No Battery Light?

[Mattr5uk 20 5 Cars]

Pretty certain I have a charging issue as the battery light doesn't come on at all.

Checked the bulb that's all good, removed the smaller wire from the alternator and earthed it still no light.

Traced the wire from alternator back to dash all visually appears to be ok.

 

I can't get to my multimeter untill tomorrow to check any voltage or continuity.

Just seeing if anyone's got thoughts that might be worth checking before then?

 

Tia

[Tom Fenton 1,563]

Most common fault is the engine loom brown multiplug. Covered loads on here before if you have a dig for it.

[jackherer 543]

Try grounding it at the multiplug in the drivers footwell, if it works there you know it's bad engine bay wiring.

[Mattr5uk 20 5 Cars]

Thanks

Managed to earth at the brown plug and the join from the 8v -16v loom in engine bay and the light comes on.

Cut the alternator wire off the spare loom I have and joined it to the loom joint and battery light works as it should.

 

Just need to strip conduit and find the wiring issue now.

 

Thanks again

[jackherer 543]

Typical 205 engine bay wiring! If the copper wire isn't bright and shiny it needs to be cut out.

[Mac Crash 78 1 Cars]

Most common fault is the engine loom brown multiplug. Covered loads on here before if you have a dig for it.

 

Is this brown multiplug the same one that sits at the front of the engine, above the gearbox?

[welshpug 1,680]

yes, appeared around mid 88 and disappeared in 1990 afaik.

[gizzmo 3 1 Cars]

yes, appeared around mid 88 and disappeared in 1990 afaik.

does this mean later cars may suffer less electrical issues than the earlier models ?

[Mac Crash 78 1 Cars]

WP > thanks, explains why my battery isn't taking a charge, checked everything else and then found the brown plug, corroded/oxidised green and with several wires that broke up and fell apart in my hands. What's best? replace the plug with a good 2nd hand one (I have a spare) or just cut the wires back and make direct connections?

[Anthony 1,003]

In my opinion, cut the wires back and make a direct connection - however, be warned, you might need to cut back some considerable distance to find clean uncorroded copper! I did one at the weekend that had a badly lashed up sensor loom with somewhat ropey connections, and on some of the wires I ended up having to cut back well over a foot before I found good clean copper.

 

That works with the starter, alternator and two oil pressure wires, but you'll need to cut back to clean wire and then extend for the two coolant temperature wires and the oil temperature. My personal preference is to twist, solder and heatshrink for doing that, providing that you've a half-decent soldering iron.

[Mac Crash 78 1 Cars]

Anthony > I'll go with that... I have access to heatshrink etc, acknowledge what your saying about cutting back to clean copper, I've been lucky with this car in the past regarding electrics and have generally found the extent of the oxidisation is limited to the parts of exposed wiring, hoping for the same here. Cheers.

[Tom Fenton 1,563]

Get yourself some spare wire is my advice! You will end up cutting it back.

From memory you need white, yellow, red, grey, orange, purple, and thicker gauge light blue for the starter motor.

[woodymi16 24 2 Cars]

Or you can use something like this,

 

http://www.autosparks.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=2835

 

 

 

[Mac Crash 78 1 Cars]

This is the brown multi-plug 25 years later, hmmm...

 

So, purchased a soldering iron and some solder from Maplin, first practice attempt on the bench went well and I thought it was going to be easy, different story hunched under the bonnet though with difficult access, but got the connections done eventually with a few burnt fingers, you were both right... this time I had to cut the wires back as far as I dared without going into the loom conduit itself, so all tested and connections protected with heat shrink tubing, now looking like this...

Not brilliant, admittedly, but will suffice until I can remove/gain better access to this section of loom and do it properly. Quick question... the thicker gauge blue wire for the starter motor... what does this wire do?

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

I think the thick wire operates the solenoid on the starter