Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

Eileen2006 · 2019-02-02 18:06:16

Had to abandon the MOT yesterday after some electrical gremlins developed. First the Expert took ages to start but it hadn't been out on a trip for 3 weeks so damp/cold probably didn't help.
Then I discovered the wipers and indicators didn't work. If you tried to operate the wipers.....nothing! The battery charge warning light came on though and you could hear a relay behind the glove box buzzing. A similar thing happened when you tried to operate the indicators - the battery charge warning light came on. I drove the van to my lockup 10 miles away in the hope the gremlins would bugger off but no such luck, so had to cancel the MOT.
After a bit of investigating I confirmed the hazard warning light circuit worked. Then I discovered the indicators and wipers did work without the engine running but not with the engine running, so not the fuses then - very odd! Whilst driving the vehicle back, I also noticed that if I tried to operate the wipers or indicators whilst the radio was on, power was momentarily cut to the radio output and the radio display went dim. Ignition switch?
Just now I tried to reproduce the symptoms to double check my facts but the fault has cleared itself doh! So now it's gone intermittent....... just what I need!
Been doing a lot of head scratching since yesterday so would appreciated some advice guys on where to look next.

Thanks
David

Casper · 2019-02-02 21:00:06

Different van but a funny thing happened to me the other day. Engine off if i put on the side lights they would come on but the relay would buzz like mad and i have no O/S tail light or brake. Turn main beam on and they worked as they should. Engine running they also worked as they should. Turned out to be a low on power battery issue as when i charged that up its been fine since

cliffo · 2019-02-03 08:02:39

Interesting, I have my battery on trickle charge semi-permanently - when I start it up the Battery light stays on even with revs, and the interior heater fan won't run. If I then turn on the lights (and turn them off again) everything starts working and the battery light goes out ...

Eileen2006 · 2019-02-03 12:10:12

Casper wrote:

Different van but a funny thing happened to me the other day. Engine off if i put on the side lights they would come on but the relay would buzz like mad and i have no O/S tail light or brake. Turn main beam on and they worked as they should. Engine running they also worked as they should. Turned out to be a low on power battery issue as when i charged that up its been fine since

Glad you got to the bottom of it. So you had the opposite sort of issue - gremlins with engine off. My battery should be fine. Was on trickle charge for several days last week before the MOT and battery was new last year.

Eileen2006 · 2019-02-03 12:16:10

cliffo wrote:

Interesting, I have my battery on trickle charge semi-permanently - when I start it up the Battery light stays on even with revs, and the interior heater fan won't run. If I then turn on the lights (and turn them off again) everything starts working and the battery light goes out ...

Weird happenings afoot eh! I mate of mine said my issues could be due to a faulty overload relay (PCM?) Apparently most modern vehicles after around 2000 have them and he says a faulty one could cause the symptoms I'm getting. I can't find any reference to them on the net though.

Tiree · 2019-02-03 18:47:42

Eileen2006 wrote:

Weird happenings afoot eh! I mate of mine said my issues could be due to a faulty overload relay (PCM?) Apparently most modern vehicles after around 2000 have them and he says a faulty one could cause the symptoms I'm getting. I can't find any reference to them on the net though.

Hi and welcome!

big_smile

This sounds a lot like the symptoms I had when my alternator was on its way out. Maybe worth checking the voltage across the battery terminals with a multimeter when it's playing up?

I should probably mention that these symptoms were followed a couple of days later by the alternator belching out smoke. That was a scary moment!

Eileen2006 · 2019-02-04 14:16:20

Tiree wrote:

Eileen2006 wrote:
Weird happenings afoot eh! I mate of mine said my issues could be due to a faulty overload relay (PCM?) Apparently most modern vehicles after around 2000 have them and he says a faulty one could cause the symptoms I'm getting. I can't find any reference to them on the net though.
Hi and welcome!

This sounds a lot like the symptoms I had when my alternator was on its way out. Maybe worth checking the voltage across the battery terminals with a multimeter when it's playing up?
I should probably mention that these symptoms were followed a couple of days later by the alternator belching out smoke. That was a scary moment!

OMG yes I bet that was scary!! Eileen has done 162k miles now so if its still the original alternator that's fitted, its not done badly.

I've decided to rebook her for the MOT and if she plays up on the day, I'll get the garage to investigate.

Tiree · 2019-02-04 14:52:33

Eileen2006 wrote:

OMG yes I bet that was scary!! Eileen has done 162k miles now so if its still the original alternator that's fitted, its not done badly.
I've decided to rebook her for the MOT and if she plays up on the day, I'll get the garage to investigate.

I think mine was at around 165k so that def sounds like a possibility

Eileen2006 · 2019-07-01 20:26:16

Glad to report I've now got to the bottom of this issue. It turned out to be the ignition switch. I’ve suspected this for some time, then found a post on Youtube where a guy was replacing an ignition barrel and switch on a Xsara Picasso. The barrel on the Picasso and method of removal look identical - just the electrical connectors are different.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI_wqkjG7pc

His problem was an intermittent heater blower and when it played up, he wiggled the key in the lock and bingo, it came back on again......simple really. So I thought I’d try the same thing with the Expert when it played up and result, everything worked again! ....for that journey at least.

So I’ve just replaced the ignition switch with a good second hand Valeo one. I had to buy a complete assembly including lock and key from the breakers but it was only £20 for the lot. As I’m sure some of you have discovered, a complete assembly from a Peugeot dealer is £170+VAT. You can’t buy just the switch, you have to get the complete assembly, which I didn’t need and didn’t want to change the key either for obvious reasons. I spotted the cheap assemblies on ebay for around £20 - £25 but alarm bells ring when things are that cheap compared to OE. Has another else tried these ones?

The switch replacement involved having to remove the complete barrel assembly, swap out the ignition switch and replace which is fiddly as anyone who has done it will know.

Now I have a spare lock and key with the wrong combination. At some point I’m hoping I can dismantle the lock and rebuild it with the same combination as the vehicle key. I’ve done it before on a SAAB lock. Has anyone found out if this is possible? I’ll also dismantle the dodgy ignition switch to see if that is repairable and post my efforts on here.

Last edited by Eileen2006 (2019-07-01 20:27:58)

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#1 2019-02-02 18:06:16

Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

#2 2019-02-02 21:00:06

Re: Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

#3 2019-02-03 08:02:39

Re: Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

#4 2019-02-03 12:10:12

Re: Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

#5 2019-02-03 12:16:10

Re: Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

#6 2019-02-03 18:47:42

Re: Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

#7 2019-02-04 14:16:20

Re: Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

#8 2019-02-04 14:52:33

Re: Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

#9 2019-07-01 20:26:16

Re: Expert 2006 indicator and wiper electrical issues

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