Immobiliser Problem

[Soup Nazi]

Here and there I see some folks experiencing the start rejected by immobiliser problem only for the car to start next try. Has anyone tried to find the cause or had experience with this?

My 96 Tdi does it about every 20 starts which really ticks me off so its time to fix it.

[h100vw]

First one to look at is the connector for the reader coil. It's behind the plastic work on the steering column.

Disconnect and reconnect it. Maybe give the contacts a squirt of inox or something too.

Gavin

[Soup Nazi]

h100vw
OK is this connector known to give trouble or have you had the problem? I'll check it out this weekend. I know from time to time most will reject a start but mine seems a bit too often.

[h100vw]

Yeah, they do seem to have previous form for playing up. Not had it myself but there's not too much in the system that can go wrong TBH.

In the aviation game, there's a lot of re-racking goes on. So it's always my first port of call on cars too.

Gavin

[Soup Nazi]

h100vw
We are in the very same industry. I fly em, you fix em!

[h100vw]

Oh yeah.

What do you fly then. GA or real stuff??

I miss my widebodies (330s 747s 777s etc) when the 1970s 172s turn up... Grovelling under the dashboards is awful.
RFDS PC12s not so bad though.


Gavin

[Soup Nazi]

I on the King Air's, have been now for 9 years. I used to fly out of AD in the late 90's. Sounds like you been around a bit as well. Re-racking is of course the first port of call for most intermittent problems, at least it gets the thing back in the air hey!

Anyway I have an early one on the morrow, now doubt we'll chat again.
Cheers

[h100vw]

Yeah, let us know how it goes with the reader coil.

Cheers

Gavin

[Soup Nazi]

OK Guys
The problem with rejected starts was bearable until about a week ago. Now its out of control. For two starts this morning I had 18 rejected. I am told the contectors to the key reader can be dodgy so I'll start there. Otherwise I am told to either replace the reader ring and immobilizer control box or extract a chip from a key and tape it to the reader ring. I be checking it out in the next day or two.
SN

[h100vw]

That would be the way to go. i have a spare reader ring depending on what box you have. There's an early and later. Get the part number off the immobiliser if you can, to save you going back there.

Gavin

[Soup Nazi]

OK last night I removed the immobiliser controller to retrieve the part number and clean the terminals. I also charged the battery overnight.
gavin
The part numbers are;

Immobiliser controller: 1H0 953 257B

Key Reader Ring: 1H0 953 254D

Remember these numbers are for a Turbo Diesel (Tdi) and may differ from petrol models. Today so far all has been good. I have decided that if the problem persists from here I will replace the battery first. If it continues I'll tape a key chip to the reader ring, if that fixes it it's the ring, if it still continues its probably the controller. The controller has not thrown any codes (VAG-COM) but the ECU has the code 17978 ENGINE START BLOCKED BY IMMOBILIZER P1570-35-10 INTERMITTENT.

Will advise.....