spud101

Member

• Mar 28, 2016

• #1

Afternoon all.

I suspect my old girls got some water ingress somewhere and when I'm driving in the rain she splutters and then everything fails on the dash (hdc inactive, air susp, all the lights) and I'm without power.

It happened just now on the motorway but I got her over to the hard shoulder and after 5 or 10 minutes she seems ok again. I've got her off the motorway but is there a common known issue anyone might know about where the water gets in that I might be able to patch to get me home. (I'm in Mcr right now and need to get to London.)

Any help gratefully received.

 

freelance

Well-Known Member

• Mar 28, 2016

• #2

Water in the alternator?

 

discool

Well-Known Member

• Mar 28, 2016

• #3

One of you sensors electrical connections getting drowned, I'd start with the crank position sensor remove the connector and spray with wd40, if no good then move on to the others that are exposed and can be find if your lucky.

 

Saint.V8

Dyed-in-the-wool 100% RR Junkie

Full Member

• Mar 28, 2016

• #4

I'd say crank sensor issues as above.

If it is the 4.4 V8 (M62 BMW engine) the Alternator is located in a water cooled jacket and sealed. There is a multiplug on the front face for charge lamp and exciter and the hefty battery cable, and that's it!

 

spud101

Member

• Mar 28, 2016

• #5

Thanks for the replies. As you might guess from the lack of my posting on here I managed to make it back in the old girl. (Mainly because it stopped raining!) It did start about an hour before I got home but other than when I used my screen wash it behaved. (Moral of the story, don't use the screen wash!)

I'll drop her into LRR and see what they can do for me.

I was going to say that about the alternator saint as I know it's a beastie that's plumbed into the coolant system.

Thanks all.

 

Saint.V8

Dyed-in-the-wool 100% RR Junkie

Full Member

• Mar 28, 2016

• #6

Hmmmmmm, using the screen wash causes issues...now that's a new one...

Just thinking what it could affect.....under the screen is nothing but the battery on one side and the brake vacuum (oh God the name of it eludes me...Christ what is it called????? tip of tongue....)

Or behind the head lamps....not much other than the ballasts and the headlamps ECUs.....

Brake Servo, thats what the feckers called.....

if it is leaking through the screen seal into the cabin, then there is a multitude of issues that it could be....chiefly the instrument pack which is the network hub for the whole car!

 

spud101

Member

• Mar 29, 2016

• #7

Don't forget Saint, the first rule when talking to me is to never forget I've not got a clue what I'm talking about or even if what I recall is the truth!!

 

spud101

Member

• Dec 20, 2016

• #8

I was sure I'd posted this but it was the air flow sensor in the end. They replaced it and she's been fine ever since. (Well, until yesterday when the water pump went.)