T350 help

[TIV400]

Tried to start the car today but it,s dead as a dodo. Car has been stood for two/ three weeks in a garage without power. However I charge up a spare battery and plug that in to the Anderson connector. Usually keeps the car's battery topped up enough to run, but not this time.

Either the car battery is knackered (only two years old - so unlikely) or

More likely due to the fact that I'm pretty certain that I connected the spare battery up to the wrong terminals

Any ideas what to look for if it was the latter causing the problem? ( I know how to get into the car when the battery is dead)

Thanks in advance

[billy no brakes]

I have limited knowledge but when you turn the key do you get the start up sequence with the original battery in and if not do you get it with the battery connected to the Anderson connector, if you don,t with either are both batteries knackered might be worth trying asking a friendly neighbour to connect their battery to the Anderson connector and see what happens, if nothing then check the fuses

[TIV400]

Thanks for the response - to answer your questions I don't get any sign of life with just the car battery or spare connected through the Anderson connector. Would I have buggered both batteries by cross connecting the terminals?

Fuse no 20 (dash and efi ecu) 7.5amp had blown -stil doesn't make any difference. Also I changed the master ignition (fuse box) No 35 was 30amp but the service book says it should be 10 so i' ve changed it to 10amp?.

Any other ideas off anyone?

[cinquecento]

Did you get the terminals crossed when connecting batteries?.

[shep1001]

Check the 80A fuse board feed in the PS footwell mounted on the bulkhead

[TIV400]

cinquecento said:

Did you get the terminals crossed when connecting batteries?.

yes

shep1001 said:

Check the 80A fuse board feed in the PS footwell mounted on the bulkhead

where exactly is this? Is it easy to spot. I'm having to and lay upside down with my head in the footwell - not a pretty sight!

Edited by TIV400 on Monday 26th August 15:12

Edited by TIV400 on Monday 23 September 19:35

[cinquecento]

You can open the doors by using the red handles near the door hinge.

The are MBE ecu wiring diagrams available (use Google search)..start checking your +12 v

[shep1001]

TIV400 said:

where exactly is this? Is it easy to spot. I'm having to get into the car via the boot and lay upside down with my head in the footwell - not a pretty sight!

Edited by TIV400 on Monday 26th August 15:12

Its in one of those black midi fuse holders with a big red cable running through it, to the fuse board and from a grommet on the bulk head off the battery. you might have to pull the carpet back to get to it but there is nothing else that looks like it in that area. mine is mounted horizontally on the 'wall' between the cabin & the engine bay directly along the centre line of the passenger seat if that makes sense.

[cinquecento]

Diagrams are on the mytuscan.co.uk site under resources / downloads and manuals

[TIV400]

Well it's been some time but checked all fuses charged battery and it started. Great all set to attend Back Home last week end. Saturday morning did not start again. Spent the morning checking fuses and charging battery again.

This week end with the weather looking great I got the car out, started first time drove about twenty minutes then it died, coughed and spluttered before it stopped then nothing , battery completely dead ie doors would not open.

Recovery man reckons it's the alternator any thoughts?

[shep1001]

TIV400 said:

Well it's been some time but checked all fuses charged battery and it started. Great all set to attend Back Home last week end. Saturday morning did not start again. Spent the morning checking fuses and charging battery again.

This week end with the weather looking great I got the car out, started first time drove about twenty minutes then it died, coughed and spluttered before it stopped then nothing , battery completely dead ie doors would not open.

Recovery man reckons it's the alternator any thoughts?

Don't bother fannying about checking the midi fuses just change them (especially the one under the airbox on the alternator) they fracture internally with the heat before they fail completely which you won't pick up metering them out. What voltage do you see on the dash? This could indicate if the alternator and/or the fuse is dying. Mine ended up being the fuse, what would happen is it would start most of the time run for 20 mins then die...... Battery voltage on the dash would drop from 13.8v when charging ok down to about 9v then it was lights out, dead as a dodo!

[TIV400]

shep1001 said:

Don't bother fannying about checking the midi fuses just change them (especially the one under the airbox on the alternator) they fracture internally with the heat before they fail completely which you won't pick up metering them out. What voltage do you see on the dash? This could indicate if the alternator and/or the fuse is dying. Mine ended up being the fuse, what would happen is it would start most of the time run for 20 mins then die...... Battery voltage on the dash would drop from 13.8v when charging ok down to about 9v then it was lights out, dead as a dodo!

Sounds very similar - I don't know how to check residual voltage but.recovery man said ~ 9v. How easy , or not is it to get to the fuse under the air box, I donn't really have facilities to work on the car myself so I was tempted to get it transported to a garage

[Mattt]

My issue turned out to be alternator, was a frustrating couple of months trying various things. How old is your battery? If it's sat flat for a while might be worth swapping out.

[shep1001]

TIV400 said:

Sounds very similar - I don't know how to check residual voltage but.recovery man said ~ 9v. How easy , or not is it to get to the fuse under the air box, I donn't really have facilities to work on the car myself so I was tempted to get it transported to a garage

Your battery voltage shows up on the dash on the screen that had oil temp/pressure etc on it so you can see it in real time. The fuse under the airbox needs the airbox to be removed (you can mod the wires so it sits on the inner wing with easy access). It's not a difficult job takes about 20 mins

[m4tti]

A knackered alternator will discharge your battery(s).

[monty quick]

The fuse under the airbox is the most likely culprit.
Two allen headed screws at the top of the airbox, two clips on the side; slide your arm under the airbox to get to the third clip then gently lift the airbox off.
Fuse is in a plastic carrier adjacent to the alternator. Either disconnect the battery or use insulated tools otherwise you will cause fireworks when trying to loosen the fuse nuts.
Loosen the two nuts slide the fuse out and replace (preferably with a bettr 125Amp 'bodied' fuse).

Start the car (it will run with the airbox off) and check the Voltage in the list on the dash pod. It should be around 13.5Volts. If not (and the fuse is OK) it is probably the alternator.

[TIV400]

monty quick said:

The fuse under the airbox is the most likely culprit.
Two allen headed screws at the top of the airbox, two clips on the side; slide your arm under the airbox to get to the third clip then gently lift the airbox off.
Fuse is in a plastic carrier adjacent to the alternator. Either disconnect the battery or use insulated tools otherwise you will cause fireworks when trying to loosen the fuse nuts.
Loosen the two nuts slide the fuse out and replace (preferably with a bettr 125Amp 'bodied' fuse).

Start the car (it will run with the airbox off) and check the Voltage in the list on the dash pod. It should be around 13.5Volts. If not (and the fuse is OK) it is probably the alternator.

NOT my engine but I assume that you mean the two allen headed screws that are at the end of brackets which themselves have two screws fixed to the air box? (the more I write the more confusing it gets)

do the other posi-drive screws in the air box not need to be removed?

The clips being those on the side of the air box as indicated?

IS the third clip towards the front or bulkhead end of the air box?

Humour me please!

[monty quick]

Yes the two screws on brackets (you obviously have to unplug the sensor and remove the breather pipes).
The third clip comes to hand when you slide your arm under the air box from the front towards the back.

[TIV400]

Ready to try again.

I parked the car up for winter - now spring is here I'm looking to get it back on the road. Basically the alternator appeared to be goosed, but the forums indicated I should check out the fuse beneath the air box. I removed the air box but could not see anything I would class as a fuse. There was a connector with a 'spike' type metal core but nothing to be easily replaced. Am I looking at the right thing. is it just that I'm ignorant or did the factory find bit in the parts bin for my car (see photo if this helps) .

Can anyone explain (in simple steps please) how to test if the alternator is working?

[clive f]

the fuse you need to check is just above the coil pack on the left end of the block, on a bracket that also has the clutch bleed pipe attached to it.look to your left it will be in a small black plastic holder.