An Electrical Problem

Hello,

Has anybody experienced the problem of intermittent electrical shorting when accelerating from a standing stop....??? Most of my driving is during the day and is noticeable through the sound system....it cuts in & out.

I thought it may have been a problem with the sound system, however when driving at night, my headlights flicker on & off as well.

The problem is worse when facing up-hill & even when reversing. Logic suggests I have a loose loom &/or connection somewhere, but I wouldn't know where to start apart from ripping all the trim out & jiggling harnesses.

I would greatly appreciate any ideas or pointers from anyone if any exist.

Cheers & many thanks.

--
Ric Norris.
Brisbane. Australia.

1999 Discovery TD5 Series II
http://users.bigpond.net.au/cavedrawings/

Ric Norris came up with the following;:
> Hello,
>
> Has anybody experienced the problem of intermittent electrical shorting
> when accelerating from a standing stop....??? Most of my driving is
> during the day and is noticeable through the sound system....it cuts in &
> out.
>
> I thought it may have been a problem with the sound system, however when
> driving at night, my headlights flicker on & off as well.
>
> The problem is worse when facing up-hill & even when reversing. Logic
> suggests I have a loose loom &/or connection somewhere, but I wouldn't
> know where to start apart from ripping all the trim out & jiggling
> harnesses.
>
> I would greatly appreciate any ideas or pointers from anyone if any exist.
>
> Cheers & many thanks.

Earth straps. Clean/replace them from the chassis to the engine and battery
to chassis.

--
Paul ...
(8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!

Paul - xxx wrote:

|| Ric Norris came up with the following;:
||| Hello,
|||
||| Has anybody experienced the problem of intermittent electrical
||| shorting when accelerating from a standing stop....??? Most of my
||| driving is during the day and is noticeable through the sound
||| system....it cuts in & out.
|||
||| I thought it may have been a problem with the sound system, however
||| when driving at night, my headlights flicker on & off as well.
|||
||| The problem is worse when facing up-hill & even when reversing.
||| Logic suggests I have a loose loom &/or connection somewhere, but I
||| wouldn't know where to start apart from ripping all the trim out &
||| jiggling harnesses.
|||
||| I would greatly appreciate any ideas or pointers from anyone if any
||| exist.
|||
||| Cheers & many thanks.
||
|| Earth straps. Clean/replace them from the chassis to the engine and
|| battery to chassis.
||
|| --
|| Paul ...
|| (8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!

Seconded - or the battery terminals themselves.

First bad moment of my driving life, passed test 2 weeks before, coming home
from country pub (Scott's Arms, Sicklinghall anyone?) when parents thought I
was at the library in Leeds working for A-levels. Exactly the same
symptoms, and add lurching on and off the power with the headlights flashing
in time with the engine. Another motorist stopped me and was about to call
the Police until he realised I was a green 17-year-old without much in the
way of clue. He opened the bonnet, tightened the batt terminals and off I
went.

ObLandy: Triumph 1300TC, made by the company that once was part of a company
that owned Land Rover.

--
Rich
==============================

I don't approve of signatures, so I don't have one.

Good advice gentlemen....I will have a look tomorrow....it's Saturday.....woohoo....!!!! I hope it's that simple.

Cheers & many thanks.

--
Ric Norris.
http://users.bigpond.net.au/cavedrawings/


"Richard Brookman" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
Paul - xxx wrote:

|| Ric Norris came up with the following;:
||| Hello,
|||
||| Has anybody experienced the problem of intermittent electrical
||| shorting when accelerating from a standing stop....??? Most of my
||| driving is during the day and is noticeable through the sound
||| system....it cuts in & out.
|||
||| I thought it may have been a problem with the sound system, however
||| when driving at night, my headlights flicker on & off as well.
|||
||| The problem is worse when facing up-hill & even when reversing.
||| Logic suggests I have a loose loom &/or connection somewhere, but I
||| wouldn't know where to start apart from ripping all the trim out &
||| jiggling harnesses.
|||
||| I would greatly appreciate any ideas or pointers from anyone if any
||| exist.
|||
||| Cheers & many thanks.
||
|| Earth straps. Clean/replace them from the chassis to the engine and
|| battery to chassis.
||
|| --
|| Paul ...
|| (8(|) Homer Rules ..... Doh !!!

Seconded - or the battery terminals themselves.

First bad moment of my driving life, passed test 2 weeks before, coming home
from country pub (Scott's Arms, Sicklinghall anyone?) when parents thought I
was at the library in Leeds working for A-levels. Exactly the same
symptoms, and add lurching on and off the power with the headlights flashing
in time with the engine. Another motorist stopped me and was about to call
the Police until he realised I was a green 17-year-old without much in the
way of clue. He opened the bonnet, tightened the batt terminals and off I
went.

ObLandy: Triumph 1300TC, made by the company that once was part of a company
that owned Land Rover.

--
Rich
==============================

I don't approve of signatures, so I don't have one.

On Thursday 17 August 2006 08:22, Ric Norris [[email protected]] wrote in
message <[email protected]>

> Hello,
>
> Has anybody experienced the problem of intermittent electrical shorting
> when accelerating from a standing stop....??? Most of my driving is
> during the day and is noticeable through the sound system....it cuts in &
> out.
>
> I thought it may have been a problem with the sound system, however when
> driving at night, my headlights flicker on & off as well.

Does wobbling the ignition key duplicate the symptoms?
Possibly a relay or fuse working loose. It might be an internal break in a
wire which will be a bugger to find until it breaks properly. It wouldn't
hurt to check the battery and alternator connections as well as all the
earth straps. I'd also have a look round for anything shorting out.

Go round the whole electrical system, prodding and wobbling everything in
sight, until you find the loose or slightly broken section.

You might be able to narrow it down by using a circuit diagram to work out
which circuit is common to all the affected systems.

In message <44e4a86f.0@entanet>, PDannyD
<[email protected]> writes
>On Thursday 17 August 2006 08:22, Ric Norris [[email protected]] wrote in
>message <[email protected]>
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> Has anybody experienced the problem of intermittent electrical shorting
>> when accelerating from a standing stop....??? Most of my driving is
>> during the day and is noticeable through the sound system....it cuts in &
>> out.
>>
>> I thought it may have been a problem with the sound system, however when
>> driving at night, my headlights flicker on & off as well.
>
>Does wobbling the ignition key duplicate the symptoms?
>Possibly a relay or fuse working loose. It might be an internal break in a
>wire which will be a bugger to find until it breaks properly. It wouldn't
>hurt to check the battery and alternator connections as well as all the
>earth straps. I'd also have a look round for anything shorting out.
>
>Go round the whole electrical system, prodding and wobbling everything in
>sight, until you find the loose or slightly broken section.
>
>You might be able to narrow it down by using a circuit diagram to work out
>which circuit is common to all the affected systems.
It sounds as though you have an intermittent open circuit not a short,
otherwise either fuses would blow or wiring would burn out. Open
circuits are a lot easier to find than shorts.

If your sound system is intermittent then switch it on and trace the
supply backwards, pulling quite vigorously on all the wires and
connectors.
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting