[PhilTroubleshooter]

Well, it seems I have it too.... I contacted the workshop. More next Wednesday 16 Feb 2022...

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

No, this is really an error. When putting the selector in "D" it jumps back to "P". You need to put the selector in "D" or "R" and step on it right away or the car won't move. It also displays the error message right away.

I tested the advice I've seen in some places but that did not help:

1. Close the car and leave it closed for 5 minutes.
2. Detach the 12V battery and leave it there for 5 minutes. Using the red fast clamp on the positive battery pin.
3. Reconnect the fast clamp to the battery: that went with a significant spark.
4. Leave the car for a minute.
5. Turn on the car ("start the "engine"")
6. The car gave the error right away and was immobilized. That is worse than before we started this test. It was sitting on the driveway dead as a door nail.
7. Close the car and leave it on the driveway for 15 minutes.
8. "Start the engine". Now the car was behaving as before this test. Luckily. It moved again.
9. I tested if it could take a charge. Because if that didn't work, there was enough juice to get it to the workshop and then it would be dead. Luckily it charged.

I remember from Bjorn Nyland's 1000 km challenge he had trouble charging the car and needed to detach the 12 Volt battery. That is why I tried charging.

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

I promised an update, sorry for being late.

The workshop quickly identified the "controller that sits on the gearbox" as broken. It is a part that is known to fail. The replacement part had a different part no. It was replaced in warranty. Now everything is OK again.

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

The Peugeot garage fixed it. Known issue with the electronic controller of the gearbox. The replacement part has a different part number. Replaced in warranty.

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

I went straight to the garage. I guess OK to drive where traffic is calm. You can’t be quick and nimble. Every stand still you need to put it back in gear

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

My intell link system more regularly froze and restarted leading up to the error showing, could be linked I guess.

I pick up a new car on Tuesday, I'm going back to petrol, being unable To get my car looked at by an engineer until August is the final straw, I'll give it another go after 2030.

What a shame! Is this a local issue? I have lots of places where I can go within a 10 mile radius... it is true the mechanics need to get trained. But if people stay away from EVs because they cannot get serviced, then there is a real problem.

The place I went to was an "official dealer", the engineer had found the issue inside 10 minutes and it was fixed within the hour.

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

Speaking to Arnold Clark Vauxhall Dundee they are "the only dealer on the east coast of Scotland that Have a master technician", when I look online the next nearest is Perth 26 miles away which I don't fancy travelling in a car that's showing errors. Spoke to VW and they have a technician but he'll only do electric cars purchased from their dealership.

No offer of hire car or courtesy from AC, they simply don't care.

Yes well... that depends on the road... I had to cover 12 km (7.5 miles) on roads you could mostly keep moving, that is doable with the broken gizmo.

Personally I would have been inclined to do the trip to Perth, making sure they have the part or can get to it quickly. Where I go, they would give me a petrol 208 for the wait if they had to wait a day or so for the part. But that is just me. I guess I put in the balance the fact that running an EV is considerably lower cost. You are not going to get a lot of money for a car with an issue, so you would need to get it fixed anyway before selling it. Also, cars are expensive now with the chip and supply chain problems... so I'd bite the bullet. Since the part was replaced the car has run like a charm. It is two years before I need to service it again!! An ID.3 is too expensive for what it is. An ID.4 is better but a significantly higher price bracket. And you may have to wait for it so long that you may regret your decision by the time you have it. A petrol probably makes more sense from a purchase price / wait viewpoint if you know one you can get quickly.

I do understand your reaction. I would not stick with a workplace that has such a poor service and does not care either. I'd move my business to Perth if they were significantly better. Just a thought .

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

"Known to fail" but not recalled?

I wonder how much they are hoping to make from out-of-warranty repairs for this "known to fail" component?

How much would it have cost if not in warranty?

I am not aware of a recall and of course not of the cost either.

It is a failure one could argue is about safety. But given the fact the car only resists being driven when standing still it could be a long discussion.

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

Add my e208 to the list.

That sounds different. I did not get that stranded, I was able to drive it to the shop.

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

I did not ask. So I do not know. If I had, I probably would have received an incorrect answer.

Not sure of what happens in US or UK, but in Belgium when you go to an official car shop they must enter a few things in the car pass database. The visit date, the car’s kilometer “mileage” and what was done to the car. Legislation protecting second hand car buyers. I can query a report when I want, I need the report for selling on the car. It is official and mandated by law.

So sorry for the “of course” comment. I did not think about the US or UK situation being so different it would not go without saying…

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

As I said before many times, the electronic control unit on the gearbox needs replacing by the new model. It has a different part number than the originally mounted one.

What is the build date of your e-208? I had this repaired easily in Belgium in February 2022. If your e208 build date is a later date, this may be a different issue if one assumes they would stop building new cars with the failing electronics… but one never knows I guess.

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

hi there ,

I ordered back in July 2022 and only received the e208 at end of October.

In Belgium each vehicle has a “conformity form”, don’t know if UK has similar, it has a field that states the build date of the car. Mine was June 2020, 1st owner received it August 2020. I am second owner for bargain price: 1st owner discovered e208 was too small for him.

 

[PhilTroubleshooter]

Got my car back this afternoon and the dealer said they update the firmware and if problem persist they will need to order new parts

So I guess the problem was no longer there when you got the car back?