I’m wondering if anyone encountered this problem before:

Quite often I lose functionality of certain electronics in the car. Heated/cooled seats (front ones), heated steering wheel, the mobility of the seats, illumination of the driver’s side window switches, high beam assist, reversing camera (I only have the rear camera on my car) and the car doesn’t lock from the fob or at least it takes a good minute to recognise that I’ve pressed the lock/unlock button.

Now this is the funny part - this ONLY happens when someone is sitting in the front passenger seat! Of course they are not sitting in the seat when I try to lock the car but after we get out. My missus is very annoyed that I keep telling her that it’s “her seat” but I don’t get these issues when she is not in the car! (I already hear the jokes coming in haha!).

I will try and get under the seat and see if there are any bad connections but I am wondering if the hive mind on this forum has encountered something like this before?

The car is a MY16 TDV6. 2016 TDV6 Vogue SE Santorinin Black

Haha! Dont have a wife so no, haven't seen that problem.

It could be a grounding issue. If you can, do a full code scan. There may be some codes that can help pinpoint the problem.

Short of that recommend checking these two items first.

1. Occupant Detection Sensor. Put a bag heavy enough to trigger the seat occupant sensor. Close all doors and see if you can reproduce the problem. If the problem shows up then remove the bag off the seat without opening any doors and see if the problem goes away.

2. If its not the occupant sensor then try the seat belt. Click it in place and see if you can reproduce the problem.

Last edited by ss10 on 22nd May 2025 7:41am. Edited 1 time in total

Have a look at this also: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2015/SB-10105660-9340.pdf

Thanks! Will try this first. 2016 TDV6 Vogue SE Santorinin Black

Well…..some interesting developments. This morning the car wouldn’t unlock from the fob! Had to use the “secret” key. Of course the alarm went off and I could only get the car to start to the electronics on stage (before the engine starts) but no further. It also kept switching off pretty much immediately.

I called the AA and a chap came with a large battery charger, however upon inspection he said that the battery is fine!

I since have unattached the passenger seat from the interior and made sure all wires are ok there and indeed there was a wire which didn’t have its plastic grommet in the correct placeholder and was definitely snagging when the seat was moved all the way back (as the missus likes it).

Then I checked the earth in the wheel arches and the one in the driver side looked ok until I touched it and it fell off. I used a nearby nut to earth those wires but will drill a new hole and use a self tapper for security next week.

So in conclusion I can only thing that the snagged cable was somehow causing havoc with the BCM and perhaps the bad earth points were not helping. Will have a long drive tomorrow and hope it all works! Fingers crossed. 2016 TDV6 Vogue SE Santorinin Black

Very interesting, as I encounter rather similar problems: https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic73098.html

Did you manage to get yours sorted?

Im only one day into what I think is my fix. Drive today for around 100 miles and so far no problems. However, it was only me in the car. Problems usually start when I have a passenger. So time will tell.... 2016 TDV6 Vogue SE Santorinin Black

Not yet—this is the worst kind of failure. The one that appears only occasionally and doesn’t trigger errors. The car works fine for days — or weeks, and then, suddenly, everything goes wrong. Steering column locks, refuses to unlock, screens starts rebooting, etc...

Body earths are a known and very common issue on the L405 as it ages, (I think there are 3 in total in both front wheelarches, but I can’t remember). Easy to get to. They can even visually look OK, then snap off if you try to loosen them or even just wire brush them to add some corrosion inhibitor. Before failing completely, they regularly can cause a myriad of simultaneous DTC’s anf faults. A weak battery can have quite similar effects, however, so check both.
If replacing, clean everything up REALLY well and smother with Lanogard grease or similar to keep the water out.  V6 Vogue - “Less is More” - less to go wrong!

+1 on looking at earth points in the wheel arches. Mine snapped so I botched it.

Click image to enlarge

So, a list of annoying electrical gremlins I have encoured:

1. When selecting reverse, can't turn the volume down in the media
centre.
2. When it's wet ,I have to manually close the boot.
3. The heated steering wheel sometimes turns itself on.....
When it's already 30 degrees outside!

I'm inclined to think that the electronics/software were written in. the UK , which is why they don't work as they should!

Just an opinion.

I checked the earth points on both sides. There’s only one wire attached to the right one and two to the left, both of them looking really good. I cleaned and tightened them anyway, even the three earth points under the bonnet on the right side.

Click image to enlarge

goldeneye32 wrote:

So, a list of annoying electrical gremlins I have encoured:

1. When selecting reverse, can't turn the volume down in the media
centre.
2. When it's wet ,I have to manually close the boot.
3. The heated steering wheel sometimes turns itself on.....
When it's already 30 degrees outside!

I'm inclined to think that the electronics/software were written in. the UK , which is why they don't work as they should!

Just an opinion.