Dorset All Ford Types Car Club's Forum
The Ford Category => Help me => Topic started by: FUZZY on 19:50 Tuesday 20 January 2009
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Hi .... wonder if anyone out there can help me. My wifes XR3i has been stood for a while but periodically started ( last time being about 3 weeks ago). Went to start it last night as think about MOTing it and got following symptoms. No lights on dash board, would not turn over, not even a click on the solenoid. Headlights, radio etc work fine... Checked fuses all OK. In the past it has had starting problems with wire connector to solenid on starter needing to be 'twiddled' to get it to work,,,
Anyone any ideas? Is there a wire to the starter/solenoid that if broken/disconnected could have effects of extinguishing lights on dash?
Thanks Phil
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1st thing i would do is check the battery voltage , if its low then you will get most of those syptoms , funny how the radio is working , how bright are the lights when there on and also have you tryed jump starting it from another car
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Hi ... Lights are bright, and i have tried jumpstarting (but not bump starting) ... Its the absence of any ignition/dash board lights that get me.. Just found my Haynes manual, so a little night time reading of wiring diagrams is likely..
Thanks Phil
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could be the ignition switch playing up or even the feeds from the switch :)
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Thats what I'm beginning to think.... But as the car is parked in a farmyard with no exterior lighting I reckon it will have to wait tilll saturday so I can get a decent look.
PHIL
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Just a shot in the dark, i had this issue with a astra of mine many years ago. The stereo worked fine but i had no ignition lights and it would not start, in the end i found the issue to be earth/ground lead from chassis to engine had corroded to nothing so was not making any contact.
Good look finding the problem as there is not many xr3i's left.
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Check all the small wires that bolt to the positive on the battery, sounds like flat battery to me. when you tryed jump starting it did you get dash light or still nothing
Kev
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Hi ... When I tried to jump start it, no lights on dash.. Yet headlights will work fine/bright and radio worked... Will try small wires, earth strap et al. tomorrow and let you all know.
Thanks Phil
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hi .... still not working ... battery terminals all secure .... all fuses checked ... earth checked even put jump lead from neg terminal to engine block, still nothing ... jump lead from pos. term. to starter solenoid, starter turns (does not engage) ... BUT No lights on dash .... nothing but headlights and radio ..... i am getting befuddled ... anyone any ideas
PHIL
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if i remember correctly on the positive feed at the battery , on one of the smaller wires which run back in to the loom i think theres is a fuseable link , i could be wrong but im sure there is one . its actualy part of the loom and is soldered in place , im sure someone will correct me if im wrong i also dont have access to a wiring diagram to confirm this but i do remeber these on the cars when i was working at ford as an apprentice many years ago :D :D :D . could be worth checking this out as im sure if its blown it will take all the power away from the cranking circuit .
if all else fails mate if you want a second pair of eyes to look over it im happy to come across at some point to have a look with you as long as you dont live a million miles away :D :D :D
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Hi ... cheers for that, Will have a look Sunday mporning, It has got a fusable link wire. I'll play with that and let you know
PHIL
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Dont forget it might be the blown fuse just dirty terminals, unfortunatley damp weather can make the connection bad.
I would try and clean up all the connections for the blade fuses in the box aswell, i had an issue with my sierra one side of the lights was not working. The fuses all checked out okay was not until i decided to clean up all the terminals that they were okay again.
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I bought an RS turbo a few years back. Had the same problem. Ignition on, no dash lights and wouldn't start. Starter turned but no ignition. Also, small, chassis earth lead from battery would get so hot it smoked. Turned out to be thouroughly melted loom due to water gettin into the fuse box. Took ages to trace. Has the lid been off the fuse box? Mine was.
Seems likely since there's not a fuse from battery live to fuse box. All the circuits are fused from there. If you need any assistance and you're fairly local (within 30 miles of Lymington ish) then I'm happy to assist in fault finding. I'm quite handy wiv electrics and love a challange!!
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Hi .. lid from fuse box still on... alll fiuses AOK.... Ignition switch fine but appears to be no power to switch ... I am now confused ... Two options left ... I have some spare relays, I 'll swap a few and see if any luck ... I also noticed a small pale blue wire which seemed to go between two looms down behind the radiator that appeared chaffed. This I saw as i was just leaving and haven't checked my manual yet ... but appeared too small and inconsequential to cause such major failure...
Cheers Phil
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well if you still want a hand at any point as long as its not snowing i will come over and give you a second pair of eyes to look over it lol
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Hi ... thanks for offer. once I've tried relays, just prior to attacking it with a hammer. If its ok I'll give you a call .... thanks Phil
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Hi ... well its not the relays .... now I'm completely stumped ... only other thing ... its not the alarm immobilizer? ... when we got car alarm had been disconnected by pulling lead out of back of unit, key button never activated system. Alarm hasn't somehow activated itself has it???????????
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what happens if you dic=sconnect the ignition switch from the barrel can you turn the switch on with a screw driver and its worth checking that you have the live feeds at the back of the switch mate , i will see if i can dig up a wireing diagram of the car and see if i can think of anything else , if the alarm/immobiliser has been disconected at the control unit then it can not have come on :( you got a good one there mate but im sure its fixable :)