Engine Immobilised while driving

[Grace B]

Hello, I have a 2012 V6 Commodore.

I recently had the car serviced, and RWC and checked for errors. According to the mechanic there were no faults found and the car was good to drive.

However today, I was driving to work and about an hour into my journey the car just shuts off completely. When I try to restart the car, the engine light begins flashing and the error on the dashboard is "engine immobilised"
After about 5 minutes and numerous attempts to start the car, I manage to get it going and get it off the road. But noticed it started spluttering again like it was going to shut itself off.

After waiting about an hour, I try to start the car again and all seems to be working fine, I attempt to get the car back home, but after about 5 minutes of driving it happens again, where the car starts spluttering and then shuts off.

Research shows it could be the ECU or the key needs reprogramming. But I figure if the key need reprogramming it wouldn't work at all. However I have no issues unlocking the car or using the fob and like I said the car will generally start but then shuts off after a few minutes of driving.


RAVC also hooked up the error reader and nothing was found.

Any ideas or thoughts?

 

[Fu Manchu]

If the pin on the key looses contact with the slip ring around the ignition barrel it could happen.
Sometimes the pin gets pushed in a bit.
Could also be a faulty slip ring.

Edit: this is not relative to VE. Only VR-VZ

 

[lmoengnr]

If the pin on the key looses contact with the slip ring around the ignition barrel it could happen.
Sometimes the pin gets pushed in a bit.
Could also be a faulty slip ring.

On a VE S2?

 

[Fu Manchu]

On a VE S2?

No. No it won’t be. I don’t know how I got that wrong. Not the first time.

 

[Fu Manchu]

On the VE the key reader is encased in a clear plastic box. It is screwed to the steering column under the column shroud with a tiny screw. It gets very brittle and in true VE designer style, it breaks the mount easily with age. It’s possible for the reader to move enough so it loses contact with the transponder embedded in the keys plastic. Hit a bump and it can come good again.

 

[krusing]

Have you tried the spare key, assuming you have one.

Where are you located ? (in Melbourne)

If your not to far away, and you are willing to drive it,
I will scan it for you, and do a live BCM Key Test, but bring along all the keys you have.

As for unlocking & Locking, that is a separate system, to the immobilizer,
Hence it appears to be partially working.

For it to do what It did, it should/would of logged an immobilizer DTC,

 

[axemurderer101]

When the engine shut down could you hear some chattering noise from the throttle body with the ignition on?
I have repaired 2 VE's with similar faults and it was a faulty ecu.

 

[Grace B]

When the engine shut down could you hear some chattering noise from the throttle body with the ignition on?
I have repaired 2 VE's with similar faults and it was a faulty ecu.

Have you tried the spare key, assuming you have one.

Where are you located ? (in Melbourne)

If your not to far away, and you are willing to drive it,
I will scan it for you, and do a live BCM Key Test, but bring along all the keys you have.

As for unlocking & Locking, that is a separate system, to the immobilizer,
Hence it appears to be partially working.

For it to do what It did, it should/would of logged an immobilizer DTC,

Thanks for the offer! I’m located in Maidstone….only ever had the one key unfortunately.

If it was the key, do you think the car would just shut down on me while driving? I would think that would be a safety issue?

 

[Grace B]

When the engine shut down could you hear some chattering noise from the throttle body with the ignition on?
I have repaired 2 VE's with similar faults and it was a faulty ecu.

Yes, I could hear chattering.

Did the ECU need replacing or just reprogramming? Also do you think the mechanic could have knocked any wiring while doing a service and a few minor repairs recently?

 

[krusing]

Also do you think the mechanic could have knocked any wiring while doing a service and a few minor repairs recently?

What was done in the service ?
Well, what was done, and what you paid for, could be two different things.

Did it start happening just after the service ?

I'm not convinced there is no DTC's, for a VE to play up like that, its will have recorded something.
I'd still like to see it scanned properly, and see what the historical DTC's are/were,
That if they haven't been deleted.
Possibly still in there since its happened a few times.

Since you only have 1 key,
You can guess what my advice is,
Get another key made,
Because you know what can/could happen !
You loose that key, and you will be up ship creek !