Vito dashboard flashing blues

[walbychurch]

Hi , I am a strangely happy Vito110 93,000 miles(2001) owner after travelling from 'Transporter' land(never to go back EVER)!

My console lights have a really bad flashing problem on damp mornings for about 5 minutes of driving.
Most of the warning lights fail to display on turning the key apart from battery light.

Also all the 'dials' are all down,the rear window+ axil' heater don't work until the dials suddenly all come up at once .
Everything else seems to work fine headlights,wipers ,etc
I have given up trying to reset the clock as it just
keeps forgetting the time !
Note(the odometer and clock lights are like shadows+not that bright)

Van does have a 'Selca' Imobiliser/central locking system, which to be fair, is as good as a chocolate teapot.

Could this problem be sorted by a good electrical engineer removing the central display,and looking for a break in the curcuit? Or do I need to bite down hard and get a new dash/ console and start from ooo,ooo miles?

Please help me with this !
Have looked for over an hour trying to find a prevously asked/answered Q on this this but it seems like its all on its own!

 

[dava]

Two possible causes;
Alty or battery, or for that matter both. Get the battery drop tested and get the alty charge rate tested. Both simple jobs the alty can be tested by using a multi meter attached to the pos and neg of the battry, should be pushing out 13+ volts any less it will not be topping up the battery. The battery you need a battery bender, halfrauds etc will possibly do this free of charge, then go some where else for a battery.

 

[television]

If I was doing it,I would remove any trim under the dash, turn on and would move or/and tap the rear of the cluster with a sturdy screwdriver handle,it is one of the only way of finding intermitant faults, if the failed to show a deffinate fault, then I would remove the rear of the cluster and have another go.

Its almost impossible to see PCB breaks, dry joints can only sometimes seen with a trained eye.

Malcolm

 

[dava]

If I was doing it,I would remove any trim under the dash, turn on and would move or/and tap the rear of the cluster with a sturdy screwdriver handle,it is one of the only way of finding intermitant faults, if the failed to show a deffinate fault, then I would remove the rear of the cluster and have another go.

Its almost impossible to see PCB breaks, dry joints can only sometimes seen with a trained eye.

Malcolm

Agree with you on this Malcolm, just we run a fleet of 500 various Merc's including Vito's and Sprinters and we get at least one per week complaing of this fault and 9 out of 10 it's one of these two faults, others are wiring related mainly corrded connections. Hope this is of help.
Ray

 

[television]

Agree with you on this Malcolm, just we run a fleet of 500 various Merc's including Vito's and Sprinters and we get at least one per week complaing of this fault and 9 out of 10 it's one of these two faults, others are wiring related mainly corrded connections. Hope this is of help.
Ray

I went out on a service call this morning where this TV once in 20 times did not turn on, no bad joints or connections and I left the job until it gets worse.

Do you find with the Vito's that things get worse if left, I am aware of the sensitive nature of the battery voltage,as when the engine has been run,the voltage can come back to normal and is consistant with the first start of the day. If the fault did not appear during the normal running then yes,you are right.

Malcolm

 

[dava]

From experience 9 volts is the crucial figure, below that the vehcile may not turn over. When it is low the starter takes max amps and all the other units which are operated when the ign key is on get starved of voltage and drop below 9v and switch off temporarily. As the alty kicks in it produces max voltage (14.7v) to replace that taken from the bat on start up and as the charge rate is so high it pulses and once the bat gets up to voltage (which is minutes) the dash etc get the correct volatge and settle down. My theory on it anyhow. The fact that the dash lights are low is probably just someone has pressed the wrong dash buttons and turned the dispay to min.
Regards
Ray

 

[television]

So it is the same old syndrome,one cell goes partcial short circuit dragging down the running voltage.

I did not grasp this info or fault from reading the first thread. thank you for bringing this common problem up, had it been a car I might have.

Malcolm

 

[walbychurch]

Thanks Malcolm and Ray,
Sometimes when the key is turned even when in the middle of the day I just get a 1/2 second apart click-click-click-click-click from the starter and then she fires.
Thought it was the immobiliser not doing what its told!
Just a note; when I was changing the fuel filter last week I was turning the engine over for about 20 seconds to pump the fuel through. The plastic sheath on the earth strap on the battery was starting a '70 a day habit' very worrying!
Could this be a clue!

After reading your thoughts it sounds like I need to get a good screwdriver +tap the back of the dash with and without back of dash cover.
Have had the starter checked today+ battery charge from alternator is bang on 13A, do you think I should just drop in a new battery anyway,as it does not look 'shinyoutoftheboxyesterday'?
Paul

 

[dava]

Not quite sure what your trying to say here, firstly the bat should be drop tested only fool proof way, as bats act differently under load. Secondly, the alty should be throwing out 13+volts not amps. Also by the sound of it you could have a bad earth which would give all these probs, to test put a GOOD jump lead from the erath terminal to a good clean point (metal) on the engine if it starts ok clean and change you earth lead.

 

[sparrowman]

Help - I have a similar problem

Dear All

I Have a 2000 vito 108cdi, and am experiencing similar and escalating dash and starting problems. Did the above posts cure the problem?

In cold weather, on turning ingnition on, the dash repeatedly switches on and off, and a variable amount of time passes between switch on and the starter turning. Sometimes all that results is a click (I assume the starter) but no turnover. It always starts in the end (so far!) buit seems to be worse the colder it is. Can be up to 20 minutes of dash chaos even once engine is running before it settles.

From what you have posted above, it sounds like battery and/or alty not giving enough juice to a) start, and b) run dash properly. If this is the case, what should I do to test both, what is a 'drop test' and can I do it myself with a multimeter?


Any help gratefully received, as we're off to france soon in the van, and its snowing!!!


Thanks all

Sparrowman