this, might be able to find someone close to you willing to help. Where abouts are you???
 

cowtc

Guest
I think I have this same issue, happened yesterday for first I've had the car (over 1year), imobilizer light was flashing and when I started the engine it auto switched off. I gave it half hour rest (also changed my key battery although I know this didn't make a difference), car started fine not flashing immobiliser light. I just happen to have washed the car and it was the first hot sunny day of the year.

I think I'm going to have to try this method if it happens again unfortunately I have not experience with soldering :/
 
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