Issue
My 2004 Mk2 1.5 DCi Clio has recently started having weird electrical faults, but only during the first few minutes after starting.
There are intermittent issues with the dials/hazard lights/wipers, sometimes repeated clicking noises—presumably from relays—in the passenger footwell. I hear a “click,” all those systems stop working, then another “click” (shortly after) and everything comes back. Sometimes, there are repeated clicks for a short while. If I turn the car off while these functions aren’t working, it won’t restart at all. Eventually it does start, and all those issues disappear after a few minutes and the car drives fine for the rest of the journey. It seems to only happen after the car has been sitting. Sometimes it lasts only a few seconds, other times a few minutes.
Diagnostics show an intermittent DF037 code: Brake switch circuits, consistency. I’ve never caught it as “Active”, always just in “Memory”. Could it be related? There’s not much information online about this specific code.
I suspect it’s something to do with the UCH, but I’d really appreciate your thoughts before I send it off for repair or start poking around. I’ve read about cleaning connectors, checking/reseating fuses, etc. Any advice on the best way to do this or other things I could try? Possibly grounding wires? I’ve unplugged and replugged the white connector under the glovebox but, unsurprisingly, that made no difference.
Also, I’ve got the dreaded Serv and Airbag lights from an airbag issue under the seats—I know about it and will fix it soon. I don’t think it’s related, as those issues predate the above electrical faults, but I thought I’d mention it.
I should also say, like an idiot, I put my key through the washing machine about 6 weeks ago. 🙁 At first I thought the key was fried, but after cleaning it with IPA and letting it dry out thoroughly, it seems to be working fine. Could this be related? The electrical faults started after the key incident, but not immediately. The thing is, the faults also happen with the spare key, so maybe it’s just a coincidence.
Any ideas would be massively appreciated. Let me know if you need more info. I know this isn’t the worst issue in the world, but it’s really driving me mad.
Solution
A little later than expected, but as promised, here’s an update.
Long story short, the issue is now resolved and I didn’t need to send the UCH off for repair. I’m not exactly sure what fixed it, but here’s what I did:
– Removed and reseated most of the relevant fuses in the panel next to the glovebox
– Removed the UCH completely, sprayed the connectors with contact cleaner, let them dry and reassembled (also removed and reseated the relay and connector on the back of the UCH during this)
– Cleaned the grounding point under the bonnet closest to the battery
When I first reassembled and tried to start the car, I thought I had completely broken everything—nothing worked apart from the fans. I don’t think I had connected the UCH plugs properly—the black one is different from the others and quite awkward. It has a locking mechanism that’s a bit like a fairground ride safety bar, but in reverse? The bar needs to be horizontal when the connector is inserted, then it lifts up and clicks over a sort of “button” to lock it in place. Took me a couple of attempts to understand and seat it properly.
By the way, the UCH itself looked absolutely fine. I opened it up and found no signs of water damage or corrosion anywhere. Personally, I found removing it to be a nightmare and I don’t think I’m the only one. This guy on YouTube gives some helpful tips—but I couldn’t contort myself like he does!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNx37ckLfZI
I had to jiggle it quite a bit to get it out, but that might have just been me doing it wrong. I’m not sure I’ve put it back exactly as it was, but the metal brackets and screw hold it pretty securely and it doesn’t move—so hopefully that’s okay. Famous last words…
Either way, once everything was back together properly, thank goodness everything worked as normal.
Looking back, I suspect the grounding point under the bonnet might have been all that needed cleaning. That said, jiggling the wires/connectors going to the UCH did sometimes temporarily stop the issue. But I’ll never know for sure since this wasn’t exactly a controlled experiment.
So I guess the moral of the story is… clean the grounding point under the bonnet, and maybe check the UCH and connectors thoroughly before sending anything off for repair? Apparently there’s another grounding point somewhere underneath (on/near the gearbox) that can cause problems, accessed by removing the front wheel and arch liner—but I didn’t need to go that far.
Hope this helps anyone else Googling around for a fix to random/odd faults. All in the name of keeping our Clios running 🙂
SPONSORED
