OK.

I've a split charge battery fitted > 10 months ago.
I've also had a problem with the back of the ignition barrel popping out a bout 2 days ago, so I've been behind the dash and pootled about a bit getting the thing back into the back of the barrel, I did earth a contact bereifly during this endevour that caused a spark and a click somewhere, but the reds ran ok after that and has been running all day.

I've also replaced the alternator, although that was about 3 months ago.

This is what happened:

Driving tonight, must have been for 5 mins, flashed the guard to let me out of the hotel I was coming from and I heard a click and lost everything, engine stopped, lost all lights, horn hazards, the lot.

I tested all the fuses in the fuse box in front of the gear stick, all ok. tested the battery earth and live, look ok, there's a relay and a couple of fuses between the two batteries, all ok.

An hour into poking fuses and testing connections, I give up, start to walk around the front of the car, and bang, everything comes back on again without me touching anything.

WTF!

So I put everything back together, test the lights, yep, still ok. Hazards, horn, yep all ok. Get in, turn the ignition... have the red lights, great, then try to turn the engine and I hear a freckled ticking sound from the middle of the dash/fuse box area. Hmm. Still had read lights on ignition. Tried again, then Click sound, then lights out.

I've not managed to get anything else on since.

What's happening here?

I've read in another post a similar problem, on a 200tdi, but they mention a surge fuse somewhere. Do V8s have these? I've got no power to anything.

I'm also in Mexico so phoning my local Landy garage isn't an option.

Any ideas? I'm getting desperate.


It's a 110 '92 V8 3.5 carb.

Cheers.

Wot contact did yu short out?
Afraid you might have to trace power from battery to ignition and on to relays, etc.

Not sure at the time, I just brushed it to earth briefly.

Although after that, all the red lights came on, all the ignition worked ok.

And it started no problem and ran for the day.

It was only when I flashed the headlights, it was almost like the surge was too much and it has tripped something.

Am I over complicating this, is there a trip switch of some sort or a surge protector?

I'm gonna go get a taxi down shortly and go through everything with a meter.

For the power to come back on on it's own, surely an earth issue no?

Got it.

There's a connector coming back up from the starter motor that goes back into the cab. It had corroded slightly.

Cleaned up and working a treat!