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        General >> Problems >> Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
        
(Message started by: Malcolm73 on May 10^th, 2008, 2:29pm)

Title: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by Malcolm73 on May 10^th, 2008, 2:29pm

Scorpio 24 valve Ultima. I have just replaced the battery and have now lost the alarm tone which should sound whenever the gear change lever is left anywhere but the P =park position with the door open. It is possible that something may have been disturbed when changing the battery but I have not noticed any other problem. I have not checked any fuses.

Any ideas would be appreciated before I remove the 17 Kg. battery.

As an aside, I was unable to find a new battery with rectangular flat terminals and I have bought an 098 ( 72 ampere hour ) with round terminal posts.

The original style of flat terminal battery fitted to 3 litre Granada's and 24 valve Scorpio's may be obsolete although batteries with the same outside dimensions and flat terminal posts are available.

A supplier offered me one of these batteries but they weigh less and do not have the required electrical capacity. These batteries will not last and may not even turn a 24 valve.

Regards, 73's Malcolm

Title: Re: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by gozz on May 10^th, 2008, 6:29pm

Malcolm.
The buzzer is under the dash near the join of the centre console and the screw on panel,it is a multi function unit,if you remove the soft panel above the pedals you can feel it,or see it with a mirror.I always cut the wire to the park lock warning as it is just another irritating noise.They are sometimes intermittent anyway,and a wiggle of it's multiplug or a sharp tap will usually do it.All my hearses and limos have type097 batteries with 60 amp hours and 590 cold cranking amps,these are listed at the auto electricians as correct,and have never been any trouble,the weight of a battery is not necessarily proof of efficiency.
GOZZ

Title: Re: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by cueball57 on May 12^th, 2008, 5:45am

I dont think flat terminal batteries are obsolete i just got one for my 2.9 12valve.

Title: Re: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by Malcolm73 on May 13^th, 2008, 5:59pm

Hello Gozz and Cueballs,

Thanks for your replies. I have removed the soft cover from above the foot pedals and found a small rectangular black box which I assume is the chime for the gear lever. The box and wiring have been moved and the box has received a few taps but to no avail. I have also checked fuses 16 and 17 which, as expected are O.K. I guess there must be a switch attached to he gear lever and I will investigate this later, or could I have damaged something in changing the battery?

Going back to batteries. I bought my 24 valve Ultima over 10 years ago (£££££'s) and do not know what battery was fitted as original. The first replacement was purchased in January 2003 from a company noted for vehicle electrics, a Fiam 095FS with flat terminal posts and ratings of 71 Ah., CCA of 680 Amps and a stated weight of 17.4 Kg.

I have tried various sources for a battery with flat terminals and similar electrical characteristics but the general consensus is that they are now obsolete. I have now purchased and fitted an 096 with 72Ah and 680 cold cranking amps which is probably about 17 Kg. The terminals are circular tapered posts and I have bought appropriate + and - connectors designed for cable entry, each with two grub screws, however I have machined brass bars to go through the 8mm holes with a 6mm thread each end, dispensed with the grub screws so that the existing battery and similar cables fit as originally intended.

My love of heavy duty batteries may come from many years ago when I started in business. I rented a disused stable from British Rail for
£8.13.4d a month and parked my second hand B.M.C. lorry in the adjoining railway goods yard. Have you ever tried starting a 380 cubic inch (6220cc) 6 cylinder diesel with a starting handle after it has stood outside for a few days with a foot of snow at 20 degrees farenheit?

Did you ask, what is a starting handle? This lorry had no power steering either, so with a 7 ton load you could not turn the steering wheel unless the vehicle was moving. The starting handle could be turned, about once every two minutes. No alternators in those days so a ride from Tipton to Manchester would allow the dynamo to fully charge the battery.

73's Malcolm

Title: Re: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by Snoopy on May 13^th, 2008, 8:00pm

Why did they ever do away with them .. Just as long as you kept your thumb on the same side as your fingers you were ok ! .

Title: Re: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by gozz on May 13^th, 2008, 8:33pm

Malcolm
I suppose the inhibitor switch could have a circuit to control the buzzer,but I have'nt looked at the wiring diagram to ascertain this.That switch is nearly impossible to reach properly without lowering the back of the gearbox.At least you have silence whilst the fault persists.
My wagons,in the main had Gardner engines,so if you tripped the rack at the end of a shift,they started instantly in any temperature,not that they had time to get cold in pre tachograph days!It sounds as though Snoopy may have learned about crank handles the hard way.I did,managed to cop a broken scaphoid cranking AN AUSTIN SEVEN ! I've never lived it down.
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by Malcolm73 on May 15^th, 2008, 1:38pm

Hi Gozz ( And Snoopy)

Thanks for your comments. I now realise that since changing the battery I have lost all warning chimes. It may be that the sounder is at fault Is the 2" x 3" black box above the foot pedals the part which I may need to change and do you happen to know what it is called?

73's Malcolm

Title: Re: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by gozz on May 15^th, 2008, 8:50pm

Malcolm.
If it is the black box with multiplug, located where I described,near the edge of the plastic underdash and centre console,seen after removing the soft panel,that is it.What it,s called I dont know.There may be one on my spares car should you need another.If all it's functions have failed it would suggest something common to all,eg an earth return ? Keep us posted.
GOZZ.

Title: Re: Lost alarm when lever is NOT at P = Park
Post by TiberiuS on May 15^th, 2008, 9:04pm

IIRC, the out of gear siren is controlled through one of the timer modules, I'll have a proper look later. Are you sure you didn't miss one of the small cables from the battery? A few people have done this before.

About batteries, when mine went on the 2.3 I got a new one from my FMD (£57), needed to order it overnight but it was a proper Motorcraft one and lasted fine until I sold the car. At the time they still had batts for the 24v. When the original battery died on the Mondeo we had the AA put a new one on, about every 12-14 months it'd die just out of warranty and we'd need another. Last time I got a Ford one and that was over 2 years ago, still going strong.

Regards, Bruce.