Post body lift - car started - a couple of problems :)

[jazzdude]

Put the car back together after the 6" body lift, started it and the all the indicators are now glowing. Front, back and sides.

I assume it is a bad earth or connection somewhere, any idea where I can check?

I also let the car run to heat up and the fans didn't come on, even though the temp guage was over 100 degrees. When I put on the fan overide switch though both fans turned on as normal. Is this connected somehow to the indicators glowing or do I have a bad connection there too?

Having taken the radiator out, I filled up the car with water / coolant, it took only 3 litres in the swirl tank and about another litre in the expansion tank, until it overflowed out of the swirl tank. Does that sound right? I thought even though I am sure there was still some coolant in the engine, I expected more than that to go in.

[QBee]

Fans - check your otter switch connections.
Indicators - this happened to me when my alarm was failing, but that may be irrelevant.

[jazzdude]

QBee said:

Fans - check your otter switch connections.
Indicators - this happened to me when my alarm was failing, but that may be irrelevant.

Regarding the earth points, I connected these:

1 under the rad - two wires to front chassis bolt

2. passenger side lower wishbone bolt - one braided wire coming from the front

3. outrigger under steering U/J - two thin wires

4. transmission tunnel, one either side

Thats it, although I dont remember any in the boot. Have I missed one out behind the tank as I dont remember seeing a loose wire there?

[Loubaruch]

The alarm indicator connections are fused F6 and F7 in most cars and if these are removed and the fault clears as said above the alarm is probably faulty. The indicators should still work OK though from the indicator switch as that feed is fused separately.

[jazzdude]

Loubaruch said:

The alarm indicator connections are fused F6 and F7 in most cars and if these are removed and the fault clears as said above the alarm is probably faulty. The indicators should still work OK though from the indicator switch as that feed is fused separately.

When I first connected the battery and tried to start the car, the fuel pump didn't prime. So I resetted the alarm by disconnected the battery for 15 seconds, pressing the fob, and the fuel pump started priming again and the car started, and I had it running for about 20 minutes.

Do you think I should try resetting it again?

[QBee]

As they don't say in the south of France, "Nowt Tolouse"

[jazzdude]

[Steve_D]

There will be more than one earth terminal on both sides of the tunnel top.

Steve

[jazzdude]

Well I am armed with a long piece of wire and a couple of crocodile clips and will get checking all of them.

[carsy]

jazzdude said:

Regarding the earth points, I connected these:

1 under the rad - two wires to front chassis bolt

2. passenger side lower wishbone bolt - one braided wire coming from the front

3. outrigger under steering U/J - two thin wires

4. transmission tunnel, one either side

Thats it, although I dont remember any in the boot. Have I missed one out behind the tank as I dont remember seeing a loose wire there?

Passenger side lower wishbone bolt ??? Mine hasnt got one there, not sure how it would earth effectively on a wishbone bolt if everything is freshly painted up.

Mine does have an earth behind the fuel tank though.

Edited by carsy on Friday 18th March 08:48

[jazzdude]

carsy said:

Passenger side lower wishbone bolt ??? Mine hasnt got one there, not sure how it would earth effectively on a wishbone bolt if everything is freshly painted up.

Mine does have an earth behind the fuel tank though.

Edited by carsy on Friday 18th March 08:48

It's a small braided wire that comes from the front of the car and was fixed to the front wishbone bolt. Not sure what it does but it dissappears into the nose cone under the headlight.

[jazzdude]

Took the tank out and yes there is was, an earth tucked behind some other wires. Connected this to the chassis bolt. I started the car to check and it run for a few minutes and the indicators stopped glowing. But I realised that the fuel pump had stopped working and the engine just ran lumpily until it died.

Reset the alarm, took a live feed directly to the pump (to pink) from the battery and direct earth from another chassis bolt (to black), just lots of sparks and heat as soon as I touched the positive pole, still not working.

Can't believe it. The car was running for about half an hour earlier, no problem, then after I connected the earth behind the tank it dies? Could I have blown a fuse if so where is it?

The only thing I can think of is perhaps the earth behind the tank connects to the pump somehow too (hence the sparks), but then how was it working before I connected this earth?

Going to have another go tomorrow, taking the wires off the poles and trying again with the direct live / earth feed.

[carsy]

Hmmm not too sure about the sparks.

What about the 2 relays in the rats nest in the passenger footwell. These are needed for the fuel pump to run. They can be tempremental if on the way out. Maybe try 2 new ones.

Keep going though sounds like you are nearly there.

[jazzdude]

Took off the wires to the pump, pump works.

Undid a load of electrical tape holding the wires together, put the wires back in and it didnt start.

Realised I had got the wires the wrong way round, the pump was sucking not pumping, put them back together - it started and is alive!!!

Electrical tape is the enemy on these cars as you dont know what is under them, but I think the power feed spade must have moved out and was shorting against the earth feed, which was taped right next to it.

[carsy]

Excellent glad you`ve sorted it.

probably not a bad idea at this stage, especially if the wiring is a bit sus, is to run a new positive feed for the pump in thicker wire. The original wiring doesnt give the pump quite what it would like, a full 12v.