VZ Fuel Guage Error - Wont Start - Conclusion

[bigdaddycool]

For those who know about our 2005 VZ Executive project we've been working on here. We have a 2005 VZ Executive which was involved in a accident prior to purchasing it (front on collision under a truck)

We've been restoring it, during the process we were plauged with a Fuel Guage Error issue preventing the car from starting, having to short the starter relay to jump it. We messed around for along time with the ECU via VCM Suite to track down what was causing the immobiliser to be set off when it would not start.

We tried disabling different sections of the immobilisers checking system, starter relay DTC's etc with success only to have the problem return a few weeks later.

The accident the car was involved in evidently broke one of the clips off the ECU (botton clip out of the two) on the front of the engine. We ended up replacing the whole wiring system thru the engine bay which did not have success. After much reading on the forums, people mention to check earths, possibly cluster and BCM's etc, the fuel sender..... which wasn't really conclusive.

In the end after trialing a few auto electrictions, mobile mechanics we found a guy who managed to track down the issue for us.

*** The ECU was infact damaged, obviously the radiator hit it breaking the clip and damaged either the pins, traced or something internal.

The starter relay was shorting as the ECU earth for it wasn't working.......

$1650 later........ a new ecu has been fitted, software update and tuned. (included pickup/delivery as it had to be towed)

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If you suffer from a similar problem, a short solution I could suggest is to possibly re-route the earth off the starter relay to the car chassy...... as a short term solution to try. Otherwise as most know u can jump the car with the AC on, a cheaper solution is to put in a Engine Start switch in the dash that shorts the Starter Relay when the AC is on.
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( I just thought I would share our 6 month drama's solution with you guys ). Alot of people have done fuel sender calibrations, got new bcm's etc......... new clusters....... only not to have it fixed.

I'll grab the details of the guy who fixed it for us and post it up later if anyone wishes to know.

PS. Since we only just got the car back, i'll confirm in a few weeks if the cars still going perfectly.

 

[andyman]

after doing some testing with getting my car to run without the auto computer (tcm) the same error comes up, so a break in the can system alos causes the same faults, fuel guage error, car wont start etc etc

 

[impulsesv6]

if you disconnect the 5spd auto the car wont start

- unplug at the gbox connection

 

[andyman]

if you disconnect the 5spd auto the car wont start

- unplug at the gbox connection

yeah same thing i was doing, just swapping with another loom, it will start and run for 3 seconds then shut down, and wont crank after that, if you leave the ignition on for a while after, watch the multitude of error codes flash up.

oh also i forgot to send that e-mail off to ya, ill find my info again and send it off......sorry impulse :bang:

 

[bigdaddycool]

Yes the conclusion of ours "Fuel Guage Error and Wont Start Combined" = Faulty ECU. Start goes perfectly everytime now.

After popping the old ECU open, it's no wonder they fail on the VZ's. Hopefully thew newer alloytech based 6's have a better designed ECU inside.

 

[dozenmatta]

I know this is an old thread, but i get this problem after ive been away overseas for a few weeks. First trip in the car is usually to go shopping. So It will start perfectly first time, I drive to supermarket, buy a **** load of stuff, and then go to start but it come up with the fuel gauge error and wont turn over, not even clicking. I have to keep a piece of insulated wire in the car to manually short the relay starter terminals.

But it ONLY happens under the conditions of not driving it for a few weeks, and ALWAYS starts the first time, but not on the second. This has been going on for years.

 

[Sabbath']

How far is the drive to the shops?

Do you maintain and trickle charge the battery while you are away?

 

[dozenmatta]

How far is the drive to the shops?

Do you maintain and trickle charge the battery while you are away?

No don't trickle charge but it's not there battery because tried jump-starting and a new battery.

So I've just come back from 6 weeks overseas, and it's pretty much not starting 95% of the time and I've been doing the terminal shorting for 2 weeks now, send to be a permanent thing now

 

[Jorge Acosta]

Hello dozenmatta,
Did you manage to sort this issue? If so, what was the solution please?
Thanks
JAG