Engine dies

[marinesparky]

I have just bought a very clean 1994 3.0 litre diesel ssrx, i drove it home to Poole from Taunton, it drove beautifully, everything worked perfectly including all electrical equipement even the aircon. I have been driving it for a couple of days now with no problems until today, we went for a run down to Portland and after going round a roundabout the engine died and i had no electrics at all, no hazards no nothing for a few seconds, then it came back and i could restart. It did this three time on the way back. I had a look at the battery connections, all clean and tight, no loose or burnt fuses. It is worrying as i lose everything, lights, hazards, brake lights and of course the engine, very dangerous in heavy traffic. Have any of you fine people got any ideas or has anyone experianced this fault ?
Many thanks
Alan

[BUSHWHACKER]

Could be a loose/broken earth strap between engine and chassis.

Welcome on board by the way, enjoy your stay.

[charvell]

bad earth?

[lord lucan]

happend going round a roundabout is the battery clamped tight

[TobyJug]

welcome to the site mate.....

and think I have to go with the first two comments....
Bad earth.....

[marinesparky]

Thanks for your reply, not having had the vehicle for long and thinking it was a real cherry i have not looked too closely under the bonnet (it is as clean as a whistle in the engine bay) so is the earth strap going to be from battery to engine block or a separate strap low down from flywheel housing to chassis ?
Thanks for the welcome and I would just like to say I have wanted a Surf for ages and apart from it breaking down and risking my life at awkward times I am very chuffed with it.

[Albannach]

I'd have thought battery connections rather than chassis or engine earths. If it was one of the earths (engine/chassis) he wouldn't have lost all power.

How many batteries does it have?

[marinesparky]

It,s still happening

sorry I have'nt replied sooner but it's taken me this long to push it back from Southapton, joking!! I have checked all battery to engine earths both visually and with a meter, nothing, no volt drop, no voltage reading between neg posts of batteries and engine, same to body earth. All battery lugs clean and tight. I'm sure it's a broken/dud main feed cable, though it does act like a bad earth. Today I was sat in it lunch time eating my sarny with the engine running, switched the engine off and then back on again and all the warning lights and the interior light came on dim, ran back in to the workshop to get my meter (40 seconds) and they had come back on fully. Yesterday lunchtime, engine running, flicked on the headlights and the engine faltered for a second. Do you have a wiring diagram on this site? Touch wood it has'nt let me down driving from Poole up to Southampton two days running but I am loath to leave the slow lane to overtake in case it does it when I'm on the outside of a semi trailer. Thanks gentlemen

[stormforce]

did you also check the earth strap thats attatched to the back of the block/head.Is a pig to get to but that one may be dodgey

[marinesparky]

Thanks Richard, is this from block/cyl head to body? What,s it,s purpose, there is an earth to body from both batteries?
Alan

[stormforce]

Thanks Richard, is this from block/cyl head to body? What,s it,s purpose, there is an earth to body from both batteries?
Alan

I can't remeber off hand but i do know there is one at the back of the head/block near the bulkhead and is a pain to get to.If you got a bodylift you can reach it better.its held in place with a 10mm bolt

[wiggy]

If you are still after wiring info I think these might be useful to you. http://forums.bauchan.org/portal/downloads.php?dcid=14 Wiring Diagrams

http://forums.bauchan.org/4x4/forums.php Forum Front end

Hope you get it sorted.