problems with Autosleeper Symbol/Peugeot Boxer

[Stephen]

Hello

We have an Autosleeper Symbol motorhome, based on a Peugeot Boxer chassis - diesel engine 1.9 HDi.

Since buying it from new in 2002, the van has had a re-occurring and enfuriating problem. Whilst driving, the red light on the dashboard - the autodiagnostic light (ignition, injection, emission) will come on, the engine will suddenly lose power and speed drops to no more than 20mph. After a few seconds, sometimes much longer, the engine will resume power and speed, often only to happen again. This can be a one off, or at it's worst, will last an entire journey.

We have taken the van to the local Peugeot dealer more times than we can remember, they hook it up to the electronic diagnosis equipment and when we collect, they tell us it's all been "re-set" and is ok............and then perhaps months later it all happens again.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Can anyone offer advise? Sympathy?

Stephen

[Terrytraveller]

Morning Stephen - You have been burning the midnight oil, I see you composed your posting at 1.22AM wow!!

 

You had posted the question before, but I think you might have lost the thread - so here was my reply from the first posting.

 

Also try this link for lots of ideas about the problem with your camper ;-

 

http://tinyurl.com/6x3xns

 

Hi Stephen,

 

As you have not had a catastrophic failure of any major or minor parts from new, but a history of intermittent faults, I believe your problems are either connectivity caused by bad or damp and corrosion of electrical connections and possibly printed circuit boards (pcb).

 

Some jobs/checking you can carry out yourself, as they are very time consuming and so will be expensive if left to a garage, other jobs you might want to give instructions to a mechanic/auto electrician. I would go about this fault finding as follows.

 

1. disconnect vehicle battery negative and leisure battery negative, tie out of the way leads back, as they have a habit of reconnecting themselves!

2. Locate all plugs and sockets, disconnect one at a time and examine for corrosion (green or white deposits), bad connections of conductor to pins and crimping, also look for signs of burning caused by arching. To test if wire (conductor) is broken or intermittent inside covering (sleeve), pull each wire and note any stretching. If the conductor inside is broken, the wire will stretch further than a similar piece of wire that is not broken. The pins in both the male & female plug and socket are locked into place by a spring tab, its not uncommon that one of the pins will be pushed back from its locating notch, causing an intermittent bad connection. Apply a little WD40 to each connection before re-connecting.

3. ECU you may want to instruct an auto electrician as to exactly what you want him to do! – remove from vehicle, check plugs sockets as detailed in two above, examine for signs of water entry and discoloration of PCB (land area and nodes), dry joints (very unlikely these days with flow soldering techniques, but not unknown).

4. Their diagnostics should have indicated a sensor breakdown either intermittent or total. These sensors send information to the ECU and can cause the vehicle to go into a limp home mode. If they found no indication of a sensor malfunction, then both the sensor and wiring to the ECU should have been proved okay.

 

I hope above has helped a little – Regards Terry

 

[david lloyd]

Hi stephen

 

I had a very similar problem once on a Damon Daybreak (not the same as an Autosleeper Symbol, I know, but the problem was identical!) that occurred just as I crossed the Spanish border.

 

I had the mechanic on the phone while he got me to 'fumble' around with certain bits and pieces (I am highly technical as you can see) and eventually diagnosed a faulty part that controlled the turbo - a relay I think. Anyhow, he gave me a quick fix using a piece of tubing which had to bypass this faulty part and then sent a new part out by post with instructions on how to fit this to the top of the engine.

 

Never had another occurrence and I was mightily impressed with the mechanic - but not the mobile phone bill!

 

Seriously, the fault you describe was exactly as I had experienced but the mechanic diagnosed it by somehow testing the vacuum at the turbo (if I remmeber correctly) and not by electronic diagnostics. It may be worth asking the question?

 

Good luck, David

[Stephen]

Hello Terrytraveller and david lloyd.

 

Notice I am posting at a more sociable hour - JUST pre-midnight!!

May we thank you both for your most comprehensive answers......they make interesting reading.

The van is booked in tomorrow with the local Peugeot Dealer who has dealt with the problem before, but copies of this information will be taken along to provide him with some possible leads.

Once again, our thanks

Stephen n John

[Terrytraveller]

Hi Stephen,

 

It does help if you show the chap working on the vehicle you know your onions. Some garages/mechanics will try to pull the wool over your eyes if they think you are naive.

 

I always ask for any parts taken off the vehicle for replacement to be left in the vehicle, that can stop a mechanic replacing parts that really don't need replacing, but the enterprising mechanic can swap someone else's part anyway. I have in the past marked various parts that I know and think might be replaced - as a method of tracing.

 

I know you shouldn't need it - but be lucky anyway.

 

Regards Terry

[david lloyd]

Let us kmow how you get on Stephen.

 

David

[Mel B]

Definitely sounds like a problem relating to the turbo bits to me!

 

Have you checked all the pipes are well secured and that nothing has come loose which may be more apparent as you drive at speed? We had a turbo pipe come loose as we were overtaking once, thankfully, nothing was coming the other way so we just slowly dropped back and parked up in a layby. We found out what it was and managed to do a temporary repair until we could tighten it up properly.

 

The only other problem we've had was with a sticky turbo wastegate but that tended to just restrict the top speed (with the turbo warning light coming on) rather than slow us down, still, worth checking especially if you don't use the van much, it could be sticking.