Please can somebody help my im deserate ,

I have a ducato maxi ex ambulance that has beed converted into a campervan , 1998 2.5D. Anyway today i went to start it as i do every 2 weeks or so while its sitting there and it didnt start, all that happaned was the starter motor started to go around but the engine didnt fire then i turned the key to the off position but the starter kept going for about 10 seconds then died away and a bit of smoke came from under the bonnet drivers side not a lot , so i popped the bonnet checked fuese 2 had blown changed them checked the wiring and recrimped any loose ones ( there was a few ) ,but nothing .When the key is out of the ignition the oil warning light and the fuel reserve lights stay on when i put the key in and turn to the A position the light go off but nothing works and as when i try and start it nothing . The radio or interior light now doesnt work either .

sorry for the long winded story , thanks in advance:worship:

You broke it!!
What fuses were blown. Check battery, make sure battery cables are clean and tight. Have you got any test gear-test light, multi meter? Low battery voltage can cause the starter to hang in after releasing key, but this won't affect fuses, gauges, etc. The ign switch may be at fault. Check the basics above, see if you can tell where the smoke escaped from. Fuses don't usually smoke up when they pop.

that was my first thought a relay had gone but surley that wouldnt cause the oil and reserve diesel light to stay on with the key out of the ignition or would it . I think what arkk said maybe right and ignition issue the switch or somthing , i just dont ant to get a mechanic out if i dont need to

Hi. You could well be right it’s certainly worth checking the ignition switch; I would have thought that if you take it out you would be able to see or smell if it has fried.
This would also be true for the relay which would also control all things associated with the ignition, who knows which circuits would be left open with a fried relay?
The main reason I thought relay was because you said you had seen smoke from under the bonnet which is where I would think the relay is located, but the smoke could have just been the starter cable getting hot, might be worth checking the engine earth strap as well bad earths can do all sorts of strange things, it’s usually bolted onto the gearbox.
A good way to check the earth is to use a jump lead from the engine to the earth side of the battery.

The "Branch Control Unit"(fuse box) item 10 in the diagram is a very similar design to the one used in a Stilo, lots of inter-connecting thin strips of metal inside. Ingress of water or damp causes all sorts of weird and wonderful faults.

If your fuse box is corroded internally or water has got in somehow it could be the cause of your problem by shorting out relays etc.

Remove it and place it on top of a radiator over night to make sure it is completely dry and free from moisture then refit it and see if if reduced or cured the problem.

Water ingress and corrosion of the under bonnet fuse box is a common reason for strange things happening to Stilo's, you may have the same problem.

It sounds to me as if you could have some wires melted together in a loom somewhere but as I do not have access to a wiring diagram I cannot be sure that the lights that you have on are in the same loom anywhere and next to the starter circuit.

UPDATE: I put the fully charged battery on and as soon as i connected the earth i heard a clunk , went around to try the van every thing works and it started ( oh except the water sparyer for some unknow reason ). Thankyou all for the help great fourm

froggyribbit said:

Anyway today i went to start it as i do every 2 weeks or so while its sitting there and it didnt start,...

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So it starts now. However, there remains a big problem: your habit of starting the engine every 2 weeks or so is doing lots of damage - acid buildup in the cold or near-cold engine due to these starts is eating away your engine. Stop doing it! Disconnect the battery and leave the vehicle alone if you are not using it through your winter.

thanks for the advice will do