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EML ETC and codes- P0600 P0426 P0562 U1008 and in Limp Mode

15K views 25 replies 3 participants last post by  Spacemonkey 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi Guys!

First problem on the car dammit. 57 plate (2007/9) CRD. Bought it couple of months back with 134k miles, now got 143k. It was freshly-ish serviced, but did it again within a week or two to be sure using correct oil etc, and I was due to do it again any time soon. Car has ran like a dream and I regularly sing its praises to anyone who'll listen. Only probs so far has been a slow puncture which I fixed, ARB bushes (now polys) and droplinks replaced and clonking gone. Bit of play in the lower control arm bushes so due to be changed next week. Rear left tyre pressure thingy often reads 0bar then after a few meters driving comes up fine. First weekend I had it I had it ticking over for ages while I played around with things, then plugged in my tyre compressor pump to the cubby box socket which then ran incredibly slowly and flattened my battery! After panicking that car was shagged, I turned it off and used my van to 'fast charge' my battery via jump leads for about 15 mins, then restarted it with no problems at all. Had battery and alternator checked and both fine so assumed compressor shagged. New compressor runs fine straight off the battery. Bear with me though...

Ok, so couple of days ago and it's -6c outside. Car warming up while I scrape the windows as usual. Nothing different... get inside and plug my phone into the charger that's connected in the same arm rest cubby charger socket. Car hiccups and goes a bit lumpy. I rev it slightly to clear it and something slightly judders and the EML light comes on closely followed by it's best friend the ETC light. Bugger. Try the old trick of turning the car on and off (yes I had unplugged the charger just in case). No change. Drive down the road and it's obviously in limp mode and ever so slightly rough instead of silky smooth. Go home and get the van out instead....

At night I read the fault codes on my Torque Pro app and it rads thus:

(IN RED)
CURRENT FAULT! P0600 - Powertrain
Serial Communication Link

(REST IN GREY)
P0426 - Powertrain
Catalyst Temperature Sensor Range/Performance (Bank1)

P0562 - Powertrain
System Voltage Low

U1008 - Network
Tap 'Web' For More Information



I spent the rest of the night (thank god for a nasty cough and insomnia) researching the net and to be honest, it didn;t help a lot, except to discover the resistor mod in case it is swirl motor connected. But the codes don't add up to that I think. I have resistors just in case though... Also to be safe, I bought a new guaranteed for life battery to dump in the boot so should eliminate any battery erros and the EVIC shows the alternator is still working as it should. My local Jeep dealer (Westover Jeep, Christchurch) is literally just down the road so popped in for a chat. They said their diagnostics charge is £84 plus vat so not too bad I guess. Could be worse. But we'll see. We found the CAT temp sensor in question thanks to a post on here somewhere and hopefuly I can pick it up tomorrow. £115 inclusive. My local garage I use (Tyreland, Somerford, Christchurch who I totally and utterly recommend) has offered to do the job for me as I don't fancy crawling under the car in this weather, or just to let me use one of their lifts if their busy, so fingers crossed I can fit that tomorrow, if not it'll be Tuesday. The battery didn't change any of the codes and lights went out for a second or two but came back. I did have a battery connected up front to maintain supply while battery removed. While I was there I checked my turbo inlet pipe, and although the turbo is a bit dirty with oil mist it is not bad and I have a black uprated seal. So I doubt if it is the swirl but will try the mod if the sensor doesn;t do it. Alternator looks clean but I should hurry and do the cover mod.

Anyway, Chrysler mech says one code relates, possibly, to the Glow PLug module not being connected properly (LINBUS) and he says that when the bumpers are removed there is a bit of the loom that can get disturbed and then wear through like on the air con pipes inside the bay (which are fine btw) and this can cause the same problem. Hmm.. I have a Bentley style grille on there so that's a thought to chase up.



So, any other ideas from y'all? Tomorrow I shall hopefully change the temp sensor and have a really good look at the wiring around the air con pipe, Glow module and if I can manage it- behind the bumper. Are they easy to remove on these beasts? If none of that cures it I'l try the resistor swirl mod.


Oh, and before all this it ran sweet as a nut and went like stink. I commute 200 miles or more a day which is 20% country A roads, 75% Motorway (or near as dammit) and then a final fling getting into the outskirts of Oxford. My Evic shows 49mpg average if I reset the thing once cruise is set at 55mph. At 60mph I'll get 47mpg. At 75 I get 42mpg. My last fill was brim to brim and had a lot of town work and calculated it at 38mpg. So that sounds ok to me considering... Ok, I spend a bit more on fuel than my little Alfa did but I'm saving on chiropractor's fees each month as now I can get out after 3.5 hours solid driving without any aches and pains form my bad back and iffy knees. Absolutely love the car. Except now I want a Bentley Flying Spur. And a decent LPG kit... >:D
 
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#2 ·
Well the parts department closed at 12.30 and no call so guess that's not gonna happen this weekend. Had a closer inspection of the wiring and founf the wires had worn through on the aircon pipe section. But luckily only one wire had the actual copper exposed- the rest unmarked- so caught just in time. Insulated it, then wrapped some hard plastic sheet around it then insulated further and refitted. Put some old rubber hose on the air con pipes so hopefully it won't happen again. Didn't fix anything though. Dammit...
 

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#4 ·
Won't that wipe all my settings in the car? That's why I used a second battery up front to maintain 12v while swapping in the new battery in the boot.

If so, what settings will it wipe?

Also, are there any other areas the loom can rub through? I've spent hours searching this seite and only the aircon pipe are get's mentioned, although countless pipes say that there are many areas but I cannot find any posts that mention specific areas!
 
#5 ·
It will reset everything including the PCM, which is the intent. Any memory settings for seats, mirrors, etc...will be gone. Radio settings will survive if you have an OEM radio.

Sorry but I have no idea on what CRD-specific faults may be at play here.

However, here is more info on the codes you posted:

P0600 - This code indicates a malfunction in the wiring link between the electronic control module (ECM) and one of its supporting control modules. On board diagnostics (OBD) trouble code P0600 is generic by design and encompasses all computer-controlled vehicles.

Your vehicle's ECM or powertrain control module (PCM) has lost its control over one or more actuator modules. Most vehicles have as many as 18 actuators that the primary ECM controls. It does so through a controller area network (Can Bus Automotive Network), which is a series of wiring harnesses from the ECM to the controllers. The controllers operated by the ECM, known as modules, control the majority of the functions of your vehicle. The code P0600 was set when the ECM recognized a loss of communication and control over one or more of these modules for eight consecutive starts.

So bottom line the PCM is not receiving a signal from one or more modules. My suggestion is to check the main wiring harness to the PCM. Make sure the harness connector is clean, dry and not corroded, both at the connector cable end and the PCM connector socket.

P0426 -This is an OBD-II generic code for a threshold problem with a vehicle’s bank 1 catalytic converter. This is the part of the exhaust that helps reduce emissions for either the entire engine, or just the bank of cylinders that includes cylinder one. The most common causes for a P0426 are:

Faulty oxygen sensor
Faulty catalytic converter
Damaged oxygen sensor wiring
Exhaust leak
Poor quality gas

P0562 - This code will arise when the system voltage falls below 8.5 volts with the engine RPM greater than 2000 RPM for 60 seconds. Possible causes are:
- Low battery charge
- Battery defective
- Loose or missing alternator drive belt
- Faulty alternator
- Open or short system voltage circuit

My thought is that the open or short system voltage circuit is the problem. As the O2 sensor is also throwing a code with a similar cause as one of the potential issues, I'd check the O2 sensor harness to bank 1, sensor 1.

U1008 - This code indicates a loss of serial buss communication. It is a generic code, secondary to the P0600 - Powertrain Serial Communication Link issue.

The O2 sensor harness and the main PCM harness issues and potential faults would be where I would look for a bad connection.
 
#7 ·
Many thanks! My guess is that the low voltage related codes are old oness relating to the flat battery episode, although don;t know why they have not self cleared. I shall try the battery disconnect tomorrow and as I have only one preset on the seat etc, it will remain as is so I can simply reload it.

Do you have any idea where the PCM is???

Below is a screenshot of the faults listed on the scanner.
 

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#10 · (Edited)
Oh, that seemed a bugger to get to so I gave up for now. Try the easy route first. I wonder if as in many LHD/RHD cars the ECUs are different sides? There's a large finned ECU on the left hand side (and that's where the cabin filter is on the RHD CRD) and on the right sie (as in your pic) there is a smaller ECU by the looks, and the brake fluid resevoir.

Anyhow, I disconnected the battery for 35mins. Whilst that was going on I cleaned the connections on the glow plug module and a couple of other connectors I could get to easily. Reconnected the battery and memory codes for the seats still active ans stereo unchanged, as well as my trips, but MPG cleared. Hmmm... EML and ETC still there and fault codes still there. Damn. Cleared ther codes with engine off and this time they actually cleared! The P0600 code returned but listed as pending as I assume it needs a number of successful starts and runs with it being fine before that will clear. I used my Torque Pro app to check the Cat temp sensors, O2 sensors, and volts. I'll include the screenshots but they're small again. Cat T1 is the temp sensor in the cat (the one with the supposed fault), Cat T2 is the one just after the Cat in the exhaust pipe. Anyway, below are listings for various speeds and the sensors (temp in centigrade):

Speed: / Cat T1 / Cat T2 / O2S1Eq / O2S1LV / Volts

0 / 91.9 / 111.3 / 0 / 0 / 14.2
40 / 326.4 / 403.3 / 0 / 0.76 / 14.1 engine warming up
50 / 600.0 / 686.3 / 0 / 0.62 / 14.1 engine warm normal temp
30 / 278.9 / 314.7 / 0 / 2.19 / 14.2 engine warm, throttle off
0 / 210.5 / 265.7 / 0 / 0 / 13.1 engine off. stopped.



What y'all think? Not totally sure what the o2 sensors reading is meant to be, but I'll play around with different settings next trip and see if I can work them out. But main thing is that the EML and ETC lights are gone! Power is restored too. Just waiting for the codes to self clear. So I'm guessing it WAS the wire shorting out where the loom had rubbed through on the aircon pipe. Could not see any other wear anywhere else on the loom. Maybe this was the wire for the first Cat Temp sensor?
 

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#12 ·
I know, and I did... :angel:

Mine is a UK spec RHD model, so I'm guessing that because the brake fluid resevoir and various aircon bits have to be on opposite sides of the cabin/scuttle, then maybe the ECUs are the other way around too? This is true on Audi B5s and other cars I've had in the past.
 
#14 ·
Ok, so went for a spin. Drove about 10 miles with no problem and even gave it a bit of stick a couple of times. No problem. Even had both O2 sensors giving a reading. On the way back I thought I'd have a play with the 0-60 feature. Not a good idea. after the run it threw up the ETC again (no MIL) and limped. Great. Pulled in and did a scan and came up as follows:

In red:
(CURRENT FAULT) P0600 - Powertrain
Serial Communications Link

In yellow:
(PENDING FAULT) P2015 - Powertrain
Intake Manf Runner Position Sensor/Switch
Circuit Range/Performance bank 1

In Grey:
P0562 - Powertrain
System Voltage Low

P1270 - Powertrain
Tap for multiple descriptions

P1270 - Powertrain
Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor A/D Converter Error

U1008 Network
Tap 'Web' for more information.





I cleared them and the car started with no ETC and turned off for another scan as follows:

In Yellow:
(PENDING FAULT) P0600 - Powertrain
Serial Communications Link

(PENDING FAULT) P2015 - Powertrain
Intake Manf Runner Position Sensor/Switch
Circuit Range/Performance bank 1


In Grey:
P0562 - Powertrain
System Voltage Low

P1270 - Powertrain
Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor A/D Converter Error

U1008 Network




Cleared again and started and no ETC and no limp. Drove a few meters and ETC back on and limp mode again. Did this a few times and same result. Got home and have just disconnected the battery again. Dammit.

So I would say that there is definitely a fault still causing P0600. P2015 is swirl flap motor. Ok, resistor time. Fine. P0562 (generic) is Powertrain System voltage low. For Chrysler it says voltage less than 8.5v for less than 60s. Bullshit on that one.. Now I was running the voltmeter and believe me it's fine, so suggests a short..? P1270 multiple for Chrysler reads Accelerator pedal position sensor but for a lot of other cars it suggests maximum engine rpm reached and control limit exceeded on injector 4. Odd after doing a 0-60 run don't ya think..?



So any more ideas? I'm beginning to wonder whether the jump starting screwed up the ECU or PCM a bit, but that was nearly 10k miles ago and it's been faultless til now. Going to go and plug the battery back up and see if there's any change. ::frown::
 

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#15 · (Edited)
Well, went into my local Chrysler/Jeep dealer and what a pleasant surprise that was! Have never been treated so well in a car dealership before. Big thanks to Christchurch's Westover Jeep.

Anyhow, cancelled the temp sensor without issue as obviously it was not needed. The tech agreed with me that it was probably an electrical issue rather than the sensors themselves. That morning I started the car to drive there (less than half a mile) and I brought up the volt meter. It showed 11.9 at idle. Slowly revved up to 1500rpm before the volts suddenly shot up to 14 which remained constant down to the tickover again. And the ETC came back up again. Ffs... Stopped and started again. 12.6 at idle. Volts rose at 1100rpm. Hmm...... I'm thinking an alternator issue now. Maybe some oil had got in after all.

Got the scan done and it brought up codes for the front and rear self levelling light sensors which the tech showed to me (on another 300 as mine was already out by then) and said it is a common fault for the plug terminals to corrode. They can be cleaned up or Chrysler sell a plug end kit which you cut the wires and solder the new wires and heat shrink in. Failing that it's the sensor at £91 inc each. Ok so far so good. P1270 flagged up which is their code for non functioning swirl flaps. He ran a test program and confirmed the flaps won't budge so either flaps seized or motor dead. I'll have a poke about and do a resistor mod. Hopefully the flaps are completely open. Is this easy to determine without major strippage? The rest of the faults all relate to a shagged alternator, principally the LINbus U1008 code. Evidentally the alternator was kicking out 15v so the ECU shut down the charging hence the low voltages recorded everywhere and various sensors not getting the correct readings. They quoted £610 inc for an alternator but were quite happy when I said I'd get mine reconned. In the end I got one off ebay fully reconned and guaranteed for £149 including shipping of old alternator after. Tech advised me on the easiest fitting methid- jack up the engine, remove engine mount on RHS and remove steering clomun out the way. Slack the tensioner and remove from underneath and rearwards. With this weather an dmy dodgy driveway I'll have to get my garage to do it. Thanks god I'll be moving to sunny Wales soon where I have a nice flat concrete hard standing to work on again! I'll report back when all done!



ps, have ordered the alternator shroud for £7.44 and will fit at the time hopefully. It is a bit oily around there- more grime than drippage though, same as around turbo. Might be an idea to clean out the engine bay whilst the alternator is out! Used to use Mr Muscle degreaser and water and will keep it away from bearings and connectors...
 
#16 ·
Alternator Removal from top (with acknowledgement to UKChrysler300C):

"Right... Disconnect the battery.Remove all the gubbins at the front left of the engine...
The resonator box, the glow plug relay etc, remove the pipework from the inter cooler on the right hand side of the engine so that the whole of the front of the engine is visible(10 mins)
then move the belt tensioner which is on the right side to take the belt off, take off the plastic protectors off the electrical contacts on the alternator,
disconnect the alternator, remove the 4 "E" bolts that hold the alternator to the engine block then wiggle the alternator out upwards(that's half an hour gone).
Fitment is reversal but have a look at the seal on the intercooler connections as the one we did was split..... Wear some gloves as its really oily down there.... I hate diesels....lol"
 
#18 ·
Ok, new alternator fitted and all is good so far! 14.5v straight away at idle and pretty consistent after that. Now errors coming up and I'll do a scan soon just to check. The really odd thing was that when Chrysler did a scan the stereo demanded a pass code. I didn't have this so got the serial number off the stereo (dead easy to expose- just pop out the ashtray bit, then pop off ther silver surround and the serial number is on the sticker on top of the stereo) and marched into my dealer with th elog book and got the code no probs. But couple of hours later when I went to pick the car up, the stereo was working and no code required!!! Wtf?? Anyway, have it now and so far so good it is all running sweet again. Total cost- £149 for alternator £12 Gates Belt £205 labour for 5 hours job. That in itself was a bargain as Chrysler wanted £400 and locel Merc specialists wanted abotu £350. Thumbs up to Winkton Garage near Christchurch, Dorset!
 
#21 ·
So topside removal is not as simple as we thought? It doesn't seem to save any time compared to going below. At least your labour rate was reasonable. I had my alternator replaced by a Chrysler dealership (now defunct) - much more expensive labour rates plus a brand new (not re-con) alternator, so you can imagine how much that must have cost! At least it came with 2 yrs warranty. My old alternator is languishing in the garage; just needs new brush and slipring gear.
 
#22 ·
Apparently not. My first garage tried the underside removal and reckoned it couldn't be done. IN fairness, they are mainly a tyre bar but do suspension stuff as well. I use them as I trust them and have a good relationship with them , but they admitted defeat as they had no way to support the engine easily, but then they also reckloned there wasn't room to get it out even after mount removal etc.. My other local garage is also very good and as you say, they gave me a very good price- half what Chrysler wanted. Ah, for the good old days where you just slacken a bolt or two on the alternator and slide the belt off and remove it. Last one I did was a Pajero and probably took about half an hour. I hear the V8 is simple as pii...
 
#23 ·
My driving experience pre-dates alternators and goes back to dynamos, with fan belt tensioning being achieved by adjustment of the mountings. I think you had to make sure that there was no more than 1/2" play on the longest run of the belt. I always carried a spare belt in the car, as replacement was an easy roadside job, although I never needed to do it. Until recently, I'd never experienced dynamo/alternator failure. So much for modern technology - new isn't always better!
 
#24 ·
My '47 Lanchester was similar... ;) And it had a preselector gearbox. Nothing's new... And if the starter or battery wasn't up to it, you'd pull out the starter handle, same on the '$7 Minx. And I remember changing a wheelbearing on the A205 at Lewisham at the side of the road in my old Spitfire. Those were the days!

I think it's all the electrickery in them. In my day, you could pour water or even WD40 in an alternator and it would still be fine (just keep away from the bearings). Nowadays, just sneeze near them and they're gone. So much for progress...
 
#25 ·
Just had a PM over this so this is the reply I wrote to add further info for anyone else:


I replaced the alternator and it cured all those problems. Voltage was again14.6 at idle. Got mine off ebay for £149 including postage of old one back and it's done nearly a 100k miles so far with no more issues. I fitted the oil catch tray bit that fits on top of the alternator to stop oil/diesel getting in which causes the issue. £12 or so from Chrysler. This is essential. And check the fuel pipes near the oil filler cap are tight and not leaking too. I also fitted the swirl flap motor resistor mod and later had to change the glow plug module. I bought 6 bosch glow plugs but STILL haven't fitted them despite 3 being dead...
I've had about 80k miles trouble free (except suspension of course, which proved that cheap parts were a false economy and only fitting the Moog parts stopped them re going again in no time) until recently when I blew a rad and an aircon pipe, both jobs easy to do at the same time, but the whole front bumper HAS to come off to remove 2 bolts holding the intercooler on so the rad can come out. And a bit of brainstorming to work out that the fitting on the bottom rad hose has a funny circular bayonet type fitting. There's a grey plastic sleeve that needs rotating about 5 degrees to release the hose which I found absolutely no reference to anywhere. A little while after I got rid of the ever leaking charge pipe resonator/silencer (black plastic kidney monstosity) and replaced it with 2 bits of 2.5" silicone hose, a 90degree 2.5" stainless steel pipe and a load of T Clamps. This stopped the leaking but very quickly threw up more nasty fault codes relating to a knackered turbo/EGR (P0403 P0046 iirc). Turned out to be a knackered Turbo Actuator which is dead easy to change and send off for £80 to be reconned. No more troubles since..
 
#26 ·
Just done this lovely job again, this time I did it myself. Alternator just gave up out of the blue.





Used this guide to do mine. Got a garage to do it last time and took them 5hrs. 100k miles later it took me 6hrs including a couple of other jobs while there. Found it easier to remove the ABS pump wires and push the intercooler hose down under the radiator support. First one failed from oil and diesel ingress, second was a recon and just gave up. Was slightly oily but no diesel. Got another recon from the same supplier (oddly £120 instead of £150 3 years ago) and will ask them if they can tell me why it failed this time. Yes, there is a major oil leak from the oil cooler but not anything much around the alternator area. Not too hard to do myself just annoying that it's always when it's bloody cold! At least it wasn't raining like the lower rad hose job last weekend....
 
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