P38A Message Centre Blank - Please help

Hi Guys

I have successfully replaced the bland motors by removing the entire dash and heater unit.
Upon putting it back together I decided to run the engine and check for leaks around the heater O rings before putting the dash back in. So I connected up everything as per normal and just left it sitting in place.

Now I have a blank message centre display.
It beeps and the SRS light comes on, gauges all stay at zero. Engine starts and runs. Just do display or gauge movement.

Any ideas? I am stumped. Double checked all plugs and all seems ok.

Cheers in advance.

Has to be a problem with the large plug on the right hand side of the binnacle. Or check fuse 1 in BECM.

wammers said:

Has to be a problem with the large plug on the right hand side of the binnacle. Or check fuse 1 in BECM.

Click to expand...

I think that too.

I get the usual beeps, then 5 individual beeps. I hope these are the usual windows not set messages. With that in mind I would have thought the BECM is powered up ok.
Double checked the plug and pins in the socket again, nothing obvious. Really odd. No gauges move, not even the fuel gauge.

The next thing would seem to be checking the voltages, but which pins on the plug?

Cheers

JamesBB said:

I think that too.

I get the usual beeps, then 5 individual beeps. I hope these are the usual windows not set messages. With that in mind I would have thought the BECM is powered up ok.
Double checked the plug and pins in the socket again, nothing obvious. Really odd. No gauges move, not even the fuel gauge.

The next thing would seem to be checking the voltages, but which pins on the plug?

Cheers

Click to expand...

Fuse 1 in BECM supplies power to instrument pack.

wammers said:

Fuse 1 in BECM supplies power to instrument pack.

Click to expand...

Its blowing fuses.

F1 was blown, so I changed it for a good one. That blew too. Does this mean the instrument pack has a fault.......?
I have done nothing to it except disconnect it to remove the dash. Plot thickens.

JamesBB said:

Its blowing fuses.

F1 was blown, so I changed it for a good one. That blew too. Does this mean the instrument pack has a fault.......?
I have done nothing to it except disconnect it to remove the dash. Plot thickens.

Click to expand...

It means you have something that has a permanent short you need to check out everything you have done. Fuse one supplies power to almost everything in the dash. Hevac, instruments, radio.

Thanks.

I replaced the fuse again and left the instrument cluster disconnected, it blew again.
Radio is disconnected. HEVAC has had new bulbs and was working yesterday when I tested the new motors on the heater.

Will double check all connections I have disturbed.
I suppose if I disconnect everything associated with the dash and it does not blow then see what does blow it when reconnecting each item....
I guess the BECM itself is ok. I hope.

Thanks

JamesBB said:

Thanks.

I replaced the fuse again and left the instrument cluster disconnected, it blew again.
Radio is disconnected. HEVAC has had new bulbs and was working yesterday when I tested the new motors on the heater.

Will double check all connections I have disturbed.
I suppose if I disconnect everything associated with the dash and it does not blow then see what does blow it when reconnecting each item....
I guess the BECM itself is ok. I hope.

Thanks

Click to expand...

You may have something trapped. Forget fuse 1 for Hevac i was wrong about that. It powers Radio, key illumination, centre consul switch pack, various internal lamps, clock and instrument pack.

Unplug the binnacle & replace the 10amp fuse in position 1. If this fuse doesn't blow, then either the binnacle has faulted or it's the work you have completed, which means you have to undo everything you've done until you find what's blowing that fuse.
Be careful. Having fuse one short out can bugger the whole becm. Fuse one also powers the 5v logics within the becm.

Fixed.
Seemed to be a fault with the switch pack wiring, as soon as I had unplugged it things were fine. luckily I was replacing it with a walnut one I had bought a few weeks back. The new one is working fine.
Thanks for your help guys. Great stuff as always.