dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!!

[bigdog1042]

Hi Folks
got a problem that i am in desperate need of some help with. I decided today that the time had come for me to replace the alternator belts and fix the broken alternator adjuster so i don't have the poxy dash lights flashing at me all the time! Anyway, i did the following, in this order
-disconnect drivers side battery
-disconnect passenger side battery
-remove drivers side battery and battery box
-disconnect the multi plug from back of alternator and cleran with elec contact cleaner, left off.
-remove alternator adjuster, weld up (on the bench) and refit
-remove viscous fan and water pump pulley
-fit new alternator belts
-adjust alternator and re-fit multi plug
-re-fit pulley and viscous fan
-re-fit drivers side battery and connect
-re-connect passenger side battery
-switch on ignition, all lights on
-try to start and ................surprise surbloodyprise, NOTHING!

I can hear the glow plug relay click in when i put the ignition on, all dash lights are on and ok, headlights work, batteries are 12.5 volts each, central locking working. In fact everything is fine other than the starter engaging, no solonoid click, nothing! i tried the boost pack on it too and no change at all. have i disturbed something? I thought the 12 to 24v changover solonoid was behind the passenger side battery and i haven't taken this out so can't have disturbed that can I?

Any help very gratefully received as I've got to drive from Suffolk to Plymouth tomorrow night!! Poor timing for repairs i dare say but hey, I'm like that!!

cheers in advance

 

[Paul_Humphreys]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

Have you tried the earth lead on the 2nd battery ?

Also try locking the 80 with all doors shut and open then retry?

Paul

 

[bigdog1042]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

Thanks for your reply.

I have shut all doors and bonnet and locked it, then unlocked it and tried again and still the same. I haven't checked the earth lead on the second battery (is the 2nd one the passenger side battery ?) i will look at this in the morning and check the continuity to the engine block.

anything else i could check?

 

[karl webster]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

How long were the batteries off for??

Give me a buzz in the morning if no joy. Not saying i can defo help but i will if poss.

May just be dirty terminal? Auto or man as if man jump start as in bump then se if it will start its self.

Small wire off either battery? Easy missed at times.

07968389167

karl

 

[bigdog1042]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

Thanks very much Karl, I'll ring you tomorrow once I've checked the earths and all wiring again.
I really do appreciate it, thanks

Chris

 

[karl webster]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

Thats what its all about

Once your sure all wiring is ok close all doors tailgate bonnet etc if it has a alarm arm it and leave for five min. Then get in and try it. I was told there is a sequence with some switches like turn everything on before you start but i carnt fully remember what i was told if im honest.

Good look

karl

 

[Chris]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

Being utterly dead does sound like an immobiliser. But interesting that your glow plug relay is clicking. Just looking to see if there is a fuse relating to this. Fuse 27 under the bonnet (50A) is a possible suspect.

My money is on it being electronic rather than electrical.

Chris

 

[bigdog1042]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

i agree about the immobiliser seeming to be a contender but i didn;t even know i'd got one! its got a very basic key with no fob which would suggest to me it's not got one but i just don't know. Could disconnecting both batteries for about an hour really cause this? I;m seriously jarred off that i could possibly naff up such a seemingly easy job!!

 

[Chris]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

I would also suggest the alarm thing. Lock up the truck with the bonnet open, but with something holding the button down - just one way of doing it. The set the alarm off. Stick the key in and turn it. I find I have to turn mine on and off to re set it.

You can just leave a window open and stick your hand in and open a door. Just don't unlock the driver door with the key. I have had mine go like this at some point in the past and it was as dead as a tomb - but somethings still worked.

Chris


BTW - no need to take the fan off to change the alternator belts you know.

 

[Ian Rubie]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

There is a small green wire that goes to the passenger side battery. As Karl said earlier, it is easy to miss. If it is not connected or gets broken you get these symptoms. I won't say how long it took to find when I had the same problem with mine

Ian

 

[bigdog1042]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

Ok bit of an update. Big thank you to Karl for his help on the phone that has lead me to getting the truck running. i installed a push button switch connected to the king lead on the starter solonoid and the solonoid activation wire which just bypassed the ignition switch. this means that with the ignition on i just push the button and she's away. Not a permanent fix but a\t least it gets me going this evening for the journey to Plymouth.
anyone got any ideas for a permanent fix? how the hell could i have broken the wire from the ignition by only changing the alternator belts??!!

many thanks again to all

Chris

 

[Chris]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

On your return, I think we'd all appreciate a couple of pics and narrative about this one. it might just happen to one of us. Would this be one of the little fusible links to the battery post by any chance? They can get weakened and broken.

Incidentally, you did say you'd removed the fan and pulley to get the belts on. No need for that, you just put the belt over one of the blades, turn it (the fan) then put it over the next blade and so on until the whole belt ends up over the fan one blade at a time - 30 seconds max.

Chris

 

[karl webster]

Re: dash lights on but no starter! 600 miles to do tomorrow!

No worries Chris (bigdog)


Chris, I just said the same as we did we jonnies truck in wales when he had lost his keys. Short term fix i know but he can use truck for what he needs now.I personally think a imobiliser somewhere on the truck has kicked in with the batterys being taken off. If it is somewhere on the wire that goes to the start solinoid on the starter theres no chance. Just disconnect the starter sol plug and put your own feed down to it and hey presto...... Sometimes

Glad your stress levels are ok now

Karl