Club 80-90 Forums

I have just replaced the heater fan, removed the dash and the whole caboodle that comes with it.

Checked as It went back together all working, put it all together except the wheel and it was fine one minute totally dead the next?

Checked battery terminals, it all worked then 5 mins later, it stopped again

I have checked and it doesn't look like there is any power coming to the ignition.

Total novice at tracing faults so excuse the daft question but- where does the positive power cable go from the battery? Does it go to the fuse box first or straight to the column/ignition switch? Tried Haynes but I can't make sense of it

pi quattro wrote: Total novice at tracing faults so excuse the daft question but- where does the positive power cable go from the battery? Does it go to the fuse box first or straight to the column/ignition switch? Tried Haynes but I can't make sense of it

Anyone??

pi quattro wrote:Checked as It went back together all working, put it all together except the wheel and it was fine one minute totally dead the next?

Checked battery terminals, it all worked then 5 mins later, it stopped again

I have checked and it doesn't look like there is any power coming to the ignition.

when you say "it all worked" what are you referring to? The fan or anything supplied via the ignition?

Anyway, in answer to your question, Haynes wiring diagram on page 12.22

Two cables come off the positive side of battery; 35mm2 direct to the starter motor and 6mm2 to 'P' connection on rear of fuseboard which is linked internally to track 30 of fusebox which is the permanant +ve. A 4mm2 then comes off (another) 'P' connection and goes to the ignition switch. None of these cables are fused. You're sure there's no +ve at the ignition switch?

Thanks for the reply

It all worked as in everything, all lights on dash, fan and it started. Stuck on the steering wheel and nothing, no clicks, lights or anything. I pulled all the plugs off the steering column and can't find any power with a meter at all.

I stared at the Haynes manual long enough but thanks for your description. Come to think about it I screwed the fuse box back just before the wheel. I hope that all I have done is knock out a wire or relay??

A "P" connection? Is that a plug type connector?

Thanks again, I'm off to investigate

The 'P' connectors are 1-7 on the RHS of this view of the rear of the fusebox.



The two large red cables on the white plugs just in front of the floating yellow connector in this picture are the 6mm and 4mm cables (or at least I think they are, not had cause to check them out myself)



To be honest I very much doubt these have become unplugged, but it only takes a second to check. I think all of these pins should be permanantely +ve if the feed from the battery is sound so you can use a voltmeter to check that then at least you can rule out the battery end. Do you have a voltmeter and do you know how to use it?

E D I T: Actually i just thought; you say the dash lights no longer work and they do not require the ignition to be on so the fault may lie with the 6mm from the battery +ve to the 'P' connector.

Sorted!

Thanked for the advice

I found that a plug had loosened off at the back of the fuse box. It had been touching the connection so that explained the working one minute and not the next. Spotted it as soon as I looked behind the fuse box!!

Now all I need to fix is the windscreen washers lol wipers work but no scooshers? Convinced its a plug at the wheel....voltmeter at the ready!

pi quattro wrote:I found that a plug had loosened off at the back of the fuse box. It had been touching the connection so that explained the working one minute and not the next. Spotted it as soon as I looked behind the fuse box!!

One of the 'P' plugs or another? I'm curious as whenever I've tried to unplug anything from the back it's always been a bitch

pi quattro wrote:Now all I need to fix is the windscreen washers lol wipers work but no scooshers? Convinced its a plug at the wheel....voltmeter at the ready!

If they've never worked it might be the pump itself - they do seize up

Mine is the older type fuse box and as I had the whole dash out and a lot of jiggling about one had worked its way loose. Didn't look all that tight when I put I back on!

The pump was working last week so I don't think it's seized, I think another plug or a problem with the switch. A bit of fettling with the multi meter last night is pointing to a switch maybe.....

Didn't realise you had the older style fusebox. Thought they swapped over about the year of your van.