AFTER dead battery assistance

[rfahren]

We had to have a boost from BCAA after the battery ran down. I wasn't there when they did it, so I can't say exactly how the booster cables were connected. We have a '92 Chamonix with dual batteries. Anyway, now the seat belt warning sign stays on, and the "lights on" audible warning doesn't work, either for the headlights or the foglights alone. Any ideas? I'm not sure yet if anything else electrical is amiss, and, given that the battery ran down because the fogs were left on, it's not inconceivable that the non-functioning audible warning was a pre-existing issue.

Ron

[FalcoColumbarius]

To start with, I'm moving this thread into L300 Technical. This is where the tech minded members will be looking... smiles.

Have you checked your fusible links? There are also plugs in the battery bay that might be affected, perhaps they unplugged one in the process of boosting? Then there's the alternator itself, 'though when the alternator starts to go usually a number of cluster lights go on. How did the batteries run down? Was the Delica sitting for long? Did someone leave the lights on? Are the batteries old? What kind of batteries are you using?

Falco.

[rfahren]

Thanks, Falco, and I appreciate your moving this to the appropriate site. By fusible links, are you referring to the blade fuses in the fuse panel, or are there others in the middle of circuits, etc? As I said, the fogs (and accompanying lights) were left on, probably for 3 or 4 hours. The fact that my wife left the lights on suggests that maybe the audible warning may already have not been working... can't say.

I don't think it's the alternator, though I can't offer a reason why not.

I don't know what kind of batteries they are (and I don't have the van today)--I believe they were installed by CCAuto when the van was imported six years ago.

Ron

[Phill]

Generally Fusible links are in the battery wire it self, think of it as a fail safe to the blade fuses, I know my 89 ram 150 had it on the positive side batt cable

[Rattlenbang]

Too dark out now to take a picture, but we should have a fusible link sticky with pics, so people know what we are talking about when we give advice. This question comes up often.

[Phill]

Too dark out now to take a picture, but we should have a fusible link sticky with pics, so people know what we are talking about when we give advice. This question comes up often.

I am wrong please correct me, I was just going by what I had one my old dodge, If its different with the deli it would be good info for me to learn as well.

[FalcoColumbarius]

There's a fuse box on the Starwagon that's located above the pedals, by the steering column. This would be the regular fuse box where you find the ATO fuses that handle things like the radio, headlamps &c., ~ specific applications. In fact there are fuses in a number of areas, like behind the glove box. In the battery bay there are "Fusible Links", which are wires that are thinner than the ones that link up to them so if there's going to be a surge that's going to burn out the wire ~ it'll happen there. There's three or four of them grouped together. I just got off the phone with OverlanderJay who is particularly good at dealing with these things and told him about this thread. Hopefully he'll chime in before too long... smiles.

Falco.

[Overlanderjay]

The fusible links are all in the battery compartment, four are in that black plastic box which is attached directly to the postive battery post.The other two are closer to the engine side and they look like 4'' long extension cords with very old brittle plastic plugs. Now to your orginal problem i don't think any of your fusible links are blown because you would have a bunch of items not working. The fuse for the foglights is hiding behind the foglight switch , pull the switch out of the dash and you will see it. The headlight warning horn is hiding on the fire wall behind and a bit to the left of the steering column .Which is a big pain to get to it. Yours is probaly dead and has been dead for a while or someone has disconnected it. The only thing i don't know whats going wrong is your seat belt warning light and why its staying on , my guess is something has gone wrong with the seatbelt buckle switch? I don't think jump starting started/cause these problems its just you are now noticing small things going wrong after you killed your battery and now you have gotten parnoid. good luck Jay

[rfahren]

Thanks, Jay. I suspect you're right about a few electrical bugs appearing coincident with the dead battery. Everything else seems to be working okay. Though we didn't often have cause to notice, the audible warning was working not too long ago. I do wonder if it had stopped working, and that's the reason that the fogs were inadvertently left on the other day. I'll have a closer look at the seatbelt buckles and see if there's anything amiss.
Cheer
Ron