contiuous clicking after turning key, engine won't turn over

[ominousprophet]

so after turning the key top ON, I get a continuous clicking (like the click for the glow plugs) but this has no 10 second break between nor does it ever stop clicking as long as the key is in ON. the engine won't turn over either. my best guess is the ECU from what I can find on the forum search, but none of the forums mention a continuous click when the vehicle is off, only mention when vehicle is running. am I on the right path for repair as I'm not much of a mechanic (I'm no idiot tho) and I don't want to do any needless repairs or make things worse.

cheers all,
mike c.
squamish bc

[Mr. Flibble]

Is your battery good? It is possible that it is trying to heat the glow plugs but does not have enought ooph to do so, so it is cycling. A shot in the dark on my part, but worth checking out.

[FalcoColumbarius]

It's cold out. The Delica is a diesel (usually), which has a much higher compression ratio. I'm inclined to agree with Mr Flibble ~ it's your battery(ies). Two things I've learned over the past three years: Voltage & Amperage. Your battery might be reading 12 volts but has little amperage. The ticking sound you are hearing is loud and constant? Without hearing it I would guess it's your starter trying to start your 21:1 compression ratio diesel engine without enough amperage. So could be dead batteries because they are old or because they are not charging, if this is the case I would first clean the terminals and cable ends. Cold and condensation can create a thin hardly noticeable barrier, but enough to inhibit the charge.

That's my guess... smiles. Clean the ends; get a boost start; go for a drive to Horseshoe Bay; buy some fish and chips; drive home and check the battery then. If you have the dual battery set up then unhook the negative on one of them and test them individually with the engine off.

Falco.

[ominousprophet]

yup, the batts are dead. boosted them with the car and they are taking a charge so its not the posts/clamps. I guess'n the prob is with the connections at the alternator, the alternator itself, or a slow drain on the system. Next issue... to cold to start and no block heater. SWEET.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Hmm... How old are the batteries? It could be the alternator but I would go with the batteries first, rather than tear apart the alternator. I tend to look for the simple cheap fixes before I invest in major overhauls. Also, have you checked the water level in the batteries? It should be about a quarter inch lower than the bottom of the hatches (plugs).

Falco.

P.S.: Be careful of the battery acid. It will destroy your clothes if you get any on you.

[Mr. Flibble]

Hmm... How old are the batteries? It could be the alternator but I would go with the batteries first, rather than tear apart the alternator. I tend to look for the simple cheap fixes before I invest in major overhauls.

I am with Falco on this one. You most likely have older batteries and they need to be replaced.

[ominousprophet]

not the batts, 6 mnths old and super expensive. i believe in starting with the simplest things first as well.

[ominousprophet]

i haven't looked yet, but approximately where is the alternator located on an L300. I would like to check the wires for corrosion and such in the morning.

btw: the 'deli' fired up beautifully after charging the batts enough, almost seemed as though it started better than normal. took it for a rip to Broam Lk and back so we'll see what she has to say in the morning.

thanks for the info...

[mdrive]

have u thought about your starter?

[jessef]

If your batteries are new and they went down to nearly nothing, you likely have a power drain somewhere.

Also possible that your ground is not tight. Check the ground wire from the engine to the body and from the body to the battery. Even the smallest wiggle room on a ground wire can make starting a real pain for even fresh batteries.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Your alternator is bottom right of the engine as you sit facing forward on it (as seen in this video) or in the engine electric manual in L300 Downloads.



Just one thing regarding corrosion on the battery terminals ~ you don't necessarily see it. A very thin layer that doesn't look like anything can inhibit the charge and wear your batteries down. I had the opinion once that "Nah, I can't see it, it looks fine" until, I think it was Jay, that demonstrated that I was wrong. Since then I do it regardless, even got this really cool terminal wire brush cleaner cup thingy.

Falco.

[Kwales]

It could just be that you never slammed to door shut and the interior lights drained it overnight,
or possibly the brake lights stuck on, they work with the ignition off.

[ominousprophet]

so the batteries drain over night, and this came about quite suddenly as i've had the 'deli' for a year and never a charge problem until 3 days ago. seems strange to me. it takes a charge no prob so its not anything to do with the posts/clamps. its either not taking a charge from the alternator or its got a slow drain (i'm thinking this is the case as it dies over night and not throughout the day when in use). anyone have advise as to the best route or steps to take for trouble shooting a drain problem. i'm not sure the best place to start and not sure what to check other than the radio/interior lights(which its not). ALSO, CAN I TAKE A LEAD OFF OF THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL WHEN NOT IN USE TO NOT HAVE TO HAVE IT ON A TRICKLE CHARGER EVERYDAY? that would be sweet!!

[yojimbo]

so the batteries drain over night, and this came about quite suddenly as i've had the 'deli' for a year and never a charge problem until 3 days ago. seems strange to me. it takes a charge no prob so its not anything to do with the posts/clamps. its either not taking a charge from the alternator or its got a slow drain (i'm thinking this is the case as it dies over night and not throughout the day when in use). anyone have advise as to the best route or steps to take for trouble shooting a drain problem. i'm not sure the best place to start and not sure what to check other than the radio/interior lights(which its not). ALSO, CAN I TAKE A LEAD OFF OF THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL WHEN NOT IN USE TO NOT HAVE TO HAVE IT ON A TRICKLE CHARGER EVERYDAY? that would be sweet!!

Might be the alternator diodes, but also check the drain on the batteries when it's off and pull fuses to see if something makes it drop, it should be around .2 amps when all is off. You can take the lead off, but beware, the clock will reset, radio stations too, no biggies, but also, the central locking stops, so you will have to lock all 3 doors manually. you could just have corroded battery terminals or earth leads etc so it doesnt charge well.

[TardisDeli]

Hi OP,
Oft times when one part of system is bad, it will kill another part. ie a bad battery will kill alternator soon. So persue the problem asap. Here's my list of common culprits...

Wires - look for cracked or rubbed raw wires, especially if they touch the metal of the body. Yeah, just crawl all over, yes its muddy and cruddy. Put electrical tape around any rubbed bits for now

Lights - Common problem is the headlight wire, skinny white wire, where it joins into the headlight glass part, look back a few inches where it comes through the van body. Have you had any thing odd recently, ie a burnt out bulb or something to give a clue. Off road lights on metal roof rack.

Battery - cuz its easiest to check. I know, I know, its new and expensive, doesnt mean its not going bad (cheap construction these days, thin metal plates inside, maybe it froze if it was not fully charged one night during the cold spell, look for bulging side on battery). So, first, get a LOAD TEST done, just need to put a load tester (looks like a small battery charger) attached to the battery terminals then turn tester on for 30 seconds, it will actually put a load test through the battery to check it all out. Jay TardisDeli has one in Burnaby (price lotsa Church's Chicken dark meat only, no fries, just meat), or any mechanic will, or take it out and take it into where you bought it for them to test, or buy one a princess auto.

Battery terminals - are they tight, about half the battery issues are this. Clean them. Use baking soda if corrosion. Follow the wires as they cross over your engine etc, are any rubbed raw.

Alternator - can't really test it. But your symptoms could be this. If you turn your lights on, without engine on, are the lights bright, then also test this a few hours after parking, still just as bright? But the symptom of dying delica alternator is if you see the dashboard trouble idiot lights glowing or pulsing faintly when NOT in use, ie while you drive at night you should not see a glow from things like water in fuel warning light, nor parking brake on warning light. It can be rewired at Brighouse in Richmond, but you need to get it taken out first. To undo, very cramped, lie underneath van, under front right driver seat, with your body lying behind the front wheel. Best get someone else to do, ie CVI, then get your friend to drive you to the alternator place, takes a few hours.

Alarm - very common cause. Have you recently changed the alarm system wiring, or new off road lights, or new steering wheel. Any chance your horn is going off at night without you hearing it (truly, it happens, the foam layer breaks down with age). Or your remote starter actually starting the deli often because your remote is on a keychain in your pocket and your pocket keeps starting the van.

Stereo - will run a trickle of power to keep your memory settings. Or maybe a wire got kinked and rubbed raw in the installation.

Navigation device, take it out.

Chargers and converters - they always suck power, even when not in use, if they are plugged into vehicle. Ie your phone charger. Take em out.

Back door - wires go in a cluster loom from body through to the door, see if anything is raw. Does your rear del ica light up at night with yr headlights, it should.

Belts tight (can't turn belt over while in place. ensure not frayed).

Yes, you could disconnect battery cable at night. Usually easier to undo negative. But beware, will lose your stereo memory. Do you have 2 batteries? If one is bad, it will slowly kill the other, as they both try to equalize each other (kinda like evil twins).

Think about anything recently changed, start there. Good Luck.

Remember, Jay TardisDeli in Burnaby is expert at delica electrickery, needs lotsa Church's Chicken dark meat only, no fries, just meat, then he is cheerful to troubleshoot your delica.

Cheers, Christine.