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Topic: Wiring gremlin (Read 754 times) |
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Wiring gremlin
« on: Aug 24th, 2005, 10:10am » |
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the intermittant problem i'm having is when i start my '96 td the battery warning light comes and stays on. Usually after a while driving it goes off and the battery is charging but sometime it stays on and the battery goes flat so i think that rules out alternator or battery problems. i've wiggled all the fusebox, starter motor, and alternator connecters with no luck, checked the fuses, checked all the things it could be on the fault finding page without any luck. any ideas what it could be? earth wires?
Regards,
Matt
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Octavian_P
Senior Member
 
Posts: 1126
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #1 on: Aug 24th, 2005, 11:23am » |
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Have you tried to clean the ground connectors placed near the battery, they get kind of rusted because water from the battery shelf gets on them.
Also battery connectors tend to get oxidezd...
As you said if all the connections have been cheked the only thing that remains is the alternator assembly. Could be the collective brushes, the didiode pack....but i repeat if it works sometimes...then maybe a connection somewhere is at fault. Check agin
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #2 on: Aug 24th, 2005, 11:39am » |
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the battery connectors were a little bit oxidised, but i've cleaned them up and the light is still on. where abouts near the battery are the ground connectors?
Thanks,
Matt
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Octavian_P
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Posts: 1126
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #3 on: Aug 24th, 2005, 1:11pm » |
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The ground connectors that i'm talking about are placed here:
They should be two wires fixed on the body of the car.
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #4 on: Aug 24th, 2005, 1:38pm » |
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Brilliant, thank you. I'll have a look as soon as its stopped raining to save drowning the engine and the battery.
Matt
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin - Its getting worse
« Reply #5 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 8:41am » |
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Morning all, cleaned the earth connector, but the light is still on. Went out for a drive while it was still light, came home and found that none of my headlights or dashboard lights work at all (althought the climate control displays light up), and only the intermittant wiper works, the washer doesn't even make a sound.
Called out the AA and they were round in literally 5 minutes, did some tests and found that power is going into the headlamp switch, going through the fuses and relays in the drivers side fuse box, but then it disappears and doesn't come out of the box.
The thing is all the other electrics work so i'm stuck as to what to check next. Could it be a case of water underneith the fuse box (even though the inside looks dry)?
Thanks,
Matt
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martin_rowe
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!
Posts: 879
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #6 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 8:49am » |
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check the connectors under the o/s fuse box, a bit awkward, make sur they are all pushed in firmly.
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #7 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 8:58am » |
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checked them, all seem nice and clean and pushed in. when the AA man tested the pins last night the pins for the headlamps showed no power output at all.
is there a way of testing the alternator directly to see if there is break in the circuit from it to the battery, because putting the tester on the battery shows its not charging, could i simply put the tester onto the two pins on the back of the alternator?
Thanks,
Matt
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Thunderchild
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My other car's an Aprilia
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #8 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 11:37am » |
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Hi there,
I think the alternator is on its way out. Probably as a result of the rotor becoming contaminated by power steering fluid leaking from the pipes at the bottom of the steering fluid heade tank. The reason that it works sometimes is because the connection between the brushes and the rotor will sometimes be made as the amount of contamination reduces. I had the same problem on my old Scorp and a change of alternator cured it instantly. Of course you really need to fix the pipes as well and I'm sure that someone on the forum will give you the finis numbers for them.
HTH
Thunderchild
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #9 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 11:44am » |
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Thanks Thunderchild, there is a little bit of a leak thinking about it. i have another alternator on my project scorpio which i'll borrow off it at the weekend and see if it makes a difference because i know that that one works.
Regards,
Matt
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Octavian_P
Senior Member
Posts: 1126
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #10 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 11:48am » |
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If it's the alternator then why the headlamps and dashboard don't work ? Did something special happend to your car ? Washed it ? I still think it's a connector. What is the voltage of the battery with the engine on ? Should be about 14-14.4 volts. The alternator also can be checked if you can get to the wireing.
Try to dissconect the battery, and take out all your fuses and relays, clean them, put them back and try again.
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scorpio_man
Administrator
Ford Kuga awd
Posts: 5654
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #11 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 11:55am » |
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hi there
i'd try swapping over the headlight switch as well. they can 'burn' the connector at the rear.
also check the big multiplug to the fusebox. it sometimes looks connected correctly, but isn't.
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #12 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 2:10pm » |
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the headlamps used to work with the ignition warnign light on, as did the dashboard illumination, it was only yesterday when i noticed that there wasn't the usual light reflection on the car in front when sitting in traffic that i noticed. it had been raining all day yesterday but the fuse box was bone dry.
The AA checked all the fuses and tried the big multiplug and found that power was going through the switch and the relay/fuses but the multiplug headlamp pins wern't giving out power to the lights.
Another thing to point out the rear foglights work but the front don't if that helps.
Battery voltage read 12v with engine running.
Looks like I may have a long afternoon/night of head scratching and connection searching because i'm off up to leicester for the weekend and the local auto electrician said he's busy till wednesday next week 
Is there a page on the main site cos i've been looking and i can't find one which says how to actually remove the drivers side fuse box so i can swap it?
Matt
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Paul_Boulden
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Bald Eagle
Posts: 134
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #14 on: Aug 25th, 2005, 6:57pm » |
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If anyone has been fiddling about with plugs etc. under the bonnet and afterwards the headlights don`t work, it is worth checking that the main plug from the drivers side fusebox is located properly. It is held in place with a metal locking arm but the arm can lock correctly even if the the pins are not making contact, it can also affect the wipers.
Paul Boulden
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #15 on: Aug 26th, 2005, 8:34am » |
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I HAVE BACK LIGHTS! and dashboard illumination. took the light switch out last night and checked the connector block and pin 14 (if i remember right) with a orange with black stripe wire going to it looked a bit burnt, but it seems to still works because i can hear the relays clicking when i switch the lights on.
Taken the multiplug off several times now and hasn't made a diference at all  looked at the fusbox rebuild pages but i can't see any instructions about how to actually remove the drivers side fuse box.
1 problem solved, another 2 to go (headlights and wipers)
A big thank you for all your help, much appreciated.
Matt
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ricky
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I'm a YaBB newbie!
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #16 on: Aug 26th, 2005, 8:54am » |
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check that multiplug on the drivers side fusebox ,it may appear to be on correctly but can be one or two pins out , trust me i know as fmd fitted mine wrongly ricky 
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martin_rowe
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #17 on: Aug 26th, 2005, 8:57am » |
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o/s fuse box removed from inside, all the wires & nuts are underneath above the pedals. good luck
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Rally Drivers Do It Sideways
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #18 on: Aug 26th, 2005, 10:09am » |
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cheers, will try later. just checked the output of the alternator with the engine running and the small wire read 4.8v and the bigger red one was 0v so i think its had it.
i read somewhere that there were 2 different alternators fitted to the 2.5td, i have a spare one from my other scorp but it looks different. do you know if they are interchangeable?
Matt
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mazzy_j
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Posts: 664
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Re: Wiring gremlin
« Reply #19 on: Aug 26th, 2005, 1:07pm » |
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oh great, and now the sunroof has decided to get stuck open and won't close. ugh, this really isn't going too well
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