Charging Gremlin - Help Please

[JonL]

Right I now have an electrical gremlin in the system that I need a little help exorcising!

As most of you are aware I have just completed the engine swap on my HDi 90 and I had to swap over the entire loom, as well as most of the electrical components, so they are all as they were before the swap.

The systems of the fault are that the car beeps, the red battery light illuminates on the dash and the “charging system fault” text appears on the LCD display (the one with the radio station, etc on). All this happens very fast and I had to record the display for a couple of minutes so that I could pause the playback to read the text! The heater fans also stop for a second and this has happened without the other symptoms, but always occurs with them.

So SWIMBO is driving along and the fan suddenly dies for a second, a minute later the fans cut out and the car beeps at her, along with the flickering lights, then it all happens over and over again.

I have done some fault finding and cannot find anything amiss. The alternator is charging at a steady 14.06 volts even under full load at tick-over revs (with the lights on full beam, heater on full, rear de-mist on and the radio on). The battery is fully charged at 13.68 volts and that was after starting and stopping the car a few times. I have cleaned the battery contacts and re-fitted, cleaned the alternator contacts and re-fitted and checked the auxiliary belt which seems respectably tightened.

Anyone got any ideas?

Many thanks,

Jon

[eoin27]

Sounds like the ECU doesnt know whats happening. Perhaps bringing it to a dealer to get it reset properly is in order. If its just electrics in the car then perhaps the BSI is at fault. In that case you need to do a BSI reset procedure. See link below.

http://www.bba-reman.com/content.aspx?c ... ol_failure

[JonL]

eoin27 thanks for that I'll try it when i go home for lunch.

Jon

[mjb]

Check the alternator power wire and the engine earth. Make sure there's not corrosion or dirt on the connectors

[JonL]

Check the alternator power wire and the engine earth. Make sure there's not corrosion or dirt on the connectors

Checked both of these last night, even used a bit of emery cloth to shine them up before re-fitting. I have reset the BSI, thanks eoin27, and will wait and see what SWIMBO says happens on the school run later. I did notice, however, that the drivers side window now only goes up 1" at a time! It dosent matter how long you hold up the switch for you still have to keep notching it up 1" at a time. i am not sure if this is the switch though, we did have the "window with a mind of it's own" problem before but that was cured when the Dealer reset the BSI to clear the remote locking fault! I need a new switch as the knob for the mirrors has broken internally and now dosent stay on the post. Anyone know where there is a drivers side window panel with two electric windows and the electric mirrors? They seem quite rare, well I cannot find any, four windows yes, two no!

I will let you know if the re-set BSI cures the fault.

Jon

[steve_earwig]

The window sounds like it just needs reprogramming - get it all the way down, hold the button for a few seconds (you should hear a click), now get the window all the way up and hold the button again.

I'm not sure if the 4-way would work on your car, I suspect yes but...

FIngers cross on the reset!

[JonL]

Unfortunately I have just received a text from SWIMBO stating that the beep is still there!

I guess I will have to take it to the dealers and get them to re-set the ecu? I do have the ecu from the 306 so could try swapping that over, if anyone thinks that this is a good idea?

Jon

[eoin27]

doubt it. Id say the 306 doesnt have the features of the 406. Im sure its not the first engine change the stealer will have seen. perhaps it is best to ring and ask