Italian temperament - selective loss of indicators, aircon...

[Slowly]

Now a fire!

Whether it is relevant I'm not sure, but I decided [edit for the first time] to set the seat/mirror preference to my favoured positions and on setting off found I had no aircon or indicators. Clearly not a fuse as several unrelated bits weren't working and while the indicators didn't, the hazards did work so I was able to indicate that I was pulling into a layby and 30 seconds with the ignition switched off resolved the problem. A worrisome advent present from the car...I'd wondered if the gearchanging mechanism could also be affected and whether I'd have a horrendous crunching from the rear. Fortunately not.

 

[midlifecrisis]

This could be the position of the ignition key after starting the engine. Sometimes it doesn't return to the proper position and the electrical connection isn't made to all of the above.
You could use switch cleaner to prevent this occurring again but if it does a gentle rotation of the switch will cure the issue. Be careful not to turn the engine off!

Let me know how you get on.

 

[Slowly]

Thanks - I started the engine with the blue button.. but if the key wasn't quite in the right position I suppose it may have allowed me to start but not activated everything and it is possible that then, by turning off and then re-turning the key to the ignition position it moved a fraction further as you say. If it happens again I'll look carefully at exactly that and feed back.

 

[CatmanV2]

I think it's spectacularly unlikely that the key switch has more than a single connection. I get similar issues *rarely* in the 4200, but always put it down to the computers failing to boot correctly.

C

 

[midlifecrisis]

I'm just using lay man's terms. It could be the power for the canbus drivers for all of the above.

 

[CatmanV2]

I'm just using lay man's terms. It could be the power for the canbus drivers for all of the above.

Still not likely to be in the key (IMHO) but it's Italian

C

 

[conaero]

Battery reset. Turn off overnight, restart in the AM leave to idle for 20 mins without pressing the throttle then take it out and cane it to set the fuelling up for "spirited"

 

[davy83]

Fuse 16, it runs a whole bunch of things and its in parallel with another fuse (21 maybe), very prone to failure and blows when the lateral front accelerometer is faulty, definitely worth a check

 

[Slowly]

Thanks - it all worked again once I'd turned off the ignition for 30 sec so I assume it was just some Advent computer glitch rather than a fuse. I switch off the master switch every time it goes back to my tiny garage so it will get a re-boot every week or two at this time of year when it lives in the garage more than not

- I was tempted to go out today but as my (I do the cooking) Christmas "lunch" for 17 peeps was at 18:30 yesterday and as my brother-in-law had brought a magnum of very special wine, special Stilton and vintage Port.. I decided that a driving-free day was sensible - well, except that I was the passenger in the UP with my youngest, L plates on, drove his big sisters and mother into town to hunt for bargains.

 

[davy83]

Check the fuses under the passenger foot well are seated? there is a stupid plastic cover over the main fuse block and it stops the fuses from going all the way into the sockets like they should and so they can come loose just hitting bumps? may not be the problem, but you have some thing intermittent. Another thing i did on my car was to replace all the relays, its not a lot of work and they are not expensive, at a certain age they get corroded inside, and can act up.

 

[Slowly]

Many thanks will do

 

[Slowly]

Well, no recurrence of that problem but a new gremlin - no sound from hifi - (Becker / Auditorium with CD in the unit and CD changer in the boot - the latter I'd not yet tried). The head unit is doing its stuff - CD turning, displaying radio stations, volume bars going up and down as one turns the knob etc. I can't find a mute button or function, I've tried the 20sec reset with the on/off button, tried turning off the ignition, tried turning off the battery isolator switch, looked at fuses 26, 39 and in the boot 6... all seem OK. From a search this seems a common problem.

 

[CatmanV2]

The only time I've seen this is where there is a short on one of the speakers

C

 

[Bart]

Check the fuses under the passenger foot well are seated? there is a stupid plastic cover over the main fuse block and it stops the fuses from going all the way into the sockets like they should and so they can come loose just hitting bumps? may not be the problem, but you have some thing intermittent. Another thing i did on my car was to replace all the relays, its not a lot of work and they are not expensive, at a certain age they get corroded inside, and can act up.

Apologies for a thread hijack (to a degree) - but could you advise me of the relay items and where you purchased? I'm sat in work today and fancy some shopping, but won't be home till gone 6pm to check the car in the garage

 

[safrane]

Slowly.

It may be the Amp in the boot behind the battery. It has its own fuse in the side of the unit where the wires go in.

If the unit is shot you can also by pass the loom as the ASK amp feed and exit wires have common socmets.

 

[Slowly]

Thanks will get battery out and have a look when I get a chance..

 

[Slowly]

Well, not having been too fussed by lack of audio I took an acute interest this morning. Switched on the isolator switch and got the car out of the garage. Within about a minute there was a bad electrical smell and on opening the boot to switch off the isolator switch again as a first move, smoke and, from behind / a little forward of the battery, flames. After turning the switch and a few puffs (and inhalation of some nasty smoke) I managed to blow out the flames. On removing the battery the source of the fire is the right hand of the two connector blocks in the photo (there's also that nasty white powder - presumably battery acid related though the battery itself is fine, so this may date from a previous one - I've not had the car very long and not had the battery out before). Presumably the loss of audio was an early sign of a short in this block rather than the amp itself? Anyone know if this set of wires is all audio-related or something more important? Clearly I'll have to get the car retrieved as I dare not turn the power on again to drive it anywhere - or, though that's not as important, get the driver's window to shut fully. Oh, and though it is also not important, is that the original slave amp?

 

[spkennyuk]

This could be the position of the ignition key after starting the engine. Sometimes it doesn't return to the proper position and the electrical connection isn't made to all of the above.
You could use switch cleaner to prevent this occurring again but if it does a gentle rotation of the switch will cure the issue. Be careful not to turn the engine off!

Let me know how you get on.

Same thing happens on mine every now and again MLC. I think the spring that return the key to the correct postion On the 4200 after you starting the car gets a bit weaker with age or its catching and stopping the key returning to the correct postion. Its done it twice in 9 months on me. Car starts and drives fine but no indicators. I twigged it was the key when i pulled over and went to turn the car off and as i started to move the key the indicators came back on. You dont need to turn the car off just a little pressure on the key will make it click into place.

The 2nd time it did it i was at a set of traffic lights so i didnt even have to stop to adjust the key position.

Not sure it would apply to the GS as they have a start button instead of the final twist of the key.

 

[CatmanV2]

Oh dear

I don't know what it is, but I really hope it's not as bad as it looks!

C