External temp sensor help needed!!!???
 

Hi all,

Basically I've bought a mk2 180. It would seem that a previous owner had binned it into a field and had it badly repaired. I've just replaced the front bumper with the correct one, as some clown had put a standard zs bumper on it......

The problem I have is with the aircon. I have an e4 error code. From reading up on the various forums it seems that the problem is with the exterior ambient temp sensor usually located inside the front bumper. ........ The problem is that there isn't one there..... I have the sensor from the new proper bumper - thanks Mark.... But we couldn't see or find we're it actually plugs in in to the wiring loom......

Could someone give a detailed description of we're it needs to connect to the loom... A photo would be great if anyone has a bumper off!!!

Any relevant help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

It fits on a bracket behind the nearside foglight, the plug should be there somewhere.

I know that the sensor fits to clips to the bumper ~ the question is where does the other end of the sensor attach to the wiring loom?.... there is a possibility that the "mechanic" that did the work may have cut the cable off - so i need to know where it should be.....

Not a 100% but I think it runs down with the fog light wiring........not paid a great deal of attention to it when I have had bumpers off but can't remember too many wires hanging about in that area.

when i had took the bumper off mines,i hadnt clipped it back in properly and was getting the e4 code,had another look and located it properly,then the code went off,the loom will be behind the passengers foglight,as james said,along with the wiring for the horn.

+1 on this.. same thing happened to me

Cheers guys.......

I know that it is in the general area and have obviously spent some time looking for where it should go to no avail.

As I said - I think that someone may have the plug off of the loom. I'm really in need of a technical answer....

If the plug or cut off wiring isn't obviously visible you'll end up needing to un bundle the loom in the area of the horn/rh front fog to find the cut wiring, I don't see any other solution tbh.

Thanks Pete. I agree - that will probably be the course of action needed. I'm hoping that someone may be able to tell me what wire I will need to find - colour/location etc.....

There seems to be nothing in Haynes manual - so need someone knowledgeable on the subject!

I can answer this tomorrow as I am replacing my sensor, weather permitting!

I can't remember what colour the cables were, I had to fit a new plug for the replacement sensor, but it was a few years back.

The Haynes doesn't show much for the mk2.

Smokey - that would be awesome! If you would be able to take a quick picture whilst you're at it too..... would be fantastic!! Fingers crossed on the waether for you? Do you have the same E4 error? My fans won't come on at all..... do you think this will sort?

:-)

I doubt it will fix the fan issue as it's just a sensor for external temp. My system works full except the flashing E4 error code (and that it thinks it's 34 degrees celcius out!)

I will take photos too.

Which fans are we talking about, the engine cooling fans, or the blower motor for the interior.

You can make the atc do a self test by keeping the auto button pressed and turning the key to position 2, it should show any fault codes.

Ahh. ******. At this point I had assumed that it would fix it. The interior fans don't work at all....they did work once when I first got it - ive done a couple of hundred miles now and they wont come on at all. Would this be something else entirley then?

Thanks again for your willingness to help!

Sorry - yes its the internal fans/blowers that aren't working - it did work briefly a couple times a few weeks ago - but not at all now.

I had (rather stupidly it seems) assumed that the fixing E4 error code would fix fans.....

I have done the test and along with E4 I have had an E9 error too. I will do the test again this evening and see if it does anything else!

Any further ideas - I'm not to bothered about the external temperature then - although I would like to put the e4 error right......... the important thing is to get the fans blowing!

E4 is the interior temp sensor, it's located behind the little grill next to the atc display.

E9 is the external sensor clipped to the l/h foglight bracket, the cable colours for the external sensor are Blue/White and Black/Grey.

Thank you Pete. Are we saying then that it is the sensors that are stopping the fans from working - or would that be something else?

Cheers

The exterior one, no, it'll just give wild outside temp readings, the interior one quite possibly.

The blower fan is really easy to access from the passenger foot well, it's fitted to the bottom of the heater unit with 3 bolts, and the power connector, it would be worth popping it out to make sure it spins freely.

http://www.themgzs.co.uk/vb/showthre...=22692&page=15

Not sure if it is any help, but I replaced mine - Couple of pics on my thread, sure I have some more somewhere. I'll have a dig.

Also with my broken ext: temp sensor, I was not receiving any hot air at all until 'hot' was actually selected.

I think I may have an internal sensor as well as a spare atc unit if you want to borrow them to try/test.

Pete, I'm not sure how accurate you are. When I unplug my internal sensor, I get an E0 error, when I plug it back in, the error clears.

I have this table which would suggest E4 and E0 is a front temp sensor failure as they both relate to this.

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...psd6bb8c32.png

This would also make sense if the wires were cut as they may be touching the car, earthing the cable and creating the E9 error

I got the info off a post on .org, but yours makes more sense as both codes relate to the external sensor.

Not often I'm right about something lol, it's only because I've had my centre console out a hundred times!

How many times ???:laugh:

Well are we counting times removed or days without one in the car?!?!

Thanks Mark - I'll have a play around at the weekend and give you a buzz if thats ok?

Thanks Pompski! Thats brilliant. It is going to be the weekend before I get chance to have a mess around. I shall give an update then...

Smokey - thanks again. This all looks like it will be a great help. Thank you.

So....... just before I start to remove all the dash etc......... Is it likely to be a fuse that's stopped the blowers from working? If its a possibility can anyone tell me which fuse it would be?

Thanks

Jonathan

Have you had the fan out to see if it still turns, it's about 10 minutes work and requires no dismantling of the dash, a multimeter on the fan power connection would be worth doing as well.

Right.... I've had the fan out and a multimeter on the connector and thee is definitely power coming to the fan unit. How much power should there be to drive the fan.... Amps or volts........

I've tested the fan unit on my 12v battery charger and it works fine.

I've also had the dash off and the internal temperature sensor fan was sh!tted up. I've cleaned that and it seems ok.... But still getting e4 error. So could still be the sensor that is the problem.....

Strange that the multimeter is showing some power coming through but not spinning fan!!!???

Help please!!!!????? I'm more confused now than before!

Hi Mark

Would you mind if I take you up on your offer please?

Are you around one evening in the week so that I could swing by?

Cheers

Jonathan

The voltage on the fan plug will vary with the speed selected, but it should be 12v at max speed.

Have you fitted the new external temp sensor.

Not had chance yet.... Was taking your advice and checking the fan and internal sensor first.

no probs, but you should find out the colour code/wires for the ext temp sens also as I may be able to get you a piece of loom if your is missing.

I think that front bumper may be coming off again!


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