Engine: B5254: 'start prevented try again' message

[Paul240480]

FWIW, I had a random no start issue . Then after a number of starts one day, last one and nowt.

No fault codes.

Cleaned up that trigger wire on the starter and its terminal, back in June this was. It's not missed a 1st time start since.

There is a you tube vid on the trigger wire issue, it reccommends that if you car is 10yrs old or older you should clean that terminal as a matter of cause as the issue will arise sometime.

Whichever your fault is, hope you sort it easily

[ASt85]

Originally Posted by reggit

Can't remember if the wheel needs to come off to get the column shroud off.

But if it does, the airbag is held on by 2 spring clips accessible at the back of the wheel (through 2 small holes) at least that's how it is on the S60, and the wheel only has 1 nut and it pulls off.

Not a complicated job at all, and should only add 10 minutes to the job.

The shroud comes off without removing the wheel

[Kevin_L]

hi - I bought a replacement aerial thingy - it's a genuine one - Marshalls Welwyn (great dealer) quoted me around £35 - but the guy in the link below gave it to me for £15

But the problem hasn't come back and I haven't fitted the new part - I will wait and see if it becomes an issue first

And it's not as if there aren't problems to sort!! in the mean time I fitted a new AC condenser when it got punctured by a stone (and i fitted mesh to the gaping open hole in the bottom of the bumper/grille) and the lower torque mount was shot (£40 ish from the dealer) which i noticed when i drained 3litres of ATF out of the autobox after it started banging and i sure it slipped - but the new ATF and mount seems to have sorted that out........

[lillia]

Apparently the Haynes manual does not cover my model 2922cc T6, so I am scouring the Internets to find a decent image of what is where under the bonnet so that I don't inadvertently pull out the wrong connector or worse, break something. No luck as yet. Does anyone other than Haynes make service manuals? I've got relatively small hands, so not worried about reaching under things if needs be, but I've snapped fragile parts of (non-car) machines and wires before, so I'm wary of going in blind. What's the best thing to use to clean the contacts/connectors? Do these need to be lubricated afterwards?

[Simon Jones]

The v70/s60 Haynes manual should be sufficient to cover the steering column cowl removal and I don't you should even have to lift the bonnet if you're just doing the antenna.

[lillia]

Thanks, I'll. Have located the correct torx screwdriver now. Tried to remove the screws from the steering column but they were rather tight and I was in a hurry. Will try again tomorrow.

I need to go under the bonnet because I am leaning towards the "start prevented" message being largely due to a contact corrosion problem. So I'm going to start with the connector(s) to the starter motor, then the connector(s) on the antennae ring itself, before replacing it. At the moment, the message appears intermittently. I can never predict when it will appear. Some days everything is fine, other days it appears once or twice. On those days it sometimes takes just a second attempt to start, on the worst day it took more than five attempts. I started the car six times today and the engine jumped to life without hesitation. Will post more once I've done the above, or if another crisis arises. I'll try to remember to take photos.

[BobS]

Hi,

Bit of an obvious question but worth asking; Do you have any other car keys on the keyring? As several manufacturers use a RFID embedded in the key and having one of these keys on the ring can interfere with the Volvo key signal.

Bob.

[lillia]

First of all, apologies to everyone for taking such a very long time to update this thread. I have not been too well and have been working too much in the interim. Secondly - many of you will have experienced annoying problems which have mysteriously disappeared when the car has been taken to a garage, only to reappear once you've left. My "start prevented, try again" message vanished for several months before materialising again in earnest just before the May half term. And even then, I could not find the time (work up the courage!) to open the steering column.

To answer your question BobS - no, there is only one key/fob on the ring. The service key (no fob) is sometimes in a briefcase on the back seat or in the boot and the third (fob) is kept at home. Batteries in both fobs replaced and tested ok.

Last week Monday (the 8th) it took 7 attempts to start the car, the first two of which did not even turn the engine over. By that I mean that although the radio and everything else came on, the engine did not make a sound. Of course I panicked. But it eventually started and got me home. Same thing on Tuesday (4 attempts) and Wednesday (3 attempts) and Thursday (6 attempts), always when I was somewhere far away from home!

I had already checked the starter motor and related connections shortly after my last post as some posters had recommended. There were no faults here. No fault codes either.

On Friday (the 12th), I managed to get some time just before the rains came and decided that it was now or never. Using a combination of instructions from this and a couple other forums plus a fairly decent instruction video on YouTube (there are a few), I finally managed to get at the antennae ring (called transponder ring in some places).

Time: it should take a novice less than 10 minutes to carry out the following procedure, around 5 minutes to put it back together.

1. Remove the three torx screws under the steering column
2. Pull down the steering column release lever
3. Pull the steering wheel forward (and down, if necessary).
4. Loosen the top panel of the steering column and push it up - no need to remove it
5. Loosen the bottom panel of the steering column and remove it. Place it somewhere where you won't step or sit on it accidentally, as I very nearly did (twice).
6. Gently unplug the connector from the green plug.
7. To remove the antennae ring, you need to do two things (slightly tricky):
(a) press on the grey tab which is above the "0" key position. You could also use a flat screwdriver to press on the white part inside this tab, but I did not find it necessary, I just pressed down the grey bit with my right thumb
(b) When the top portion loosens, you will need to look underneath the steering column at the other side of the antennae ring and use a flat screwdriver or similar to gently but firmly press the larger tab there while simultaneously pulling the antennae ring to the right. This can be tricky to do; be patient and restrain yourself from yanking, jiggling or twisting it.

Simply follow the instructions in reverse to put the whole thing back together. The antennae ring snaps back into place when you push it on. I've never done this before and apart from the surprise undertab to release the antennae ring, the trickiest part of the procedure was lining up the top panel of the steering column with the bottom panel to get them to snap into place before putting the screws in.

OK - my antennae ring appeared to be in very good condition. No signs of damage or corrosion on the plug and connector pins. No dust or other suspicious issues on the parts in question (small amount of dust in other places). Nevertheless, I swabbed them clean, wiped down the contacts on the steering column (forgot to do the round contact on the antennae ring itself - see pics). Also checked all wires I could see for loose connections, fraying and the like. No issues. All original parts and in very good condition. Before closing the panels, I jiggled a slim, stiff, black cable which led to the steering column from somewhere under the instrument panel and pushed it all the way in. I tried to pull it out to inspect it, but it would not budge even though I pressed the tab all the way down. I also turned the key in the ignition to position II to check that things were still working. Then I put the whole thing back together, just as the rain was starting. Problem solved? Ha! The message popped up on the first attempt. Car started on the second attempt. However, this time I noticed something which I have not noticed in a very long time: the green light around the ignition was on. It had been missing for such a long time that I had not even realised that it was actually missing. In retrospect, I think the light must have disappeared at around the same time that this problem started last year (when I picked up the car from the MOT place). I guess there must have been a connection issue after all.

Result: I am pleased to say that since last Friday, the car has not hesitated to start on the first attempt every single time. It simply jumps to life. Early days, so I am still approaching the car wondering whether it will start, even though I am starting to relax (but not too much!). I read on another forum that second-hand antennae rings can be used to replace faulty ones. A new part is not expensive (I was quoted under £40 for one last year), but I imagine that a second-hand one, e.g. from a newer car in a breaker's yard, could be used for trouble-shooting purposes before investing in a brand new one.

I have attached some photos mainly for recognition purposes - the steps were so straightforward that there was no need (or time) for step-by-step documentation. I hope they help!

(My car mechanic skill level - novice, but I don't mind fiddling with screwdrivers and checking things out, time permitting!)

P.S. Unrelated, but for those who are interested - Lidl is currently selling fine point soldering kits for £6.99. They appear to be going fast.

[Georgeandkira]

Hello, Many thanks for posting pictures. Just one observation.

The part has a hole on it's left side in picture #2.
Does that hole surround the lock cylinder?
Is it easy to remove? Kira

[lillia]

Hi Kira,

If you mean the photo labelled "antennae ring outside" then yes, that big hole surrounds the lock, or rather, fits right on top of it (see pic 1). It's a bit fuzzy, but picture 6 (labelled "black cable") shows what the lock looks like when the antennae ring has been removed.

It is fairly easy to remove. Some forums said "just pull it off" so I was unprepared for the initial resistance. But once I inspected it closely and realised that there were catches/tabs on the lock and the antennae ring, it only took a couple of minutes to work it free. There is a tab/catch (sorry, don't know what these things are called) to the left of (on top of) the "0" position and another broader one on the underside of the antennae ring - you have to look under the steering column to see it. If you zoom in on picture 1 then you should be able to see the catch at/on top of the 0 position. You can see two catches on the underside (pic 4), but I only had to work to release the one closest to the big round part. I was surprised at how quickly I managed to remove it!