C5 Mk3 X7 Autobox Interlock Relay

[myglaren]

Has your MOT not been deferred for six months?
Check the DVLA site, a bit of breathing space for you.

[GiveMeABreak]

Yes an automatic extension:

Your car, van or motorcycle’s MOT expiry date will be extended by 6 months if it’s due on or after 30 March 2020 - but you must keep your vehicle safe to drive.

[adrianruk]

Just checked. It's now showing 13 December! I checked only a few days ago & it hadn't been extended then. Apparently they are doing them in date order. That takes the immediate pressure off. I still need to sort it out though. That & the tyre deflated message I'm now getting on one wheel even though the pressure is fine. Oh & the cambelt & water pump change that's now due. No rest for the wicked!!
Thanks again
Adrian

[EDC5]

Thanks Marc
I have read that thread religiously & have no problem with accessing the solenoid. It's the relay behind the glovebox that I can't work out how to remove. I can see it, I can feel it, I just can't figure out how to remove it. I know it's possible just don't know how.
The other option would be to modify the solenoid which is not desirable but looks to be an easier alternative. It looks as though it should be easy to remove the 4 screws holding the turret arrangement with the gear lever guide. The release assembly should be easy to disable by the looks of it. The car has to go for an MOT imminently & I don't want them to decline to test it because they can't get the gear lever out of Park. It can take a couple of minutes to release it sometimes.
Thanks again
Adrian

I think I've mentioned previously in this thread the gymnastics required to access the relay. I think i had to go upside down on the passenger seat with my legs over the headrest! My only regret was fitting a used relay rather than a brand new one so I know its days are numbered too.

[adrianruk]

Hi EDC5
Thanks for the reply. I couldn't begin to contemplate the contortions you describe! I'm far too old & decrepit!
But I have found the relay. I just can't work out how to remove it. The photos attached show the general view looking up from the footwell & in the second pic is a clear view of the underside of the relay mounting (the black bit with the yellow, blue & white wires going in). I have used a reasonable amount of force trying to release it but I don't know exactly how it's held & I don't want to break anything. It would be nice to see the whole assembly removed from the car to see how it's fitted. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

TIA
Adrian

[GiveMeABreak]

If you look at the relay housing that the green relay fits into below, I have arrowed in yellow the securing tabs. You'll need to carefully lift the similar tabs of the housing connector the other relay is inserted into where I have arrowed in red. So a small flat blunt screwdriver or similar probably needs to raise the securing tabs up on each side before you can pull it out of the housing (which is the visible part with the wires going in and the relay is underneath).

Click Image to Zoom

[EDC5]

From memory the relay I changed was a black and smaller than that green one.

Your car is a later model than mine, perhaps it was changed to be a larger green one?

I would have someone repeatedly press and release the brake pedal for you whilst you double check by feeling the click from the relay if possible. (Ignore if you are already sure that it is the green one)

in fact I could almost swear that the relay I changed was one like this:

[adrianruk]

Thanks (yet again!) Marc
I'll have another crawl into the footwell when I get a chance. Don't suppose those clips would release the mounting would they? There is no way I could get to the relay above the mounting that I can see. I think the only way is to remove the whole mounting to reach the relay. It is achievable as previous posters on this thread have proved though one had to resort to removing the glove box which I would like to avoid. I'll let you know how my next attempt goes!



Thanks EDC5
I've just posted a reply to Marc as your post came in. The relay on my car is smaller & black & is fitted to the mounting that the red arrows point to. I'm sure it is almost exactly the same as your photo. This was located exactly as you described. My problem is that I can't work out how to remove the mounting as I can't reach the relay which is inserted above it. I'm going to have another go shortly!

Thanks
Adrian

[adrianruk]

Finally got round to replacing the relay today. It took about 10 minutes! I realised that in order to free the relay mount you have to slide it upwards first & then down! Changed to the new relay & tested it. Worked fine for the first half dozen times then went back to it's old ways. I disassembled the one I had taken out & couldn't find anything wrong with it. The contacts weren't particularly dirty but I cleaned them up anyway. I put the old relay back in & now it works first time every time. Don't know why the new one didn't but that's now being kept as a spare.

Nice to get that one sorted & thanks to all those who have helped. Having done the job now I could do it again in less than 10 minutes total!

Now on to the latest fault - tyre pressure warnings. I'll search the forum before starting a new post!

Thanks again
Adrian.

[EDC5]

Fantastic news! Mine was the same, I couldn't see what was wrong with it exactly but I fitted the spare relay as I had already bought it.

Not to divert the thread, but your tyre pressure warning system may have been disabled on purpose (mine was when I bought the car) to avoid annoying notifications if one of the sensors had stopped working.

[adrianruk]

Hi EDC5
It's nice to have the relay sorted. Takes the worry out of every journey.
Unfortunately my tyre pressure system is still active. I'm now getting inaccurate warnings. I suspect it will be the subject of another post shortly!
Adrian

[Azurian]

I have found this forum invaluable in the past though I have only just registered. I am having exactly the same symptoms with the Interlock not releasing some of the time or after a short delay. It sounds like it is most likely the relay so I will have a go at getting to it but I am not sure if I will have the agility. What I need some help on is where do I buy a new relay and what do I ask for. Entering online the numbers quoted 96 202 209 80 in this thread appears to find several suppliers offering relays and quoting the numbers but it is not clear to me if they will be direct replacements. Even Ebay appears to offer used ones which look right but might not be any better. I am used to taking bits to a spares counter and asking for similar but would rather get a new relay before attempting the gymnastics.

[Azurian]

Just to update. I am no electrician - far from it - but I managed to locate the part 9620220980 at www.bestpartstore.co.uk and they confirmed to me by reply email it was the right one. The price seemed ridiculously low and pp cost more but in spite of the web address it turns out they are in Berlin. Local suppliers took two weeks to come back and say they could trace no such part. Finding the relay was not as difficult as imagined thanks to photos on this forum and it turned out to be bright yellow like the new one and took moments to fit. Getting the cover latched back in place took longer. Curiously it looked to me as if somebody had been there before and the old relay had a 2013 date and indeed on inspection I had an old 2013 bill for a garage replacement. That cost £92 but the part from Berlin only cost under £20 including post. The main dealer I used to use has closed down and I didn't bother with another as I have not always found them helpful to a Diyer plus elsewhere in the thread I heard they could not find the part number. Anyway to conclude all working fine now.

[C5 Zorb]

If you look at the relay housing that the green relay fits into below, I have arrowed in yellow the securing tabs. You'll need to carefully lift the similar tabs of the housing connector the other relay is inserted into where I have arrowed in red. So a small flat blunt screwdriver or similar probably needs to raise the securing tabs up on each side before you can pull it out of the housing (which is the visible part with the wires going in and the relay is underneath).

Click Image to Zoom


Hi. My partners car has the same issue. Where is this located?
I’d like to try and change it myself before I take it to the garage and they charge me an arm and leg to do it.
Thanks in advance
Andy