INTERMITTENT BATTERY WARNING LIGHT

[spannerman0785]

HI. IM CURRENTLY WORKING ON A 2006 BERLINGO 1.9D. ON START UP THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED AND ALSO THE HANDBRAKE WARNING IS LIT WITH THE HANDBRAKE OFF. WHEN I DRIVE THE VAN AND THE SPEEDOMETER MOVES , BOTH WARNING LIGHTS GO OUT UNTIL I COME TO A STOP AGAIN THEN BOTH LIGHTS COME BACK ON. IT ALL SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE SPEEDO AS THE LIGHTS ARE OUT AS LONG AS THE VAN IS MOVING. THE HEATER ALSO STOPS AND STARTS WITH VEHICLE MOVEMENT. BATTERY IS CHARGING WHEN STATIONERY ACCORDING TO A MULTIMETER READING. CAN ANYONE HELP?

[3rensho]

Hi spannerman and welcome to the forum. When the van is stationary, in neutral, if you increase the revs to 1500 or so do the lights go out?? If so then I'd guess the voltage is too low and it increases with the higher revs when moving. Just a thought.

[brodfather11]

I'd be looking for loose earth wires ,(with the lights going out when the engine moves when vehicle moving ) possibly on the engine or the dashboard ones.
 Or at the multiplugs on the engine fuse box .

[spannerman0785]

I'd be looking for loose earth wires ,(with the lights going out when the engine moves when vehicle moving ) possibly on the engine or the dashboard ones.
 Or at the multiplugs on the engine fuse box .

checked for bad earths etc with no joy. battery warning light stays on regardless of revs but goes out the moment the speedo registers even 2 miles an hour. Comes back on and heater cuts out as soon as speedo needle returns to rest. Rev counter also not working at all. Diagnostic check says engine speed signal lost. Not sure if this is related.

[spannerman0785]

It sounds like a naff battery.  When the engine's running the alternator's spinning fast enough to keep everything running.  When it drops that is when the battery should step in, and it sounds like yours isn't.

As 3rensho says, give it some revs for a while stationary.  If that makes the lights go out then your alternator's fine but the battery isn't.

Lights stays on regardless of revs when stationery. Goes out when speedo registers movement and comes back on when speedo needle comes to rest. Van is running and driving ok with no apparent charging or starting issues.The problems going to be that during the winter, heater wont work unless the van is moving so de icing before he leaves home will be a pain.

[spannerman0785]

I'd be looking for loose earth wires ,(with the lights going out when the engine moves when vehicle moving ) possibly on the engine or the dashboard ones.
 Or at the multiplugs on the engine fuse box .

will do asap thanks