C8 Water Damage

[MrMP]

Hi, wondered if anyone can help. We recently went through some water, the car stopped working but fortunately did no damage to the engine, its all dried out now and running fine but the only problem is it won't respond to the buttons on the key fob, any advice?

[Simple]

There are two areas that are know to cause trouble with water in the C8:

1- The Fuse box near the right hand side (driver side in GB & IRL) front screen wiper (in the bonnet), you need to open the cover and remove whatever you can and spray the board with water repellent (WD40 or something that cleans electronic board).

2- The Battery compartment, sometimes it has a hole or a crack (like mine) that allows water to seep in.

 

I suspect it is #1

 

There are also two places that you may wish to check:

a- A connector on top of the GearBox, and

b- A control unit Behind the front left hand headlight on the wheel arch.

Edited January 7, 2016 by Simple

[MrMP]

Thank you. I've tried the WD40, no luck. I've been told it could possibly be the BSI unit?

[paul.h]

Have you tried to initialise the key fob as if the battery in it has been replaced ?

[Simple]

Perform a BSI reset ensuring that your battery is fully charged (the procedure is available in an other post). If this does not work, disconnect (a) and (b in my older post and spray them.

 

All computerized units are fully sealed and protected against leaks and other environmental elements, it is likely to be connectors. Unless of course the dirty water cause wrong voltage/current going to wrong pins and causing internal damage (unlikely though).

 

However, water on the road is likely to have salts and minerals that will cause short term communication issues and long term corrosion if not cleaned..

 

Why don't you jet spray the engine compartment (to wash off salts and minerals) then perform the BSI reset?? I have sprayed my engine few times (just to keep it clean) and did not have problems..

Edited January 8, 2016 by Simple

[coastline taxis]

paul isnt refering to the bsi reset. he  is asking if you have resynced the key with the imobiliser so the buttons on the key  fob work

[Simple]

Sorry, I was giving info to MrMP. and I thought Paul was also asking him.

 

I am not sure if re-syncing is necessary, I would have thought that the water gush has either caused a connection to dislocate, or current leakage that causes a drop in the voltage where by communication is impossible.

 

Now, ECU's and the likes are expensive devices that are well protected, but once there is corruption in the running program, even if the receiver circuit is working, the signal is not being interpreted properly..Hence, a reset is necessary.

 

In any case, we are working from description, and after all it may be the battery in his control unit?? but I would have thought he has two and he must have tried both.. I wish him luck and I hope the problem would disappear.

[MrMP]

Thanks for your advice everyone, but I now fear the water may have done more damage than first thought. It now won't move in drive, the engine just revs.