Electronic Fault!

[womandriver!]

Hi guys, I'm new to this site so please bear with me.

I own a 2003 Megane 1.6, which I (used to) love, until yesterday. I went to start it (in the pouring rain) and although it started, all the lights on the control panel/dash came on including the service and stop lights it also said, if I remember rightly, "Electronic Fault" on the panel. I tried to turn the engine off and it wouldn't. I could hear a fan noise under the bonnet and my wipers wouldn't stop. The breakdown man then came and disconnected the battery twice, which didn't solve the problem. The steering or brakes didn't work either.

He had to tow it to the nearest garage who deals with Renault over 30 miles away! I rang the garage this morning and they said it started ok this morning, bloody typical. They're having a look at it today and will phone me to tell me the diagnosis this afternoon.

Does anyone have any idea of what's going on and how much cost I'm looking at? Im so stressed, I have 3 kids and not much money to spare.

Can anyone PLEASE help.
Thanks in advance.

[tallpaul]

you need renault to diagnose it, 'Electronic Fault' applies to multiple different faults, but renault can pick up what it is when they plug it in. have they diagnosed what they think the problem is?

also, if you car won't turn off again in the future, if you press the start button 5 times repeatedly it will stop the engine. either that or stall it.

[womandriver!]

Thanks for replying.

The garage told me that they were going to look at it yesterday afternoon after lunch, but still hadn't when I rang them after 4p.m. So I'm still waiting for a call off them.

I asked them how much is the dearest they've ever had to charge someone with an electronic problem with a Megane and they said £300. So crossed fingers it won't be anywhere near that price or else I'm in trouble! I'll be stuck with a car which is 30 miles away and no way of getting it from there.

[Bisty]

Hi.

I have hade the same problem. I had unpluged the batery over the night and the next morning it started ok.
I went to te mechanic and he had deleted al the problems out of the BC and from then one 8 month had pased and
I didnt had a problem with it since.

Bisty
(sorry my english is not very god )

[womandriver!]

Thanks for the reply Bisty it makes me feel a bit hopeful.

Did the mechanic tell you what was wrong with your car and did you get charged a lot of money to repair it?

[Bisty]

Hi.

He hsa said that the owner before me had worked somethin on the BC. Possible thet he has had a problem with the electrics and that his mecanic
hasent deletet properly the errors from the BC. My mecanic has hooked my car to te computer an just deletet the errors (ther was an error in the ABS, fule presur, air bag...) he has charged me 20€ (I live in Slovenia). But i also suspect the rain. When I have hade the problem it was olso raining heavely for a week.

Bisty

[Bumpy macaroon]

electric probs after rain, could be water in the ecu or fusebox under the bonnet, run a search on this forum it is a known problem, believe renault have since improved the design of these units to stop water ingress, but yours will be too old for that. The water can get in via the cover (removed to change headlights) in the Passenger wheel arch which should be there, have a check and see if its fitted, if not you will have a circular hole inside the wheel arch facing the front of the car. The fuse box and ecu box are under the bonnet behind the battery. As i mentioned run a search on this forum

[womandriver!]

I have just had a phone call from the garage saying that I have had water in something (cannot remember exactly what he called it but think it was the ecu or upc or something along those lines) under the bonnet and that it had been corroded. Have been charged £270.06p for the replacement part and labour, which although high, at least isn't in the thousands.

Bearing in mind I live in Wales and the problem was caused by water!!!!, is there any way of avoiding a problem like this in the future? My Husband said that the cover was on in the passenger wheel arch.

[pw981]

ask for the old part back in return to inspect, as that is worryingly cheap for an ECU, or a UCH!

[davelowe]

ask for the old part back in return to inspect, as that is worryingly cheap for an ECU, or a UCH!

mmmm very true. Could they have disconnected the ECU wiring looms, sprayed WD40 all over them, and stuck it back together. £270 for 10 minutes work is nice if you can get it!

Definitely get exact details of the work done. Preferably in writing, by the person who did it.

[tallpaul]

It sounds like the UPC has been fiddled with, there's no real way of avoiding the moisture, its a design 'feature' lol. I sealed the arch cover and the plastic trim on top when I had mine replaced.

As for your dealer never charging more than £300 for 'Electronic Fault', stick with them, my 'Electronic Fault' cost me £2K!

[scaldedcat]

I had a similar problem with my Megane whilst towing a trailer - lights started to dim, service light came on, electronic fault showed etc.
Turned out there was a problem with the towing electrics, the trailer was quite heavy and not braked so pushed the wires out of position. Once fixed back in place the service and electronic fault lights went off.

[womandriver!]

It sounds like the UPC has been fiddled with, there's no real way of avoiding the moisture, its a design 'feature' lol. I sealed the arch cover and the plastic trim on top when I had mine replaced.

As for your dealer never charging more than £300 for 'Electronic Fault', stick with them, my 'Electronic Fault' cost me £2K!

They replaced the UPC and showed me the old part that had been corroded with water. Then again they could have showed me a part from someone else's car, I wouldn't have had a clue!

Anyway, car's fixed and I am so glad it didn't cost £2k. I don't know what I would have done if I was quoted that much, I think I would have had to leave it in the garage!

Thanks for all your help guys, hope to have hassle free driving from now on.