Turn key, battery light comes on but nothing happens

Guest · Post Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:15 pm

Hi all,

I have a rather large problem with my 325 auto. A few days ago the auto box stopped selecting first gear, basically it would pull off in second unless i physically selected 1st gear and when it reached about 70 MPH it decided it wanted to change down (not much fun i can assure you)

Now today i was driving and the dashboard died, no rev counter speedo petrol guage or anything, i pulled over and killed the engine now when i try to start it again i get the battery light lights up and nothing else happens at all. I know the battery is fine because the stereo works fine and the lights are all strong. I have no idea what it could be can anyone help please?

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

Danny

Post Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:45 pm

oh mate

i wish i could help but i dont know the first thing about this stuff, but deffo someone will put it straight for ya

Post Sun Jan 30, 2005 7:46 pm

Know nothing about autos, other than check the oil to see if there's enough and if it smells burnt.
For your electrical fault, must admit I'm struggling. Do you have any of the ignition 1 functions - wipers etc?
Any ignition 2 functions - heater fan, windows etc?
You say you have the battery light, so you must have some ignition 2 working.
Auto cars have a starter inhibitor switch on the gear selector, which switches a relay (up behind the glovebox) which breaks the black/yellow wire from the starter switch to the starter motor. Anyone know where the 12V live feed for this relay comes from?
Just had an idea - check the C101 plug and socket (the big one on the bulkhead just beside the fusebox), is done up properly.

Post Sun Jan 30, 2005 8:03 pm

One quick way to figure out if it's the safety switch on the transmission ( after you've checked all yer fuses) is to put the lever in neutral and try to start it. You may need to slightly jiggle the lever while trying to start... if it don't turn over, check the switch.
As for the shifting problem ......!!
Apart from fluid levels in the transmission... I haven't a clue... sorry.

Guest · Post Sun Jan 30, 2005 8:53 pm

Thanks for the replies guys,

I have tried starting the engine with the gear lever in all the positions still no joy. Everything seems to work fine, the lights, wipers and windows etc.

I think it is the ECU that controls the auto box but i dont know anything about autos either, well i know naff all about cars in general but it seems that the car thinks it is in gear. Before i had this problem i tried starting it in D before (early mornings with my brain switched off) and it did the same thing.

I will have a look at the inhibitor switch and the C101 (if i can find it) in the morning but the car is round my Dad's about 10 miles away and i have to be at work at 7AM

If any one else has any ideas i would be truely grateful, will let you know how it goes

once again thanks guys

Post Sun Jan 30, 2005 11:14 pm

You can work the starter motor by shorting together two pins in the diagnostic socket. - pin 11 ( starter solenoid ) and pin 14 ( battery 12V+ ).
This will operate the starter regardless of the position of the ignition switch and the position of the gear selector. If the ignition is on (in a car in working order), the engine will start, so caution required.
All the autos I've dealt with have been purely mechanical devices with no gearbox ECU or electrics of any kind, but I know that some autos do have an ECU.

Guest · Post Sun Jan 30, 2005 11:33 pm

Thanks for that mate, i was only assuming that the gearbox had an ECU, i have no idea really. This is the first auto i have ever owned, not to keen on them really but it is great for traffic.

I will give this a go in the morning, if i can get it started i can get it to a garage and get it fixed

Post Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:47 am

My auto is a Sport with the switchable box. Not sure if the non-switchable has an ECU Mine is behind the removeable panel on the inside of the nearside rear wing in the boot. Apart from the unit failing completely all you can do is check and clean the connections. As already mentioned, not much to be done DIY with gearbox itself other than check the oil - it should be clear red. There is a changeable filter in the sump which might be blocked (just had mine changed) but with this problrm the gearbox would be very noisy.
There is a electrical connection block on the outside of the box on the left hand side which can get coroded and dirty.
Gear selector - needs to have a firm 'click' into each gear. The selector arm is connected to the outside of the box - bottom left hand side - just a single nut to check tightness.
The changing down on it's own is the confusing bit as otherwise it sounds like an electrical problem around the safety/isolator swith as already described on the thread.
Hope you can track it down.

Guest · Post Thu Feb 03, 2005 10:42 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:You can work the starter motor by shorting together two pins in the diagnostic socket. - pin 11 ( starter solenoid ) and pin 14 ( battery 12V+ ).
This will operate the starter regardless of the position of the ignition switch and the position of the gear selector. If the ignition is on (in a car in working order), the engine will start, so caution required.
All the autos I've dealt with have been purely mechanical devices with no gearbox ECU or electrics of any kind, but I know that some autos do have an ECU.

Top man, i got the car started and it drives fine (apart from the gearbox playing silly buggers still). It is going to my mate tomorrow so he can fix it properly, The entire dashboard is dead, the fan doesnt work (i thought it did) and the electric mirrors dont work but hey, i dont care now the car moves so it saved me about 70 quid on a tow truck.

Thanks guy's, i can

again.

Post Thu Feb 03, 2005 11:58 pm

Heater fan and mirrors are both supplied with power by relay K7.
Either this relay isn't being earthed through the starter motor (along with relay K5 - electric roof and windows), the relay itself is faulty, the green/white ignition supply to pin 86 is missing - fed from main green ignition line via fuse F10, I think.(also supplies instrument panel), or the permanent 12V+ supply to pin 30 is missing - check smaller wires at battery + terminal..
The main green ignition supply must be OK, at least as far as the ignition coil, or the car would not run.

Guest · Post Fri Feb 18, 2005 11:08 am

Brianmoooore wrote:Heater fan and mirrors are both supplied with power by relay K7.
Either this relay isn't being earthed through the starter motor (along with relay K5 - electric roof and windows), the relay itself is faulty, the green/white ignition supply to pin 86 is missing - fed from main green ignition line via fuse F10, I think.(also supplies instrument panel), or the permanent 12V+ supply to pin 30 is missing - check smaller wires at battery + terminal..
The main green ignition supply must be OK, at least as far as the ignition coil, or the car would not run.

This man is a genius.

After driving my car for 2 weeks by bridging pin 11 and 14 i finally got it to the garage. Relay K7 was dead and fuse f10 was blown (after i replaced it a few times i gave up. The relay kept blowing it). Now the electrics are all fine and dandy, the gearbox problem is still occouring but my mechanic thinks it is the kickdown cable so some fine tunning required there now.

all i have to do now is wash the beast.

Thanks again guys for the help, just wanted to let you all know the problems are resolved (it is only polite after all)