1.8 Diesel No Dash Lights Completely Dead

[hexhamstu 9]

Car started then died, now no dash lights even with jump leads on it.

 

Obvious cables from battery still attached, what could cause this? Is there a main fuse somewhere?

[omega 82]

yes but are the cables tight?

[hexhamstu 9]

I asked her to wiggle them and she said they are attached, so I would assume so. (She is in wales and I am in Newcastle.)

[welshpug 1,626]

try swapping the batteries.

[hexhamstu 9]

try swapping the batteries.

 

It's being jumped off a van so no spare battery to try, the battery is only 6months old and has never gone flat before. Can they just die mid run?

 

Surely even with a dead battery you would get some life when attached to jump leads.

[welshpug 1,626]

broken earth lead?

[hexhamstu 9]

wow I just read it may be a broken earth lead on some alfa forum via google. I'm trying to ring her now........

[hexhamstu 9]

The earth strap to the wing is fine says a friend, they tried to bump it down a hill, it turned over a the battery light was on, but nothing else? and it didn't fire.

 

I'm baffled, ignition switch or something?

[hexhamstu 9]

If it is the ignition switch I guess hot-wiring it will solve this problem?

[welshpug 1,626]

as a temporary fix yeah

[hexhamstu 9]

I've got another ignition barrel up here somewhere. Hopefully that will solve the problem. Does a faulty ignition switch seem likely.

 

She's just told me it's had a bit of a starting issue recently where she turns the key fully but the car doesnt start for a second or so. But then it starts fine. One day it did this and then the battery needed the code putting in as if it had lost all power. The radio thing suggests it may be something else I suppose?

Edited July 29, 2010 by hexhamstu

[hcmini1989 16]

Unsure on the diesel but on my gti the main power (live from the battery ) goes to what i believes called a shunt box were everything else gets it power from ive had the wire break on mine then i didnt get power to anything .So might be worth having a look to see if the diesels have them only a little plastic thingy with some metal studs on

 

Failing that probably only needs a live running to the stop solenoid then bump it .Trouble is you wont have any indicators

[welshpug 1,626]

good call on that wire, I had one on my 205 break down, really confused the hell out of me as it did it when I was doing the first fire up after installing MP3.1!!

[hcmini1989 16]

good call on that wire, I had one on my 205 break down, really confused the hell out of me as it did it when I was doing the first fire up after installing MP3.1!!

I took the dash out trying to find out what it was when mine went. Took me ages to figure out in the end went back to the basics and just traced the wiring

[Anthony 1,000]

Worth remembering that an older diesel with a flat battery usually won't bump start anyway, as you need a fair bit of power to heat the glowplugs sufficiently before you've any hope of it firing. Of course, in this instance, it sounds a little more fundemental, but worth remembering.

[jimistdt 1]

Has yours got the power steering Stu?

 

Reason I ask is because on mine there is a relay hanging off the top of the rad, this has from memory 3 wires coming off it, they are just spade connectors, one of mine used to come off occasionally and the car was effectively immobilised.

[hexhamstu 9]

No power steering, and that wire to the shunt box has broken before and has been repaired, that was the first thing I got them to check. They said it looked fine and they gave it a little jiggle.