"456 M GTA automatic" warning lights popping up

Today I was stucked in traffic, not moving at all due to an accident ahead, so I sat in the car shift it into park "P", waited for 20 - 25 mins, then the traffic started to move again. By the way, the car was running, wasn't turn off, weather is fine, water temperature, oil temp, everything is in good working order. So I shifted it into Drive "D", start moving, suddenly both the "ASR" and the "transmission" lights came on at the same time. But the thing is the car drives fine with no problems at all, just the two warning lights was still there. Took me about roughly about 20 mins to get home, I shifted the thing into all the gears and the car is perfectly ok, of cause when I got home the warning lights are still on, so I shutted down the car. Anyone have any idea what is going on? sensors? transmission? O2 sensors? what would you guys suggest me to check first?

Thanks in advance..

 

It might have been just a glitch. I know these cars don't like idling for extended periods. Are you still getting these warning lights?

Barry

 

Happened to my previous car (2000 456M) a few times. On and off. Car was fine.

 

This morning I turned on the car it was fine, but I intentionally let it idle for half an hour, the same lights come back on. Headake!

 

After couple of hours of testing, what I found is even with the car completely cold, when u start it up and let it idle for around 20 mins, both the ASR and transmission lights will for sure come on. One good thing is all the gauges and temperature seem to be ok. Can anyone help? Why those 2 warning lights?

 

Today I realized when I drive the car for over 30mins, water temp. At around 90 degrees, needle right in the middle of the gauge, very normal, transmission oil temp. At around 100, very normal again, the ASR and transmission light came back on again. And the gear box started to shift roughly from D to R, after I parked the car for about an hour, is normal again, seems like is an off and on problem. Any ideas? Would it be bad sensors somewhere?

 

i am experiencing exactly the same thing...

drive the car for a short time, park up and come back start the car and the ASR light is on and gearbox in limp home mode, after an hour or two..car resets itself.

I have recently changed the battery as i had thought this was the issue, a "bad cell"..but it now looks as though this could be something else.

with the ASR light on feels as though the power is dramatically restricted, and sounds engine based rather than transmission, as though a limiter had been set on engine power...

anyone have any ideas....

 

Hey nigelthomas1310:

Does your transmission light comes on too? or just the ASR..........
Mine, both of them will come on at the same time, always. MY engine runs great, when there is no problem, the transmission runs perfectly too. I think it has something to do with either the ECU or one of the sensors. I am thinking maybe is the O2 sensor that is close to the cats and the central muffler that is in the middle section. From what I know, some other European cars will put itself into Limp mode if this part is not working properly, honestly, I am not sure, is really confusing, is an off and on problem, but mine always comes on when the car water temp. is close to 100 degress, that is why I keep thinking that could be a malfunction sensor. as you know if a sensor is not working properly, when it heats up, something will always goes wrong, is sending a signal to the ECU telling it to slow down and go into limp mode to prevent it from over reving it or going to fast. what do you think?

 

hi ferrari 456...

thanks for the info...only get the ASR light...runs like crap...needs hige revs to get teh vehilce moving it s as though 70% of the power is being held back....but thats what the ASR system does i guess....the limp home mode is a pain..just 2nd and reverse....

it has reset itself occasionally, also had immobiliser isssues, wont allo cranking of the vehicle...think my issue is electrical...and that opens up a whole new investigating world.

Keeps me of the streets....in and out of a car....

I do think its a sensor issue...just no idea which one...your issue does sound temp originating...i would say its not a lamda or O2 sensor, as that is usually accompanied by the slow down warning light indicating fuel mixture in the cats is too rich and tried to save the cats life.....

if i find anything else out or solve the mystery i will post my findings....

 

well, this off and on problem is back again, it was alright for the past month, although I only drove the car like 3 three times within that period and for short distances only. Today as I was driving, the water temperature , oil temp., everything is normal, of cause again the ASR and the transmission light came on, then the same old problem, seemed like it was stuck in 1st or 2nd gear with no power, and when it idles, is about 300-400 rpm higher, well, got to my destination, parked the car went into 7 eleven for like 5 mins, came back out, start the car, it wouldn't start, so I waited for 20 mins, try starting it again, "NO", waited another 15 mins, then the car started with just one turn of the key.

Still not been able to find the problem, I really need some help now, is making me cracy, a 10 minute trip, turned out to be like an hour. why is it that when the engine gets hot around 90-95 degress, which is suppose to be normal, turn the car off, it won't start again immediately until it is cool down?????????????????????????? and also the two warning lights?????????????????? you guys with similar problems, what have you found??????????

please help, I am really going nuts.....................

 

Hey you guys have these problems solved? I am experiencing the same thing, I checked everything you guys wrote about already, don't know what to do now........

 

Repost your question in the "Technical QA" section if you want someone mechanically knowledgable to respond.

 

My vote would be on a solenoid problem, it sounds very much like an intermittent coil.

Explanation: solenoids are coils used to magnetically power things; such as small valves in a transmission. Modern cars have quite a few coils - in relays, magnetic pickups and solenoids, and 99% of the time they fail this way. They go open circuit when (really) hot. Because of the wide temperature range, the windings can develop a crack and fail, this happens mostly when warm. A lot of cars have problems when hot because of this, many car owners got stranded because of pickup coil failure.

I believe these automatics have a few of these coils/solenoids in them. They'd have to since they're electronically controlled. I do not know how easy or hard those solenoids are to replace, but with many automatics these are in the sump where the hydraulic 'brain' of the gearbox resides; I doubt the 456 will be different. And since I understand the GTA box is essentially a GM box, it should not be too expensive to find parts either. The matter is mostly how to find the right parts and how to get them in the right place.

 

I'm certainly no mech, but thinking having the car in idle for half an hour or longer, standing still as it were, doesn't sound like a normal op for this bascially closed bottomed car. It runs hot in many circumstances and was made to move, not sit still.


like said, I'm no mech or such.

 

My problem is still not solve yet, but I found this on the net, what you do guys think? The ETA unit possible?

http://pages.prodigy.net/jforgione/MB_asr.html

 

Does the MGT have such an electronic throttle system? I was under the presumption of throttle to be mechanical on any 456.

I don’t think it is very logical to look for the fault here however; such because it would not make sense for the transmission warnings coming on with an ASR problem. Vice versa it does make sense, as the ASR is switched on as a result of the transmission warning to minimise power into the tranmission to protect it, and the driver is warned of that. This warning also serves to say it is unwise to drive the car because there is a slip hazard; such because a transmission problem by definition has the potential to cause a sudden event such as a lock of the wheels or loss of power, possibly leading to a crash.

I would have the error diagnosed on the SD2, as it is all speculation at this point. It could perhaps be that the fan for transmission cooling isn't working and it simply overheats?

Sonomarik: a car that is also intended for generic use on public roads should be able to idle for extended periods on a hot day, period. Internal transmission components will be cooled through the transmission oil cooler.