QuestionI am the proud owner of a nifty Escudu with 120000 km on the clock. When I turn the ignition key on, all the normal red warning lights come on except the catalyst light, when I turn the ignition key to the start position all the warning lights stay on but the catalyst light comes on and the starter does not kick in. Please advice me on what can I do to repair this fault, iether myself or by specialist.
Thanks, Nico.
AnswerLots of that sort of problems end up being a result of poor connections between the battery and grounds or power supplies to the distribution fuse blocks and power relays.
Check and clean all the battery terminals, and cable connections on the engine and body, and make certain the wires are not corroded beneath the insulation. A bulge in the insulation is an obvious symptom.
Here's another trick that's called a voltage drop test.
Using a voltmeter set upon a 2v scale hook the positive lead up to one end of a suspected problem circuit, and the negative lead up to the other end of the circuit, and attempt to operate the circuit. This only works for things like starters, alternators, fan motors, wiper motors, and other power consumers. The test only works if the power consumer is used. A fault would be that the voltmeter would read more that a couple of tenths of a volt, indicating that the circuit has high resistance and cannot conduct enough power to the device and that power is trying to get to the device via the voltmeter. Obviously, checking to see if the circuit is turned on using a test light can indicate a bad switch or a blown fuse.
Don't forget to check the neutral safety switch if it's an automatic, or clutch switch if it's a stick shift.
