18 replies to this topic

[insamoufonyx]

basicly i got in the car this morning started and drove off the drive, all was fine. i reached down and turned on the heater to clear the window...... it didnt come on.... the Revs gauge, wipers and voltmeter all stoped working too.

i turned the heating off to see if it all came back on, but not such luck!

what should i test for, mot soon! this could be a problem, and if it rains! oh dearrr.


any help apreciatied!

[yorkshirechris]

basicly i got in the car this morning started and drove off the drive, all was fine. i reached down and turned on the heater to clear the window...... it didnt come on.... the Revs gauge, wipers and voltmeter all stoped working too.

i turned the heating off to see if it all came back on, but not such luck!

what should i test for, mot soon! this could be a problem, and if it rains! oh dearrr.


any help apreciatied!

Could be that the power to the heater, or any one of the other 'appliances' has been knocked out?

The other week, my radio & heater wouldn't work, turned out they'd piggybacked the radio power feed from the heater switch and the connector had fallen off.

Check all the connections and the back of all the meters/heater etc, if there looks to be a peg/tag with nothing in it and there's a stray connection anywhere its probably that.

Then again I could be talking complete tosh and it could be something as simple as a fuse.

EDIT just re-read, if they all went off when you flicked the heater on, it does sound like something has blown, i.e a fuse.

Edited by yorkshirechris, 18 September 2007 - 04:17 PM.

[Teapot]

This used to happen on my pickup and at first I assumed it was a blown fuse, but it always turned out to be a dodgy connection somewhere on the fusebox. I expect Taffy will be along in a minute to say you might also check the limiter switch 0n the wiper motor, which can play havoc with other circuits if it isn't working properly.

[Spinksta]

Yep sounds like a fuse to me. Are other things working, like the blower motor or interior lights? Almost certainly one of the 4 fuses (I guess you have the standard 4 to the left of the engine bay on the bulkhead?) although without my Haynes, I can't remember which one. Also check the connections on the fusebox (box to fuses and wiring to box) - they all corrode and 'cack up' quite easily causing exactly the same problems.

Good luck - I hate electrical gremlins!

[insamoufonyx]

cheaked fuses, this has achualy happend before but it fixed its self after leaving the heater disconected for a few days, cheakcing the connections is e4asyer said than done because i have a roll cage meaning i cant take the dash off with out taking the cage out lol

[Jammy]

Since the tacho and voltmeter won't run through fuses I doubt its a fuse problem, my bet is a earth problem.

[insamoufonyx]

wheres the earth for the engine, if its where i think it is mine looks frayed and like its about to snap, could that be it?

cheers

[Big_Adam]

The earth strap for the engine is on the flywheel side of the engin. Goes from the block to just under the master cylinder for the clutch and brake.

Take a jumper cable and plonk it across. Thats a nice quick way to check.

[insamoufonyx]

ok, so just went and had a look....

is this the earth wire?

i presume it should be attached as it looks like its snapped off =/

[ratty]

Yes it should be attached, new earth strap time

[insamoufonyx]

could that be what's causing my problems?

it it easy to change the earth strap and where can i get one?


and is it ok to drive it untill the new one comes?
cheers

Edited by insamoufonyx, 18 September 2007 - 05:39 PM.

[ratty]

If you dont have an earth strap the engine will earth via all other cables, choke, throttle etc and they will melt if you drive it

Halfords or any motorfactors sell them or take one of any car at the scrappy

Edited by ratty, 18 September 2007 - 05:45 PM.

[Dan]

That will be causing problems whenever you try to draw more from the alternator and battery than can be supplied by whatever the engine has found to earth itself through, usually the various control cables. Have you not been having trouble starting the car? You should have had with no earth, someone may have fitted another somewhere else.

Check all your cables and anything else that is conductive and connecting the engine to the body because in these circumstances they will usually be badly heat damaged or welded up altogether and could snap or seize at any time, including the throttle.

[insamoufonyx]

nope starts first time everytime.

it will be safe to dive it 30 odd miles without it thou? not all in one 15miles each way ( to get to work 2moz) and i can get a earth strap while im at work?


cheers

[Dan]

Well it looks like you've been driving it that way for a while...

If it starts well there must be another earth. You can't put 350 amps through a few cable casings and get away with it.