Sunday morning I spent unpacking, and sorting kit, and re-installing the radios in the radio shack. (10 blokes in two cottages for a whole week, taking part in a worldwide Radio event called "IOTA" Islands on the Air, and "SOTA" Summits on the air....Yes some of our lot were climbing mountains with rucksacks full of radio gear, and then operating it from the top, untill their stack of batteries were flat!. (8 summits climbed in the week, and 3 never been done before)
Those of you that have seen me, will realise that "I DONT do Mountains" (except in a car)
Anyway... Back to cars and the like.... Later I let the wife know that I will be off to Stoneleigh on Monday.
All good so far.
I was up early at 7.30 this morning, and pushed the car out at about 9am, all ready to go.
Got in, turned the key and NOTHING.... ARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!
Flat Battery again.
OK, So I drag out the old Landy battery, jump the Viento, and up she fires.
OK.. backed out and drove a few miles up the road, to charge the battery.
Now... here comes the interesting bit.
I switch OFF the ignition, and NOTHING happens, the car continues to run!.
So I disconnect the low tension lead on the coil, and the car stops.
However the fuel pump is still clicking... and eventually the battery goes flat again.
Hmmm something is faulty and feeding backwards to power the ignition.
So I pull all the fuses and the problem goes away.
by checking whats happening as I put each fuse in one at a time, Sherlock deduces that something is wrong on the "permnantly live" circuit.
So I start to disconnect things a bit further.
Leaving only the hazards left.
First I think its the Hella electronic relay / flasher. So I change it for a known good one. Nope... not that.
Then I remember the smoke from the hazard switch the other week (which has now stopped).
I narrow it down to the Indicator wiring (actually in the hazard switch.
So realising that I may not get to Stoneleigh in the Viento, I dismantle the switch completely.
Culprit FOUND!! Its the Hazard switch gone really faulty.
Remember me getting (and others) SOAKED going to Newark last year??
I sumise that the water had got into the hazard section of the switch, and had corroded the circuit board.
This in turn had then shorted out causing the back feed problem I was experiencing.
Now... Wait a minute I say... somewhere in the garage was a spare. Was it the right type (two types of wiring on Sierra's)
Yes it was, and 30 mins later, it was fitted, fuses replaced, access panels re-fitted, and the car re-jump started.
I let it run for 15 mins, and it even stopped an re-started (just!).
I then set off for Stoneleigh, I got the Revotec Thermostatic switch replaced. They were very good about it, and almost no quibble, even though it was out of guarantee. However, my main point was to show them it was faulty at manufacture (dry and corroded joint) and this may help them in their quality control procedures.
The bloke was more upset that I had taken it apart and gave him a good description of what was in it, and how it worked. ( suppose I could now copy it, but I dont do that sort of thing).
What with 39 years of electronics on BT, and 25 years as a practising Radio Ham building my own transmitters and recievers, I dont need to copy their work if I want to make something.
Anyway, enough of that. Revetoec were excellent, and I can assure you that the sophistication of their Radiator Fan controller is really very good, despite the price, I has a proper thermostatic Fan controller chip in it. Like I said, its a bit too good!!
All I need to do now is to install the new one they gave me.
10 out of 10 for Customer Service to Revotec.... Well Done!!
It was nice to se all my firends again.
Hopefully Clive will get his lady home in one go. His alternator was a bit faulty.
A replacement on from on of the stalls was installed. Hoever poking about with my test meter, I was not convinced all is hunky dory.
Just hope it got him home.
I still say I would expect to see more output volts, regardless of a flat battery.
Thinking alout as I often do!... Did anyone check the water level in the battery??
Clive, check each cell water level, it should cover the plates by 1/4 -1/2 inch at the most.
Also use some De-ionised / distilled water to top up. Tap water will work, but it will shorten the life of the battery due to the chemicals added to the water.
So hopefully Clive got home OK.
Nice to see you alll again.
See you all later
