No electrical juice at the starter

[Reiver]

I was adjusting the rtb's and when finished put the electric system on to measure volts at the TPS...I believe I left the key in position 2 not 1.  Got the volts set and tried to start an nothing...no fuel pump noise nada.  No lights or swinging gauge indicators... like dead.

The r400 does not have an immobilizer... I've always simply started with the key and nothing else....

I checked all of the fuses individually and all good... pulled the ignition relay and it looks good but ordered another to be certain.  

Any suggestions as I'm not electrically inclined.... battery is very good

[Reiver]

Tomorrow I'll put the new relay in place and check for continuity at the ignition switch..... if anyone has any suggestions, I am open as I'm not an electrical guy at all.

 

Rather think it is magic myself.

[MV8]

May help to indicate what year model R400, post some pictures of the fuse panel,relays, under the bonnet, and share voltages and ohms values versus "good" and "very good".

 

I don't know what key position 1 and 2 are. The tps would have power to check voltage with the key in the RUN position. This also powers everything including ignition coils that will eventually overheat and fail if not allowed to discharge through the plugs, so they should have been unplugged. Was there a prior issue requiring adjustment of the tps?

 

I guess you have a volt meter. If analog/swinging needle I suggest also having a digital model (DVM). A test probe with a bulb or led is very useful. A six foot 14 ga wire with alligator/roach clips on the ends is sometimes needed for system checks.

 

I expect you need to recharge the battery as well.

 

 

 

 

[Timothy Keith-Lucas]

Consider narrowing down the issue a bit. Take one side of a jumper cable and clamp it on the big terminal on the starter motor itself (not the relay on top of the starter if you have one). Touch the positive pole on the battery with the other end of the jumper cable. Did the starter spin? If yes, you can eliminate the starter motor and the battery as the problem.

 

Now use MV8s test lead to supply power back at the starter switch, and so forth.

 

Good luck with it.

[JohnCh]

As I recall your car has a battery master switch on the side. If no electrical items (e.g. horn, hazards) are working, and you've confirmed your battery is putting out over 12v, then I'd start there given it controls the entire electrical system. You may have inadvertently jostled the switch while doing the other work, and it's no longer on. It's also possible the contacts failed after the key was left in position 2 for a long time, or that it was installed with an inline fuse that's blown.

 

Easy things to test are:

1. Turn the switch on and off a few times, then try starting the car again or check the horn or hazards. If still no luck, then
2. With the switch on, check voltage between the battery and each of the main connections at the back of the switch (should be two studs with thick cables attached). If the voltage at each connection is essentially the same as what you measured across your battery earlier, then the switch is likely fine. But if there is a large difference in the readings, then you've found the issue. If they are different, please report back with the voltage measured across battery terminals, and the voltage measured at each of the two connections at the back of the switch. This will help narrow down if it's the switch itself or the leads between the switch and the battery.

[Reiver]

Thanks...I will do as you've all noted.  r400 2012 build with button dash, I'll get a pic of that and the fuses/relay's.  This has the key switch and the button start.

 

It does have the kill switch so I will investigate that as well.

Edited Sunday at 04:25 PM by Reiver

[Reiver]

She's alive.  I replaced the ignition relay and the horn worked so just started pressing buttons...lights etc. and when I did the gauges did their swing and she started up.

I'm not positive it was the relay perhaps it just needed some input from the dashboard sources but that is supposition.  ECU reboot by hitting dif inputs?

 

BTW, the ignition relay in this 2012 is obsolete but the replacement is RC-400112-nnbx

 

I want to thank everyone that responded as they were all good suggestions and worth a look/try.  More importantly the support one gets when flummoxed is really helpful.

 

Thanks again.

Edited Sunday at 07:33 PM by Reiver