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        General >> Problems >> HELP! Electrics nightmare!
        
(Message started by: Ultima on May 15^th, 2006, 8:06am)

Title: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Ultima on May 15^th, 2006, 8:06am

Hi all, hoping you can help me. I've just swapped my Frontera Sport for a Scorpio Estate (hoping it would be a little less troublesome) and while it was OK the first few days (Rad leak was the only major issue, oh, and me not being able to work out how to use cruise control but that's sorted now) its developed a rather worrying problem.

When I lock the car it seems fine but at some point (totally at random) the ignition lights will come on, the stereo (sometimes) comes on the alarm goes off. I live in a fairly OK area and I got so annoyed at the alarm going off I decided to leave it unlocked overnight... I went to it this morning only to find the battery totally flat and the NSR window down.

Basically, whether I've got the key in the ignition or not, the ignition lights come on. If I press the brake pedal at this point it does one of 2 things, either the instruments go wild (rare) or the lights go off and the car goes back to how it should be (for a while). This is also true of jiggling the gear shift (auto, no sport/economy/overdrive).

Any ideas?

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Daven on May 15^th, 2006, 8:15am

Most problems like this relate to water/dampness in the fuse box - has the car got a cover over the battery?

Has someone has jet washed the engine bay?

Daven

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Ultima on May 15^th, 2006, 8:28am

Engine bay not been jet washed and battery cover in place (although wasn't when I got the car 2 days before problems started). Practically filled the fusebox with WD40 but made no difference. All was fine until the rad popped, I guess I should check connections on fans etc. Would a Ford dealer have any way of working out what the problem is or would they just charge me a fortune for looking?

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Ultima on May 15^th, 2006, 8:54am

AA on their way now. Fingers crossed they'll sort it, if not, can anyone recommend a decent garage around Doncaster/Rotherham?

Is there a section to recommend/warn of garages etc?

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Dave on May 15^th, 2006, 9:26am

Recommended dealers here:

http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/dealers.htm

:)

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Daven on May 15^th, 2006, 9:46am

on 05/15/06 at 08:28:02, Ultima wrote:

Engine bay not been jet washed and battery cover in place (although wasn't when I got the car 2 days before problems started

Have a readhere (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/fusebox2.htm)

Dave

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by mr._floppy on May 15^th, 2006, 12:46pm

I don't know about sloshing the fuse box with WD40, try a hair dryer and if you can, get your hands on those wee bags of silica gel and pop them inside the boxes.

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Ultima on May 16^th, 2006, 9:27pm

Traced the problem to one of the (two) switches on the brake pedal. Disconnected it and the problem stopped BUT the brake lights are on permenantly so have ordered the part. Fingers crossed I'll have a fully working Scorpio by tomorrow afternoon.

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Ultima on May 18^th, 2006, 9:28pm

Replaced the faulty switch and its not solved it. :-[ Still got a water leak :-[ I'm starting to get disillusioned already.

Got it because the Range Rover I wanted had a few problems (although none as bugging as these) and was gonna cost a few hundred quid to put right. Saw the scorp and thought I could have all the toys the Rangie has (51 plate 4.0 SE) and save myself £10K.
Does everyone have this amount of problems with them? What's next? Its done 107K with FSH, seems well looked after but I've never had so much trouble with a car in such a short space of time.

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by sector-9 on May 18^th, 2006, 9:50pm

Not sure what engine you have but if it's the V6 then it's well known for coolant to leak and sit in middle of the V - this is where the wiring loom runs and anti-freeze will wreck it. The usual advice is to start pulling fuses out to find which circuit the instrument panel is leeching off!

Darren

Title: Re: HELP! Electrics nightmare!
Post by Ultima on Jun 4^th, 2006, 10:31pm

Yes its V6! :'(