Query About Software Corruption

[MikeRotherham]

Had my C3 Stop & Start for a year without any problem, then one morning last week went out to move the car and it would n't engage 1st or 3rd gear.

I got the old flashing snowflake symbol and would only select 2nd gear

 

Called out Citroen Assist and they eventually towed it into my Citroen Dealer. They had it Friday afternoon and I got it back Monday morning. Gear box ecu software apparently. This raised a couple of questions which perhaps someone could answer, KfK?

 

How does the software get corrupted in a circumstance like this?

 

My dealer said that the car needed to be connected to the internet to see if there were any later software updates available. Is this a purely act of connecting the car to a remote server or does there need to be someone on the remote end interrogating my car's ecu.

 

I'd welcome anyone's response.

 

Thanks

Mike.

[kfk]

Its connected to the diagnostic equipment and then the internet to a remote server. Sometimes we have the software on a CD.

 

The information from the vehicle computer is extracted by the diagnostic machine, sent to the server and compared for later information that maybe available.

 

A bit like how windows does its updates.

 

As far as corruption is concerned. Various things can cause it, poor battery health being one of them.

 

A bit extreme.....but think about your windows operated computor......if you unplug it to turn it off it doesnt like it and will take an age to restart.

 

It sounds as if your gear selection or clutch actuator had forgotton what they were doing and consequently became confused (the * flashing). If the battery voltage is low on starting this can occur....does the radio loose its memory settings or the clock need resetting?

 

As far as corrupt software......i would tend to say that its probably a wrong description.......that tends to be said when no one has a definite answer.

 

In my experience battery voltage is the biggest problem.

 

If you get a problem wont engage gear:

foot on brake.......keep it there......turn on ignition......wait patiently with foot on brake.......watch the display and listen......with foot on brake.

 

If your lucky you will hear the gearbox clank about as it tries to find its settings......after about 2 minutes you should see an'N' on your display....when you do try to start the car.

 

obviously the above wont work if you have a flat battery or the clutch/gear actuators have failed........if you have another car with jumpleads it helps the gearselection process due to the high current drain.

[Guest CE05LDB]

kfk on about computers. I had to have my handbreak replaced on my C3 and before I had it done it was on 12,000 miles and it said 8,000 miles to next service and after they did the handbreak it showed 15,500 miles to next service. Its showing today 15,000 miles to next service. Could my dealer have messed it up by mistake?

[kfk]

kfk on about computers. I had to have my handbreak replaced on my C3 and before I had it done it was on 12,000 miles and it said 8,000 miles to next service and after they did the handbreak it showed 15,500 miles to next service. Its showing today 15,000 miles to next service. Could my dealer have messed it up by mistake?

there are only 2 ways to change the mileage to next service.

 

1 - its reset by pressing the button

 

2 - its reset if the main BSI computor has an update carried out on it.

 

Something to be considered if you do low mileage:

 

assuming the vehicle did 6,000 miles a year @ 2 years old the vehicle will have 8,000 miles left........and then it says service due!

 

If you divide the mileage (20,000) by 24 months the computer is expecting you to do aproximately 833 miles per month.......where you dont achieve this the computor makes an adjustment......maybe yours has done this

[citroeneddie]

I had my C5 rebooted following problems with my economy mode and the service said due in 12,500 when I knew it was due earlier. Take it in at 20,000 or 2 years and the dealer will reset again.