why does it do this...

[antz]

ok people an old dash problem has occoured on my escort.

 

its a mk2 ghia with rs clocks in it.

 

the battery light has come on BUT the fuel gauge and temp guage have died.

 

ive had this problem before and i used to slap the dash and the battery light went off and the gauges sprung to life but now it wont work.

 

ive had the wiring checked and it cured it last time but this time its fine and its still doing it!

 

any ideas before i find my hammer and matches?

[FredTransit]

Do you have a voltage regulator? On the Mk2 transit it's a tiny black thing (about 1cmX2cm) behind the temp and tank gauge. When it's on it's way out it makes the gauges act up.

[antz]

i have no idea.

 

the battery light coems on also....i know its not a dodgy connection at the alternator or anything cos when i slapped the dash it went out....then i took the clocks out and put them back in and now it wont go off at all.

[caprinerd]

hit it harder

[Tom]

the only way the battery light would come on is if it was getting an earth from somewhere.

 

On the alternator, when the engine's off, the batt light wire is earthed an when it's running it goes to 12v so the light goes out.

 

so the light could be earthing on either side of the bulb - what you need to do is deteremine which wire is causing it (with a multimeter) and trace it back

[FredTransit]

Yep slapping the dash works for the Mk2 transit too.

[antz]

thanks tom. i was suspecting a bad earth but when the battery igt comes on, it disconnects the power to my temp and fuel gauges and they subsequently...die

 

p.s i cant do wiring

[Stu_B]

 

p.s i cant do wiring

 

Time to learn

 

I hate electrics, but unfortunately they're as necessary as the running gear

[antz]

think the regultor has gone...

 

anyone got a regulator for some mk2 rs2000 dash clocks? ..and i need one urgently

[Tom]

get the book out and find out which wire feeds the battery light and the gauges (prob same wire) and trace that wire back to where the supply is (prob ignition switch)

 

these cars are a piece of piss mate, i work on bmw's all day and the wiring looms on those are as thick as your arm!!

[antz]

my dads mate is gonna look at it for me tomorow

[5hane]

my dads mate is gonna look at it for me tomorow

 

 

as will i

[antz]

cheers shane.

 

im getting it rewired tomorow and checked for any earths. see what happens...hopefully itll work

[emu]

If it turns out to be your voltage regulator then Maplins or RS will probably have something you could replace it with

[antz]

cheers emu!

 

i tried my local car sparky today and they said try ford. so i went to ford and they said to try the local sparky

[FredTransit]

Think laterally. Lots of little leccy bits on fords are still used. If I ask for a flasher unit for a Mk2 transit I have no chance. Ask for one for an Orion and I am in business . The voltage regulator may be used on the si erra, try that.

[bullittcraig]

had the same problem on mine and when i removed the clocks i found that the printed circuit behind the clocks was knackered. If the printed circuit is all ok then it could well be the voltage reg.

[mk2dk]

Had a simular problem some years ago but on a jelly-mould. I re-soldered all the connections on the back of the print using a solderingiron. It can be impossible to see which one is bad. It cured my problem.