2005 Traction Control Warning Light Comes on and Stays on

[Waddellg]

Hi
I have a 2005 Cordoba 1.4 TDi Sport with Traction Control.

When I'm out on a short drive (down to shops) everything is ok but on my daily commute, my traction control warning light is coming on and will not go off until I have switched off the engine.

It can happen anytime at any speed (e.g. this morning I hadn't left the town and it came on but yesterday I got 20 miles out of town and on the motorway before it came on)

When it first happened, I pulled over to try and figure what was wrong and noticed my drive side wheel tyre was unevenly worn I took it to a tyre place and they anlaysed it as a worn drivers side suspension bushes. I got them to replace all of the bushes, fix the tracking and alignment and replaced all four tyres but the problem still occurs.

Does anyone have any idea what I could try next? Does anyone know where the sensors are?

I'm not really wanting to pay €95/hour labour at my local main SEAT dealer if I can help it! I've taken to switching the TCS off as soon as I leave the house in the mornings but winter is coming.

Also, if I switch the TCS off and then switch it back on the warning light stays on I don't know if I'm switching it back on and hitting the same problem or if it just isn't engaging.

[Sam]

The first thing to do is to get the car scanned for fault codes.

You've not filled in your location but judging buy your use of the Euro, I'm guessing somewhere in Ireland?

[Waddellg]

Hi,
After spending two days and five hundred euro with the SEAt dealer I'm still stuck!

Engine fault diagonstics show no warnings apart from one that happened once over the two days about alternator load which then reset itself before the dealer could do anything.

The dealer hooked up a multimeter to the alternator but got a godd steady current and voltage.

They checked all the earthing points for corrosion, the TCS is just switching itself off.

They wanted too charge me another 300 to replace the alternator which may or may not be the issue and if that doesn't fix it they want to replace the actual computer in the car.

The car is a 2005 with over 150,000 KM on the clock I'd say it wasn't worth five grand and it could cost me over 2000 to fix this so I'm leaving it for now.

Only thing is that I have an NCT in August (Irish MOT) and I know it will fail on this.

Anyone any ideas that don't involve a can of petrol and some matches?

I wonder if the actual TCS switch is faulty so I might see if I can find a replacement at a scrap yard but I can't afford a different car, I can't afford to fix this and it's probably game over come August.

I think this could be my first and last SEAT :zx11: next time it's a Skoda, VW Audi, Ford, Opel or Japanese car for me.

[magown]

Just seeing your post now. Had similar probwith my 2005 1.4 tdi cordoba. Tcs light on plus Glow plug light flashing. Investigations (on this site) told me to check brake lights ! Lo and behold - 2 bulbs needed replacing. New bulbs inserted - tcs glow plug lights out. GREAT

[Waddellg]

Well August is approaching fast so I bought a VAG fault diagnosis kit on ebay for €20

Result! I got two warning codes - Isuspect fault number two is causing the traction control to switch off:

Address 01: Engine
Controller: 045 906 019 BG
Component: 1,4l R3 EDC 0000SG 5180
Coding: 00105
Shop #: WSC 06402
VSSZZZ6LZ5R187756 SEZ7Z0E2935233
1 Fault Found:
17911 - Load Signal from Alternator Term. DF: Implausible Signal
P1503 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent
Readiness: N/A
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 03: ABS Brakes
Controller: 6Q0 907 379 AB
Component: MABS 8.0 front H03 0001
Coding: 0000008
Shop #: WSC 06403
1 Fault Found:
18265 - Load Signal: Error Message from ECU
P1857 - 000 - -

I wonder though does fault 2 relate to fault one?

Anyone know anywhere that does exchange / recon alternators in Ireland?

[magown]

I found RICHIE ROBAN of Blanchardstown Auto Electric to be an excellent service provider. He will check your car and if you need an alternator he will get one for you, BUT more importantly, if you don't need one, he will tell you exactly that. He won't sell you anything you don't need. He is very reasonable on prices too. He is at 8200840, or 0868204628. Top man for auto electrics, any model.

[magown]

Not following what you are doing switching on/off traction control!
Traction control is on all the time unless you switch it off manually, at which time the light comes on the dash. So when light is on
the traction control is off, unless of course the light is a signal for some other underlying fault, which you suspect?

[Waddellg]

Hi,

The traction control light was coming on and staying on I thought the system may be switching itself off to prevent overloading or something so I was switching off manually just in case...

I think I'm looking at one of the following:
1. Alternator - garage said it had a good steady current though
2. Regulator - if fails could cause power spikes etc...
3. Wiring fault - preventing proper current / voltage getting to systems or worse shorting out

Other minor things I'm noticing with the car are electrical - it seams to need new side bulbs each service, just now one side bulb is glowing faintly compared to the other. My cigerette lighter stopped working altogether - I've removed it to fit a replacement...

I saw a post on another forum where a guy with a golf was having same issue and it turned out to be the wiring...

[Waddellg]

Hi All,

I thought I had the problem cause identified and cured but no luck!

I took a voltage reading from the battery with engine on and got 19 volts, so I got my alternator reconditioned with new bearings, new regulator,even a new pully. I took the car home and everything was great no warning light or anything. Yesterday morning I went on my first long drive since the alternator fix and lo and behold it started again...

I took the car home got out the diagnostic kit and the multimeter - the multimeter read 19 volts again but I noticed a low battery warning on the multimeter, I replaced the batttery and then got readings of 14v. I tried revving the engine up and it still stayed at 14v.

I hooked up my diagnostic kit and got the same readings as before so I cleared them both and the light went off. I then went on a driver arround the town and the light came on again.

I went home checked the multimeter and got 14 volts. I rescanned the car and got the same two readings, I cleared the ABS one and tthe traction control light went off. I then cleared the Engine warning but immediately it reappeared along with the ABS one and the traction control light went on again I repeated this until I could clear them both.

I then kept the engine running with the car hooked up all afternoon and the same thing kept happening, I'd have a steady 14 v no issue on multimeter then suddenly out of the blue I get the two errors I'd clear the abs one with no issue and the warning light would go out. But everytime I tried to clear the engine error, it would immediately reappear and bring the ABS one back with it.

After a period the engine warning would eventually clear and I'd clear the abs too then wait a while and they would come back on again.

I think the engine error is what is causing the ABS error to occur and switch off the traction control system. I don't know what is causing the engine error though. I was wondering if something like a fan coming on was triggering it but I didn't see that happening.

Address 01: Engine
Controller: 045 906 019 BG
Component: 1,4l R3 EDC 0000SG 5180
Coding: 00105
Shop #: WSC 06402
VSSZZZ6LZ5R187756 SEZ7Z0E2935233
1 Fault Found:
17911 - Load Signal from Alternator Term. DF: Implausible Signal
P1503 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent
Readiness: N/A
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 03: ABS Brakes
Controller: 6Q0 907 379 AB
Component: MABS 8.0 front H03 0001
Coding: 0000008
Shop #: WSC 06403
1 Fault Found:
18265 - Load Signal: Error Message from ECU
P1857 - 000 - -

I'm at a loss and thinking to either leave it in a dodgy part of town with some cans of petrol and matches next to it or get my mechanic to disconnect the traction control warning light for the NCT. I'm half joking about the matches and petrol....

[Waddellg]

Hi
Now Started getting the Flashing Glow plug warning too.

Browsing of Forums /internet are point ing me in the direction of the following:

1. Brake lights / Sensor - Would have showed up at NCT though?
2. MAF sensor - distinct possiblity - some weeks I have to refill more often than others, and car seams to need more revs
3. Wiring fault.

Whatever it is I've decided to fix it then sell the car on (depending on price) - it is a real money pit I've had to have the tracking sorted out last month because it ate two front tyres as well.

Compared to my wifes 2001 Focus Estate it is an unreliable dog. The focus has higher mileage and apart from routine serving just needed a clutch about a year ago which considering the age and mileage is reasonable.

[Waddellg]

Thanks to dump valve on the TDI forum I may have solved the issue but I can't test it. due to the other issue....

Traction Control Light:
advised by Dump value to jack up the car on the Left hand side (passenger) and take off the under tray. In between the gear box and the bottom of the radiator there is a connector mounted on a bracket with with two thin wires (blue and purple) going into it these wire have designed to fail written all over them - they are two of the thinest wires I've ever seen taped to another larger cable which puts all of its weight on to them.

Anyway the purple wire had snapped and i cleaned it up and then reconnected the two ends, taped everything up with electrical tape and then taped the wires up onto another tube of wires to transfer the weight. So hopefully I've sorted that.

Problem number two ( glowplug warning light) looks like a braking system problem - I got my glamorous assistant, my wife, to go press the brake pedal and there was no lights. So I've popped the brake light switch off and ordered a new one off of ebay - so I can't test the TCS yet...

[Waddellg]

Faulty brake light switch 99p fix

[hanloj1]

Thanks to dump valve on the TDI forum I may have solved the issue but I can't test it. due to the other issue....

Traction Control Light:
advised by Dump value to jack up the car on the Left hand side (passenger) and take off the under tray. In between the gear box and the bottom of the radiator there is a connector mounted on a bracket with with two thin wires (blue and purple) going into it these wire have designed to fail written all over them - they are two of the thinest wires I've ever seen taped to another larger cable which puts all of its weight on to them.

Anyway the purple wire had snapped and i cleaned it up and then reconnected the two ends, taped everything up with electrical tape and then taped the wires up onto another tube of wires to transfer the weight. So hopefully I've sorted that.

Problem number two ( glowplug warning light) looks like a braking system problem - I got my glamorous assistant, my wife, to go press the brake pedal and there was no lights. So I've popped the brake light switch off and ordered a new one off of ebay - so I can't test the TCS yet...

Hi

I'm having very similar problems with an A3. Did this fault go away?

[Waddellg]

Hi,
It was the two broken wires, I reconnected them and the fault hasn't returned - the brake light switch was an easy fix too.

Not sure about where the wires would be in an audi, but worth looking in the same spot as the Seat... Treated myself to a VW 6 disc in dash changer

[knight_rider]

he is robbing you, or he don't know anything, i think the 1st one is correct.
it's just a sensor fault.