'95 Disco 1- owned since new.....
Electrical Gurus: Anybody had this happen to them? a search of the forums didn't produce anything for me....
The other morning I went out to start my D1- had to drive my son to an event- the usual dash lights came on, key in ignition chime as the door was still open- all the routine stuff. As I was about to crank it from the 'ignition on' key position, my wife gave me a call on my cell. turned the key back to the ignition off position, talked for 20 seconds, Then resumed to start the D1. Nothing- no dash lights, no chimes, no lights- nada- zip! Radio wouldn't work, nor head lights, emergency flashers- total electrical failure.
I am a retired military and commercial airline aviator. Total electrical failure in simulators is a routine event when getting a checkride. Fly the jet, resolve the problem (or not...), land the jet safely.....
Never before in a vehicle..... We quickly switched vehicles, and didn't get back to troubleshoot the D1 until that afternoon. Same thing then- total electric failure, no crank, no lights, nada-zip.....
I got out my multi-meter - battery indicated good at about 12.8v. Alternator is fairly new. I have a carbon pile battery load tester, so I hooked that up. It's larger voltage gage put the battery right on the edge of "OK to Test" at about 11.9 -12.1v, so I went and got my battery charger to give it a quick charge. The battery is a Optima Gel Cell- maybe 2 years old. I had left the ignition on, along with the headlight switch- on. While hooking up an extension cord for the battery charger maybe 4 minutes later, all of a sudden I get
the key in the ignition door open chime, as well as the headlight chime for headlights on- which they now were- with the engine not running......
I turned the headlights off, then cranked the engine per normal... Let it idle for about 20 minutes, while checking the charging voltage at 13.8v or so- the alternator was working correctly. Shut the engine off, load tested the battery- battery tests in the 'A-OK" range.
I mostly drive my D110 300Tdi,so the D1 doesn't get driven everyday- maybe just 3-4 times a week for short trips. The total electrical failure has not occurred since. None of us like electrical weirdness:ack:
Anybody else have this happen? some relay going bad? I don't want to get stuck somewhere out in the National Forest that I live in, hauling firewood with the D1. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Tim
Alpine, Az
Electrical Gurus: Anybody had this happen to them? a search of the forums didn't produce anything for me....
The other morning I went out to start my D1- had to drive my son to an event- the usual dash lights came on, key in ignition chime as the door was still open- all the routine stuff. As I was about to crank it from the 'ignition on' key position, my wife gave me a call on my cell. turned the key back to the ignition off position, talked for 20 seconds, Then resumed to start the D1. Nothing- no dash lights, no chimes, no lights- nada- zip! Radio wouldn't work, nor head lights, emergency flashers- total electrical failure.
I am a retired military and commercial airline aviator. Total electrical failure in simulators is a routine event when getting a checkride. Fly the jet, resolve the problem (or not...), land the jet safely.....
Never before in a vehicle..... We quickly switched vehicles, and didn't get back to troubleshoot the D1 until that afternoon. Same thing then- total electric failure, no crank, no lights, nada-zip.....
I got out my multi-meter - battery indicated good at about 12.8v. Alternator is fairly new. I have a carbon pile battery load tester, so I hooked that up. It's larger voltage gage put the battery right on the edge of "OK to Test" at about 11.9 -12.1v, so I went and got my battery charger to give it a quick charge. The battery is a Optima Gel Cell- maybe 2 years old. I had left the ignition on, along with the headlight switch- on. While hooking up an extension cord for the battery charger maybe 4 minutes later, all of a sudden I get
the key in the ignition door open chime, as well as the headlight chime for headlights on- which they now were- with the engine not running......
I turned the headlights off, then cranked the engine per normal... Let it idle for about 20 minutes, while checking the charging voltage at 13.8v or so- the alternator was working correctly. Shut the engine off, load tested the battery- battery tests in the 'A-OK" range.
I mostly drive my D110 300Tdi,so the D1 doesn't get driven everyday- maybe just 3-4 times a week for short trips. The total electrical failure has not occurred since. None of us like electrical weirdness:ack:
Anybody else have this happen? some relay going bad? I don't want to get stuck somewhere out in the National Forest that I live in, hauling firewood with the D1. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Tim
Alpine, Az
