Motorhome won't start

Rick Axon

Rick Axon

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Since November 2018
I have a Swift Sundance 2003 reg, built on a Fiat Ducato Chassis.
Stated it up a couple of days ago and moved it a few feet in our drive. Went out again an hour later and it wouldn't start.
I get a message saying "oil High" followed by another message "Day 0", there's an icon of spanner in the bottom left of the screen. (See photos)
The battery charge says 12.3 V and the oil level is halfway between the low and high marks on the dipstick.
Any ideas will be most welcome.

Thanks
Rick

20231029_092912.jpg 20231029_093050.jpg
 
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I get that on my 2006 Boxer. It is saying that it needs a service but seems to be intermittent.

Don’t think it is the cause of it not starting though - I drove round Cornwall earlier this year with that warning illuminated.
 
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i would put the battery on charge for a while and see if that sorts it, if it does then at least you know you might need a new battery, if it doesnt then could it be a bad earth from the vehicle battery to the chassis? - older motorhomes have been known to suffer from that after a few years.
 
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Try pushing the button in an the accident fuel cut off valve it should be under the bonnet on the scuttle left hand side as you look in

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Rick Axon said:
I have a Swift Sundance 2003 reg, built on a Fiat Ducato Chassis.
Stated it up a couple of days ago and moved it a few feet in our drive. Went out again an hour later and it wouldn't start.
I get a message saying "oil High" followed by another message "Day 0", there's an icon of spanner in the bottom left of the screen. (See photos)
The battery charge says 12.3 V and the oil level is halfway between the low and high marks on the dipstick.
Any ideas will be most welcome.

Thanks
Rick

View attachment 828829 View attachment 828830
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have not had it serviced or it has not been reset after servicing and has run out of service tokens.

Try this :-

Ign on but dont start
Flashes 0 days on screen or spanner shows constantly.
Wait.
Flashing stops
Trip miles displayed
Press right button once to show odo miles.
Press right button and hold for 10 seconds until CFG flashes.
Cycle CFG 1 / 2 / 3 with single press of right button.
Once on CFG you want press and hold right button for around 5 seconds until odo miles comes back on.

18000 miles (CFG1), 12000 (CFG2), 9000 (CFG3)
 
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As said, you can reset the service light easily enough.. as above, but that won't stop it starting

when it wouldn't start, did you notice if the key code recognition light went out when you turned on the ignition.. small amber icon with a padlock ? If that stays on it wont start.

I had that problem a few weeks ago and was caused by having either too many keys on my keyring or my daughters car key on the same ring .. solved by removing daughters car key.

If key code padlock light still on, you could try another key..

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Fiat 2.8JTD Starting issue ..keys from two different vehicles on the same bunch ?

Can having ignition keys from two different vehicles on the same bunch cause an issue with starting ? Yesterday the van just cranked over, usually it starts on first turn of the key.. tried a few times , then it started When out shopping and it did it again.. twice.. Plenty of fuel, but then...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
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Do you get a click from the starter solenoid? If so usually a poor earth, if not obd reader.
 
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I assume you have turned off ignition, locked all doors with remote. Left for a period of time then tried again.

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Landy Andy said:
I assume you have turned off ignition, locked all doors with remote. Left for a period of time then tried again.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. Yes, left it for a few hours, the left it again for a day. Made no difference I'm afraid.
 
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MisterB said:
i would put the battery on charge for a while and see if that sorts it, if it does then at least you know you might need a new battery, if it doesnt then could it be a bad earth from the vehicle battery to the chassis? - older motorhomes have been known to suffer from that after a few years.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. I've put it on charge and checked the earth from the battery to the chassis. I'll try it again tomorrow.
 
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Gromett said:
Probably need to get an OBD2 reader on it. Either a mobile mechanic/AA etc or get a cheap £10 one off ebay.
This will give you a code or codes and perhaps tell you what the cause is.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. I'll charge the battery first as was suggested in another post, then see if I can borrow one from our friendly local garage.
 
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denisejoe said:
Try pushing the button in an the accident fuel cut off valve it should be under the bonnet on the scuttle left hand side as you look in
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. I couldn't find any button after a quick glance when putting the battery on charge. If it doesn't work after charging I'll dig out the handbook.
 
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Two on Tour said:
Sounds like you have not had it serviced or it has not been reset after servicing and has run out of service tokens.

Try this :-

Ign on but dont start
Flashes 0 days on screen or spanner shows constantly.
Wait.
Flashing stops
Trip miles displayed
Press right button once to show odo miles.
Press right button and hold for 10 seconds until CFG flashes.
Cycle CFG 1 / 2 / 3 with single press of right button.
Once on CFG you want press and hold right button for around 5 seconds until odo miles comes back on.

18000 miles (CFG1), 12000 (CFG2), 9000 (CFG3)
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply.
I'll try this too after I've charged the battery.

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Jev88 said:
12.3V. Pretty low ! Does it turn over? Click? Or nothing at all.
Click to expand...
Nothing at all, I think the first time I started it must have drained the battery. It's on charge now.
It was the "Day 0" message that threw me I couldn't find any refence to it the the Swift or the Fiat manuals or on-line.
As other have suggested it maybe the fact it wasn't serviced this year due to lack of use.
 
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scotjimland said:
As said, you can reset the service light easily enough.. as above, but that won't stop it starting

when it wouldn't start, did you notice if the key code recognition light went out when you turned on the ignition.. small amber icon with a padlock ? If that stays on it wont start.

I had that problem a few weeks ago and was caused by having either too many keys on my keyring or my daughters car key on the same ring .. solved by removing daughters car key.

If key code padlock light still on, you could try another key..

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Fiat 2.8JTD Starting issue ..keys from two different vehicles on the same bunch ?

Can having ignition keys from two different vehicles on the same bunch cause an issue with starting ? Yesterday the van just cranked over, usually it starts on first turn of the key.. tried a few times , then it started When out shopping and it did it again.. twice.. Plenty of fuel, but then...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
Click to expand...
Yes the Key code recognition led went out, I'll try this too if nothing else works.
 
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ctc said:
Do you get a click from the starter solenoid? If so usually a poor earth, if not obd reader.
Click to expand...
No, no click, there's nothing. I'll charge the battery up first.
 
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Rick Axon said:
No, no click, there's nothing. I'll charge the battery up first.
Click to expand...
No click, no turnover? Definitely sounds like battery to me. When you said it wouldn't start in the Original Post (OP) I thought you meant it was turning over but not starting.
If it is not even turning over and no solenoid clunk then the battery is most likely candidate.
 
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Rick Axon said:
Nothing at all, I think the first time I started it must have drained the battery. It's on charge now.
It was the "Day 0" message that threw me I couldn't find any refence to it the the Swift or the Fiat manuals or on-line.
As other have suggested it maybe the fact it wasn't serviced this year due to lack of use.
Click to expand...
Once charged if you still get nothing from starting motor out a chunky jump lead on neg post and across to engine block. If it now spins then earth to battery needs adding to.
 
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Rick Axon said:
I have a Swift Sundance 2003 reg, built on a Fiat Ducato Chassis.
Stated it up a couple of days ago and moved it a few feet in our drive. Went out again an hour later and it wouldn't start.
I get a message saying "oil High" followed by another message "Day 0", there's an icon of spanner in the bottom left of the screen. (See photos)
The battery charge says 12.3 V and the oil level is halfway between the low and high marks on the dipstick.
Any ideas will be most welcome.

Thanks
Rick

View attachment 828829 View attachment 828830
Click to expand...
“Day-O” . . .
Sounds like daylight is coming and me wanna go home . . . Hehehe!!!
 
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Gromett said:
No click, no turnover? Definitely sounds like battery to me. When you said it wouldn't start in the Original Post (OP) I thought you meant it was turning over but not starting.
If it is not even turning over and no solenoid clunk then the battery is most likely candidate.
Click to expand...
Thanks, it's on charge now, I'll try again tomorrow.

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Jev88 said:
Once charged if you still get nothing from starting motor out a chunky jump lead on neg post and across to engine block. If it now spins then earth to battery needs adding to.
Click to expand...
Thanks, something else to try if all else fails.
 
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My though is that it's because it hasn't been serviced so the count-down has got to 0 and thus it won't let you start-up until you clear/reset-it. They go into limp mode initially but then after so many miles will just prevent you driving and thus likely starting. We had a service one year and the garage didn't do the oil and service resetting, we ended up having to have it sorted in France as the mileage left before it went into limp mods was too low to allow us to get back to the UK to the garage, the French garage would only do it if they changed the oil first so our garage got a nice hefty bill from the main dealer who did it!

Try re-setting the oil and service counters and hopefully that'll solve the issue.
 
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Minxy said:
My though is that it's because it hasn't been serviced so the count-down has got to 0 and thus it won't let you start-up until you clear/reset-it. They go into limp mode initially but then after so many miles will just prevent you driving and thus likely starting. We had a service one year and the garage didn't do the oil and service resetting, we ended up having to have it sorted in France as the mileage left before it went into limp mods was too low to allow us to get back to the UK to the garage, the French garage would only do it if they changed the oil first so our garage got a nice hefty bill from the main dealer who did it!

Try re-setting the oil and service counters and hopefully that'll solve the issue.
Click to expand...
I think it is pre-limp mode age-wise.
 
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Minxy said:
My though is that it's because it hasn't been serviced so the count-down has got to 0 and thus it won't let you start-up until you clear/reset-it. They go into limp mode initially but then after so many miles will just prevent you driving and thus likely starting.
Click to expand...
On a 2003 2.8JTD ignoring the service warning indicator it doesn't put it into 'limp mode' or stop you driving normally ..

my service light was on for a while, until I took the trouble to find out how to reset it

see post #7 ..
 
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