Vag com error 01206

**fulcrum111** · 07-12-2009,10:14 AM

Hi Guys,

My A4 B6 will not start for me. Sorry for the long message below!

Yesterday I was mucking around with the slipring behind the steering wheel as I was trying to install a MFSW. Disconnected the battery negative terminal a few times, installed the slipring, steering wheel, put everything back together, fixed the steering angle sensor fault with vagcom and everything went fine. Started the car, went for test drive, all ok. Later that evening went to start the car again and it wouldn't start. Jump started it and all was ok, Ran vagcom and got fault 01206 - see description below. I removed the MFSW and slipring I had installed earlier, put back the original parts, jump started again and cleared the fault. Went for a drive, turned off the engine and started it again. Ran vagcom and the fault was gone. Though it was sorted!

I drove it for about an hour on motorway to ensure the battery was charged. I put a volt meter across the battery terminals and it was reading abour 14.39 V so that tells me the alternator is charging the battery.

When I got up this morning it wouldn't start. Jumped started it again and drove for half an hour to work on motorway, turned off the engine and it started again once and then wouldn'd start again. Ran vagcom again at work and the same fault comes up again - 01206.

When I run vagcom I get error 01206 in controller 08 - Auto HVAC.

The full fault reads:
01206 - Signal for duration of ignition off time
27-00 implausible signal

Can anyone help me out with suggestions? What do I need to look at? I checked the wiring at the back of the ignition and it seems ok. I assume that I did something while playing the the MFSW install, but having put everything back I thought I'd be ok again but thats not the case.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted.

**Crasher** · 07-12-2009,11:47 AM

You jump started it, so the battery went flat? I can’t see an air conditioning fault code causing it not to start, presumably there are no error codes on the engine ECU? When you say it will not start, is it cranking over and not starting?

**fulcrum111** · 07-12-2009,02:10 PM

Its not cranking over at all. For all intents and purposes it as if the battery is flat. There are no other fault codes and the car drives fine once started.

The date and time reset to 0:00 and some date in 2002 - again gives the impression that the battery is flat. As I said the alternator seems to be charging the battery but maybe it's not holding the charge. I noticed the negative terminal end of the battery was warm last evening - maybe the battery is dead?

It seems like a bit of a coincidence that the battery would go at the same time I'm trying to do the MFSW mod!

What ya think?

**Crasher** · 07-12-2009,02:13 PM

It is either a poor connection or a dead battery but being as it cranks over when you jump start it, it sounds like a faulty battery or a very heavy current drain.

**fulcrum111** · 07-12-2009,03:07 PM

Any idea what could be draining the current it thats whats happening? I've re-installed the original slipring, steering wheel and airbag. The car is in the configuration it was in prior to my messing around when there were no problems.

Thank.

**RickT** · 07-12-2009,04:05 PM

First things first... Would it not be best to Jump start the car, leave it running for a short period of time, then take a battery reading... leave it over night and then re-take the reading in the morning..

Then the following night / day... do the same again but disconnect the battery and check the voltage in the battery..

Then you will know if you have a drain or a duff battery..

Rick

**fulcrum111** · 07-12-2009,04:27 PM

Hi RickT,

That sounds like a plan to me. I'll give it a go.

Just wondering, does a battery get warm during the normal course of charging? I noticed my battery was warm to the touch last night after jumping it.

**Crasher** · 07-12-2009,04:37 PM

To detect a drain you need a digital multimeter with a high current circuit, at least 10A but preferably 20A. You put the common connection of the DMM onto the battery and the other onto the power cable of the battery so that the battery is connect to the car via the DMM. DO NOT attempt to start the car like this or you will kill the DMM instantly or at least blow its fuse.

**fulcrum111** · 08-12-2009,12:10 PM

Hi Guys,

Just to give an update. I bought a new battery yesterday to have just in case. Jump started the car at work, drove home. Turned off the engine and it wouldn't start again. Checked the voltage in the battery - it was about 12.3 and it dropped to about 11.4 after trying to turn over the engine again. Decided to change the battery. The battery I removed was an original Audi supplied battery - had the 8E0 PN printed on top. I wonder was this the original battery supplied with the car 6 years ago? Would a battery last that long?

Anyway, installed the battery and the car started fine. Went for a quick drive to give it a bit of charge. Left it over night and started it again this morning wth no problem, so I'm assuming there is no drain and that it was the old battery giving up the ghost!

2 problems I now have are:

1. ESP light came on this morning on the way to work, intermittantly at first going around bends and then it came on full. Ran vagcom and the steering angle sensor was showing a fault. Under measuring block 005 the steering angle is showing 12.5 when straight (should be -5 to +5). Had the instructions with me to reset the steering angle sensor but it stays at 12.5 - possible faulty slipring??

2. There is not a kick out of my radio (concert 1 I think). Tried using vagcom to test it but got no response from controller. Checked fuses in the fuse box on drivers side and nothing is blown. Anybody got any ideas? Are there more fuses that I don't know about - possibly behind the radio?

One interesting think I found when I took out the battery was that the compartment underneath was full of water! There is a drain hole over towards the drivers side which was completely blocked up. I cleared that and most of the water drained away. I noted a rubber oblong stopper sitting right underneath the battery - anyone know what this is for. Should I remove it to help drain water also?

Oh yea, I still have the 01206 fault in controller 08 - Auto HVAC.

Anyone got anymore suggestions or comments re. the above points?

Thanks all!

**danclyon** · 08-12-2009,01:48 PM

Originally Posted by fulcrum111

Hi Guys,

Just to give an update. I bought a new battery yesterday to have just in case. Jump started the car at work, drove home. Turned off the engine and it wouldn't start again. Checked the voltage in the battery - it was about 12.3 and it dropped to about 11.4 after trying to turn over the engine again. Decided to change the battery. The battery I removed was an original Audi supplied battery - had the 8E0 PN printed on top. I wonder was this the original battery supplied with the car 6 years ago? Would a battery last that long?

Anyway, installed the battery and the car started fine. Went for a quick drive to give it a bit of charge. Left it over night and started it again this morning wth no problem, so I'm assuming there is no drain and that it was the old battery giving up the ghost!

2 problems I now have are:

1. ESP light came on this morning on the way to work, intermittantly at first going around bends and then it came on full. Ran vagcom and the steering angle sensor was showing a fault. Under measuring block 005 the steering angle is showing 12.5 when straight (should be -5 to +5). Had the instructions with me to reset the steering angle sensor but it stays at 12.5 - possible faulty slipring??

2. There is not a kick out of my radio (concert 1 I think). Tried using vagcom to test it but got no response from controller. Checked fuses in the fuse box on drivers side and nothing is blown. Anybody got any ideas? Are there more fuses that I don't know about - possibly behind the radio?

One interesting think I found when I took out the battery was that the compartment underneath was full of water! There is a drain hole over towards the drivers side which was completely blocked up. I cleared that and most of the water drained away. I noted a rubber oblong stopper sitting right underneath the battery - anyone know what this is for. Should I remove it to help drain water also?

Oh yea, I still have the 01206 fault in controller 08 - Auto HVAC.

Anyone got anymore suggestions or comments re. the above points?

Thanks all!

The rubber stopper is the so-called "Plenum Drain" - usually appearing famously on here alongside a metric crap load of water and a rusted brake master cylinder (there's one under there too).

A recall was done ages ago to replace these (or rip them out which is what I think Audi dealers were actually instructed to do) as they fill up with crud and you end up driving around a small swimming pool just above your knees!

Un-bung it, clean it and leave it there if you like....I forget the recall number specifically though...

Cheers,
dan.