[Farmer Giles]

Hi Guys, I have recently bought a F31 at salvage auction. It has had a very small hit to the rear corner which is the only damage.

However it will not start, it looks like someone has had a go at finding a perceived fuel problem by pulling various panels off. It cranks over quite normally, but when I turned it over by hand with a tool on the crankshaft , it was quite easy to rotate, with not too much compression evident. I have checked that the cam chain hasn't snapped as the cams rotating below the filler cam when cranked.

Am I right in thinking that the crash protection will cut the fuel off on impact and needs to be reset or the ACSM module replaced? Does it need replacement or will an OBD scanner do the job?
Many thanks in advance.

Oh, and another thing, the airbags have not deployed.

[Watsey]

My first thought, if someone has pulled interior trim panels off in various places, is “are they looking for a Ghost immobiliser” ? These devices need to be inactivated using the correct sequence of button presses, else the ECU goes into ‘serious crash mode’ and the fuel system (on diesel units) is shut down.

The motor cranks but doesn’t start. Could be a Ghost immobiliser, a blown fuse for the low pressure fuel pump, a failed high pressure fuel pump, etc. Have you checked for error codes via an OBD scanner ?

The challenge in finding a Ghost immobiliser is that it’s piggy-backed on to the data CanBus network in the car and can be placed anywhere on it. The Ghost devices are small, perhaps the size of your little finger, and are often disguised by wrapping them on to the CanBus wiring loom using automotive cloth tape.

[Farmer Giles]

Thanks for that! I hadn't even thought of the Ghost. I have a cheap OBD reader but its useless. I've got a mobile auto electrician coming next week who is apparently very good but I posted this looking for other ideas.

I'll check the fuses just to be sure. One rear seat trim is off exposing the fuel pump controller and the seat cushion has been up too exposing the pump, so I think that is the likely cause, but if its the crash sensor immobilising everything thats another story.

Any recommendations for a scanner that will clear this and work and not cost thousands to buy? People have suggested the Carly one or I have an Icarsoft one for my Range Rover which seems ok. Any ideas greatfully received!

[Watsey]

I use Carly and also OBD Fusion - I prefer the latter as it also has functionality such as live data dashboards and logging for many aspects of the drivetrain, fuel consumption, and vehicle performance.