lost confidence in van - extremely fed-up...

[kathyshack]

Broke down last night for the 4th time in just over a month!
Van wouldn't start, nothing. Tried to bump start it with a few nice guys pushing me but it wasn't happening. A while later i tried again and it did start but my buzzer came on which lets me know my lights are left on. (engine was running so this shouldn't have been happening) Also thought I could smell something odd, possibly electrical so i turned it off and decided the aa would be here soon and it would probably count as a call out anyway, so decided to wait for them. (Apparantly I was a priority case being 7.5 months pregnant) Time went on and still no AA so i rang them back and they said they were very busy and it would be another 45 min! I tried again several times to start the van but nothing. Buzzer seemed to be doing odd things and i did get the odd wierd electrical wiff. Not sure if this was with me trying to start it etc, so i left it.

2 hours after original call out the guy arrived and diagnosed a flat battery. He got it going and disconnected the light buzzer wire thing as it was going off when it shouldn't have been etc. (well he pulled the wire off the bulb and stuff so buzzer stopped and i now have no dash lights) The fan belt was squeeling when it started and when he checked the alternator he said it was only putting 12.x v in and it should be 13/14 ish. Within a few seconds and the squeeling stopping it seemed to be back putting 13/14 v back into the battery. He said its probably either the fan belt or that the buzzer could have been going off whilst we were in the cinema causing the battery to go flat. lights defo weren't on when i parked it up as it was daylight, but as the buzzer was behaving a bit odd he thought this might be possible. He then added that it could be more or less anything really.

I am not sure whether the flat battery was the cause, or whether i flattened it with all the trying i had done. seemed odd there was nothing then it suddenly started but buzzer went wierd, then it wouldn't start again. I am now scared to drive the thing in case it lets me down again. Its my only form of transport and I need to take summer to playschool but don't want to risk not being able to get back in time to pick her up etc. Not even sure if it will start as only drove 2 or 3 miles after the guy jump started me. (it was gone midnight by this point and i had to get home or i would have drove around longer to try and charge it up a bit)
Just really really really fed-up with this van at the moment it just seems like one thing after another and i just don't know what to do with it now for the best... I've had the AA out 4 times for different things in just over a month. Its not like I don't look after my van or anything can't believe its doing this to me!
E D I T to add 1.9dg watercooled 1988

[toomanytoys]

Its old its tired and things do break... but also the AA dont fix stuff, well not when they know naff all about them.. it really needs looking at by someone thats familier with them.. ie Brickwerks, or a good local member, to go over it..

The buzzer thing... well that could be an issue.. depending on who and how it was connected... but it could also be some other electrical fault.. An odd smell isnt good... that could easily turn nasty....

Was it turning over very slowly when trying to start it?

Alternator belt squealing... belt is a little loose... and once the belt had stopped slipping it generated more volts.. thats fine.. it means that the alternator was under a lot of load (trying to recharge the flat battery)

Sounds like there is something draining the battery... make sure any electrical item is turned off.. worth getting a good auto electrician to give it a once over to see if there is any obvious faults..

2-3 miles at night wont have been long enought to charge it up... do you do lots of very short trips like that? battery wont be able to keep up with all the cold starts... if the battery is a little tired too... needs to have a good 30 min+ drive to get it charged back up thats without lights fan etc on...

[kathyshack]

Its old its tired and things do break... but also the AA dont fix stuff, well not when they know naff all about them.. it really needs looking at by someone thats familier with them.. ie Brickwerks, or a good local member, to go over it..

The buzzer thing... well that could be an issue.. depending on who and how it was connected... but it could also be some other electrical fault.. An odd smell isnt good... that could easily turn nasty....

Was it turning over very slowly when trying to start it?

Alternator belt squealing... belt is a little loose... and once the belt had stopped slipping it generated more volts.. thats fine.. it means that the alternator was under a lot of load (trying to recharge the flat battery)

Sounds like there is something draining the battery... make sure any electrical item is turned off.. worth getting a good auto electrician to give it a once over to see if there is any obvious faults..

2-3 miles at night wont have been long enought to charge it up... do you do lots of very short trips like that? battery wont be able to keep up with all the cold starts... if the battery is a little tired too... needs to have a good 30 min+ drive to get it charged back up thats without lights fan etc on...

Thanks for the reply. i think the smell was only there after i had been trying to start the van a lot, so wonder if it could be to do with that perhaps. Prior to this happening van had been driving fine, nothing slow about how it was starting etc. It had a full service a couple of weeks ago but ironically the van did same thing when trying to get to the garage, ie wouldn't start, then did then didn't. AA then said flat battery and i thought that was because i had possibly left the lights on or something. had the buzzer installed then, and the battery was checked and nothing was found to be draining it and it was holding its charge etc. Fan belt only started squeeling about a week ago and only on startup really. by the time i had reversed off the driveway all has been well. Could the loose fan belt doing this amount of squeeling over a week or so cause the battery to flatten this much? i suppose i do do a few short runs at the mo, - playschool, supermarket and doctors etc.
You're probably right in that I should get an auto electrician to check everything over. Does anyone know of anyone in the Bolton area? Pref someone mobile as really feel to scared to drive it anywhere. Our Summer is already developing a phobia about us breaking down and now gets upset if we go on a motorway after being stranded on the M60 last week! Breaking down with a big pregnant belly and a toddler is not exactly what i need at the moment.
Thanks again,
kathy

[Ian Hulley]

With respect ...

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/41156/Van ... &source=aw

These have been mentioned on here many times before and many of us carry them for just such emergencies.

[kathyshack]

With respect ...

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/41156/Van ... &source=aw

These have been mentioned on here many times before and many of us carry them for just such emergencies.

Yeah, good call. Will this one do the job?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=49038" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ian Hulley]

We've had that exact one since the first Apps Court 6 years ago.

[kathyshack]

Cool thanks ian,
I'll go and get me one of those then. ta muchly.

[Ian Hulley]

Cool thanks ian,
I'll go and get me one of those then. ta muchly.

It still don't repair what flattened your battery in the first place but it WILL get you home.

[kathyshack]

yeah, need to get it looked at but at least this will help give me a bit of confidence back. Just need to find an auto electrician now.
Anyone recomend anyone in Bolton Area?

[Nicola&Tony]

Thanks for the reply. i think the smell was only there after i had been trying to start the van a lot, so wonder if it could be to do with that perhaps . . .

It had a full service a couple of weeks ago but ironically the van did same thing when trying to get to the garage, ie wouldn't start, then did then didn't . . . had the buzzer installed then, and the battery was checked and nothing was found to be draining it and it was holding its charge etc . . .

Fan belt only started squeeling about a week ago and only on startup really. . .

Just trying to get the sequence of events clear in my own mind: intermittent starting problem / van serviced / headlight buzzer installed / alternator belt squealing? Is that the right sequence?

Was the belt changed / checked when the service was done (tension and condition should've been checked; do you know when the belt was last changed?)

It's unfortunate timing in that it sounds like there's a starting and / or charging problem but a buzzer has been fitted to the electrics as well (although you did say that it was checked as a source of possible battery drain).

Personally I'd be wanting to remove the buzzer until I was confident that the starting / charging problem was fixed (too many variables otherwise).

When we had an intermittent starting problem last summer (which was fixed by checking starter motor connections and solenoid, but then eventually fitting a new starter motor) we used to get an odour which always makes me think of electrics getting too warm / burned, after I'd had 2-3 goes at starting the van.

Just suggestions.

Tony

[Nicola&Tony]

Not even sure if it will start as only drove 2 or 3 miles after the guy jump started me. (it was gone midnight by this point and i had to get home or i would have drove around longer to try and charge it up a bit)

btw, you don't need to drive around to re-charge the battery, stationary van with the engine running will still charge the battery (as already said tho, keep lights and other electrical stuff turned off to charge more quickly) although the neighbours probably won't be too chuffed after midnight.

Hope you soon get it sorted.

Tony

[syncrosimon]

I had a poor starting van for a while, checked everything, replaced the starter, but still sluggish on the key. Turned out to be a combination of a poor earth lead mounting bolt, which took a bit of cleaning back to bare metal and a big washer to sort out. This made an instant difference to starting and only took 5 minutes. The second problem was the two red wires that go from the alternator to the black box fitted to back wall of the engine bay (the one full of wires). They were both totally corroded and needed replacing. No worries after that. The two wires feed the charge current from the alternator back to the starter motor, and then down the thick cable to the battery for charging.

Simon.

[Dartmoor]

Broke down last night for the 4th time in just over a month!
Van wouldn't start, nothing. Tried to bump start it with a few nice guys pushing me but it wasn't happening. A while later i tried again and it did start but my buzzer came on which lets me know my lights are left on. (engine was running so this shouldn't have been happening) Also thought I could smell something odd, possibly electrical so i turned it off and decided the aa would be here soon and it would probably count as a call out anyway, so decided to wait for them. (Apparantly I was a priority case being 7.5 months pregnant) Time went on and still no AA so i rang them back and they said they were very busy and it would be another 45 min! I tried again several times to start the van but nothing. Buzzer seemed to be doing odd things and i did get the odd wierd electrical wiff. Not sure if this was with me trying to start it etc, so i left it.

2 hours after original call out the guy arrived and diagnosed a flat battery. He got it going and disconnected the light buzzer wire thing as it was going off when it shouldn't have been etc. (well he pulled the wire off the bulb and stuff so buzzer stopped and i now have no dash lights) The fan belt was squeeling when it started and when he checked the alternator he said it was only putting 12.x v in and it should be 13/14 ish. Within a few seconds and the squeeling stopping it seemed to be back putting 13/14 v back into the battery. He said its probably either the fan belt or that the buzzer could have been going off whilst we were in the cinema causing the battery to go flat. lights defo weren't on when i parked it up as it was daylight, but as the buzzer was behaving a bit odd he thought this might be possible. He then added that it could be more or less anything really.

I am not sure whether the flat battery was the cause, or whether i flattened it with all the trying i had done. seemed odd there was nothing then it suddenly started but buzzer went wierd, then it wouldn't start again. I am now scared to drive the thing in case it lets me down again. Its my only form of transport and I need to take summer to playschool but don't want to risk not being able to get back in time to pick her up etc. Not even sure if it will start as only drove 2 or 3 miles after the guy jump started me. (it was gone midnight by this point and i had to get home or i would have drove around longer to try and charge it up a bit)
Just really really really fed-up with this van at the moment it just seems like one thing after another and i just don't know what to do with it now for the best... I've had the AA out 4 times for different things in just over a month. Its not like I don't look after my van or anything can't believe its doing this to me!
E D I T to add 1.9dg watercooled 1988

Have to say, I have every sympathy. These are really lovely vans when they are running, but I lost confidence in mine a wee while ago. Basically every part is over 25 years old - the way I saw it, do I want my hobby to be maintaining this van, or do I just want something that starts when I turn the key, and lets me go camping without even a doubt in my mind that I will get there and back with the family? Its a great hobby of you have time and the expertise - but potentially not a good experience if you are like me, and just don't want the hassle! I am sorry to say I am looking at T5's and the like.

[Rozzo]

if the battery is partially discharged it is sometimes possible to turn the engine over but have no power left to create the spark. fit a new fanbelt, correctly tensioned, clean all the connections to/from the battery and once you have the booster pack drive with confidence. they are a bit annoying at times but i wouldn't be without mine now.

[CycloneMike]

Kathy,
I had a problem with my battery appearing flat/van not starting and various other random electrical wierness. As someone mentioned above check the battery earth connection to the body. Use a jump lead between the neg terminal and a good earth see If that helps. Its a fault easily over looked whilst looking for something more complicated.
Mike