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ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 11:37 am
by changabang
Hi folks, any wisdom gratefully recieved.

I stupidly left my ignition on overnigh :( Apart from a flat or maybe totally trashed battery is there any damage I may have done to the ignition system of my Bongo by burning things out etc? It appears that the system even drained my leisure battery!!

Thanks for your comments

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 11:42 am
by francophile1947
Petrol or diesel engine?
Damage far more likely with petrol engines due to overheating coil etc.
If you got a split charging circuit to your leisure battery, it would appear to be faulty.

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 11:45 am
by Dolly1
Hi
As Franco said ,coil damaged,also check all fuses,hopefully not to expensive

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 2:32 pm
by Ralph
Give it a good long charge and try starting it nothing to
loose but if it is indeed a leisure battery and not two
starter batteries as in the winter kit it should not have
flattened that as well.

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:12 pm
by changabang
Here's an update of my situation have spent most of today trying to work out what's wrong. Having assumed my batteries were flat they'er not. The main bat is reading 12.7v and the leisure bat is reading 12.5 so they seem fine. Turn on ignition - nothing - no dash lights, main lights, nothing! Check all fuses including 60amp ignition fuse under bonnet and the 1000amp all fine. Check cabin fuses, all fine. :( So what's next :?

Anybody any ideas. Does a Bongo have some magic override switch or something.

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:19 pm
by francophile1947
Weird :? Do the interior lights and cigar lighter sockets work (they should be off the leisure battery)? If so, it sounds like the connections to your starter battery and/or earth need checking - can't see why they should fail overnight though.

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:21 pm
by waycar8
have you stripped the plastic cover around the steering colum and checked the wiring on the ignition barrel area :?: may have a dodgy soldered wire that broke

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:37 pm
by Ralph
Have you got a immobiliser that could have taken the hump?
and I know it's a long shot but disconnect the battery's leave
for about a hour then try again.

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:57 pm
by changabang
Yep tried the batts under load put the starter bat in my works van, no probs. Have tried the disconnect the battery senario, no luck. Do have an Avital immobaliser never had any probs with it. Could this just shut down everything???

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 5:22 pm
by Ralph
Does nothing at all work no lights horn nothing at all?
do you get a reading by connecting the volt meter
from the + to a metal bit ? if yes the earth must be ok
if no check earths but why anything like that should
fail by leaving the ign on I don't know immobilisers are
a curse, I have been stranded by them twice the
only good thing about them is that if they play up
bunging a local scum bag a tenner will usually has
it going.
The lights work without even having the key in so
if its the immobiliser at least they should work, it
surly must be something to do with the main wiring
to and from the batteries, do you get a volt reading
from the main connection on the starter and earth?
it's a case of narrowing things down.

Re: ignition stupidity

Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 5:46 pm
by changabang
Thanks Ralph, no nothing no lights nothing. Just like being stabbed through the heart! Not that's ever happened to me. Got a good earth. Haven't checked the starter earth. Think I've had enough for 1 day. Not very good at electrics, back to the local garage. Not sure how I'm going to get there though.

Thanks for the input.