General Never come across this one before .

[airwave]

I wonder if someone can answer a simple question , so i can add the knowledge to me ole grey cells here . I've been working on the electrics of my van for the last couple of days , in preparation to close the dash up , and i've come across something rather odd .

Stop the engine and the heads light , well actually all the lights go out ! . No side lights , no tail lights , nowt .

It's the first time i've come across this , and i find it a little odd . My other vehicles will allow the lights to stay on , and of course flatten the battery if left on too long (just don't ask me how i know okay) , with both the engine off and the keys removed . I've had a word with my mate up the road (a mechanic) , and he suggested this is quite normal on modern vehicles . Now this may be so , but what happens if you stop to , say nip into a shop for 5 minutes , and you have to leave the vehicle in the dark . My mate said , it's up to the others to see it , and avoid , but frankly , a good number have trouble seeing a vehicle in the daylight . So i don't hold much hope for when it's dark .
He did mention a parking light system fitted to modern vehicles , but mine doesn't have this due to it's age (It's a year 2000) . Just wondered if anyone can throw some light (hmmm , oh god , sorry , excuse the pun) on this question , anyone else's van do this ? .

 

[rayc]

Without the engine running can you switch the sidelights on?

 

[Communicator]

I wonder if someone can answer a simple question , so i can add the knowledge to me ole grey cells here . I've been working on the electrics of my van for the last couple of days , in preparation to close the dash up , and i've come across something rather odd .

Stop the engine and the heads light , well actually all the lights go out ! . No side lights , no tail lights , nowt .

It's the first time i've come across this , and i find it a little odd . My other vehicles will allow the lights to stay on , and of course flatten the battery if left on too long (just don't ask me how i know okay) , with both the engine off and the keys removed . I've had a word with my mate up the road (a mechanic) , and he suggested this is quite normal on modern vehicles . Now this may be so , but what happens if you stop to , say nip into a shop for 5 minutes , and you have to leave the vehicle in the dark . My mate said , it's up to the others to see it , and avoid , but frankly , a good number have trouble seeing a vehicle in the daylight . So i don't hold much hope for when it's dark .
He did mention a parking light system fitted to modern vehicles , but mine doesn't have this due to it's age (It's a year 2000) . Just wondered if anyone can throw some light (hmmm , oh god , sorry , excuse the pun) on this question , anyone else's van do this ? .

I was in a similar quandry when my x244 was new, until I eventually discovered the answer in the handbook.
Is there a curved black button immediately below ignition switch? Hold this in and you can turn the key beyond the off position to the park position. This provides a supply to the side and rear lights.

I am attaching a wiring diagram, which I hope will apply. Source is German language manual in "Downloads Section". English annotations are mine, bur as the layout of the schematic is geographical, most are possibly superflous.

 

[lycopersicum]

On my Ducato x250, for comparison: turn off the engine (lights go dark), then turn the light switch off and then on again (lights come back on but dimmed way down).

 

[airwave]

I wasin a similar quandry when my x244 was new, until I eventually discovered the answer in the handbook.
Is there a curved black button below the immediately below ignition switch? Hold this in and you can turn the key beyond the off position to the park position. This provides a supply to the side and rear lights.

Oh really , yes there is . I've come across them before , but they were some kind of key lock , or release . You had to press the button , to remove the key , except mine doesn't . I figured it was broken , so i never bothered with it after that . The beyond key function is something else i've come across before . A couple of my Japanese Motorcycles had that , for exactly the same thing . No button though .
Bit late now , but i'll try that tomorrow . Can't find any mention in the hand book , but it does say always remove the key to prevent draining the battery . Found that one a bit strange too , don't matter if the ignition is off , or does it ? .

I've changed the fuse block , after i found the old one melted , and well , it didn't quite go to plan . So i've been testing the circuits just to check all's well , before i powered them up . I have had a few problems , and i've been working through them . No power to the lights , turns out , the switch controls the power to the fuse block , you have to switch the lights on to power the fuses up . Left hand headlight out , turned out to be a fuse . Horn's didn't work , ive up grade to twins , course they only work when you actually connect them , opps . Indicators had no warning light , left hand buzzer indicated a blown bulb . Discovered the repeater not working , closer look revealed another circuit i'd not connected . Got the warning light now , plus the side light warning light at the same time , forgot i'd even had one of them ! . Still got a side light out , front off side , tracked it down to an earth problem , i'll sort that in the morning . The last one was the radio , not sure what happened there . It's a direct feed basically to the battery and was working , it's an original that used to power the cigarette lighter . I've repurposed the connection , and i reckon i've blown a fuse somewhere . Clue here is the left headlight , fuse 7 , 10 amp . Cigarette lighter is listed , fuse 11 , 10amp , but i uprated it to 15 . All these circuits have had some work , headlights are all new , indicators some serious rewiring , and i've now got a Kenwood multi media player fitted now , a bit of an upgrade . With the exception of the side light , all are now working . Still need to add a permanent feed to the right hand indicator for a blind side camera . Didn't have much time to play with this one , but it looks like i may have to go direct to the switch . My original plan was to take a feed off the hazard light switch , but they all flash . And finally i need to dial the radio in , check both the rear camera , and gps work . Check the external mic , and that it connects to my fone . I can then begin to close up the dash , and fit the lower panels .

On my Ducato x250, for comparison: turn off the engine (lights go dark), then turn the light switch off and then on again (lights come back on but dimmed way down).

Yes , that's similar to what my mate said . He also mentioned , positioning the indicator left or right , adjusts the side activated . Don't work on my van , so i guess it's not fitted . When all's said and done , it is a year 2000 vehicle , so it could be a bit advanced for my motor , don't you think . I was seriously thinking of rewiring the feed , at least to the side lights .

Without the engine running can you switch the sidelights on?

Hello Ray , sorry mate , didn't see you there . Bit surprising to me , but no . That's what i was questioning ! .

 

[airwave]

I am attaching a wiring diagram

Yes , that's the circuit diagram i have too , but thanks for that .

 

[Communicator]

The connections around the ignition switch, particularly those for the sidelights are convoluted. I have previously prepared my own diagram for the ignition switch on my x244. I have now produced an amended version to match the x230 ignition switch. FWIW the result is attached below.

 

[airwave]

Hold this in and you can turn the key beyond the off position to the park position.

Yep , that's what i got . Tested for this earlier , and low and behold all the sidelights came on , except that is , the faulty one .

I was considering rewiring the fuse box , but this saves me the work , got more than enough to do right now . thank you mate .