Dead Berlingo

[Boxer]

2009 Diesel 1.6. Berlingo
Got a phone call from the daughter today. The car lost power - as if misfiring and she had to pull over to the kerb, at which point the engine stopped. She wasn't aware of any nasty banging etc noises from the engine. The power steering failed momentarily, but this may just have been associated with losing engine power, Called out recovery who tried to start with one of those battery booster packs, but the car did not respond at all - total silence.
Got it brought home and had a look. When I turn on ignition panel lights up, but turn the key to the start position and absolutely nothing happens. I've tried three fault coder readers but none can communicate with the car - they have done in the past. There is 12.25 v on the battery by digital meter.

The recovery mechanic seems to think battery is OK and I have probably got an alternator problem. Is the ECU preventing the starter turning over because of potential for damage to alternator or other bits?

To summarise
the car is stone dead apart from panel lights
the battery is probably OK
can't get any communication via the obd2 port,
I don't want to fit an alternator just as an experiment - but may finish up there.

Any input welcome - any checks I can do, suggestions etc before I start taking off the alternator etc etc.
Thanks.

[jj9]

Does this help any ?


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[ffrenchie]

Can't see anything in the post from jj but I will say that at 12.25v the battery is far from alright it is flat.

[Boxer]

Yes - on reflection it is low. Perhaps that was what the mechanic picked up on when he suggested alternator. I'll put it on charge to see if the systems wake up. (Still doesnt explain why the car was totally non responsive when the booster battery was connected. Something about this system I dont understand!)
Thanks.

[jj9]

Does this help any ?


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I'm sure I posted the link, don't know where it went  


Post #3 in the link....

https://www.berlingoforum.com/thread-16768.html


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[Boxer]

Thanks - I will look, but my problem arose while the car was in use. My best bet seems to be to give the battery a full charge to see if I can get it to start and hopefully this will get the obd2 port working. I may need to clear some fault codes. Alternator output can also be checked.
Perhaps the electrical system , having a low battery. has defaulted to powering only essential light loads - although I would have expected the obd2 port to be available at all times.
Confused,

[Gravity]

Obd port is fused.
Not saying that's the reason it doesn't respond - in fact, I doubt it is the reason - but worth checking. 'Never assume' is a good ole motto.

Gravity

[Boxer]

Update -
I've been working on the car (2009 1.6 diesel B9) and found the following
Battery voltage at 13v just off charger and showed 12.8v installed. It's sitting at 12.6 v in the car, and showed up as good on the battery tester I have
All lights, radio, central locking, wipers, courtesy lights, elec windows etc OK until car drops into Eco Mode to save battery.
When I turn the key to try to start the car there is total silence apart from a quiet click somewhere down in the passenger footwell (starter relay?), and the lights do not dim. Does anyone know where the starter relay is? The dashboard is giving me a failed anti-pollution system message, possibly a heater plug problem I've had for ages.

I'm having trouble diagnosing this. It looks like something is bad in the starter system, but why would this cause the car to cut out when travelling - and why is my OBD port not communicating with code readers (I have checked that there is power at the port on the appropriate pin, and that appropriate pins are earthed).
Is it possible that there is an earthing strap from engine to chassis which has failed - could this cause the engine to cut out. It could explain why the car would not jump start. (I don't know what the earthing route is from the starter - I'm thinking it is through the engine block and via a strap to the chassis )
At the time the car failed the battery was down at 12.2v - is there some sort of alternator fault which could explain my symptoms?
All I can think of at present is to fit a new earth strap engine to chassis somewhere convenient. After that it looks like getting underneath to look at starter motor, solenoid , alternator etc.
Alternatively is there possible an ecu fault or a genuine problem which means the ecu will deliberately prevent start up?

All suggestions welcome! The solution to this will be simple when I get there, but currently i'm at a loss.

[jj9]

You could use a jump lead as a temporary earth lead, just place it from the battery negative to any metal on the engine.

A similar problem to yours in the thread below, read post # 14, turned out to be bad wiring, may be worth a look.

https://www.berlingoforum.com/thread-166...#pid107472


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[brodfather11]

Try disconnecting the EGR valve . Its just a plug which has 4/5 wires leading into it .
I had a similar problem with a ford 1.6 which uses a similar system and the faulty EGR valve would not let the engine start or run.
Could account for the anti-pollution warning.

Failed glow plugs will not give an anti-pollution fault message