Help! battery, oil, diesel water trap lights intermittent

[CATS]

Gen3 3.2 Did 2001 model.

After traveling some very corrugated roads over the last few days I have the following problem:

Firstly I had one of the rear DVD head units stop working and I thought this to be a blown fuse without too much worry.

A day later the auxilary power(Where the power for DVD unit is picked up) in the center cubbyhole failed when I stopped and reversed when I missed a turnoff. At the same time the aircon fan, indicator lights,central locking and radio also stopped working. I checked the fuses and found one blown in the engine bay. Replacing did not help as it kept on blowing. I left it as is and the rest of the trip was done with the windows open like in the old days. Interesting on a dusty hot Karoo road!

A little while later my REAL concern started! As I went over a series of corrugations on an uphill, I noticed that the battery, oil level and water in diesel filter went on and off intermittently but mostly stayed on. The car drove like normal. I later realised while looking at my battery monitor that the battery was also not charging as it should. Luckily the battery lasted until we got to Algeria campsite where I am currently. I assume it to be a loose earth connection or something due to the intermittancy of the problem. Tracing an Auto Elec over the weekend proofed fruitless but hopefully I will get someone on Monday as I need to move to the next stop on my tour on Tuesday morning.

Any ideas where I can focus my efforts and get the 12V sparky to go at on Monday?

Thanks

CATS
PS - I am now also an expert tyre changer and puncture fixer after two flats on the dirt road due to too much pressure to start off with I believe, but that is another story.

[Greg_SA]

Hi Cats,

I think you probably have a wire shorted to the body somewhere.

I had a similar problem - fuse in the cabin fuse box kept blowing. Sometimes I could drive an hour, other times it blew immediately.

Eventually, I found that a part of the wiring loom in the engine bay (behind the passenger side headlight had been rubbing up against the body work, and the insulation of a wire had rubbed away, shorting to the body.

I think some insulation around the loom was removed when my Netstar unit was fitted!

Maybe see if you can look around in the engine bay, and check for any looms that touch the body, and see if they are rubbed through - this might be likely as you have traveled on corrugated roads!

Cheers
Greg

[Davidvan]

CATS,

Maybe try and disconnect the extras from the battery to narrow down the cause from Gregs suggestion. Maybe one of the extras has the fault and should narrow down the problem.

Cheers and hope it is sorted quickly.

[LowRange]

CATS

I can share some experience I've had on my PJ, which might be worthwile to check out.

Similar to your first issue, I've had the positive on the auxiliary plug in the load bay come off and blowing the fuse intermittently as it was dangling about. Maybe strip and have a look at the incoming wires on the one feeding your DVD player.

I've also had the Netstar issue which Greg mentioned on my Colt many years ago. Positive came loose from the unit in the roof in Botswana - had major hazzles, and only discovered this back at home!

On your second issue - I've had a similar experience in the Kgalagadi with dashlights and radio going on/off and low charge indication. This turned out to be the main battery which was on its way out - had an internal fault which would pull down the voltage intermittantly. Had the battery tested, and it checked out fine prior to that trip - but the corrugations killed it!

Hope you get sorted soon!

Johan

[CATS]

Feedback time. My DvD was just a fuse, but the three warning lights on the dash and the alternator not charging was traced to the wiring loom running from alternator to battery which got caught in the front propshaft when a cliP holding it in place failed. The whole wiring harnass was eaten by the propshaft. According to the autolec it is a miracle that I did not have more damage and burned wires with possibly fire as well. I was lucky.

I have seen the broken clip for a while now every time I got under the car and everytime just clipped it back in place as I could not get a cable tie in there. Note to self: don't let those nigling small things stand. They end up in expensive repairs.

I am now now continuing my 'Gaan Bossies!' Tour of the Great and Small Karoo region and will buy some fuses at the agents while resting the bones a bit in Cape Town.

Will post picks when I get back home.

CATS

[CATS]

Back at home and busy sorting out some photos.

This what my wiring harnass looked like after the propshaft had a bite from it!! Amazingly I still drove without a hicup into the Auto Lec 200km after the incident happened!

The wire run underneath the gearbox/engine from the alternator to the battery. but was pulled up to the engine bay for the photo.

Hats off to Citrusdal Auto Electrical for getting me sorted on short notice.

[4ePikanini]

holy smokes.

[Davidvan]

Looks like a wireless Pajero , that is hectic!

[paw_by_paw]

Cats,. You are one lucky son of a UHH something
That could have been some serious damage. Good luck with the rest of your trip