Car Problems!!

[Frank_The_Tank]

Been doing some googling around OBDII connector for my Vauxhall with the issue I previously described and was going to buy one when I came across the below video - hopefully a cheaper hack to find the ECM Codes on the Vauxhall.  The guy has listed a range of the codes in the video description

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqUMXeqO9Hg

[Tony Baloney]

I'm after some advice for 2 different problems 
Vauxhall Zafira 1.9 2008 - there last week when I went to start the car it made a kind of whirring noise - like something was spinning under the bonnet but wouldn't start first time. Turned of and tried a second time and car started no problem. This happened a few days in a row but then this week it's been starting no bother - any ideas? I've it booked into the garage for monday thinking it maybe the starter motor playing up. Recently fitted a new battery.


Ford S-Max 2.0 Automatic 2015 - within the last 2 weeks this car has been firing up a Transmission Function Limited or Transmission Malfunction message. With the limited message car goes into limp mode but won't go into reverse. On the Malfunction message no power goes to the wheels at all. Turning the car off and on clears the message for a short while. This car was ex mobility has 45k miles on it atm. We had it at a Ford dealer last week who told us the gearbox is meant to be serviced @ 37.5k miles or every 3 years whichever comes first. I got them to service the gearbox in the hope that would help, did Donegal over Easter weekend no bother but the Transmission messages came back on the other day. Has anyone ever had bother like this before? New gearbox is £2.5-3k when the cars driving everything seems fine there's no chugging between gear changes so I'm hopeful it's more electrical than mechanical.

I connected an OBDII to the car and this fault code appeared:
U0415 - invalid data received from the ABS control module.

I'm a little more hopeful that the issue isn't with the gearbox but with the ABS sensor/unit am I being too optimistic? Booked in with Ford on the 14th

Lindsay's in Craigavon? Personally I'd find a reputable local garage with all the diagnostic gear, as Lindsay's will put the arm in past the elbow and potentially still not fix it. I got landed with a bill from them in the past for £1200 for something that still wasn't fixed.

[BenDover]

I'm after some advice for 2 different problems 
Vauxhall Zafira 1.9 2008 - there last week when I went to start the car it made a kind of whirring noise - like something was spinning under the bonnet but wouldn't start first time. Turned of and tried a second time and car started no problem. This happened a few days in a row but then this week it's been starting no bother - any ideas? I've it booked into the garage for monday thinking it maybe the starter motor playing up. Recently fitted a new battery.


Ford S-Max 2.0 Automatic 2015 - within the last 2 weeks this car has been firing up a Transmission Function Limited or Transmission Malfunction message. With the limited message car goes into limp mode but won't go into reverse. On the Malfunction message no power goes to the wheels at all. Turning the car off and on clears the message for a short while. This car was ex mobility has 45k miles on it atm. We had it at a Ford dealer last week who told us the gearbox is meant to be serviced @ 37.5k miles or every 3 years whichever comes first. I got them to service the gearbox in the hope that would help, did Donegal over Easter weekend no bother but the Transmission messages came back on the other day. Has anyone ever had bother like this before? New gearbox is £2.5-3k when the cars driving everything seems fine there's no chugging between gear changes so I'm hopeful it's more electrical than mechanical.

I connected an OBDII to the car and this fault code appeared:
U0415 - invalid data received from the ABS control module.

I'm a little more hopeful that the issue isn't with the gearbox but with the ABS sensor/unit am I being too optimistic? Booked in with Ford on the 14th

Lindsay's in Craigavon? Personally I'd find a reputable local garage with all the diagnostic gear, as Lindsay's will put the arm in past the elbow and potentially still not fix it. I got landed with a bill from them in the past for £1200 for something that still wasn't fixed.

Not the recommendation I was hoping for. For them to begin the diagnostics and plug the computer on it's £90. So I can easily see how you ended up with a bill of £1200, but for the problem not to be resolved that's woeful. Hopefully I've a better experience. I'll let you know. We do tend to use PittStop in Armagh but when the initial Transmission malfunction message appeared they recommended bringing it to a Ford garage after hooking it up to their computer.

[Tony Baloney]

I was actually going to recommend Pittstop but if they're advising a trip to Ford you may take their advice to at least locate the issue and you could maybe go elsewhere for the work.

[toby47]

Have a 2008 Ford Focus at the house, haven't had it taxed in over a year and a half as it hasn't been used. Also didn't SORN it.

Son has just passed his driving test, if I tax the car do I have to back pay the tax for the year and a half I hadn't it taxed for?

[David McKeown]

Have a 2008 Ford Focus at the house, haven't had it taxed in over a year and a half as it hasn't been used. Also didn't SORN it.

Son has just passed his driving test, if I tax the car do I have to back pay the tax for the year and a half I hadn't it taxed for?

I'd be surprised if you didn't have to pay it regardless at this stage. They still try and tax me for a car that was written off last year, SORN the same week and the tax refunded on a few months later.

[BennyCake]

Have a 2008 Ford Focus at the house, haven't had it taxed in over a year and a half as it hasn't been used. Also didn't SORN it.

Son has just passed his driving test, if I tax the car do I have to back pay the tax for the year and a half I hadn't it taxed for?

If you weren't planning to keep the tax on the car, you should have SORN'ed it. It has to be one or the other.

I'm surprised you didn't get a letter from them. Or a fine.

[toby47]

Have a 2008 Ford Focus at the house, haven't had it taxed in over a year and a half as it hasn't been used. Also didn't SORN it.

Son has just passed his driving test, if I tax the car do I have to back pay the tax for the year and a half I hadn't it taxed for?

If you weren't planning to keep the tax on the car, you should have SORN'ed it. It has to be one or the other.

I'm surprised you didn't get a letter from them. Or a fine.

Definitely have received no fine or letter?

Will be taxing it this week or next again. So I should expect to pay a year and a halfs tax on top of the year I'm going to pay?

[Denn Forever]

If you change ownership to your son, will he not pay the tax from the time the ownership changes?  You'll need an MOT so hopefully the garage can collect it.

[toby47]

If you change ownership to your son, will he not pay the tax from the time the ownership changes?  You'll need an MOT so hopefully the garage can collect it.

I'm honestly not sure, the tax book will be changing to his name anyway. Can't find anything online that states whether I will have to pay the extra year and a half or not. I guess I'll just find out next week when I go to pay it .

I'll sneak it to the MOT centre without tax - appointment for net week. Only 10miles away, fingers crossed I'm not caught lol

[BennyCake]

If you change ownership to your son, will he not pay the tax from the time the ownership changes?  You'll need an MOT so hopefully the garage can collect it.

I'm honestly not sure, the tax book will be changing to his name anyway. Can't find anything online that states whether I will have to pay the extra year and a half or not. I guess I'll just find out next week when I go to pay it .

I'll sneak it to the MOT centre without tax - appointment for net week. Only 10miles away, fingers crossed I'm not caught lol

Good luck. Hope it works out.

A few years ago, I bought a new car. My old car was up for MOT, so I took it over. It passed (I think), but on the way back I got the flashing lights in the rear mirror. I wasn't sure if I was covered for taking it over or not, but I explained to the copper about just coming from MOT, and he waved me on. I have no idea where the backstard came from, whether he followed me or was lying waiting somewhere. You just never know where the backstards might be.

[GJL]

It is legal to drive an untaxed car on public roads if you are on route to or from the MOT centre. Probably the only time it is legal to do so.

[BennyCake]

It is legal to drive an untaxed car on public roads if you are on route to or from the MOT centre. Probably the only time it is legal to do so.

What way does that work with insurance then? If someone had an accident on the way to MOT, what then? Surely the car isn't insured?

[toby47]

It is legal to drive an untaxed car on public roads if you are on route to or from the MOT centre. Probably the only time it is legal to do so.

What way does that work with insurance then? If someone had an accident on the way to MOT, what then? Surely the car isn't insured?

No idea, but I have been paying insurance on the car for the last 18 months anyway, its just over £300 for the year so I never cancelled it incase I needed the car as a back up.

[trueblue1234]

It is legal to drive an untaxed car on public roads if you are on route to or from the MOT centre. Probably the only time it is legal to do so.

What way does that work with insurance then? If someone had an accident on the way to MOT, what then? Surely the car isn't insured?

No idea, but I have been paying insurance on the car for the last 18 months anyway, its just over £300 for the year so I never cancelled it incase I needed the car as a back up.

Third parties would still be covered. However if it was fully comp you may struggle to get the value of the vehicle if you had no tax.