3 Lines Transmission Fault - Fixed? 2008 Smart Fortwo 451 Passion 84BHP

Рет қаралды 6,191

7 ай бұрын

In this video I give an update on resolving the persistent fault with my 2008 Smart Fortwo Passion 84 BHP 451. The car actually broke down in use and became too unreliable to drive.
The SAM unit (Signal Acquisition Module) was previously carefully dismantled and I discovered several failed solder joints on the circuit boards within the SAM unit which I re-soldered (re-flowed).
There is no water ingress to the vehicle which could harm/affect the TCM (Transmission Control Module and the carpet/area beneath is clean and dry.
I previously scanned the vehicle for trouble codes/fault codes and the below were found:
N15/6 Sprintshift control module (2 DTCs)
P1800 Implausible transmission data.
P2802 Signals from incremental sensor of component 'M17 (Gear motor)' are implausible.
N47-5 (ESP control unit) (1 DTC)
Fault in CAN communication with control module 'N15/6 (Sprint shift control module)'.
I checked the engine earth cable, battery, alternator output and wiring loom to clutch actuator and gear shifter motor. I found a short to ground and a wiring loom chaffed on a sharp area of bodywork under the carpet. The wire in question involved the yaw sensor.
Here are a series of shorts videos detailing the journey to fixing this problem:
• 3 Lines Fault #shorts ...
• 3Lines Update 2 #smart...
• 3Lines Update 3 #short...
• Not the Loom! #shorts ...
• What next #shorts #sma...
• Short to ground #short...
• Check this too! #short...
If you enjoy my videos and would like to help support Auto Knight in creating similar content, please click here: www.buymeacoffee.com/AutoKnight
Disclaimer - Please be advised that my videos are not instructional and are merely footage of me, with many years of motor trade experience, carrying out vehicle repairs and maintenance. Please conduct your own research, ensure you have the correct tools/necessary expertise and undertake your own due diligence before carrying out vehicle repairs. If in doubt, entrust an automotive technician / car mechanic.

Пікірлер: 57

@DB34IPS 7 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your journey through the fault finding saga of the 3 lines, I have been following your mission to the end. Hopefully it has been sorted now. I drive a Smart every day to/from work and love the little thing and your videos help us Smart drivers to work on them ourselves. Well done!

@michaelglynn2638 7 ай бұрын

A lot of very valuable info in this series. A pro job you did there, and thank you. 👍

@nicolasschneider8452 7 ай бұрын

Very happy you solved this issue… And thanks again for sharing your problem solving journey. It helps me to be confident in my smart… No black box or black magic involved here… only clever troubleshooting and trustable repairs 👍

@WBSoCal 7 ай бұрын

Have been following the journey. My Smart is a great car. Thank you soooo very much taking time to do all the video work!!!

@phiiipbrickles8657 6 ай бұрын

Had me holding on in suspence for that update , great job glad you figured it out .

@ribbitism 6 ай бұрын

thank you for your insight, i appreciate the ground point info. on shifts i haven't noticed any lights dipping (i really dont tend to drive mine in darkness) but heater blower definitely does.. so i will add this on my list of things to do next time im working in that general area of car! 🙏

@victoradorno6047 7 ай бұрын

I lost The fear of work with mine because of your vídeos. thanks for it.

@thadmachia9873 7 ай бұрын

So happy it turned out well for you thank you for sharing!

@EYE-is-a-shining-STAR 7 ай бұрын

These videos are fantastic. I have had two Smarts and really want another. Both were super low miles, the first in 2012 a 2008 had 5,000 miles and the second 2019-2022 a 2011 had 20,000 miles. Both Passion model. I kind of worry about who would work on them now if I got another, but I love them as much as I did my three previous classic minis, so these videos are giving me some hope they are not a lost cause. 👍thanks

@autoknight747 7 ай бұрын

People are often afraid of working on them as they have many peculiarities. They have their issues (as do most brands and models) but I continue to be fascinated by the concept and the design/construction of these. A masterpiece really. Over time I hope to cover all the common issues on the channel and bring people along for the journey. With patience, research and understanding, it seems many are taking care of their own cars.

@EYE-is-a-shining-STAR 7 ай бұрын

@autoknight747 Brilliant... looking forward to more videos!! 👏

@nickb997.1 7 ай бұрын

Interesting comments on the heater fan speed and lights fading in and out, my daughters does that.

@jesuslives4803 5 ай бұрын

i had the same issue , and I did everything you said, but still the 3 lines, then I decided to remove the gear actuator, and found that it was dry from grease, took it apart and regreased it what a difference, now it changes so nice and no more 3 lines, I have had the car for 4 years and I enjoy it a lot.

@marel95 18 күн бұрын

Hello , i just had this 3 line problem last week and until today no garage is taking my car or knowing whats the 3 lines , i live in france and here they DONT KNOW ALOT ABOUT SMART ITS DRIVING ME CRAZY , so when you did that , the car didnt stop and show the 3 lines anymore ? The car doesnt stop in the middle of the road while driving ?

@jesuslives4803 18 күн бұрын

@@marel95 if the car is not moving because of the 3 line , move the car back and forth, the 3 lines should go away, and then the gear will start to work, until you remove the selector take it apart and re grease it .

@marel95 17 күн бұрын

@@jesuslives4803 well the car doesnt move when the 3 lines appear but the engine still works , it stops while im driving and i have to disconnect the wire from the battery so it restarts again until i drive again but every 2min of driving the car stops and now i cant drive it at all until someone can come and fix it , because i asked too many mecanics and they dont want to deal with smart cars i have to search alot for someone who dealed with it before ...this problem appeard last wednesday after i went to mecanic garage to change the oil and after 10min of driving away the car stoped , its been 4 years since i got ut and this is the first time my car do this , did the mecanic do something wrong ? Because when i asked him he denied that its because of the oil change

@dps1983 7 ай бұрын

I’m glad your smart is finally repaired.Hopefully it will stay that way .

@dps1983 7 ай бұрын

How far are you from Northampton?You don’t need a Star Diagnosis to relearn your actuator.If you local to me I’m willing to always help with my diagnostics equipment.AutoXScan 940pro.Of course to help my little brother 😜

@forrestferrill3550 26 күн бұрын

Enjoyed your video. I have a 2008 coupe for two and there's no power going to the starter solenoid. I examine the Sam unit for any bad solder joints but it looks fine. Any hints on why the solenoid does not get power from the when I turn the key. Previous to this problem the starter would say on longer after the engine was started just saying

@clanmac66 7 ай бұрын

Well-done! Thank you for the info.

@jimmyadams628 7 ай бұрын

Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant, jimmy from Ireland 😊

@brianfreeman8290 7 ай бұрын

Good news. Well done !

@markgraham1066 7 ай бұрын

Your an absolute star

@user-pd2yk9vk6h 7 ай бұрын

Awesome news🎉

@darrenfox5883 7 ай бұрын

You found the problem I had. Mine was the loom going along the steering column. It was badly chafed and copper exposed. Repaired the wires and re-wrapped the loom with a marine grade plastic tube that will not wear through. I have been driving my 2009 for over a year now without a problem.

@jurgenberg5941 7 ай бұрын

Ich gratuliere dir zu deinem Erfolg und deiner Hartnäckigkeit!! Vermutlich hättest du auch die Enigma entschlüsselt 😅! Viel Spaß noch mit deinem Smart. Gruß Jürgen

@KT-TV 7 ай бұрын

Stephen. I truly enjoy your tenacity and OCD, both character traits I share with you. Nothing niggles me more than dirty, corroded or untidy components or incorrectly routed wires! Your fault finding is classic old school engineering logic, something that was bashed into my brain at college in the 70s and still holds me in good stead today. One remaining question I may have missed but did you rerun a diagnostic scan and did the prior fault codes clear. That surely would give peace of mind that the problem had been fixed?

@autoknight747 7 ай бұрын

Thank you. These traits can be a blessing or a curse depending how you look at it! I guess I’m pretty old school in my methods and although my dealer training was more in the 90’s, I know how to set up points and use a dwell meter. I think it’s always important to realise that a human designed the car, therefore another like minded human can fix it, providing they have similar thought processes. There are clues and many links with stubborn faults and as I’m sure you know, it takes a little detective work. Diagnostic equipment will only ever take you so far. Yes I will be plugging it back in soon to clear down codes, as even without physical faults, the idea of those codes just sitting there will play up with me!

@KT-TV 7 ай бұрын

@@autoknight747 I thought as much... I'd have been checking the codes before the road trip thus allowing time for them to reappear if the fault condition was still prevalent.

@autoknight747 7 ай бұрын

@@KT-TV I totally agree. If I owned the equipment then that would have been the plan but it’s at another location!

@patsbooom 6 ай бұрын

I love your work! I have the 2009 passion which occasionally has the blinking "N" which makes a drive quite adventurous. I'm guessing this fault will be the equivalent for the 3 bars from the 2008 model. I have not found the solution yet, but will check your findings. Thanks again!

@autoknight747 6 ай бұрын

Thank you! Flashing N is often due to brake light switch failure. In case you haven’t already seen it, here is a link to the video where I fixed that very fault on mine: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/la-qpM5ysZyrp5s.htmlsi=9TnLQKJ7j_M3cMSU

@patsbooom 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for your reply. I saw this video and remembered it. Unfortunately my brake lights are still working. I have now deselected the MHD and for now haven't had the issue. My situation happened during decelerating and going to a stand still. MHD kicked in and it wouldn't select any gears anymore when I wanted to drive away. After approx 10 minutes, now on the side of the motorway, started the engine again and gears could be selected again. Thank you again and keep up the splendid work. You are a treasure trove of information!

@petermahoney1798 Ай бұрын

Great information, where is the engine earth point?

@teamtug 5 ай бұрын

Hi again, I have been following your videos as I have had a similar fault on my 451, just thought you may be interested in the info below. I found the actuator to be seized so I replaced with a new one. Sadly the fault did not clear, so I stripped and cleaned the old actuator. I tested it off the car connecting to pins 3&6 and swapping +&- which looked to be working, so refitted. Checked on code reader, it was saying sensor 1 fault. The sensors are built into the motor, I took it to bits there are 2 sensors which look like they count the pulses as the motor spins. My method of dismantling didn’t allow for any testing. Perhaps someone out there could show how to test on a un dammaged motor? Anyway, refitted the new one this morning it is now working but is a little jerky on picking up drive, but at the moment no fault lights I will give it a few more short runs before I do anymore. Thanks for the Vids, keep them coming you gave me the inspiration to keep going  Pin 3 Motor +ve Pin 6 Motor -ve Pin 5 5v +ve for sensors Pin 4 sensor 1 - ve Pin 2 sensor 2 -ve Pin 1 sensor 5V -ve

@stripfix1979 3 ай бұрын

Hello I've just found your channel.. I also have a smart car and it's battery is draining.. It's not the alternator as I've checked that.. Have you got any ideas or videos that could help me.. Many thanks 👍

@unknownunknown8707 6 ай бұрын

Can you do a video on the earthing please?😊 My lights and blower surge like you mentioned!

@sylviehaddad2323 5 ай бұрын

Thank you

@Greatglenway 7 ай бұрын

Excellent thanks

@gigmaresh8772 6 ай бұрын

I screen shot a lot of stills from your videos and then edit to add text for future use. Thank you

@steveclews6557 6 ай бұрын

Any ideas on p0299 underboost ??? I’ve changed everything including the turbo and still can’t find the bloody fault . I’m onto the earth cleaning now !!!

@autoknight747 6 ай бұрын

That sounds infuriating. I trust you have checked and scrutinised all pipe work and the intercooler?

@steveclews6557 6 ай бұрын

@@autoknight747 I have I’m afraid and can’t find anything wrong. I’m onto the process of changing the cycle valves next as they’ve been tied wrapped in place so obviously someone’s been there b4

@steveclews6557 6 ай бұрын

Mmmm could I have found the prob??? One of the causes can be low oil pressure. More recently the oil light has come on intermittently. I decided to replace the sensor. Took of the electrical plug and it just fell on the floor. Rotted away at the connection. So we shall see. Now the ptob is replacing the connector

@autoknight747 6 ай бұрын

@@steveclews6557 Kinda makes sense. It would be crazy to provide turbo boost if the oil pressure is not deemed sufficient. I wasn’t aware it’s a signal that is taken into consideration by the ECU. The oil pressure switch is in quite a vulnerable location and I know I’ve considered changing mine as it’s looking a bit corroded. Be great to hear how you get on.

@steveclews6557 6 ай бұрын

@@autoknight747 yes I’ll let you know if that’s the fault. I work on the drive so it looks like a day off today due to weather😫😫😫somehow it kinda makes sense that the oil pressure sensor isn’t providing enough voltage and the eco thinks the pressure is low ??? I had one a few years ago with the wrong alternator fitted by a garage and the car wouldn’t drive . So electronic I’m afraid and if somethings amiss it shuts down

@paulr.j.rosser2709 Ай бұрын

Hi; following a complete battery recharge, I now have those 3 lines & the car won't start???? Any ideas? No problems with the engine beforehand!

@paulr.j.rosser2709 Ай бұрын

p.s. mine is a 2011 cdi.

@autoknight747 Ай бұрын

First thing to try - foot on brake, turn key to ignition position (without starting). Keep foot on brake and you will hear the clutch actuator clunking and clicking. You may have to hold it there a while for this to happen. This process can perform a reset.

@paulr.j.rosser2709 Ай бұрын

@@autoknight747 Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Sir Auto! ❤

@paulr.j.rosser2709 Ай бұрын

@@autoknight747p.s. I was not informed of your reply, or I would have replied to you sooner!

@johnp2802 20 күн бұрын

Thank you for all of this SMART info, so replacing the Gear Shifter Motor i guess didnt fix the issue i guess...

@autoknight747 20 күн бұрын

@@johnp2802 Gear shifter motor fixed the problem in an instant.

@hog2tall 7 ай бұрын

I was wondering if anybody had a problem with their right headlight turn signal, not working and the radiator coolant fan both of those went out at the same time I did a few tests. I can’t see any power coming to that light and the headlight is good and the light and the headlight is good turn signal is good.

@user-rt1gy7xp3k 5 ай бұрын

I had to break into mine through the convertible window because my dogs kindly with keys in put their paw on the central locking!!!!!ever since cos I can't afford a new roof so have repaired window (almost)...it does get damp.,but ever since it gives the 3 lines and the first tell,tail sign wouldn't go in reverse.....have replaced the whole clutch actuator, which just leaves the TCU under the damp carpet.....second hand ebay circa £150....am going to replace that,,,,because they all say it's down to reprogramming.....it locks in third gear when it goes wrong.......so as a safety it shuts off completely so you can tow it,,,,as automatics arent meant to be towed.....it gives you sleepless nights trying to suss it out....

@autoknight747 4 ай бұрын

Worth bearing in mind that the gear selector motor can fail too. It contains two motors, one which deals with gears 1,3 and 5, the other with 2,4 and R. They are automated manuals rather than autos so towing is not an issue when they are in neutral. I’ve made other videos on what was quite a journey to solve the 3 lines fault. Mine was motor in the end. Thinking it would have been cheaper to have broken and replaced a door window!

@user-rt1gy7xp3k 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for that,,very interesting.