[ The P1A15 Troubleshooting Thread ] No READY. P1A15 error. Condenser charge timeout.

[Lic]

Finally I solved my problem by updating MCU rom content by saved rom content from my old MCU.

 

[Lic]

We have on russian forum guy with same symptoms like mine car had. Battery have 350v voltage, MCU shows condenser voltage when starts 340v. Problem solved by soldering additional resistor in upper part of resistors divider to get voltage on condenser close to battery voltage.
Also other russian mechanic said he had 3 cars already with same symptoms and he solved problem by same technique.

 

[hubermatos]

We have on russian forum guy with same symptoms like mine car had. Battery have 350v voltage, MCU shows condenser voltage when starts 340v. Problem solved by soldering additional resistor in upper part of resistors divider to get voltage on condenser close to battery voltage.
Also other russian mechanic said he had 3 cars already with same symptoms and he solved problem by same technique.

Hello ev enthusiasts, I managed to get a peugeot ion quite cheap but it has the same error.
Lic, could you please share how he exactly did it? Maybe share some pictures? I would be interested, it sounds like a good solution...

Thank you all for your contribution!
Huba

 

[Lic]

First of all you need to be sure that problem is in MCU and not in battery. Please check condenser voltage when you start a car also check condenser voltage by software like launch or MUT3 or hobdrive.

 

[hubermatos]

Hello Lic!

Thank you, for your replay.
Can it be checked with lexia?
I will need to buy an interface if it is impossible. Which one do you recommend?

Can it be measured manually?

Thanks again!
Huba

 

[Lic]

I don't know what is lexia.
Cheapest way I think is hobdrive.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hobdrivedemo.android&hl=ru

You need to check voltage by both ways - physically and by software. Most common problem - physically voltage is the same like battery voltage and by software voltage is much less than battery voltage - car sees wrong voltage and shows error. So you need to check voltage by both ways.

 

[hubermatos]

I don't know what is lexia.

Lexia is a tool for Citroën peugeot cars, with diagbox software. (you can write your vin to a newly fitted component etc.)

Cheapest way I think is hobdrive.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hobdrivedemo.android&hl=ru

You need to check voltage by both ways - physically and by software. Most common problem - physically voltage is the same like battery voltage and by software voltage is much less than battery voltage - car sees wrong voltage and shows error. So you need to check voltage by both ways.

I managed to check the capacitor voltage : 2v no metter what i do, it stays the same.
I will take the case apart tomorrow and measure it.
Thank you Lic

 

[kiev]

Howdy Huba,

What are the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) that your car has stored?

Your low voltage symptoms (~2VDC) would seem to cause a different code than the other folks had in this particular discussion thread.

It sounds as if your Main Contactors are not being engaged in the sequence to get to READY. The Contactors are located within the HV Battery Pack and are controlled by the EV-ECU located under the rear seat.

i would recommend that you have your car checked by someone with a MUT or Lexia to read out the DTC, then the troubleshooting will be much easier. You can also purchase a scantool that will read out those codes, such as an iCarsoft i909 scanner. Maybe someone in your area has such a tool and will help get the reading.

You have made all the manual measurements that are meaningful at this time and verified that no voltage is reaching the MCU, so now you need to find out what the system thinks is wrong in order to correct the issue.

Welcome and good luck to you,
kenny

 

[hubermatos]

Howdy Huba,

What are the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) that your car has stored?

Your low voltage symptoms (~2VDC) would seem to cause a different code than the other folks had in this particular discussion thread.

It sounds as if your Main Contactors are not being engaged in the sequence to get to READY. The Contactors are located within the HV Battery Pack and are controlled by the EV-ECU located under the rear seat.

i would recommend that you have your car checked by someone with a MUT or Lexia to read out the DTC, then the troubleshooting will be much easier. You can also purchase a scantool that will read out those codes, such as an iCarsoft i909 scanner. Maybe someone in your area has such a tool and will help get the reading.

You have made all the manual measurements that are meaningful at this time and verified that no voltage is reaching the MCU, so now you need to find out what the system thinks is wrong in order to correct the issue.

Welcome and good luck to you,
kenny

Szia Kenny,
Thank you so much for your help and implication. It is such a great help!

So let me start at the beginning:
I bought a defective Peugeot two years ago, it had water in the battery pack, and I managed to repair it without any additional help from you guys, just by reading the forum. One battery BMU was fried, managed to get another one and to write the eeprom. S that car is 100%ok (besides of the airbag ecu, which is toasted, and I couldn't find a used one), we drove almost 20 000 km with it in the last 1.5 years.

I thought it is time for me to buy a second one, because we are always fighting over this little car, thus we have a hilux too (3l engine...).
So I got one yellow beauty from the market a quite low price, and I could even bargain. So I had my doubts... And since I live in Romania, (I am Hungarian, but the town I live in became part of this country(no more history lesson, I promise) ) I was not surprised that the car wouldn't start after not being used one month. (was waiting for temporary license plates, and I had an appointment to the car registry exam yesterday)

So first things first I recharged the small battery, it had 11.x volts.
Red the codes: P1A15, nothing else. I used a delphi tester with delphi cars, it reads the trouble code and it can also delete them. (one can use wurth wow with this tester, but it reads nonsense codes) (this is the interface if someone is interested: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/New-Delphi-ds150e-Diagnostic-Repair-Tool_1700001592834.html?spm=a2700.pc_countrysearch.main07.1.60bf36efP1yefd )

Last week I managed to buy a lexia interface so I can do whatever a factory interface can do. (I managed to read out the other iOns radio code, I swapped the small batteries)
Yesterday was all about getting to know the software. I is possible to write the cars vin to a newly installed parts ecu so it is kinda cool.
I read the traction battery cell voltages, everything looks ok.


One interesting thing I encountered is the battery percentage is climbing slowly when I start the car:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/97ooY4NU9GzSvXmR7
The ev ecu test:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/JA7Q4ZCTJkqnBEJv9

I think it is time to jump into disassembling the car. But where should I start?
I will measure the capacitors manually.

Thank you so much for helping me!

 

[kiev]

Well if you have been reading on this forum, then you know how important a good, strong 12V aux battery is for proper operation. That is the power source to energize the Main Contactors, so if it is old, weak or worn out, then the car will not go to READY.

i don't think anyone has ever reported a failure of the big black capacitor in the MCU, but by all means measure it if possible to verify that it is good and not shorted out.

P1A15 is usually from too slow a voltage rise, or too low voltage, of the capacitor. Your 2V measurement indicates to me that there is no voltage getting to the MCU. (Unless your meter was trying to read AC instead of DC?)

 

[hubermatos]

Ok. I will start with taking out the 12 v battery from my working car.

 

[kiev]

Or just use a good voltmeter and take measurements. Watch the 12V voltage as you turn the key to see how low it gets pulled. If it is a good battery and holds up under load, then the problem is elsewhere. But it should be measured in any case to see what is happening.

 

[hubermatos]

Swapped batteries. Good car works with bad cars battery.

Bad car gives error. Tryed to delete, it comes back.

I will manually try to check capacitor voltage.

 

[hubermatos]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2rMngLjsoQWpkm2z7
I measured the voltage of what i think the condensor is. It starts from below 1 v and it rises to 3.3 and after thet it rises slowly.Lexia shows 2 v, it does not change at all.

What do you think i should check next?

 

[DBMandrake]

Unplug the high voltage cables for the heater and AC compressor to eliminate the possibility one has a short ?

 

[hubermatos]

Unplug the high voltage cables for the heater and AC compressor to eliminate the possibility one has a short ?

I can only do that from below the car?

Wow...
So.
I got the traction battery ECU from the working car and put it into the bot working one. P1a15 went away, car is in ready mode.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BXbHNCuJmwpCTh1t7

What do you guys think of that?

It still gives errors, because it is not the same ECU.
P1A48
P1AAB
P1A2D

Tomorrow I will order a new used ECU. Let's see.

Good night evnation!

 

[kiev]

...
I got the traction battery ECU from the working car and put it into the bot working one. P1a15 went away, car is in ready mode.

What do you guys think of that?

That's great! a good test to swap the EV-ECU and get to READY, so the old ECU has a defect in the drive for the Main Contactors.

We don't have a schematic for the ECU in order to troubleshoot for a defective component.

 

[hubermatos]

That's great! a good test to swap the EV-ECU and get to READY, so the old ECU has a defect in the drive for the Main Contactors.
We don't have a schematic for the ECU in order to troubleshoot for a defective component.

I took it apart to visually inspect it, but it looks brand new, without any signs of failure.
I ordered a new one from Poland. I hope it will work, fingers crossed.

I measured the capacitors, they are charged now.

There is a difference between the two ECUs, I even tested the bad one in the good car, but it showed me no charge in the battery.
The battery pack of the new car is different, it has less packs. So I was surprised the older one is functioning with it.

I will keep you posted.

 

[hubermatos]

The part just came today from Poland, same error.
I will take traction battery apart today to check it.

I dont know what elese to do...

H.

 

[kiev]

That doesn't make any sense. When you swapped ECUs then it seems that you found the issue there and not in the traction battery.

Are you sure that the ECU from Poland is a good functioning unit? Did you try it in the good car? Is it programmed for the same size pack (same number of cells) as the car under repair? Did you open and inspect it for water damage,etc?