New owner and error codes already....

TV8 · 8 Nov 2019

Hello everyone, my 1st post here after picking up my new to me 996 Carrera 2 yr 2000 coupe last weekend.

It was a bit of an impulse swap for my TVR and now the fun begins!

On the drive home, the ABS Warning light came on and then on the next leg of the journey, that warning light was joined by the PSM warning light.

Very annoying and I have used it a couple of times since and the codes have not been there on start-up but both have come on within the 1st mile of driving.

Pluging in a code reader, I have error codes 4440 Steering angle sensor and also 5521 faulty data exchange.

A quick search on the various boards suggest that this could be a few things including brake switch and/or MAF connections, both of which I am going to try and look at over the weekend. It could also be harder to diagnose and I arranged for a post purchase check over in the next couple of weeks but would love the satisfaction of sorting this myself!

The Steering Angle sensor is the one that puzzles me though as I don't really understand what it does (apart from cause warning lights to come-on!)

I ask as on occasions driving home, I did think that the car had some tram lining on anything but smooth roads (I also had a base 987 Boxster for 3 years alongside the TVR) and on 17" wheels the steering on that was perfect. This could be tyres, my imagination, set-up (the car has had a lots of new bits on the front suspension), wider/larger wheels, different set-up and weight distribution to the Boxster or, dare I say it, the Steering angle sensor!

The car has had a recent diy head unit replacement and that doesn't look the neatest installation I have seen and one of the posts I read linked back to codes on the standard radio being required in the cars electrical plumbing.

Any advise or suggestions on how to proceed appreciated, so thanks in advance. I have the same user name on Pistonheads and Boxa.net and know how helpful forums such as this can be.

Graham

deMort · 8 Nov 2019

Steering angle sensor is quite important .. it tells the car the angle of the steering .. PSM / traction control / abs relies on this .

You would clear the code then drive the car to see if the code comes back .. if it does then it leads toward the sensor being defective or a possible wiring fault with the sensor being the most obvious .

It can't check this system until the car is doing 6 mph or over so no fault until that is reached .

Actual values on a tester and move the wheel will also show if its working .

You can do a calibration on this but i suspect that will not help at all .

New car and a fault .. that strikes me as a possible reason it was sold .. sorry .

fot0 · 8 Nov 2019

Fault code 4440 attached.

Fault code 5521Faulty data exchange
Diagnostic conditions-Engine running
-Fault is sent by the DME control module via the CAN
Possible cause of faultâ™¦Fault in DME

I would check plugs and connections.

TV8 · 8 Nov 2019

fot0 said:
Fault code 4440 attached.

Fault code 5521Faulty data exchange
Diagnostic conditions-Engine running
-Fault is sent by the DME control module via the CAN
Possible cause of faultâ™¦Fault in DME

I would check plugs and connections.

Thanks. What plugs and connections please?

TV8 · 8 Nov 2019

deMort said:
Steering angle sensor is quite important .. it tells the car the angle of the steering .. PSM / traction control / abs relies on this .

You would clear the code then drive the car to see if the code comes back .. if it does then it leads toward the sensor being defective or a possible wiring fault with the sensor being the most obvious .

It can't check this system until the car is doing 6 mph or over so no fault until that is reached .

Actual values on a tester and move the wheel will also show if its working .

You can do a calibration on this but i suspect that will not help at all .

New car and a fault .. that strikes me as a possible reason it was sold .. sorry .

I am going to visually inspect everything as a mic for a phone kit appears to have been routed nearby and also clear the fault code - I have a iCarsoft v2 so I think that can clear the code. After that, nineexcellence are going to give the car a look over and said the would look at the fault codes if still there!

Also, I am giving the previous owner the benefit of doubt about the fault but it doesn't change anything as it's my problem now!

TV8 · 9 Nov 2019

I went out in the car several times today and for 3 journeys, no warning lights then they came on, which was a bit annoying. Seems to reset on restart but the code 4440 is ever present with the code reader.

One thing I have noticed is that the volts are around 13 on the volt gauge and showing as 13.2 or 13.3 on the code reader to the ABS which seems low?

Would that cause any problem please?

HSC911 · 9 Nov 2019

:welcome:

deMort · 9 Nov 2019

The steering angle fault will occur with a flat or disconnected battery until the car is driven over 6 mph .. it's possible there is a charging fault or a low charge battery .. on cranking the voltage can drop low enough that it trips this fault .

13.2 is a little low if on idle with nothing switched on .. ie headlights .. you need to get a seperate voltmeter on the battery to test .. turn on headlights , main beam ,., heated seats .. blower fan on max then read it off .. if lower than say 13 volts then the alternator is very tired .. if 13.5 or higher then its fine .

I don't trust the cars voltmeter .. it's not that accurate .

It may be a steering angle sensor that needs replacing .. it may be wiring but a low voltage is the more common fault .

There is also a calibration that is done on this .. possible that needs doing if the geo has been altered and this sensor not calibrated ... done with a tester .

TV8 · 9 Nov 2019

deMort said:
The steering angle fault will occur with a flat or disconnected battery until the car is driven over 6 mph .. it's possible there is a charging fault or a low charge battery .. on cranking the voltage can drop low enough that it trips this fault .

13.2 is a little low if on idle with nothing switched on .. ie headlights .. you need to get a seperate voltmeter on the battery to test .. turn on headlights , main beam ,., heated seats .. blower fan on max then read it off .. if lower than say 13 volts then the alternator is very tired .. if 13.5 or higher then its fine .

I don't trust the cars voltmeter .. it's not that accurate .

It may be a steering angle sensor that needs replacing .. it may be wiring but a low voltage is the more common fault .

There is also a calibration that is done on this .. possible that needs doing if the geo has been altered and this sensor not calibrated ... done with a tester .

Thanks for responding. I tried a cigarete lighter volt meter and saw similar numbers to the dash volt meter. With similar voltage levels on the code reader, I am inclined to look at the output of the alternator (which has to be easier to get to than on the Boxster!) and I am assuming that these cars don't leak volts and have dodgy earths like a TVR?

Also, when I look at when the fault has happened, it has been when the electrics have been loaded with lights and/or wipers. This morning was beautiful and sunny and no problem :?: :?:

deMort · 9 Nov 2019

Ok .. it does seem like a possible voltage fault ..

These cars dont suffer earth strap problems as such .. possible but unusual .. they do suffer from lead connections as the battery is at the front and the alternator is at the rear .. there is a connection on the gearbox that can corrode .

Off hand and i think your alternator might be tired .. not uncommon and a load test as i described above will point to that .

To test at the rear then if you have the battery connection o/s/r under a flap ( plastic box ) then you can test at that point to see if the voltage is higher .

if not it's a voltage drop test from alternator .. you need to get at the lead with a pierce probe into the alternator output wire .. pretty dam hard or at the gearbox connection .

I suspect atm .. it might need an alternator .. for now a voltmeter on the battery .. everything electrical turned on and let me know what it reads .

TV8 · 9 Nov 2019

Will do DeMort - thank you.

TV8 · 10 Nov 2019

Well another sunny day. Its going to be interesting next spring how much I miss a convertible..

I tested the battery before starting the car and 12.26 volts at the battery.

Switched on and volts jumped up to 14 without any real load. I drove and sure enough, just under a mile later, warning lights on whilst volts still at 14 - very annoying to say the least.

To complete the electrical testing (Assuming this isn't the trigger for the warning lights) With everything on the volts were down to 13.4-13.5 and seem to hold there. Not perfect but not a priority at the moment either.

However, the thing that stayed with me was that the warning lights have come on at exactly the same roundabout every time I have gone out, so I drove around the block to see if I instinctively covered the brake there and I do, so I am thinking/hoping it could be the brake switch?

Any thoughts if the brake light switch could be the issue please?

deMort · 10 Nov 2019

There's nothing wrong with the charging system .. 13.5 is fine under a full load so you can rule that out .

The fault code says its the steering angle sensor .. the calibration of it or a wiring issue ..

Brake switches tend to give different codes i would have thought but they are pretty cheap so it's worth chucking one on perhaps .

A steering sensor Calibration is needed though if that doesn't fix it .. 5 mins with a tester is all it takes .

TV8 · 10 Nov 2019

deMort said:
There's nothing wrong with the charging system .. 13.5 is fine under a full load so you can rule that out .

The fault code says its the steering angle sensor .. the calibration of it or a wiring issue ..

Brake switches tend to give different codes i would have thought but they are pretty cheap so it's worth chucking one on perhaps .

A steering sensor Calibration is needed though if that doesn't fix it .. 5 mins with a tester is all it takes .

Thanks deMort, I will get one this week and report back. I assume the recalibration needs a Special device?

Griffter · 11 Nov 2019

Pure guess work but it's the ABS and PSM lights the come on? Only the error code points to the steering angle sensor?
So it seems to me that the car thinks it's going round a corner when the steering wheel angle tells it otherwise (or vice versa).
So how does the car determine if it's going round a corner? Presumably differential measurement at the ABS sensors either side.
I'd take a look at each of the ABS reluctor rings and sensors, check they're clean, connected and as far as possible in good condition.

New owner and error codes already....

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