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Multiple error codes at startup

11K views 34 replies 13 participants last post by  ita gt 
#1 ·
The past week I have been experiencing some very strange error codes at start up. When I turn it on the ebrake light turns on and it engages, I get a suspension error that says check suspension, and then another 3 letter error that I cant remember. It will go away if I start and stop the car a couple times. I know these cars are super sensitive to a low battery but I just swapped it out this winter. Any other thoughts on what it could be?
 
#4 ·
I experienced the same issue a couple of months ago. After driving for an hour, I stopped to grab a cup of coffee and upon restart I get the EPB light and Check Suspension warning light. Driving it felt like the parking brake was on. Pulled over and turned the car off, waited a minute or two, restarted and everything was fine. So far, no more issues. I did decide to hook up a battery tender even though I drive it almost everyday and put on 250 miles. Someone mentioned that an installed "Lo Jack" system could prematurely drain the battery and cause these types of electronic gremlins. I always keep a capacitor type battery jumper in my trunk now.
 
#14 ·
You don't need to sit there with the key on to start a car....Electricity travels pretty quick and any communication between the modules is almost instant...Jason



I actually did this start up routine this morning and the problem did not repeat. I had the error about 10 times in a row before that. So would seem like a strange coincidence to just stop now. So it seems like this routine does help, for whatever reason. We will see if this keeps it from happening again until I purchase a new battery.
 
#5 ·
I had this problem twice a few years ago. My friend, the service manager at Continental Autosports, told me start the car as follows: 1. Turn key to ON position. 2.Wait a few seconds for the Battery Icon in the left gauge to light up. 3.Start the engine. Waiting until the Battery Icon lights gives all the computers time to say "hello" to each other. I now do this as a routine, and have never had another problem.
 
#10 ·
Yup, don't start and crank the car in one key motion. Always turn to on position first, wait for lights to go out then crank the engine. I usually put on my seat belt during that time. The car needs to do some calibration and handshaking. If I don't do that, the throttle is jerky and over-sensitive.


Also make sure the battery is in good condition. I plug in a tender every month or two to make sure it is fully charged. I no longer get ANY strange electrical alerts like MSP, EPB, etc.


Also, if your car is parked and then moved slightly such as when on an incline (rolls slightly as you remove the foot brake), or someone pushed it etc you can get the EPB alert.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Just because a battery starts a car or doesn't turn over slowly doesn't mean a battery is good..It can fail and as you start/crank the car the voltage levels in certain modules can get below required levels and this sets the faults.. The quick shot of power by the alternator boost your bad battery and restarting the car and resets the modules..It is like rebooting a laptop...Jason
 
#11 ·
Bad Karma. So I used the above method of turning the key to the "On" position and waiting a few seconds before starting the engine and when I turned it off, I have the dreaded radiator fans staying on. Had to disconnect the battery to get them to stop. I think I might have an electrical problem somewhere as my battery is only a couple of months old and I put it on a tender over the weekends. In the year I have had the car, I have experienced the following:

1. "low oil level" warning light when oil is full. Fixed itself after I visited the dealer to scheduled an appointment to fix it.
2. TPMS error - fixed by recalibrating
3. Passenger seat failing to automatically move forward for rear passengers.
4. Passenger mirror down stopped working when reversing.
5. 2 year old battery holding only 350 CA. Replaced a couple of months ago with 900CA AGM battery.
6. EPB and check suspension warning light. Fixed by stopping and restarting vehicle.
7. Radiator fans constantly running. Will be taking to dealer later this week,
 
#12 ·
Bad Karma. So I used the above method of turning the key to the "On" position and waiting a few seconds before starting the engine and when I turned it off, I have the dreaded radiator fans staying on. Had to disconnect the battery to get them to stop. I think I might have an electrical problem somewhere as my battery is only a couple of months old and I put it on a tender over the weekends. In the year I have had the car, I have experienced the following:

1. "low oil level" warning light when oil is full. Fixed itself after I visited the dealer to scheduled an appointment to fix it.
2. TPMS error - fixed by recalibrating
3. Passenger seat failing to automatically move forward for rear passengers.
4. Passenger mirror down stopped working when reversing.
5. 2 year old battery holding only 350 CA. Replaced a couple of months ago with 900CA AGM battery.
6. EPB and check suspension warning light. Fixed by stopping and restarting vehicle.
7. Radiator fans constantly running. Will be taking to dealer later this week,

Stay away from my car! :ninja2:
 
#19 ·
Witchcraft is seldom required to start a modern car :)

Not witchcraft.


Here's what the manual says you need to do when battery has been disconnected:


WARNING: Each time the battery is
reconnected, wait at least 30 seconds
with the ignition key in position MAR
(ON) before starting the engine. This
enables the electronic system that
controls the motor-driven valves to
perform a self-learning procedure.



Granted, the manual says that is only required when battery had been disconnected but for me it makes a difference. If I don't wait for the battery light to go out before cranking the engine, the throttle is overly sensitive from a stop. Reproducible every time. No harm and works for me. Seems like it worked for mcann2 as well.
 
#24 ·
Another update on this, I have continued to religiously use the prescribed key-turn sequence of (i) turn on, wait for warning lights to go out; (ii) turn to start engine. The result so far, many weeks into the hot season, is complete and total success. My suspension control fault has never once come up, although it did so almost daily the past two summers. Witchcraft is most definitely the answer.
 
#27 ·
I can't argue with success, but think about how long a QP is in feet...Then realize electricity travels at 186,000 miles per second or the speed of light...Just saying.....The reason you have to let it 30 seconds after battery reconnnection is so the ECM can learn the throttle position....Jason
 
#28 ·
I think perhaps in the case of my car, it is just a matter of letting the computers boot up without interrupting the process by hitting the starter. I don't wait 30 seconds, as for the ECM learnng, just long enough to see the first sequence of warning lights go out, and the climate control fire up. A while ago I went for a drive and my climate control was dead.... again probably because I interrupted its boot-up by starting the car at the exactly wrong moment.
 
#31 ·
I have also always started my cars like that also. Mainly because my Ferrari 360 would be happier once the "Check OK" displayed, then I started it up. Habit I guess. Seems to work.

For those of you with tenders, did you just hook the pigtails to the battery in the trunk and route the wire out?

Chris
 
#32 ·
Chris: Yes, hooked directly to the battery with a Quick-Connect at the other end of an approx 4 ft cable. Open trunk, plug in tender, close trunk lid just short of latching, done. When you are ready to drive: open trunk, unplug tender, lay wire in trunk, close trunk.
 
#35 ·
I had the same problem. If I have it on a charger overnight, it starts fine. But after a full day or so off the charger, the engine start always cause issues.

I put a scope on it and found when I started the vehicle (after a full day off the charger), the battery voltage drops below 7 volts. (See attached pic - the bottom graph is a zoomed in window of the top graph). This seems to cause the modules and/or CAN bus to reset during the engine start -- leading to all the error messages.

A strong battery doesn't drop out. The starter on this vehicle pulls a lot of current and if the battery isn't strong, it can't hold the voltage.
 

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