Hi,I would be grateful of any advice,driving my 2.5DT first sign was eas light flashing on motorway setting but staying on normal,then speedo and revcounter started jumping before stopping all together also lost radio,which had happened on the few previous trips with car.On stopping the car it would not even turn over,when i lifted bonnet you would think acid had been spilt on corner beside the battery.I have tryed another battery and cleaned all the earths and tried relays.All i get on ignition are the lights minus the engine management and a click at the BECM,any ideas please.
electrical fault
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Diehard
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Whip out all fuses (engine bay box) then take the top of the fuse panel and check for burning etc on the board. Sounds like a fuse box issue with all the electricary issues then a total stop.
Also while your at it, clean all earths (two under the fuse box as well as one on alternator, another on the body etc just follow the lack negative lead).
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I would guesstimate your battery went south, and when the Volts get low in a P38, alsorts of strange things happen..!!
One of the things that does happen is the BeCM aqnd the Engine ECU/ECM lose sync with eachother, whilst it is rare on a Diesel, it can happen (the petrols are more prone to it happening for an unknown, to me, reason).
First thing I would check is, is the Alternator overcharging the battery as it is rare for an acid spill, unless it was boiling over due to over charging or the case split due to temperature rise due to over charging...or the start current was overloading the battery and it blew a cell....
Check you are getting something like 14.3-14.6 volts or thereabouts from the Alternator (there was an discussion earlier about volt output from the alternator - search for it and dissect the information to get an average for what the Alternator should be producing) anything less or more could indicate an issue....
Get hold of someone with a Syncmate for the Diesel, or order one (£80 odd) from Blackbox Solutions, and see how you fare....
Let us all know how you get on.
Datatek
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I would be thinking alternator if fitting another battery failed to light it up. Fuse box is also a possibility but the acid spill says alternator to me.
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6704nathan
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stop me if iam wrong but doesnt the lack of engine management light suggest the becm has lost sync with engine ecu
due to battery volts no doubt either battery itself or alternator over charging
due to battery volts no doubt either battery itself or alternator over charging
Datatek
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Certainly does on the petrol, not sure on the diesel, but a duff fuse box will cause all sorts of strange problems
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Mine comes on for a few seconds as part of the bulb check then goes out.....
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From what he said it looks like the alternator is over charging, boiling the battery. The voltage drop would take place as the electrolite became low. 14.3 to 14.6 is more than you will see from any P38 alternator other than the 150 amp one fitted to 1999 on V8s. All others charge at a maximum rate of 14.2.
Datatek
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As Wammers said plus overcharging when running and discharging the battery when the engine is stopped.
Diehard
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Not sure if this is related or just a coincidence, but since I unplugged the dreaded blue-wire from my RF reciever, my randomly leaky battery has stopped leaking (as well as the expected ceasing of battery drain)... Could have just ran dry of course lol
Just another idea as I originally thought alternator issues myself, but voltmetre always registered otherwise.
Just another idea as I originally thought alternator issues myself, but voltmetre always registered otherwise.
Datatek
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Hi,All just quick update replacement fusebox as cured the starting from key issue,but dash is showing airbag fault but eas working ok.Still waiting to get meter to check alternator,thanks for all your advice.
If by airbag fault you mean SRS, you will probably need to go on diagnostics to clear it.
Diehard
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If by airbag fault you mean SRS, you will probably need to go on diagnostics to clear it.
I agree, out if interest though, did you disconnect the battery before starting on fuse box? If you didn't (easy mistake) that may explain the registering of a fault.
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