Mega Problem Immobiliser - PATS 16 Error - Mk7

[shodan01]

1 Week ago I had this problem. Fiesta Mk7 09 1.6 petrol . I dont used the car for 2 days, after i tried to start and bamm. Nothing happening :(, only the immobiliser led start to blinking rapidly, and all the icon light up in the instrument cluster.... After that the immoiliser led blinked the 1-6 error code. I start to read a lot about this problem. Its fairly common with focus because of the instrument cluster soldering, but not with Fiesta!! I checked some basic things but so far nothing:

- battery 4-5 month old Ford motorcraft. Tried to connect - disconnect a hundred times. Tried charging. Checked with multimeter everything is good.

- Checked the fuses. Specialy that connected to the PCM, everything is fine.

- Checked the relay that connected to the PCM. Its looks like working. Tried on a 12V battery and its switching, hear the clicking sound

- Tried spare key

- Tried to move, shake the main cable.

- On OBDII port i got nothing , no communication with the scanner.

After that attemps, i called a lot of local automotive electrician. Towed the car one of them. They got the same result as I. Okay. We need to go deeper. Firstly he removed the IC, and after that there is a communication with the OBD port he said. So send the cluster to a local  IC repair company. They found nothing but soldered down the critical points, and cleaned the cluster. Yesterday he get back the IC, but the problem is the same. And here I am . Nobody knows nothing. 😞

When I tried the cluster before with the secret ford self test not even start to run, its only shows 'test' and stuck there. I think becuse the cluster after that stage try to communicate with PCM but there is no communication. If i turned the key to the first position (1) everything is looking fine. The cluster shows the km counter, the led stopped blinking. So i think nothing wrong with the PATS transponder, the IC got the message the key is right. When i turn the key the 2 position thats where the blinking start. and the km counter just show lines ----------- I think because there is the stage when the cluster tring to comm with the pcm but dont get back any signal.

One thing that i dont know if i turn the key to second position the inside vent and AC module start up for a second sometimes, but after that shut down. Is it normal if the immobiliser is on?? 

I dont remember but when the key is on 2 position the AC and inside Fan system working when everything is good? Could somebody checking for me? Maybe there is a grounding problem inside the car? And thats why its shut down rapidly....

 

[isetta]

are you still able to get the OBD reader to connect to the ECU?

I don't have much experience with Fiesta but did a lot of work on this kind of problem with a Focus Mk2 belonging to a relative.

Based on Mk2 Focus, but I don't know if your fiesta works in same way:  I am wondering if there is a connection problem on canbus between cluster and ecu. there are many big plug connectors between the two and it only needs a dodgy pin connector in one of them. For testing this I would be tempted to cut into the canbus wires on the IC plug and run two wires direct to the canbus wires on the ECU plug and see what happens (canbus wires should be twisted along the length as it helps stop interference or something like that). I know that is not a 5 minute job. Also you couldn't leave that as a permanent work around fix as the canbus needs to connect to other things along the way such as abs, but it probably won't matter if they are left out for the purpose of testing where the problem might lay.

I bet you feel like torching the car.

 

[shodan01]

Thanks for the quick answer isetta . Yeah i feel like that 😞 One of my contact from the ford dealership will bring me a factory ford scanner... maybe. After that if there is no other solution i think i need a more radical intervention , something like that.

...Im stupid and i bought a polish pack , machine and everything to this car for xmas.... meahhh😞

But i dont know ,there are no experts here. Anybody i talked about this problem never heard this kind of error code?! My electrican who has the car now, talked about the BCM. But the error code 1:6  indicating a connection issue between the cluster and the PCM, so its definetly realted to this.

IC<----> Connection(Cable)<----> PCM issue. Or i feel like its a grounding or maybe corrosion thing.

I read all the topics, all the google findings, youtube video to related to this. Sometimes is the relay, sometimes is a grounding. But there is no simple solution. I like to add as many information about this problem as i can . Maybe its useful for somebody in the future...

Lets look at the good side, I don't have to fuel the car right now 😐
 

[shodan01]

About the problem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNa8DTVoDZw&feature=youtu.be (sorry for vertical :I ) (the leds are not flickering its just in the video)

The  inside fans sometimes working for a sec then shutdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWUiiyGe-vs&feature=youtu.be

The cluster was removed, i looked behind it the connection is looking fine.

I made the can bus test on 6-14 pin, i got 60ohm.

Looking behind steering column for any collection issues, checked the groundings what i found. I dont see any problem.... :I 

 

[shodan01]

PROBLEM FOUND!!!: 😎

There was a cable break behind battery tray, and thats why the PCM dont get power. Its looks like repaired before. I dont know its common problem. Maybe the tray is collecting water.

Conclusion:

If there is no connection with PCM, the test mode will not run on the IC.

If there is no connection with PCM, the forscan mobile and desktop verion not connecting.

 

 

[isetta]

thanks for update, might help someone else with similar problem who is searching this forum, you didn't get a photo you can add did you?

[shodan01]

My electrican do the job, so i dont have photo now, maybe i add it later if i can 🙂

[Metalmark]

Hi Shodan01

Can you let me know exactly the fix for your fault. I have exactly the same issue on my Mk7 . Many thanks

[JasonLong]

On 6/14/2020 at 8:54 AM, Metalmark said:

Hi Shodan01

Can you let me know exactly the fix for your fault. I have exactly the same issue on my Mk7 . Many thanks

Hi,

 

did you fix your issue? I now have the exact same thing too. Tested everything I can think of and still nothing

[shodan01]

Maybe its not relevant by now but the problem was behind the battery tray! One of the cable break or corroded. I dont have photos sorry  I didnt do the job.

[Fordbob]

I’ve got exactly the same problem all fuses good  I will be stripping it all out tomorrow and will report back what I find. This vehicle Ford Fiesta 59 Mk7 1.2.

[Adam6675]

I also have this problem typical ford 🙄  been through everything still not fixed 

[gizz_mo]

Hello everyone

I have this exact same issue with my Ford Fiesta MK7 2011. Wont start - PATS code 1-6 - exactly the same as described in the OP's post. 

1)My mechanic connected it to his scan machine but there is no comms with the scan machine so its unable to read anything. Mechanic is a trained Ford Master Technician, used to work for Ford.  He checked all the electrics and fuses, was all fine so we got an auto electrician to take a look

2) Auto electrician also did the same checks, no comms with his scan machine and he checked all the fuses and electrical connections and found no issues - he suggested it might be a problem with the ECU.  Charged £65

3) Contacted ECU testing - mechanic removed the ECU and sent it off to them - they sent it back - said never seen this model of ECU before so they can't test it - sent it back no charge

4) Mechanic found another ECU testing company, sent it off to them - they confirmed the ECU is faulty but said they were  unable to figure out exactly what was faulty so they sent it back no charge

5) Mechanic sent it to Autotronics - they tested and said that they could fix it - needed to replace a couple of chips - waited 3 weeks for the chips and then they sent it back - charged approx £300.  Mechanic put it back in the car expecting it all to work - still no start and same PATS 1-6 error.  Autotronics took it back as their repair is under warranty - and now they have had it for 2 weeks with no update.  Its not really looking very promising.

I mentioned to my mechanic that I have seen posts on Ford forums advising of this issue and the fix was a missing earth connection, or a broken cable - he said that both he and the Autoelectricial checked all the connections and there is no loss at any point of the power - all is as it should be so he has ruled out any broken cables / fuses / earth connections etc

Now I am stuck as it has been 2 months off the road - its only done 20k miles - but I am stuck - what options do I have?

I can see many of the exact same ECU models available on eBay - if I buy one, is it possible to get it programmed to my car without the data from the original ECU?  Can anyone recommend anyone reliable who can actually do this?

I am doubtful that it is even the ECU after seeing this post and others which point to cables and earth connections causing the issue

I cant really afford to change my car - 2nd hand car prices are so high at the moment - and I can't believe something like this would warrant the end of the car's life?

Hopefully someone has some ideas how I can get my car working again?

Thanks

gizz

[unofix]

I suspect your problem is with the wiring to the TCM.

Have a read of this very, very long thread of TCM problems on an Ecosport (very similar set up to the Fiesta).

Have a look at the photos of the wires inside the connectors to the TCM.

 

[gizz_mo]

Thanks - do you think its the wiring loom then? The mechanic and auto-electrician both said they checked and it all looks fine

[gizz_mo]

4 minutes ago, gizz_mo said:

 

 

[unofix]

1 hour ago, gizz_mo said:

do you think its the wiring loom then? The mechanic and auto-electrician both said they checked and it all looks fine

I think it has quite a good chance to be damage to the wiring. I don't suppose they took the back covers off connectors to look inside or that they removed the car battery and then removed the battery tray to look underneath. Fault finding and diagnostic work can be very time consuming and has to be carried out methodically. Has anyone measured the resistance of the canbus (should be exactly 60 ohms) at the OBDII port ?  

[gizz_mo]

22 hours ago, unofix said:

I think it has quite a good chance to be damage to the wiring. I don't suppose they took the back covers off connectors to look inside or that they removed the car battery and then removed the battery tray to look underneath. Fault finding and diagnostic work can be very time consuming and has to be carried out methodically. Has anyone measured the resistance of the canbus (should be exactly 60 ohms) at the OBDII port ?  

Thanks - both the mechanic and the auto-electrician did remove the battery and checked the cables underneath - both seemed to think the wiring is all ok.  Autotronics have now come back after checking their ECU repair again - with a status Completed - NFF - which I presume means No Fault Found.  So yep - right back to where we started.  I will ask mechanic to recheck and double check all the wires and stuff again - or may need to get another auto electrician to do it, once the ECU is back - assuming putting it back in still doesn't fix it.

[gizz_mo]

Just an update for anyone who is interested.  ECU came back from Autotronics after they had re-checked and said No Fault Found, Mechanic put it in but still no start (no surprise there) - so I asked him to re-check all the wires, explaining I had seen several instances like this thread where it turned out to be a missing earth or a broken wire.  He spent a good couple of hours checking every single one, took out the wiring loom and went through every single one, and he did find about 3 problems which he fixed, put back and the car started immediately.  I'm a bit miffed that the auto electrician who came did not find them, and we wasted 2 months faffing about with the ECU - and during that time I had extra expenses with taxis and had to hire a car a couple of times.

Special thanks to Unofix for guiding me on what to tell the mechanic to check.

On the plus side - the ECU work may have been needed eventually as they did claim to find somem faults and replaced a couple of chips,  now it has been re-conditioned - its running really well - i would even say better than before.  So every cloud has a silver lining, and I am just so happy to have my little fiesta back on the road.  

[GRIMSHAW82]

On 9/29/2022 at 9:47 AM, gizz_mo said:

Just an update for anyone who is interested.  ECU came back from Autotronics after they had re-checked and said No Fault Found, Mechanic put it in but still no start (no surprise there) - so I asked him to re-check all the wires, explaining I had seen several instances like this thread where it turned out to be a missing earth or a broken wire.  He spent a good couple of hours checking every single one, took out the wiring loom and went through every single one, and he did find about 3 problems which he fixed, put back and the car started immediately.  I'm a bit miffed that the auto electrician who came did not find them, and we wasted 2 months faffing about with the ECU - and during that time I had extra expenses with taxis and had to hire a car a couple of times.

Special thanks to Unofix for guiding me on what to tell the mechanic to check.

On the plus side - the ECU work may have been needed eventually as they did claim to find somem faults and replaced a couple of chips,  now it has been re-conditioned - its running really well - i would even say better than before.  So every cloud has a silver lining, and I am just so happy to have my little fiesta back on the road.  

hi my son car has is doing the same problem do you know where about was the fault was