Non Ignition 😐

Here’s a teaser to think about while digesting the Xmas dinner

Ignition isn’t coming on. Intermittent, it’s happened last couple of times went to start it, but worked eventually.

The ignition switch is new. I also tried the old one back in.

Investigating shows a 12V feed coming in on a brown wire. Presumably this gets transferred to two other terminals when the ignition is tuned on, and to another red wire when key turned to start.
What’s happening though is that when the ignition is turned to on, the 12V feed is dropping to zero.

I’m scratching my head as to why this is so.

Luckily it started fine today, got to our destination 50miles and as I went to reverse, it cut out and now ignition won’t turn on.

Cigarette lighter, electric window and hazards work ok. Battery charge is good.
I’ve tried a jump lead from neg battery terminal to the engine block in case it was something to do with an earth.

Any thoughts?

Thanks Max but the lights on dash don’t light up at all, so not even getting as far as to try to turn the starter.
When the ignition does come on, it starts straight up.

Where’s that Jon?
I changed the ignition barrel.
I also pulled the contacts out of the van side connector block and put them onto the contacts in the ignition side contacts.
I don’t understand why the 12v is dropping to zero when the key turns ignition to on.

I’ll pull the dash out tomorrow to try to find out where this 12v feed is coming from.

Might be an extended stay

I was looking at that when I discovered the 12v was dripping.

I’ll cut both connectors off and use a connector block instead.

Darren I’d be confident your problem lies in the ignition switch/connector block. They carry a serious load and are prone to overheating. But my knowledge is very basic.

I don’t see a central relay in the diagrams Jon, it’s even harder to see any relays under the bonnet!

Don’t suppose he said where these fuses are to be found

Edit:
Found the post, I’ll have a look in the glove box too

What a coincidence, same problem on the same day!

I used to use this stuff for cleaning multi pin plugs, when at work.
Chemtronics 418 ml Aerosol Contact Cleaner. From RS components.

Ok so I took the instrument display out to trace back the 12V feed.

Traced it through the loom and found another connector block over the driver side wheel arch (RHD). Looked a bit brown and could not seperate it. Having wiggled it around for a while the van started and ran fine, couldn't get the engine to stop (other than turning the ignition off).
Measured about half a volt difference from one side of the connector to the other.

I cut the wire out on each side of the connector and put it into a connector strip. Looking into the old connector it looks like had been getting hot, possibly was arcing.


Dash lit up each time, voltage at the ignition is now measuring the same as at the fuse panel, it had been a bit lower when measured previously.

Took the chance and drove home (all family on board), about 50km, no issues at all on the way, even got caught in some start/stop traffic along the way (don't think I ever held my breath so long )

No idea Martin, it was difficult enough to find the one of interest, I’d guess they go up to the main fuse panel though.
They were very frugal with their cable, not much slack at all.
The 12v feed to ignition was brown, but after this connector the van side was red.
There’s also a pink cable, but I couldn’t find these in the engine bay, may well be another connector somewhere.

Electrical faults are rarely straight forward, the burning effect you see on the block, could be the fault but it also could be the result of something further down the line and it is the weekest connection, I would advise spend a little more time following the wires, to see what they feed, maybe disconnect each in turn to see what doesn't work and look at it.
I know, a pain in the butt,but think of the money you will save, when stuck in the electrics, instead of the pub.

Well done on finding that short to chassis, couldn’t have been easy.
I don’t think the brake light is faulty, brake lights lit up fine, I think possibly the extra drain on the battery was enough the drop the voltage through the bad connection to the ignition to knock off the ignition. It would happen sometimes before (when the engine would cut out) only when the headlights/sidelights were on and coming to a stop or idling (so I probably had brake pedal pressed too).
Brake light got plenty of use on that trip home, got stuck in traffic, so I’m optimistic that the connector block was the problem, it’ll take a few trips away to see

i dont mean the brake light ,i meant that cable,but this is strange ,shows how much i know ,if your battery is even dead why would that turn the engine off, if its running and driving along fine.