The van was sitting idle for a few weeks and got theAA to jump start it.
Was fine while we were using it then after a week it went flat again. Over 7 years old so reckoned a new one was due. New bat fitted next weekend and although all connections appear (and test out) ok, the only electricity available is to the central locking system. Nothing else has life.
Your advice is much appreciated

Hi

Thats frustrating isnt it...

Weird stuff can happen.. so I will ask..

Do you have a means of measuring voltage?

Ideally a basic meter.. with 2 leads


Do you possess 'jumpleads' we are not going to start the engine with them.. so standard small car leads are fine.. dont need to be Heavy Duty


Charlie

trailite69,

Do the hazard flashers and courtesy lights work?

Hi Varescrazy thanks for your reply.

Yes I have both those items

Peter NZ

Hello Communicator
Nothing works but the central locking. No lights no dash panel......
Peter NZ

Communicator said:

trailite69,

Do the hazard flashers and courtesy lights work?

Click to expand...

Peter,

I asked the question because in general, you would expect central locking, emergency flashers, and cab (courtesy lights which may be switched off) to operate without the ignition key, but nothing else. I would not expect dash lights without a supply to the ignition switch.

Please confirm whether your vehicle is an x244 or earlier x230. If not known see VIN plate under bonnet, above radiator. The first few digits of the vehicle number should be xxx244.... or xxx230...


If your vehicle is an x244, and as you state that only the central locking works, it would be worth checking the supply to the engine bay fusebox, which is situated next to the air filter. Carefully remove the cover. (Two M5 nuts, 8mm spanner or socket.) The input from the battery is the thick red lead on the air filter side. Treat this with respect as it is fused at 150A.


Check for 12V between the M6 terminal stud, and battery negative.

Also while cover is off, worth checking to engine block, and to chassis, but a multimeter may not reveal a poor earth connection.

Alan

Clutching at straws a bit, but building on the above.

If all you've done is replace the battery, then the connections etc. there must be the prime suspect.

I would expect your van to have a fusebox attached to the positive battery post, which would have had to be removed to replace the battery.

This has a number of maxi fuses in it, but two in particular protect the other fuseboxes, and essentially split the supply from the battery into two separate "arms".

It looks to me from the documentation that I've got that it largely splits engine and ancillary functions, and if the fuse or connection to the "engine" side were non-functional, then you could see the symptoms you're experiencing.

The items you describe as working are all protected by an 80amp battery-top fuse which protects the dashboard fusebox. A 150amp fuse in the same location protects the engine bay fusebox, and this handles ignition and most of (all?) the engine functions.

I would have the battery post fusebox off, and check all the fuses, especially the 150amp one, and also check the connectivity/wiring from that fuse.

(You could also do a quick check of a couple of feeds in the engine bay fusebox - lack of any current there would reinforce the theory).

Hugh,

I am pleased that you are thinking on the same lines as me. There is also the possibility of maxi blade fuse F03, 30A, which feeds the ignition switch.

From experience it is not necessary to remove the battery fusebox when changing the battery. I just raised mine and slid the battery under it. What is puzzling is how F70 could have been blown. Peter has already stated that he has checked all connections and declared them OK.

Also may I make the correction that F70 is a Mega fuse, and the other 3 are Midi fuses.

So far I have been unable to develope a hypothesis which fits the history of Peter's problems, and await any further info with interest, but as BST is I think, 11 hours behind NZST, we will have to wait.

Alan

Men, I have checked various numbers and chassis no is Z1A244....
Battery voltage across terminals 12.88v
Battery + to fuse box neg 10.47v
Battery neg to fuse box earth 1.5v
I withdrew one fuse partly and got voltage from Battery positive
Connectivity between Battery neg and engine block showed resistance which then reduced to zero. cheap multimeter that I dont know how to read?
Well it was drizzling, sorry if these readings are weird.
Peter

I'm still not sure what you're checking given the above.

I'll augment my post.

Is there a fusebox (black box) attached to the battery positive post?

If so, it will be something like this (but with a clip-on cover). This is actually for an X/250 with the battery in a different location, but it is a decent picture, and the arrangement on your engine battery should be similar)



It should be obvious that, within that fusebox, the positive is split into several branches (actually, one of the circuits is the input from the alternator, but two of the branches separately feed the two fuseboxes elsewhere in the vehicle - the fuses in the battery fusebox being "master" protection for the further two boxes).

If either of those fuses has blown, or if the connections have been disturbed, then anything fused through the associated further fusebox would potentially not work.

What you have described is power on items supplied through the separate dashboard fusebox, but no power on items supplied through the separate engine bay fusebox. It isn' definitive, but it is consistent with there not being continuity between the the battery fusebox and the engine bay fusebox.

As you will have had the battery fusebox off the battery to replace it, I would be checking the fuse and the connections within that box.

HughJampton said:

What you have described is power on items supplied through the separate dashboard fusebox, but no power on items supplied through the separate engine bay fusebox. It isn' definitive, but it is consistent with there not being continuity between the the battery fusebox and the engine bay fusebox.

Click to expand...

Peter,

Hugh's statement above aligns with my thinking.

Unfortunately, probably due to NZ weather, with which I am familiar, you seem to have failed to take the requested voltage reading.


Please supply voltage measured between the M6 positive supply stud on the engine bay fusebox, and battery negative post.

Your measurement of battery voltage at 12.88V indicates a healthy battery.

Like Hugh, I do not understand where you took your reading of 10.47V. I am not aware of a "fusebox earth" at the engine bay fuse box, and I have been in there on my own 2006 x244 2.8JTD.

Did you as Hugh seems to be suggesting, completely remove the battery fusebox when changing the battery?

For safety, if checking the fuses at the rear of the battery where access is tight, please first disconnect the battery negative.

Alan

Again, augmenting.

The engine-bay fusebox will look like this:



Though it will have a (screw-retained) lid, and may also have a waterproof "boot" or cover. I think it's RHS of the engine bay, next to the air filter box and trunking.

The feed from the battery-top fusebox is (I think) introduced at the prominent "eye" at the RH of the picture via a substantial cable and bolt/stud fastening. (The orientation of the box in the van may well be different to the picture).

You are being asked to measure voltage from that connection stud to the battery earth, in order to ascertain whether there is continuity from the battery to there.

trailite69 said:

I withdrew one fuse partly and got voltage from Battery positive

Click to expand...

Hugh,

I assumed from the above, that Peter had correctly located the engine bay fusebox. On my vehicle this fusebox is located towards the LHS of the vehicle, adjacent to the air filter housing. I can confirm that the input to this fuseboard is via the M6 stud at RHS of your picture.

Alan

Communicator said:

Hugh,

On my vehicle this fusebox is located towards the LHS of the vehicle, adjacent to the air filter housing.
Alan

Click to expand...

LHS of vehicle, RHS of engine bay (as you face it)?

The voltage reading of 10.47 was taken between the battery positive and the rear stud that holds the fuse box cover in place.
I have removed the battery and drawn the battery fusebox forward whence I was able to check all the fuses for continuity. There were no breaks.
Thanks for your assistance but I am now going to send the vehicle to a local auto electrical shop.
I will advise the outcome when I have one.
Peter

Peter.

Many thanks for the update it is and will be appreciated.

As regards your 10.47V reading, I have to inform you that it is false due to the high sensitivity of digital multimeters. I have just checked my vehicle, and the securing bolts for the cover of the engine bay fusebox are NOT earthed. The heads of the bolts are captive in the plastic moulding of the fusebox, and have no direct connection to the vehicle chassis.

Do please advise of the outcome, as you have offered.

Alan