Big problem with electrics

[hawkeye]

I,ve got a 1700 diesel T25 liesuredrive conversion which i have used for hols and VW events for the last five years , last month I had a problem with the blower on my heater stopped working intermittantly , flicking the switch on it normally got it going until it stopped completly , so i ordered and fitted a new switch without any joy however , so I thought i,d leave it for the garage
along with annual service , then I found the mot due last week so booked it in and went to take it but major probs . no warning lights of any kind i.e. batt/ign ,preheat,indicator warn.oil,main beam ,
no cooling fan working on rad,foel gauge,temp gauge and warning light to say the least !
checked fuse,s - under dash in glove box (couldnt find any others),wiring connections and earth,s
all secure ,after going through all these I managed to get indicators warning on and preheat light back on along with fuel gauge and temp .
I have spent hours into days and now seem to have come to a dead end with it , I cant move the van
although it will start we live in a hilly area of the Clydach gorge Nr Abergavenny and just taking it half a mile up the hill out of the village sends the temp right up , the engine is in good nick so i dont want to blow the head or gasket .

[California Dreamin]

When you get 'multiple' electrical faults seemingly occuring at the same time, the usual suspect would have to be the two earthing crowns are corroded above the fuse box on the nearside A post. (that or the fuse box itself)

Martin

[hawkeye]

When you get 'multiple' electrical faults seemingly occuring at the same time, the usual suspect would have to be the two earthing crowns are corroded above the fuse box on the nearside A post. (that or the fuse box itself)

Martin

Thanks Martin will take the terminals off them today and clean up , from memory they are rivetted onto the body so wont be able to clean body behind them ?

[California Dreamin]

Should know this doh...thought they had a single screw in the centre....have a looksie.

Martin

[hawkeye]

Got these terminals/crowns off (they were screwed on ) after changing my glasses !
Just wondered if anyone knows what the relay behind them is for 70amp is on it , there are some pretty heavy duty wires
attatched to it but some of them look quite corroded and so do some of the pins going into the terminal , do I need to change it and if so how easy are they to source ?

[kevtherev]

4 pin (two large two small) relay?

Does it have a number stamped on it like '43'

[hawkeye]

4 pin (two large two small) relay?
two large and two small plus two heavy amp wires onto screw connectors , no.89 on side of it and a printed cicuit on top of the cover with 12v 70A .
No no."43" though .

Does it have a number stamped on it like '43'

[hawkeye]

4 pin (two large two small) relay?
two large and two small plus two heavy amp wires onto screw connectors , no.89 on side of it and a printed cicuit on top of the cover with 12v 70A .
No no."43" though .

Does it have a number stamped on it like '43'

Took a pic but clicking on img above to post the image does not let me browse my files to find it ?

[kevtherev]

yeah you need to upload pics to an internet host, like photobucket.com (free service) they give you the HTML code [img]

I think that relay is a leisure relay or split charge relay.
Mocki knows stuff about Leisure drive conversions, he might comment later.

[ghost123uk]

Just taking it half a mile up the hill out of the village sends the temp right up

What is this bit about ? Nowt to do with electrical problems, the rad fan only comes on when the entire cooling system gets good and hot and that can't occur in just 1/2 a mile, even with a hill.

Re electrical, if after cleaning up the earth crowns you still have more than one problem, have a look at the (rather delicate) multi connector that runs under the speedo housing. There is a wiki entry about cleaning it up if I recall correctly.

[hawkeye]

Nowt to do with electrical problems, the rad fan only comes on when the entire cooling system gets good and hot and that can't occur in just 1/2 a mile, even with a hill.

Im not saying it should have come on in half a mile - I am saying what is not working and I know that if the cooling fan does
not cut in it will cook the engine by the time I get to the mot station and run the van for the test - which has now expired
and i have run the engine whilst stationary and it is not working - temp gauge is soaring right up so was wondering if this relay 70amp that I said about earlier has anything to do with it , I have also tried bridging the sensor to see if it will work but no it wont .
Any help much appreciated thanks to all constructive advice .

[Robsey]

Two parts to this really -

If you have a big relay that has either corroded or damaged connectors, then I would clean or replace the connectors and pack the connector in vaseline to keep them from corroding again.
It may not fix your fan, but it is obviously needed for something.

Now regarding the fan not working -
I've not had our van long, so cannot reply by fact, but the potential causes of a dead fan are: -
Faulty fuse
Check fuse 7
and 14 (20A) if you have air-con.

Check the thermo switch is not faulty, and the connectors are clean and secure.

There is a resister pack, that may stop the fan working if this fails.

Check the fan relay itself

oh - and check that the fan itself has not failed - to test this, run some jump leads from your battery, to the fan motor terminals - becareful that you do not short the red jump lead to the other, or to earth...

[ghost123uk]

Now regarding the fan not working -


oh - and check that the fan itself has not failed - to test this, run some jump leads from your battery, to the fan motor terminals - be careful that you do not short the red jump lead to the other, or to earth...

This is a good idea to "get you moving" as above, run a live and earth directly to the fan, if it works it's not the fan itself. You could then do as some others have done and fit a manual fan switch in the live wire. Just to get you going

[hawkeye]

Two parts to this really -

If you have a big relay that has either corroded or damaged connectors, then I would clean or replace the connectors and pack the connector in vaseline to keep them from corroding again.
It may not fix your fan, but it is obviously needed for something.

Now regarding the fan not working -
I've not had our van long, so cannot reply by fact, but the potential causes of a dead fan are: -
Faulty fuse
Check fuse 7
and 14 (20A) if you have air-con.

Check the thermo switch is not faulty, and the connectors are clean and secure.

There is a resister pack, that may stop the fan working if this fails.

Check the fan relay itself

oh - and check that the fan itself has not failed - to test this, run some jump leads from your battery, to the fan motor terminals - becareful that you do not short the red jump lead to the other, or to earth...

Thanks for that , been away for long w/e -"was going in the van originally" , which is the relay for the fan and how do I test it , where is the resistor pack ?
Can i get replacement crown earth,s to change the old ones for new just in case ?
thanks again in advance .

[hawkeye]

After reading the wiki guide I,m thinking I should change the earth straps from body to engine and gearbox to body , can I pick them up at a local motorfactor or will i have to go to a VW main dealer and where do I get those earth crowns ?