280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or pump sound

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Gibson
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Hiya!

Back again

I've run into an issue where suddenly my Gwagon won't start. It has no dash lights when i turn the key, No pump sound and no turning over (dead dead!) battery is all good and fuses all seem to be good too.

If it helps the last time i started it it started and instantly stalled, then started again and was running fine for about 15 mins i banged the heater on and left the car idling for a while and came back the heater had stopped working car was still running fine and turned off then I came back a week later and it was dead. 

Any ideas on where to start please 

Kind Regards
Joe

Jdring
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Location: South of Oxford, UK. 87' 230GE SWB Manual, 89' 230GE SWB Auto, 2012 G350Bluetec LWB
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...

Joe, thats odd. Definitely electrical.

I'd say maybe warming up has stimulated some rust on the battery earth lead to the chassis.   Try unbolting that, wire brush and refit.  It happened to me once on a 230GE.

jd

Gibson
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...

heya!

Yeh it was very random and it has been sat for 2+ years so wouldn't surprise me.

I will give that a check and come back if not

Thanks for your help!

Gibson
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...

Heya,

So took the earth lead off and gave it a clean to be honest it looked of anyway. Theres still nothing.

One thing I forgot to mention is i did plug a trailer into the back of it and when i tried to start it there was nothing. Not sure if that could be related but thought i'd mention it!

Thanks again for all your help 

Jdring
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Location: South of Oxford, UK. 87' 230GE SWB Manual, 89' 230GE SWB Auto, 2012 G350Bluetec LWB
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...

Gibson wrote:

One thing I forgot to mention is i did plug a trailer into the back of it and when i tried to start it there was nothing. Not sure if that could be related but thought i'd mention it!
....

Ah well, now you are talking!  These things are aways connected.

That said, it sounds like something basic - like a blown fuse (short in the trailer coupling?).  But you wouldn't lose the whole ignition.

I had a non-start once when my Auto 230GE was slightly put into 'Drive' and the micro-switch there (on the gear stick) was not engaged (stops you starting the car in drive).

But you say there is no life at all on the dash/ignition??

Maybe someone knows of a big fuse somewhere??

 

Gibson
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...

Yeh the part where i said 

"If it helps the last time i started it it started and instantly stalled, then started again and was running fine for about 15 mins i banged the heater on and left the car idling for a while and came back the heater had stopped working car was still running fine"

This was before the trailer was connected. I thought fuse but they all seem ok.

Forgot to mention the car is LHD and also Manual too.

Its a very strange one as there is literally nothing as if the battery was dead dead

Jdring
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Location: South of Oxford, UK. 87' 230GE SWB Manual, 89' 230GE SWB Auto, 2012 G350Bluetec LWB
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...

If not fuse, then ignition barrel?  Squirt some WD40 magic juice in there?

I have no idea how to bypass that and test? (hotwire)

Gibson
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...

tried some WD40 and still nothing, I started looking around the battery area and found this as come off and assume its ment to all connect together?

The red wire was tucked under and i noticed it was lose and wasn't connected. Do you know what i'm supposed to do here. it says the part number is for a "Cable Connector" so assume this all connects to the battery live and is all supposed to be screwed together

Thanks again for all your help

 

GWOA Admin
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...
Oh my. Looks terrible! Clean that and replace or refashion other connectors. At least to restore circuit and verify that's the issue. Check the 460 wiring diagrams to see what it is (afraid I don't know). Take a look in the member pages for those diagrams....I've made you a full member so you have access
Gibson
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Re: 280ge W460 suddenly not starting with no dash lights or ...

Thanks for your help :)

It seems its the heater connection and shouldn't give the symptoms at all that I'm getting (but does explain why the heater stopped!)

Will try and look through the diagrams but I think reading them maybe beyond my brain power