Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Big_Al on 30 December 2012, 13:23:06

Title: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 30 December 2012, 13:23:06
Hi guys,
              been having intermittant problems with car cutting out & sometimes not starting .

Car would not start last night . Left it for half hour & it then started first time as normal .

The car just cut out after 3 miles again  this morning & would not re start.  Have now got a constant flashing spanner light when turning on ignition.

Have towed car home .

Is this pointing towards the imobiliser / key ?

Cant get codes out as spanner light is constantly flashing  :-\ :-\

Or any other suggestions please . :-\

TIA Al
     
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Brikhead on 30 December 2012, 13:42:27
Have now got a constant flashing spanner light when turning on ignition.
Is this pointing towards the imobiliser / key ?
Cant get codes out as spanner light is constantly flashing  :-\ :-\
Or any other suggestions please . :-\

The flashing light does usually mean that the immobilizer can't find the transponder chip, try adjusting the steering wheel up and down to see if that helps (maybe a loose connection on the pickup around the ignition barrel).

Do you have a spare key you could try?

Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Brikhead on 30 December 2012, 13:43:42
Also worth checking the plugs on the main engine e.c.u. in the relay box under the bonnet...
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 30 December 2012, 13:54:37
Ok guys , have taken key apart . Presume "chip" is the small grey piece wedged in the side of the horseshoe of the key blade .

Was very dusty & dirty in there . Have cleaned it all out with an artists brush & re assembled .

tried key in ignition  . . . spanner light has stopped flashing  .  .  car started on the button  .  . .   happy days  :y :y :y :y

thanks for your replies fellas ,   all running ok again now .

i must try & get another key though as only got the one when I brought the car  :( :(
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 30 December 2012, 14:32:57
Ok guys , have taken key apart . Presume "chip" is the small grey piece wedged in the side of the horseshoe of the key blade .

Was very dusty & dirty in there . Have cleaned it all out with an artists brush & re assembled .

tried key in ignition  . . . spanner light has stopped flashing  .  .  car started on the button  .  . .   happy days  :y :y :y :y

thanks for your replies fellas ,  all running ok again now .

i must try & get another key though as only got the one when I brought the car  :( :(


Spoke too soon  . . .  as said car started fine  . . tried it several times   . . .   got changed to go out & now it won't start again  >:(

no flashing spanner light now though  . . so have done pedal trick  & have 2 codes  . .    0560      & 0335

0560 is probably where i flattened the battery trying to start it  .     0335 is crank sensor i think .

Looking like a new crank sensor  then  . . would you agree ?
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: zirk on 30 December 2012, 14:33:48
Could be wrong here but seem to remember if the ECU doesn't recognise the Transponder on Start Up then you need to go through the motions of removing Key locking Door and unlocking again before it will start again with a recognised Transponder chip, If it that helps.   
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 30 December 2012, 15:08:44
Could be wrong here but seem to remember if the ECU doesn't recognise the Transponder on Start Up then you need to go through the motions of removing Key locking Door and unlocking again before it will start again with a recognised Transponder chip, If it that helps.

Tried that  . .   yep  :y :y  started straight away . ::) ::)

Not at all sure of whats going on here .  will see if it plays up again & wont start . .  if so will get out lock doors , open again & try again .

To sum up whats happened so far ...  cleaned out key chip ,then  spanner light no longer constantly flashed & car started straight away .

re started it several times  . . all ok .

Went to go out about half hour later  . .  .would not start but no flashing spanner light .

Just tried Zirks suggestion of locking & unlocking doors & car started straight away . ::) ::) ::) ::)

What is going on here   :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: dbug on 30 December 2012, 17:09:53
As you got an 0335 then suspect crank sensor Al.  Symptoms now classic crank sensor issues.  Think you seem to have cured the immobiliser issue, and anything further to do with the key is a red herring.  HTH - my opinion ;)
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: albitz on 30 December 2012, 17:51:31
If you can get up to me in the morning Al you can borrow my spare sensor for confirmation purposes if it helps. :y
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 30 December 2012, 19:44:54
If you can get up to me in the morning Al you can borrow my spare sensor for confirmation purposes if it helps. :y

PM sent Albs
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Lazydocker on 30 December 2012, 19:55:16
That 0335 would make me nervous taking it anywhere :o :o

Crank sensor has to be the first point of call ;)
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 30 December 2012, 20:16:22
That 0335 would make me nervous taking it anywhere :o :o

Crank sensor has to be the first point of call ;)

My thinking too LD .   Already had to tow it home this morning :'( :'(

 But may have arranged to use/borrow a known good one from a local  Oof member  to try first .

Nothing in service history of the original being changed  . . so well due a new one  . . car is on 125k
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Entwood on 01 January 2013, 19:34:54
Make sure the little chip is not moving when the key is in your pocket !!  dab of superglue solved the problem for me ...exactly as you state... and the chip was simply moving inside the key :)
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 01 January 2013, 19:57:55
Make sure the little chip is not moving when the key is in your pocket !!  dab of superglue solved the problem for me ...exactly as you state... and the chip was simply moving inside the key :)

Thanks, Entwood,

I think this was the problem all along . . .    took key apart  & cleaned it out . The  "chip"  seems to be shaped with a rounded corner
that follows the profile  of the horseshoe part of the key where it sits .

The chip was possibly the wrong way round  (As I see it anyway) allowing it to move .

Re assembled &  everything working fine . Have not done it yet but  Super glue seems a good idea.

Question:   if the  imobiliser sensor  in the barrel loses contact with the key "chip"  whilst car is running/driving  . .  would this cause the engine to cut out .

Or does imobiliser/key chip recognition  just apply on initial start up ?



Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: dbug on 01 January 2013, 21:51:08
You got an 0335 and still having the starting problem since "sorting" the immobiliser issue - as I said earlier Al - "Symptoms now classic crank sensor issues.  Think you seem to have cured the immobiliser issue, and anything further to do with the key is a red herring."  IMO!
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 02 January 2013, 17:32:05
You got an 0335 and still having the starting problem since "sorting" the immobiliser issue - as I said earlier Al - "Symptoms now classic crank sensor issues.  Think you seem to have cured the immobiliser issue, and anything further to do with the key is a red herring."  IMO!

colin , since stripping the key & relocating the "chip"  the car has started perfectly with no more "cut outs" as before .

Also the 0335  code was present when I first got the car  & first read the codes. 

I think I have heard that some codes will self clear after a certain amount of start ups if the problem clears .

I have only started this car about 30 times since I have had it  ,so would that 0335 be an old one that had not self cleared ?

I have now had the codes cleared  . .  so if we get another non start or cut out & the 0335 re appears then it would almost certainly be a  faulty crank sensor .

I am hoping that I may get an answer to the question I asked a few posts back, about if the imobiliser barrel sensor would cause the engine to cut out while running if the "chip" moved & lost contact with the sensor  if it was loose in the key .



I think I will post just that question  again  in a new thread  & see if i get any response

thanks   . . . Al  ;)

 
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: dbug on 02 January 2013, 17:54:17
Al crank sensor code should clear after 20 consecutive "good" starts I believe.

You know what to do if 0335 comes back  ;)
Title: Re: Flashing spanner light . . help please
Post by: Big_Al on 02 January 2013, 18:40:13
Al crank sensor code should clear after 20 consecutive "good" starts I believe.

You know what to do if 0335 comes back ;)


Yep !  . . . get a new one ;D ;D     

But since I took Zirks advice with the lock & unlock after sorting the key chip out   . . car has been fine .