"EP" error code?

[James.uk]

Got into my car to come home from the local shop and it behaved as if the handbrake was on, it needed a lot of revs to move off, once moving it changed up ok and then drove as normal.

I had the same prob each time I stopped. Then I noticed that where it should show the selected gear, it read "EP" .. According to my owners handbook that is short for "emergency programme" and indicates a gear box fault of some sort.

My usual garage is closed till Monday so I can't get any advice or info, has anyone got any ideas as what the problem may be?

*Note* Prior to going in the shop, I had just returned from a 90 mile Mway journey to Ellesmere port and back without incident, so the engine and gearbox should have been totaly warmed up..* Thanks..

UPDATE. Just been out to the car for a book I left in it, and... purely out of curiosity started the car and -- no EP code? just reads P now as per usual!!!
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[Greeners]

Try a battery reset....(sat nav and radio codes). Very cheap and may cure the problem.

[Dragrad]

Could be a developing problem with the auto box .... same thing on mine except it went from EP to dead stop inside of 5 miles, on the flat and downhill was OK, but as soon as I started on the three mile climb up the hill the box gave out.

Hope it's not the same problem......

[James.uk]

Thanks for the replies. But the problems have worsend.

NOTE -- A recon autobox was fitted to the car less than 17K ago, and the car normally drives extremely well, I did some local running about earlier today covering approx 10 miles in and around town with no issues whatsoever (except no heat) but then ---

Went out tonight, got as far as Poynton lights (approx 12 miles) and suddenly lost power. Heat gauge said overheating and red warning light came on, up till then the guage had read about halfway, but car interior was still bl**dy cold!!

Phoned the RAC. Weather was awfull, blowing a gale and raining hard. Sat in the car for about an hour freezin to death and fogging up all the windows. Then a nice RAC man turned up.

After lifting the bonnet he said the car had NOT overheated, but was probably low on water? So poured some in, we ran the engine and he added quite a lot of water lifting the header tank well up above the engine and letting water run out of the bleed valve before closing it, and putting the rad cap back on. Then he checked the heater output, and spent about 45 mins trying to get the heater to work, with no luck.

He took the top off both plenham boxes to check if the ECU had got wet, but it is dry as a bone in both boxes.. He had the engine covers off, trying to get water round the sytem so the heater got warm. Starting and stopping the engine several times in the process, still nothing! .. Finaly, He added more water and asked me to run the motor again at about 2000 revs, but I turned the key and-- nothing! silence! He then Locked and unlocked the car using the key-fob, and tried again, still nothing! just silence!! The key did nothing apart from light up the usual items! .. And -- the EP fault came up on the g/box display again! . Nothing was making any sense at all..

By now my trousers were soaked and my coat was so wet it had got through to my underwear! So Jean and I got into his wagon. he could NOT get the car to do anything at all, so finally he hitched it up to his tow truck fingy and towed us home.

Got home, unhitched the car, I went in and changed into dry clothes, and he then came in and said the car started ok now!! all dash and other readings were perfectly normal.. But -- still no heat from the heater.

We discussed the cars symptoms over coffee, he thinks the water system is completely blocked somewhere. But has no idea where. Neither could he explain the cars failure to start! Or the odd gearbox code popping up. He said he had been a mechanic for 12 years, then been with the RAC for 10 years, but never met a similar problem, not ever..

He advised I get the cooling system striped down to find the water blockage. And to reprogramme the ECU. Then it will be a lovely car, he has always wanted one but not practical with 5 children!! .. My only comment was --- "make me an offer" !!!!!!!

Greeners you may well be right but the heat thing has been an issue from day one, except, sometimes it does work?? If the heat guage reads low, then the heater does put out some heat, but if the heater goes up to normal, then the odds are there will be no heat from it.

I took it into my usual garage for this problem last week, Thurs-Friday, but the heater worked ok then, so they rang me to pick up the car saying they were unable to find anything wrong with the thermostat or heater? And, true enough, when I picked it up Fri PM the car seemed fine...

The garage had the battery disconnected last week (Monday) to fit a new headlamp unit (no sat-nav in the car,) but the radio still works and they did not ask me for a code? But maybe they found it via their diagnostic lap-top when they sorted the new key out for me.

Sorry this all sounds unrelated, unlikely, and strange, but these are the facts, this is exactly what is happening.. I just don't know what to try next! ..
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[Dragrad]

Better contact Muller (X-Files)

Sounds wierd......

[stocktake]

The none starting thing could still be an issue with the gearbox, if it is not registering as N or P then it could disable the start?

[James.uk]

Hi Stocktake, good point, thank you. (though it started and got me home with EP showing on friday evening?) Meanwhile --

Got in the car today and all read norm when I turned the key, so I started it up, it drove very nicely, heat gauge barely moved and, the car got nice and warm after about 4 miles!!

I don't really want to wait another week or more to take the car into my usual garage, so I have dropped it off to a highly recomended individual who seems to think he can sort it fairly easily and start work on it tomorrow! ... Fingers crossed...

He drove me home in it and said what a nice car it was to drive, then wondered why I said it was a *&^%$ pain in the rear, and not to go further than the nearast shop in it without a phone in his pocket!! lol..

Hopefully he will be able to put the car right for me.. Watch this space huh? lol..
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[Moonstone]

The Symphony radio often seems to have security code disabled.

Can't recall seeing that set of symptoms before! Electrical problems are usually at the heart of multi-system faults. I don't know how the Autobox ECU is linked to the dash, but wonder if the instrument cluster is faulty. Low battery voltage has been reported as affecting the cluster.

A T4 session might give more clues. I think autobox ECU may store its own fault codes.

[petersrover]

My 2.0 CDT had this code some time ago, I rang my local ex. Rover dealership and advised me that the battery needed changing. I had some of the same symptoms you are having, since a new battery was installed, I had no further problems.

[James.uk]

Well last night the car would only change gear from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. no 4th or 5th gear..

I drove it on the local mway and at 70 mph the engine was doing approx 4000 revs! (car in D) moved the selector down to 4th no change, move to 3rd still no change, slowed down to 30 ish and selected 2nd, car changed gear!

Sooo, now totaly *p****d off with the car, today I sent it on an RAC trailer back to the company I bought it from (Car sales place) .. I rang them to let them know, and they agreed to put the car right for me. Apparently a new g/box was fitted and it is still under warrentee .

Then at 7 pm they rang to ask exactly what the problem was with the car?? apparently the boss man took it home and then on the mway for a run, and I quote "the car runs extremely well", heh heh.. I told him to use it for a week, but NOT to take anyone out in it, or to an appointment, coz the odds are it wont get him there! lol..

The codes stored in the ECU were ---

P0753--------------Shift solenoid A ?
P0758--------------Shift solenoid B ?
P0763--------------Shift solenoid C ?
P1785------- Clutch timing sol to B +/- (on an automatic?)
P1786------
P1787-----------
P0748-----------------Trans fluid pressure.
P1748-------- Trans control system elec.
P0702----------------Trans control system elec..
P0743---------------Torque converter clutch solenoid.
P1605-----------

I put a copy of the above codes on the drivers seat, and they rang me to ask what was wrong with the car? dohhhh...

I await events with interest..
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