Great Wall Steed Problems

The light-bulb symbol is trying to tell you that you have a globe that has blown. But if that’s the case, the symbol should be lit the whole time, not just when you apply the brakes. I’d suspect a short-circuit of some kind, but I’d start with checking all the car’s earths. A bad earth can cause all sorts of random electrical mayhem to occur, including false alarms of the warning lights. That said, if the car has a blown head-light, try changing that to see if the warning symbol goes away for good.

An auto electrician might be your best bet if the problem continues. Chances are, a good auto sparkie will have seen this very problem many times before.

Believe it or not, Steven, this is not a fault with the vehicle at all and something it’s actually designed to do. The theory is that by automatically swinging the exterior mirrors close into the car when parked, there’s less chance of a passing car or truck smashing the mirror.

This technology has its origins in Europe where roads are narrow and parking is a bit more relaxed than it is in Australia. Even so, it’s no bad thing to have happen when you leave the car unattended.

So, while there will be a fuse that controls this circuit, our advice is to leave it alone and let the mirrors do their thing. Replacing an exterior mirror on a late-model car is never cheap. As long as the mirrors fold out to their normal position each time you start the car, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with your Great Wall.

It’s possible that your car has a windscreen that was manufactured with this defect. In some cases, automotive glass can either be manufactured with a lamination fault or can delaminate sometime after that due to a variety of factors.

It could also be that you’re dealing with a windscreen that has been damaged by flying debris. This can be caused when the vehicle is transported from the docks or warehouse to a dealership on the back of a truck. If the debris was the right size, it could virtually `sand-blast’ the windscreen, leading to the problem you’re seeing in particular lighting conditions. You might have noticed cars being transported by truck where the new vehicle at the front of the semi-trailer will have its glass taped over. This is why.

The first step is to have a windscreen specialist look at the vehicle to determine what the problem is. If it’s a manufacturing or transporting fault, you should be covered by the vehicle’s new-car warranty.

If you mean that the engine refuses to be turned over either by the starter motor or by physically pushing the vehicle in gear and then letting out the clutch, then there’s potentially something seriously wrong. As in a seized engine. Has it been overheated? Has it been run without oil? Both those things can seize an engine to the point where it is locked solid.

You stand to do more damage by persisting with this, so the smart move would be to present the vehicle at a Great Wall dealership as your Steed is still well and truly covered by the five-year factory warranty (assuming it has a complete service record and hasn’t travelled more than 150,000km. I can see that you’re from the Northern Territory, so perhaps the nearest dealership is a long way away, but if the drivetrain doesn’t want to turn at all, then a dealer is the solution.

If, however, you mean that the engine won’t fire up (but is physically turning over) even after push-starting the vehicle, then the problem might not be so catastrophic. A modern engine needs the correct input signal from literally dozens of sensors before it will run properly (or at all), and if you have a single dud sensor, that could produce the no-start condition you’re seeing.

But here’s the first thing to try: Turn the ignition on and listen for the faint buzzing sound of the electric fuel pump. If you can’t hear it, chances are the pump has failed. It’s very common and one of the typical ways fuel-injected vehicles cease to function. Even so, in a vehicle so young, involving the Great Wall dealership network should be your first step.

The most likely answer is that the body computer on your car has a problem. This computer is the one that links all the various functions (and the driveline) to each other, including cruise-control, the instrumentation, lighting, power-windows and, of course, the central-locking.

If the problem is deep within the computer’s circuit-board, you may need to swap it for a new one. But before you spend any money, try this: Close all the doors and then hold the lock button down on the remote. Hold it for at least 30 seconds and then see if the central-locking is behaving. If that fails, try disconnecting the battery and leaving the car for at least an hour. What you’re trying to do is manually force the body computer to re-set itself. This process doesn’t work with all cars, but it does on some and who knows, you might just be lucky.

P0513 is indicating a problem with the car’s ignition key, which should have the car’s VIN and skim PIN code to deactivate the immobiliser. If you have a spare key, try that. P0 430 indicates a problem with the catalytic converter. There are a number of possible causes for this, it could be fuel system problem, a clogged converter, or a damaged oxygen sensor. Take the car to a dealer and have it investigated.

Yes, the Great Wall Steed is powered by diesel engines.

The Great Wall Wingle, sold in Australia as the Great Wall Steed, is only available with a manual transmission. Buyers can choose between a five-speed or six-speed manual. 

The Great Wall Steed (or V-series in Australia) is made in Baoding, China, by Great Wall Motors. It is also built in Bulgaria by Litex Motors, and in Iran.

It would appear that you have a good case for a refund or a new car, but it’s a matter of negotiation with Great Wall in the first instance. If you don’t have any success go to the Victorian Government’s Consumer Affairs Department and enlist their help in negotiating a satisfactory outcome.