HELP Hdi wont stop

[rd070707]

Hi guys driving along here and suddenly my hdi had a power cut, engine died. Pulled in and noticed the clock were all the way round and mileage is all zeros. She will not attempt to turn over at all just clicks like mad when you turn the key.

Im assuming no power due to battery or alternator?

Anyone shed any light?

Should be getting a jump here in a minute

[mcglynn]

Check the earth strap on the gearbox. Known to come loose

[rd070707]

Okay so got a jump there didnt start. Car got full power to clocks etc but just tried to turn once then stopped

[rd070707]

Had to leave it and go back and tow it later, had it on jump leads and tried it but it only turns over the tiniest bit then dies. Any ideas?

[rd070707]

Has all the symptoms of a dead battery but surely on jump leads it should have started

[Toms306]

Definitely a bad connection one of the major cables I reckon.

[rd070707]

Could you tell me where to start tom?

[Toms306]

Well the main negative goes from the battery down to the gearbox - easy to check that one, just pull out the airbox and have a look.

The positive goes from battery down to starter and then alternator. Plus the two thin ones that go from battery to engine fusebox.

If you've got a multimeter check the resistance of those cables, it should be barely anything.


I take it the battery light wasn't on before the engine cut out?

[rd070707]

No battery light wasnt on, which i thought it would have if the alternator had died.

When i was towing it home there the lights just got dimmer and dimmer

[Toms306]

Yeah the battery light should come on if the battery isn't charging for any reason.

If you're towing it the alt wont be charging the battery anyway so Id expect the lights to dim then tbh.

[rd070707]

Okay so i put my dads battery in and hey presto it started. Few things though, there is a high pitched whine coming from the fuel fiter housing area and it will not turn off with the key, it just keeps running and the battery light comes on. When i turn the car back on the battery light goes off.

Any ideas?

[mcglynn]

High pitched whine is the lift pump running dude, check your relay in behind the ecu hasnt melted and shorted.

It should come on when you turn the key and stay on for a few seconds.

Id say a definate earth or shorting issue. Hence your nattery going flat

[rd070707]

The whining is while its running though and is coming from the fuel filter area, its not the lift pump priming. But i agree seems like a shorting issue

[mcglynn]

Whining from the fuel filter area is just the lift pump running honestly.

Check the relay behind the ecu, check the plugs along the front cross member and only other thing I can think is earth wires.

[Poodle]

As Tom and Mcglynn say, get that relay and your earths checked out.

[rd070707]

okay, now I know the gearbox earth point what other ones i gotta check?

[Poodle]

The relay and the ones on the chassis legs.

[rd070707]

Okay so ive checked the brown relay, it seems fine no burnt pins all clean.

Checked the gearbox earth and the two earths below the battery on the inner arch, all seem fine.

Only thing i see is the fan plug and the plug for the horn are fairly gunked up as ive had them disconnected for a couple of months. Going to clean them up and reconnect them.

Going to get this battery tested and or buy a new one.

How do i test the alternator? Because i had a coolant leak a while back due to header tank seal and it likely spilled all over the alternator

[rd070707]

So cleaned everything back up and reconnected, Started no problem. Whine was very loud, definately coming from the fuel filter housing as when i push the two pipes on top of the housing the noide stops.

Still wont turn off with the key, am i looking at a fuelling problem then? Cant see why it killed the battery yesterday though?

Any ideas appreciated

[Toms306]

Coolant in the alternator shouldn't really affect it, mines full of PAS fluid/coolant etc. The terminals are covered by rubber bungs anyway, so nothing should get to them.

That whine is from the filter housing, but its not unusual on older HDis. They fitted a damper to one of the pipes on the Y reg onwards HDi to reduce it. I think its just a coincidence tbh though.

Not really sure what to suggest now.

[rd070707]

I may try cleaning the fuel regulator first and see

[Poodle]

If it's not stopping on the key it's most likely down to a dirty or knackered regulator. If you're going to take it out and flush it then be VERY clean when you do so, no muck at all can get inside the pump.

[rd070707]

Okay thanks poodle. Considering that something drained the battery though i can assume that fuel pump is getting a permanent live some how, hence why it wont shut off? Anyone any ideas how this could be happening?

The brown relay pins looked clean

[Poodle]

Have you just looked at your earths to check them or have you actually cleaned them up properly?

[rd070707]

Just checked them bud they looked fine

[E_KEL95]

Am guessing this is why this is why this was abandoned at the side of the road yesterday between prush and pstewart? Any sickner lad hope you get it sorted

[rd070707]

Aye lad just died on me couldnt have happened in much of a worse place lol. Shes back running though just wont stop haha

Okay so checked the voltage at the lp pump with the key off and its still seeing 11.9v and you can still hear it whirring away. The voltage between the earths and the neg are consistent at 0.2v

[mcglynn]

Id say its a wiring issue. Check the big plug on the front chassis leg, this is where my problems where. Disconnect, clean and reconnect. Then check the voltages at the fuses in the engind bay.

Cully put up a wiring diagram for me to help me, if you find the thread I started ull see it all bud.

[Poodle]

Checking your earths by eye won't tell you anything, pull them off and clean them properly, it's a two minute job and means you're sure they're not the issue.

[rd070707]

Okay will start with that this morning, if that fails i may replace the brown relay to see if it makes a difference