chirpy chirpyu cheep cheep. LCA

[Velocette]

I have always had an issue with the LCA chirping for four or five minutes from cold. Cleaning the screws gives temporary respite. However yesterday the chirping was quiye but constant and the light on faintly all day which included a run from Bristol to Chippenham and various shopping destinations.

Last time I cleaned the screws a filed the point off each one to try and give more contact area.

The only other thing is that one of the turbo hoses has a pin hole leak and ADS have a new one on order for me, they serviced the car last Wednesday.

I am checking the fluid level every day at least once because of the above and keeping an eye on the temperature (TM2) which is peaking at about 87 atm. The coolant level is always the same, about 60mm showing on the dipstick.

I have recently discovered that the LCA is powered from the electric windows circuit if that is any help...

Amy ideas?

[haydn callow]

60mm on a dipstick verticlly down into the expansion tank is far too much..
Your tank must be nearly full to the filler..

You need to get it on the full line when cold...about 2cms on a dip stick.

Send me your address and I will send a couple of new screws.

Suggest you move from the window circuit....If the blinds do NOT depend on a leisure battery I always go for that left hand blind circuit....Back of fusebox 2nd row...green/yellow....or go to the back of the ciggy socket if it is live ONLY with ignition on.

[Velocette]

Cheers Haydn. I don't know how it got that high. Must have overdone it when I last topped up due to not being on level ground and not cold I expect. I will syphon some out.

Left hand blind circuit and cig lighter are on the LB so I will use the RH blind circuit. I only find the sliding door blind needs to be moved much while stopped.

I will PM you my address, thanks. Actually it was noted when we fitted the Willington kit that the fuse blades where quite corroded so maybe that could be the cause of the chirping?

Cheers

Eric

[haydn callow]

Cheers Haydn. I don't know how it got that high. Must have overdone it when I last topped up due to not being on level ground and not cold I expect. I will syphon some out.

Left hand blind circuit and cig lighter are on the LB so I will use the RH blind circuit. I only find the sliding door blind needs to be moved much while stopped.

I will PM you my address, thanks. Actually it was noted when we fitted the Willington kit that the fuse blades where quite corroded so maybe that could be the cause of the chirping?

Cheers

Eric

Could be...
This has been reported about 6 times over the years.
Normally caused by....Dirty sensor screw (often caused by putting new RED coolant in the system)
Very weak coolant...(too much water)
Electrical gremlins in the Bongo System.

New screws will be posted tomorrow

[Velocette]

Cheers, I will try cleaning the fuse blades and see if that helps.

[Northern Bongolow]

just putting some bits together in my head, and not trying to worry you.

pin hole in turbo hose.
raised coolant level in expansion tank.

possible air in the system which could be compressed when the waterpump pushes against it. then relaxes and shows high in the expansion tank when stopped.

does the waterpump empty/lower the expansion tank when the engine is warmed up and revving,
this could give a correct alarm as the tank may be low when revving.

[Velocette]

just putting some bits together in my head, and not trying to worry you.

pin hole in turbo hose.
raised coolant level in expansion tank.

possible air in the system which could be compressed when the waterpump pushes against it. then relaxes and shows high in the expansion tank when stopped.

does the waterpump empty/lower the expansion tank when the engine is warmed up and revving,
this could give a correct alarm as the tank may be low when revving.

hmmm. I must admit I was worried that it could be something like that but it is never a full alarm, just a barely audible chirp but I guess it isn't drying off enough if your theory is correct. One thing that rings true is that Easter Saturday night, returning to the campsite I noticed that the alarm would silence if I took my foot off the accelerator and start again when I put my foot down. I put that down to some electrical reason but it could be the same thing. I am not going to use it until they replace the hose and I guess they will need to bleed it anyway although they said it would only take half an hour to fit so not sure.

I haven't dipped it with the engine running.

[mikeonb4c]

Bizarre. Have to say my pre-production LCA has been faultess over 5+ years of oparation.

[jaylee]

Thinking inside another box... Do you have a volt meter..? What's the charge..?

This springs to mind also..? You never know..?!!! http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=55036

[haydn callow]

Put a voltmeter from the tank sensor screw to earth......what is the voltage with engine running,,,,,,,???? about 2 volts ??

[Velocette]

Put a voltmeter from the tank sensor screw to earth......what is the voltage with engine running,,,,,,,???? about 2 volts ??

I will try tonight.

[Velocette]

Thinking inside another box... Do you have a volt meter..? What's the charge..?

This springs to mind also..? You never know..?!!! http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=55036

I will check but I haven't heard any belts slipping and I am sure ADS will have checked them during the service. Maybe the starter battery could be below par but it always starts easily whataver the temperature.

[Velocette]

Put a voltmeter from the tank sensor screw to earth......what is the voltage with engine running,,,,,,,???? about 2 volts ??

I will try tonight.

2.9V when the engine was first started and 2.2V once it was warmed up.

In amswer to Jaylee I took the following readings:

starter battery Voltage 12.63 standing, 11.78 with Ign on, 14.06 when idling.

With the car parked on a camber causing a lower than normal dipstic reading the readings were:

@10C 20mm. @83C with engine idling 50 mm, engine stopped 60mm but a couple of minutes later 50mm again.

[haydn callow]

That all sounds good except for the voltage at the sensor screw.....It's too high @ 2.9 volts which means that the resistance from the screw to earth via the coolant is high....so...either dirty screw (new ones on the way) or very weak coolant strength or extreamly low coolant temp (below freezing.).

The alarm will "mutter" above 2.5 volts.....I would guess that the alarm is silent once warmed up...
The other possibility is a faulty componant within the alarm that is allowinf the volts to leak to the sensor....however if that was the case I would expect the fault to be permanant.

Put a new screw in and report back.

[Velocette]

That all sounds good except for the voltage at the sensor screw.....It's too high @ 2.9 volts which means that the resistance from the screw to earth via the coolant is high....so...either dirty screw (new ones on the way) or very weak coolant strength or extreamly low coolant temp (below freezing.).

The alarm will "mutter" above 2.5 volts.....I would guess that the alarm is silent once warmed up...
The other possibility is a faulty componant within the alarm that is allowinf the volts to leak to the sensor....however if that was the case I would expect the fault to be permanant.

Put a new screw in and report back.

OK, One more question, you talk about the screw, singular? Mine has two, with a red wire and a black wire. It was fitted before I got the vehicle. You are not going to tell me that the black wire should go to earth I hope?

Yes it usually does stop when it warms up but Saturday was the exception, it sounded very quietly with a dim light all day.