Anyone else have Error 10 Control Box Defective when cold?

[JStump2490]

So I don't know if it is the cold or just a coincidence, but the past few days have been the first sub freezing days of the year and I have started receiving "Error 10, control box defective" messages on startup. I tried unplugging and replugging the wires on the box but it still has the error. But if I wait 5-10 minutes and try turning the system on again after the car is warmer, it works. Could this be the cold or do you think my control box is really on its way out?

The box is just over 4 years old, but everything else has been replaced over the years one part at a time due to defective parts springing up, but now that I am having this control box error, it makes me think maybe the control box has been killing my sensors and control sets this whole time as I have gone through 3 sensors and a control set in the lifetime of owning the system. Anyone else experience this type of behavior?

[BestRadarDetectors]

So I don't know if it is the cold or just a coincidence, but the past few days have been the first sub freezing days of the year and I have started receiving "Error 10, control box defective" messages on startup. I tried unplugging and replugging the wires on the box but it still has the error. But if I wait 5-10 minutes and try turning the system on again after the car is warmer, it works. Could this be the cold or do you think my control box is really on its way out?

The box is just over 4 years old, but everything else has been replaced over the years one part at a time due to defective parts springing up, but now that I am having this control box error, it makes me think maybe the control box has been killing my sensors and control sets this whole time as I have gone through 3 sensors and a control set in the lifetime of owning the system. Anyone else experience this type of behavior?

Try keeping the ALP off and then start your car and wait for alternator to kick in and voltage to be stable before you turn the ALP on. If the ALP is starting up as you turn the key and your battery is taking a hit from the cold starting and then your alternator kicks in swinging voltages from as low as 10v to 14v it could cause the ALP to shut down to protect itself.

[JStump2490]

Try keeping the ALP off and then start your car and wait for alternator to kick in and voltage to be stable before you turn the ALP on. If the ALP is starting up as you turn the key and your battery is taking a hit from the cold starting and then your alternator kicks in swinging voltages from as low as 10v to 14v it could cause the ALP to shut down to protect itself.

I did this yesterday, didn't help. I turned the ALP on after turning the car on and letting it idle for 20 seconds and it still errored. I also made sure the ground was solid and not corroded. What is the range the ALP likes in terms of voltage? I can change my radar detector to show voltage later and see if it is higher than usual now that it is getting cold. It's just strange that it started happening this year because I went all last winter with it installed in this car as well with no error 10's.

[JStump2490]

Well, I think my control box really is defective. It still errors even after putting in a brand new battery and checking the charging system in my car. It is just so strange though, it fails to start first thing in the morning or any time I leave the car off for more than a couple hours, but if I try turning it on after letting the car run for 10 minutes it works almost every time. Trying after only a minute or so will still cause an error.

[BestRadarDetectors]

Well, I think my control box really is defective. It still errors even after putting in a brand new battery and checking the charging system in my car. It is just so strange though, it fails to start first thing in the morning or any time I leave the car off for more than a couple hours, but if I try turning it on after letting the car run for 10 minutes it works almost every time. Trying after only a minute or so will still cause an error.Send it in to get checked.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[JStump2490]

Send it in to get checked.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

I finally figured out the issue. After getting my battery tested which showed a very low charge on the battery, I replaced the battery which did not help, so started tracking the battery voltage through the day and I and found a parasitic drain caused by a bad phone charger. I have left the charger plugged in for years because the car shuts off power to the outlet after 15 minutes and it doesn't use much power when the phone is not plugged in, but it must have gone bad recently because it was consuming a lot of power even when not in use, causing the battery to drain to about 12.1 volts in 15 minutes. After unplugging the phone charger the battery has stayed charged at or above 12.5 volts and I have not had any issues with the ALP in the 3 days since doing that. Finger crossed it stays that way.

[BestRadarDetectors]

I finally figured out the issue. After getting my battery tested which showed a very low charge on the battery, I replaced the battery which did not help, so started tracking the battery voltage through the day and I and found a parasitic drain caused by a bad phone charger. I have left the charger plugged in for years because the car shuts off power to the outlet after 15 minutes and it doesn't use much power when the phone is not plugged in, but it must have gone bad recently because it was consuming a lot of power even when not in use, causing the battery to drain to about 12.1 volts in 15 minutes. After unplugging the phone charger the battery has stayed charged at or above 12.5 volts and I have not had any issues with the ALP in the 3 days since doing that. Finger crossed it stays that way.

Let us know.. Thanks for updating us.

[BestRadarDetectors]

I finally figured out the issue. After getting my battery tested which showed a very low charge on the battery, I replaced the battery which did not help, so started tracking the battery voltage through the day and I and found a parasitic drain caused by a bad phone charger. I have left the charger plugged in for years because the car shuts off power to the outlet after 15 minutes and it doesn't use much power when the phone is not plugged in, but it must have gone bad recently because it was consuming a lot of power even when not in use, causing the battery to drain to about 12.1 volts in 15 minutes. After unplugging the phone charger the battery has stayed charged at or above 12.5 volts and I have not had any issues with the ALP in the 3 days since doing that. Finger crossed it stays that way.

Let us know.. Thanks for updating us.

[JStump2490]

I have another update on this issue. Turns out, I was on to something in my very first post. The battery being drained was not the issue after all because I have had consistent 12.5v to 12.6v readings from it ever since I unplugged the bad phone charger and the issue just started again yesterday when the battery read 12.6v. I had my alternator checked today which showed no issue, which I expected being that the car is less than 3 years old, so I decided to try something and I put the CPU in a freezer ziplock and stuck it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Well after that 30 minute chill, it gave me an error 10 when I plugged it all back in. So I then took the CPU inside for 30 minutes to warm up and sure enough, plugged it in and it fired right up without issue. I did this test 3 more times and every time was the exact same, pulled from the freezer after 30 minutes, error 10, sitting on my desk for 30 minutes, starts right up. Lets get this thing swapped out because I am like 99.9% sure it is the CPU at this point.

Also, I should mention, my freezer is set to 8* F which is in the operating temperature of between -4* to 140* F according to the user manual. I've driven the car well into the negatives though many times in the past 4 years and have not had an issue until this year.