Outer Limits 4x4 Board

On my way home from work tonight running on petrol a strange thing happened to me. I switched on my driving lights, then the car cut out.

It was able to re start but ran like a bucket of crap, switched off the driving lights then all well.

On LPG it runs fine with or without the driving lights on.

On either LPG or Petrol when the driving lights are on the petrol gauge drops to empty, turn the high/driving lights off and up goes the gauge.

Is my car telling me i should just run it on LPG?

Has anyone had such a problem with their vehicle before i start fault finding.

BTW, that battery light is not on indicating that the alternator is still charging.

I'd say bad earth somewhere and your driving lights are earthing back through something they aren't supposed to.

Try disconnecting your driving lights and see if your standard high beams also cause the same issue. Check all your earth cables for your headlights/driving lights and battery. Make sure they are really done up tight with no corrosion, etc.

Haven't seen the prob before but that's what it sounds like to me ... oh, and fire your auto elec, he sux!

cheers mate, will take a look.

PS, the car's the way i bought it.

Maybe run an earth between the body and the chassis?-the lack of a good earth has caused problems in some GU's. My fuel gauge used to sit at 1/4
when I towed a van with a hot wire for fridge? Earth wire fixed it! Have heard elsewhere about probs as well.
Jok

Earth is all good, looks like i need an alternator with enough power to run the driving lights, trailer lights, efi system etc etc.

Is there a high output option for a GU petrol alternator.

Alternator should run all that will no prob. I'd be getting an auto elec to check it before shelling out for a new alt.

Otherwise, keep looking ... step by step, it will be something simple.

Maybe get you battery load tested too ... Chris at BatteryWorld in Wantirna is pretty cluey and very helpful ...

RoldIT wrote:Alternator should run all that will no prob. I'd be getting an auto elec to check it before shelling out for a new alt.

Otherwise, keep looking ... step by step, it will be something simple.

Maybe get you battery load tested too ... Chris at BatteryWorld in Wantirna is pretty cluey and very helpful ...

Will get the battery tested, saying that i'm running 4 driving lights, upgraded headlight globes plus the trailer lights

all thoughs electric on and then it cuts out? , if it was an altenater fault it would not restart, flat battrey. this to me seems like an earth fault. are the spot lights earthed with there own earth wire to the body/battrey, or just the single wire to the light and then earth through the bull bar to no where. these need a earth leed from the chassis to the body, try that first, cheers Phill.

I had almost the same problem last yeah, traveling though the outback, I flicked on the driving lights, sometime later I notice I'm almost out of fuel!! Had full tanks that morning and only done 120klms. Flick off the driving lights sometime later, and my missing fuel returns!!!

I put the problem to the pannel on here and it was suggested it was an earthing problem between the bull bar and the chassis and body.

It was not untill I modified my bar to take a winch that the problem stopped, as I got off my backside and earthed the bar properly throught the chassis and then on to the body.

Yeah it's a GU too.

Good point.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no earth point from battery to chassis, only one to body and one to engine.

If your lights are using the bar to earth (through the chassis), that earth track could be using ANY path back to the battery.

I keep meaning to rectify that myself, always slips my mind ...

Just ran earth straps from the alloy factory bar to the chassis and chassis to the body. All good.

I have no idea why its been fine for so long then all of a sudden its happened. But fixed now so all is good.

Just need to fix these damn Patrol wobbles

My GU had the wobbles, pulled the bottom shim out of the pre-loads in the wheel bearings(Pedders idea), worked a treat, no wobbles since,
about 50,000k ago.
Jok

have you checked ecu earths??
or whether or not your getting volt drop when all your lights are on to you computer or gas system
i would be checking them aswell

sierrajim wrote:Just ran earth straps from the alloy factory bar to the chassis and chassis to the body. All good.

I have no idea why its been fine for so long then all of a sudden its happened. But fixed now so all is good.

Just need to fix these damn Patrol wobbles

Good job, mate. As long as the list of repairs gets shorter, not longer, that's the main thing.

Hey jok my GU does same as you described, when the van is pluged in and fridge on the fuel gauge reads 1/4. It has shit me for 8 years, you say earth body to chassie better. Gunna try this.