[All Models] the Letter f comes up on the panel and car stops moving ,,

[schweppes1]

Hi I am having trouble with my 2001 corsa 1.2 auto techtronic ,,all of a sudden the letter f will show where the oter letters are display ie a,auto,,R reverse and it will flash ,,then car wont move ,if you turn off the engine i have trouble starting again i have to keep pressing the brake and move gear stick untill i get the n back for neutral before the car will start
any ideas guys please

[zuluman]

Don't you need to get the diagnostic codes read to find out what the problem could be?

Taurus might be along soon to confirm or deny or come up with an easier/better solution :-)

Was there not something about brake lights or reverse lights that affects these??

[schweppes1]

Don't you need to get the diagnostic codes read to find out what the problem could be?

Taurus might be along soon to confirm or deny or come up with an easier/better solution :-)

Was there not something about brake lights or reverse lights that affects these??

the code i have isPO141 O2 CENSOR

[Taurus]

Was there not something about brake lights or reverse lights that affects these??

Yes - there have been several instances of the auto-transmission showing a fault and refusing the start due to one (or both) brake light bulbs having blown. Worth checking.

However, the thing about moving the gear selector until "N" appears might point to the switch which prevents the engine being started unless the gear selector is in neutral. They can stick which causes problems.

Check the obvious - like the fluid level.

Unfortunately the semi-auto boxes can sometimes be horribly expensive to mend if something serious goes wrong with them - you see quite a few low mileage ones sold for spares or repair once the auto box goes kaput.

The code P0141 isn't anything to do with the transmission. That's the O2/Lambda system which is a feedback system. Check the code is current and not an old one - ie clear it and check if it comes back. You'd get that code if your engine management light came on rather than the transmission fault indicator. You MAY be getting an O2 fault showing if you've been cranking the car when it won't start. That will dump unburnt fuel into the exhaust which the O2 system will register as a fault.

O2 codes are sometimes a dud sensor or wiring to the sensor, but most of the time they're caused by something else that puts the exhaust gases out of parameter. My guess is that in this case it's the engine cranking and dumping fuel onto the sensor that's the reason for it. But it could be anything from plugs, coil, injectors, air leak, exhaust leak..... so you have to check things methodically.