No go after motor change

[timpootle]

I have just had a phone call from a BVS member in Barnstable, Jeff Thain. He doesn't do the internet, so asked me to relay his problem here (after I was unable to help him myself).

He cooked his motor after the fan stopped working. He fitted a good spare, with plenty of brush wear left, but now the main contactor will not hold in. It clunks in with the key, but immediately drops out again.

He has interrogated the fault codes with his EvLite, and got the codes A3, B1, D4. He has (emailed? phoned?) Evan Tuer for an explanation of code A3, but has had no reply yet.

Does anyone here know what fault code A3 refers to? Or what else might stop the main contactor from holding?

He sounded quite experienced with Berlingo quirks. He has had 4, buying one from Spalding, Lincs which the owner sold after Citroen demanded the batteries back (a new one on me - I thought all the Citroen cars had escaped the battery lease nightmare) and fitted a good set of batteries to it from another van he had.

He sold another van to someone in Peterborough. He said he has changed most bits and become quite adept at replacing chargers (presumable as a result of the dreaded 12v battery flaw). He said he had driven this van 16,000 miles in 2 1/2 years. But this latest problem has him stumped. Desperation lead him to phone me. Help?

[cianof]

AFAIK, A numbered faults are sensor faults (thermistors etc).

A3 and A6 are

Permanent fault: Engine thermistor short circuit to positive or open circuit
Permanent fault: Coolant thermistor short circuit to positive or open circuit

A3 is probably Permanent fault: Engine thermistor short circuit to postive or open circuit

Perminent fault means fault can't be cleared. It has to be fixed before it will go away.

[harry morris]

Well TIM, lets hope someone on this forum can help this gent with yet another blingo weird fault that no one can answer !!! remember I still haven't found the fault with my van with the lead acid battery conversion, and I to have sent EVAN TURE three e.mails over five weeks ago and have not received any reply's either maybe he is ill or something.
I to would love to know the wherabouts of these mysterious sensors and thermistors on the vehicle, so far I have found the speedo sensor and the battery temp sensor but that's about it, cheers HARRY MORRIS

[cianof]

@Tim
Has he tested the van with another controller to eliminate the possibility of a damaged controller?

My faults were as a result of a damaged controller.

@harry morris
There is a French E500 workshop manual over on.
http://vehiculeselectriques.free.fr/Forum/portal.php

Maybe one of the French EVers might have had a similar problem.

I used http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ to get around the language barrier.

There's a lead acid PSA on evalbum.
http://www.evalbum.com/2921

[ChrisB]

He cooked his motor after the fan stopped working. He fitted a good spare, with plenty of brush wear left, but now the main contactor will not hold in. It clunks in with the key, but immediately drops out again.

When he says he cooked the motor how cooked is cooked if it went out with a bang then from what your saying and the fault codes mentioned it sounds like its taken the controller out with it

ChrisB