Volvo EC15B wont start. Lights on but no one home..

[Mattir]

Update...


Relays 1,3,4,13 have arrived and been changed , no difference in the results.. Worth a shot.

Still jumps OK from the spade terminal on the coil to live. It will remain running if either the oil pressure switch terminal or the water sensor are disconnected. But still no hydraulics. I have left the magic box connected throughout

Mattir, Can you please explain your comment about the safety micro switch in the safety port a little deeper please, I have no idea where this would be located or what to look for.

In case I have found it by luck, I have checked the two solenoids located deep on the hydraulics block and they both have 12v to them on both the Black and Yellow wires. I recently changed these anyway and described this on a previous post, but double checked. Not many hours have been used since

There is another item coming out the top of the block I am not sure about. Possibly the Hydraulics pressure switch you mentioned?. Sits on the top of the block, need a spanner to remove it, has a plastic cap and a red and a blue wire from it..????

I have 12v between the blue wire and the battery positive terminal but nothing to the red wire either with the engine running or not. And no continuity between the terminals, does not seem right.

Hope you enjoyed you Fish breakfast in Osaka, only got as far as Tokyo myself when I was traveling for business in a different life time it seems now.

Thanks again to all for the help so far, I feel a step closer, but still fear the old saying.

If the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, you are probably going the wrong way

Thanks for the update. We are progressing and are in a belief that the tunnel theory might sometimes have some exceptions.

The safety port has a microswitch, a tiny switch which will click audibly when raising or lowering the arm rest. Located somewhere at the very low end of the rest. Have never opened it myself, but using an ohmmeter you will have contact by pressing a metal lever or a tiny plastic part on it.

The hydrpressureswitch, located just under the seat, with one red wire, should have 12V against the body and no voltage on the other terminal/wire. The switch is normally open as far as the diagram is correct.

Have not taken fish breakfast here but a most enjoyable (read expensive) dinner in a small restaurant. We will be leaving for Finland this morning to enjoy +13C and rains. Here we have +27...+32C.

Put all your efforts in locating and testing the safety micro switch and then as Muz said (he has a way longer experience than I do) dive deeper into the spagetti of oily pipes and experiment with the solenoid.

[Muz]

Heres the thread its all here ya know

take it from this part http://www.plantandconstruction.co.uk/showthread.php?2823-Stewartbob-EC15-Solenoid&p=20768&viewfull=1#post20768


click on link on the first post

[Noel_ Colledge]

Thanks Guys I will take a look.

Can I just ask though about this route.

I still can't crank the engine with the key, the only way to start it is via a wire direct to the starter solenoid from the battery.

So will this micro switch also affect starting or are we still avoiding the true fault? ie A common component for starting and hydraulics

Appreciate the help

[Muz]

If the deads man switch its self is faulty/closed, (ie in the console down position) no cranking will take place, similarly if theres a fault in any part of the solenoid feed circuit from the key switch down to the starter nothing will happen

[Mattir]

Noel,

the diagrams I sent / attached tell the story Muz confirmed.

Happy troubleshooting

[Noel_ Colledge]

OK, so an update.

Been away from the machine problems for a little while combination of frustration and time to look at it.

Decided to look over the whole thing again, but this time to have the two wiring diagrams Mattir supplied on the post to hand.

Magnifying glass out, I redrew the wiring drawings to a readable size to take outside with me.

I had over the last few days played around with the wiring a little to look again for obvious issues at the connections but found non.

Tools out, drawing handy, key in ignition and then... The bas@+:D thing started first time, hydraulics working like nothing was wrong. Can you believe it.

Anyhow, I continued as I was on a mission to remove and check stuff after spending hour and a half drawing these things. I wondered why on inspection there did not seem to be any colours shown on the drawings. Maybe they were too small to see but when going back outside, I realised Volvo seems to have had a job lot of brown wire delivered and decided to do it all in this rather than colour code for ease of identification. So, no need for colours on the diagram after all.

The fuses and connections, all fine. The relay block was next all clean and ready to go.

Disconnected the magic box, checked the solenoids mentioned by Muz, these have been recently changed but no signs of burning or bulging.

Checked the air, water and oil sensors and all fine. Pulled a few wires around and nothing seems out of place.

Traced wires where possible and nothing to report.

Something though is still not quite right. Decided to do some work with her and after 10 mins or so she started cutting out again, started easy enough, but the cutting out got quicker and quicker between stops.

I had left the oil pressure sensor disconnected to see what difference this made but nothing, intend to do the same over the weekend with the water temp sensor.

Played with the connections to the magic box but did not seem to make a difference to starting and running sometimes it would be fine, at other random times nothing.

So basically back to the original method of working with it cutting out when warm. The only difference now is it is parked on the hard standing where I want it rather than in the middle of a field by the nettles.

Whatever I have moved, pulled or cleaned has got the beast moving again be it temporary until the next time I guess.

Just like Game of Thrones we wait patiently for the next instalment...

[Mattir]

Well,

sounds like you have emptied the electrics bin and it is time to check that engine has no issues with the fuel. Check filters and water separator. Check for air leaks in the fuel line.

[Noel_ Colledge]

I have already gone down that route Mattir but will check again. New filters and all.Very strange that it only happens at certain times.Good as gold when cold, then plays up as it comes to temperature, but once past this it runs great. Did 6 hours work on it yesterday and once it got past it's paddy stage it did not faulter once.I ran it without the oil sensor connected to see if this made a difference, and as not, next time I will try again with the water temp sensor disconnected. Based on the above I am hoping that perhaps this is the part that is faulty as it would be kicking in as it comes to temperature.That's my logic anyhow, time will tell I guess.

[Mattir]

Good.

it is a good idea to try running with the temp. sensor off. I quess the radiator is clean as well and there is enough fluid in the cooling system.

[Noel_ Colledge]

Not updated for a little while, work has been busy and not used it much either.

Anyway, I have run the machine with both the oils pressure sensor and the water temp sensor disconnected and it has made no difference. Also disconnected the magic box with no long term difference. It still starts ok now, but once it gets warm we have the constant cutting out for a while then everything works ok until it cools down and we recycle all over again. Almost set your watch against. Thought I had cracked it as it did seem to get a little better with the engine door open and considered over heating to be a problem but think that was just a coincidence.

The price of the parts does not allow a change and see approach, but something is breaking down, keep all informed in case they have the same issue if I ever discover what it is.

Onward and upward

[bigmike]

Not updated for a little while, work has been busy and not used it much either.

Anyway, I have run the machine with both the oils pressure sensor and the water temp sensor disconnected and it has made no difference. Also disconnected the magic box with no long term difference. It still starts ok now, but once it gets warm we have the constant cutting out for a while then everything works ok until it cools down and we recycle all over again. Almost set your watch against. Thought I had cracked it as it did seem to get a little better with the engine door open and considered over heating to be a problem but think that was just a coincidence.

The price of the parts does not allow a change and see approach, but something is breaking down, keep all informed in case they have the same issue if I ever discover what it is.

Onward and upward

Hi , read this as had problems with mine. thread on here ec14 blowing fuse.
Found solenoid was burnt out on safety valve under left side foot plate , this is the one that wires to switch on left side console. This was the fault blowing fuses but at same time auto electrician said temp thermo switch was faulty and oil sensor giving a faulty reading so changed both. Thought one of these was telling ecu to turn machine off.
Ran fine while i was sat watching it with a coffee.
Took it to a job on Saturday and hey presto !! it turned off randomly , then fired up and worked ok. Carried on like this all morning.
At lunch time i filled it with diesel , amazingly then it never cut out all afternoon.... So is there a fuel sensor wired to the ecu. My tank wasnt empty just low. Intend to keep it over half full in the future. Still got the offset button to sort out as after using it Saturday boom has moved a little and is now not 90 degrees to the cab ...... never a dull moment !!
Cheers Mike