So I'm driving along yesterday, thinking what a great car my old Mondeo has been since I got it.....

[Morrisman]

...and this morning there is a knock on the door. A neighbour tells me my Mondeo is flashing its reverse lights, erratically. I go and have a look, sure enough, theyre flickering. I start the car, go through the gears, all works as it should reverse lights now behave themselves.

20 minutes later, another neighbour knocks to tell me my wipers and headlights are doing silly things....

A half hour on google and it turns out to be the weirdest thing; the washer fluid pump fails and leaks internally, and then pumps washer fluid through the inside of the electrical wiring, all the way back to the BCM, body control module, under the glove box. I delve in, and sure enough, it's wet inside.

I assume I'll need a new pump, and hopefully dry the wiring and electrical stuff out enough to prevent a total meltdown.

Anybody had this weirdness themselves?

 

[Migmac]

Flash or repair daily, sorry no help what so ever

 

[Seadog]

In a similar vein, the M271 MB engine has variable valve timing, controlled by solenoids at the front of tge engine. After about 100k they leak, and oil works its way the short distance to the ECM, and buggers that. MB solution - new solenoids and cable extensions

 

[Smallfry]

...and this morning there is a knock on the door. A neighbour tells me my Mondeo is flashing its reverse lights, erratically. I go and have a look, sure enough, theyre flickering. I start the car, go through the gears, all works as it should reverse lights now behave themselves.

20 minutes later, another neighbour knocks to tell me my wipers and headlights are doing silly things....

A half hour on google and it turns out to be the weirdest thing; the washer fluid pump fails and leaks internally, and then pumps washer fluid through the inside of the electrical wiring, all the way back to the BCM, body control module, under the glove box. I delve in, and sure enough, it's wet inside.

I assume I'll need a new pump, and hopefully dry the wiring and electrical stuff out enough to prevent a total meltdown.

Anybody had this weirdness themselves?

Sounds unlikely, but OK. Similar happens to the Corsa/Combo C, the seal in the BCM box lid fails, and lets water into the box and then inside the car, making the footwells and carpet wet.

 

[Rrobson]

I think land rover have similar issues with oil traveling through the wiring and into ecu’s and such like damaging them.

Speaking of bmw, and rover to a certain degree, in the 75’s they very thoughtfully put the ecu in a plenum beneath the scuttle in front of the windscreen, so when it rains the plenum fills up with water to give the ecu a lovely bath. Not so bad for the petrol models because the ecu’s are somewhat sealed, but the diesels have an atmospheric sensor in them so the get a good wash on the inside… therefore it’s prudent to check the drain holes this time of year because a couple of stray leaves and dirt block the drains so a bit of rain can spell disaster.

Sun roof is always a good one too, filling up footwells. Factory optional extra foot spa…

 

[minimutly]

Don't buy a Renault then, plenums block, water floods the carpet, what's down there? you guessed it ecus etc. Really weird things start happening then...

 

[fizzy]

I think land rover have similar issues with oil traveling through the wiring and into ecu’s and such like damaging them.

Speaking of bmw, and rover to a certain degree, in the 75’s they very thoughtfully put the ecu in a plenum beneath the scuttle in front of the windscreen, so when it rains the plenum fills up with water to give the ecu a lovely bath. Not so bad for the petrol models because the ecu’s are somewhat sealed, but the diesels have an atmospheric sensor in them so the get a good wash on the inside… therefore it’s prudent to check the drain holes this time of year because a couple of stray leaves and dirt block the drains so a bit of rain can spell disaster.

Sun roof is always a good one too, filling up footwells. Factory optional extra foot spa…

Had not have. On the TD5 engine in the Disco2 I think.

 

[fizzy]

Early ford Galaxys had nasty problem. Central locking sensor close to the floor. Sunroofs would leak and the sensor would play up. Ford had a great solution for the main dealers. Drill a hole in the floor - yes seriously

 

[sako243]

I think land rover have similar issues with oil traveling through the wiring and into ecu’s and such like damaging them.

Td5 Defenders had that (I think was a BMW designed engine) where the wiring harness / injector loom was inside the rover cover. Oil would wick down the wiring harness and into the ECU under the driver's seat. I think there was an updated loom or seal or something to prevent it and they advised putting an S bend or similar into the harness to cause the oil to drip out before reaching the seat box.

 

[fizzy]

Td5 Defenders had that (I think was a BMW designed engine) where the wiring harness / injector loom was inside the rover cover. Oil would wick down the wiring harness and into the ECU under the driver's seat. I think there was an updated loom or seal or something to prevent it and they advised putting an S bend or similar into the harness to cause the oil to drip out before reaching the seat box.

The TD5 engine was designed by Land Rover - based on the L series diesel from the Rover 200/400 before they switched to the BMW engines. Very good engines both of them. No idea who designed the wiring loom though

 

[minimutly]

Really? the Rover 200/400 was based on the Prima - montego engine, which was built on the Oseries/Rover M16, from the Sherpa, which was based on the old B series....
So the Td5 was a 5 cylinder version, direct injection, cast block, 2 valve head?

 

[MetalMonkey]

Sounds unlikely, but OK. Similar happens to the Corsa/Combo C, the seal in the BCM box lid fails, and lets water into the box and then inside the car, making the footwells and carpet wet.

Also the seals around the brake servo, in fact its quite hard to keep the water out of a corsa footwell at all. Free shoe rinse every time you pull off.
Stupid scuttle design if you ask me!

 

[Rrobson]

Early ford Galaxys had nasty problem. Central locking sensor close to the floor. Sunroofs would leak and the sensor would play up. Ford had a great solution for the main dealers. Drill a hole in the floor - yes seriously

Done that more than once in the spare wheel well!

 

[MetalMonkey]

Really? the Rover 200/400 was based on the Prima - montego engine, which was built on the Oseries/Rover M16, from the Sherpa, which was based on the old B series....
So the Td5 was a 5 cylinder version, direct injection, cast block, 2 valve head?

Project storm - based loosly on the L series for a range of new engines but they only ended up keeping the 5 pot. BMW canned the rest IIRC.

Rover were also working on their own derivative of the L series but with common rail injection - the G series. Planned to replace the BMW M47R.
I think it actually was manufactured by an Indian company in the end, supposed to have been a very promising unit, sadly never made it to market over here.

 

[bricol]

My Lancia, with such a stuffed full engine bay, put the washer bottle in the boot . . the standard pump can barely get it to the front and up to the screen, never mind spray it hard enough to clear the wiper arm . . . so if it had to cool the ECU too . . .

I upgraded mine with a Ford pump 20 yrs ago . . . maybe I ought to check

To meet homologation regs, the evo1s had a spare washer bag folded up behind the spare wheel, wires and tube running forward, a pressure switch and a washer jet or two infront of the intercooler – the Gp A version had a similar installation to provided evaporative addition cooling on full boost – mine has the wiring, but nothing else.

 

[fizzy]

My Lancia, with such a stuffed full engine bay, put the washer bottle in the boot . . the standard pump can barely get it to the front and up to the screen, never mind spray it hard enough to clear the wiper arm . . . so if it had to cool the ECU too . . .

I upgraded mine with a Ford pump 20 yrs ago . . . maybe I ought to check

To meet homologation regs, the evo1s had a spare washer bag folded up behind the spare wheel, wires and tube running forward, a pressure switch and a washer jet or two infront of the intercooler – the Gp A version had a similar installation to provided evaporative addition cooling on full boost – mine has the wiring, but nothing else.

The original VW Beetle used air from the spare tyre

 

[Morrisman]

Sounds unlikely, but OK. Similar happens to the Corsa/Combo C, the seal in the BCM box lid fails, and lets water into the box and then inside the car, making the footwells and carpet wet.

Everything looked exactly like the video shows, I pulled the BCM plug out that he showed, sure enough, water was dripping from the exact pins. I gave it a spray with wd40, put it back together, and it was all good.

For a while. I went off to the gym, came back, and the reverse lights were on again. Pulled the plug, wet inside, obviously if it came down inside the wires there still some in there. It's apart again now, I shall get the vacuum on it and try to suck remaining any water out, once I've solved the actual pump problem.

I've just been out on the drive, it's blowing a gale, trying to rain, spent an hour pulling off the plastic belly pan thing, but I need to jack the car up to be able to see/ access the pump.

 

[Morrisman]

Flash or repair daily, sorry no help what so ever

Yes, I've heard all the jokes, but in 7 years and 45,000 miles it's only let me down once, when the starter motor died. It does 50mpg around town too, £30 road tax, so I shall be keeping it until it falls apart completely.

 

[Cobbler]

The original VW Beetle used air from the spare tyre

My VW type 2 was similar, except there was a Schrader valve on the washer reservoir & you pressurised it

 

[Trevorleach]

I think land rover have similar issues with oil traveling through the wiring and into ecu’s and such like damaging them.

Speaking of bmw, and rover to a certain degree, in the 75’s they very thoughtfully put the ecu in a plenum beneath the scuttle in front of the windscreen, so when it rains the plenum fills up with water to give the ecu a lovely bath. Not so bad for the petrol models because the ecu’s are somewhat sealed, but the diesels have an atmospheric sensor in them so the get a good wash on the inside… therefore it’s prudent to check the drain holes this time of year because a couple of stray leaves and dirt block the drains so a bit of rain can spell disaster.

Sun roof is always a good one too, filling up footwells. Factory optional extra foot spa…

Sunroof leak, every land rover ever made!