Electrical issues?

Affiliate Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 360

All, please bare with me whilst I explain the situation fully. It might turn out to be a novel but I know Iâ€™m in the right place for technical issues!

The 19/Megane hybrid has developed a slight problem which so far is eluding the hell out of me! Leanne took it out for a spin today as it's been in the garage all week so she went to the local Tesco's. Upon returning from doing some shopping she unlocked the car in the usual fashion using the key fob, got in and inserted the key to start it. The engine started to turn over as normal when all of a sudden the engine, clocks and lights just died... total electrical failure bar the alarm which decided to sound until it's backup batery died.

The fob wouldn't disarm the alarm nor would it operate the central locking. Now my first thoughts were that the keys battery must have died and that it's out of sync hence it won't shut the alarm up or work the locking motors but ALL electrics are dead. Here's what Iâ€™ve found to be true tonight:-

**The alarm isn't part of the problem as I have removed it yet the problem is still present.

**The Battery is fully charged

**The engine fuse box (Bare in mind that this 19 is more Phase 1 Megane than it is 19 now) near the battery has 12v at all fuses.

**The interior clock, windows, sunroof, mirrors, radio and lights will not operate.

**All cabin fuses in the fuse box are intact.

The main power feeds in the driver foot well (x3 thick red wires to a multi plug) also all have a constant 12v.... until I plug them in to the dash loom where they feed the fusebox. This makes the UBIC/Fusebox emit a single "Beep" which is normal but then all the three previous 12v readings fall to about 2-3v. This to me isn't right as surely the fuse box and whatever else these three wires feed requires a constant 12v.

In addition, I have removed the sound system in the car in a further attempt to solve the problem and I have also unplugged the doors just incase my wiring is as fault somewhere when I was doing the windows over the weekend. On two occasions tonight I did manage to get the dash lights and cabin electrics to work but when I turn the ignition to "START" the power goes again. It's sounding to me very much like a bad connection or earth somewhere but any of you guru's have any other suggestions? I'm having a major sense of humor failure today especially as it's supposed to be at French Car Show on Sunday to.

Any help appreciated providing it's serious

Mick

Level 10 User Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 614

Got the PM. on RSC. but the prob I had with the starter, turn's out to be a broken main wire on the starter's wiring loom. but. Well got a new starter in anyhow.

As for a guess on your prob. It does sound like a bad earth. or a short somewhere. I do hope it not behind the dash you've fitted.

Site Subscriber Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 2281

Gutted for you Mick. Must be incredibly frustrating for you!

Unfortunately I wouldn't like to speculate what might be wrong as I'm far from qualified, but I do hope someone can help as it would be a shame to see the rug pulled out from under all the hard work that's gone into the car.

I hope it isn't something major and that she's back on the road sooner rather than later!

I'm sure Chris will have some good ideas come the morning though!

Affiliate Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 360

I know it's going to be something really fooking stupid but finding electrical faults is my pet hate. It'll proberbly turn out to be a corroded connection at hte fuse box or something but time was against me tonight and i've had too many nights working out in the cold and dark... I feel like torching the fooker Twisted Evil

Level 10 User Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 614

Heh. Yep pain in the arse at time's. I did the starter, on mine. then all the prob's started again. Once I found the break on the loom and sorted it. It been fine since. I've not got to find the time to fit a new CV boot before fri if poss. As I'm going to pod then and FCS on sunday. Very hard with work in the way.

Spammer Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 5717

Quote:

**The interior clock, windows, sunroof, mirrors, radio and lights will not operate

bought a ph1 16v with most of them electrial stuff non working mate.are you sure the power on the fuses are not intermitant ????

i dont know how megane is your 19 but i solved the problem with a live feed fromthe battery to the back of one fuse delivering the power to 2 more fuses ,well worth a try

Affiliate Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 360

The only thing that is 19 on that car now is the shell! The rest is all late phase 1 Coupe now and i'm thinking it's a massive short somewhere... possibly something to do with the starter motor! The fuses as constantly fed with 12v until I connect the multiplugs together. Everything under hte bonnet has 12v but the multiplug shows 2-3v!

I'm gonna have the bloody dash out tomorrow night as the list of obvious things to check is getting shorter and the problem is still there.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

well this could be anything.

Easy way to discount the start is dissconnect it.

Start from there.

Affiliate Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 360

I've heard tales of the Willy Clio's having troubles with the starter motors due to there proximity to the exhaust but i've never heard of it on the Meganes before. I'm going to try and replace the cabin earths tonight as the connectors look a little fucked and also the buzbar/fusebox under the bonnet as the fuses were a little corroded so i'm wondering if this is playing up when the fuse box trys to draw serious current at starting etc.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

willy and megane starters are smaller than the normal 1.8's which sit closer to the exhausts.

Btw the starter can be any one. I am using 1.4 starters on the white un and I cannae mind whats on the blue one.

Replacing the earths and so on is a good start.

But get your flabby arm round the back and undo the 13/14mm nut on the starter main feed and lift it out the way, make sure the 2 thick wires are still joined, pop a bolt through em. Then turn the ignition on, if it worse starters shorting out internally.

Affiliate Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 360

Cheers again Chris.

I'm gonna leave the starter till the end as it's the hardest thing to check given it's position. I just find it strange that If you disconnect the battery and walk away for say 30 minutes that when you reconnect it all appears to be well - Ignition lights come on, wipers work, central locking via the fob and switch are fine to but as soon as you try to start it or use the horn it trips out again and no fuses are blowing. It seems to be when the equipment needs some serious Juice that it all goes tits up.

I think the busbar is a possible cause as the fuses were very fooked up so i'm gonna strip it out and give it a good seeing to with the wire brush and some WD40 and also do the same with the cabin earths in the footwells.

Affiliate Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 360

All sorte - Turned out to be the Buzbar which needed a good seeing to with the wire brush and some contact grease! Cheers again all.

Mick

Level 7 User Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 230

Sorry guys i blame it on being dutch but wtf is a buzbar???

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 1108

This is gonna sound daft and I'm gonna be completely wrong lol, but I'm gonna say it anyway cuz my mate had a very similar sounding problem on her fiat punto. We were reversing out of a parking space and it just cut out. Started it again and it was fine, carried on reversing and it cut out again. Started it again, went forward a bit, cut out AGAIN and then it wouldn't start. Not even a bit of life in the battery. COMPLETELY dead. From starting the car fine 3 times in a row to being completely flat in.....about 30 seconds? Hmmmmmm. So yeah, then we got out the jump leads and tried to jump start it and it would turn over like a bitch, but just not fire. Not even TRY to fire kinda thing. Just turning over, as if it was immobilised. But we knew it wasn't. So then out comes the multi-meter to check the battery connections and we find that the positive one is pretty shit. Infact, VERY shit. So cleaned up both connections, slapped the wires back on, tried to start it and boom started first time. Weird how it didn't start with the jump leads?? But anyway yeah. Couldn't just be shit battery terminals could it? I mean if somebody would've said to me "your battery terminals are probably dirty", I'd have been like "pff......yeah right"....but they'd have been right!

Affiliate Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 360

Xvisor wrote:

Sorry guys i blame it on being dutch but wtf is a buzbar???

A "Buzbar"... also known as a "Busbar" is a conducting bar (usually made from copper) that carries heavy currents to supply several electric circuits.

Simmonds... I know what you're saying as I too found it really strange that a little bit of corrosion could halt the flow of electrons in such a way that the car wouldn't function but I guess it acts as a form of insulation and if the buzbar can't supply the fuse box with the current it needs then nothing will work. Still, leason learn't and I will now be sure to give all electrical connections a good wire brushing and contact greasing from now on!

Mick

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

2i did do an article on this I beleive.