Engine light always on? delco 808

[V8hilux]

Hi there,

I did an engine conversion in a hilux a few years ago from diesel to vp 5.0 holden engine.

One thing that has always bugged me is that the engine light has always been on.

When the key is first switched on, the engine light gets bright, then when the car starts the engine light always remains on but very dull.

There is never any fault codes, except for the normal one. but if i disconect a sensor and rev the car for a while the fault code comes up and engine light flashes etc brightly so all appears to be working fine.

Does any one know why the engine light always stays on dull ? all sensors are conected and working fine so it seems.

The engine light is just a small red plastic bulb in a little tube looking thing that sits in a small hole in my glove box so i can see it while driving.

I have tried 2 different delco's and still stays on, tried different ignition module, still stays on. could it just be that my bulb is too sensitive to volts? maybe need a resistance bulb with a gap to jump at higher volt? (stabbing in dark here)

Or could it be a wiring problem somewhere?
Apart from that everything works fine just bugging me not knowing why?

Also before the conversion, when the key was turned on 2 clicks, all the dash lights used to come on real bright but now since the conversion all the dash lights at 2 clicks are working but also very dull. anyone know.


Thanks.

[VL400]

Could try a diode or resistor inline or a higher wattage bulb but it sounds like you may have some grouding issues if other lights are dull when they used to be bright. Your wideband not reading right may also be caused by the dodgy ground.

[Jayme]

got the same thing on a conversion myself, its caused by using a LED bulb.... too sensitive, the engine light is designed to have a filament bulb. we never bothered to fix it but I would imagine a resistor in parallel with it may improve things somewhat.

[V8hilux]

Yes, I think it is an led bulb. Good to know thanks Jayme. I'll just leave it then.

I like the extra gauges and lights/...racing stickers etc in the cab makes it feel faster. lol. Looks like a bloody airplane cockpit!

As for the dull dash lights/ warning lights, I might go check some earths.

I have a good earth to the block from battery, and a good thick one from engine block to chassis. But now that I think about it... I think I remember seeing a earth that went from the battery to the tin bodey shell before the conversion. but that is long gone.

I might go and connec a jumper lead from batt earth to body and see if that does anything. The body is lifted and all sits on rubber mounts.

Thanks.

[V8hilux]

Ok, That didn't do anything. the body shell is earthed fine on the multimeter.

I done some probing of the sensors for the dull dash lights. There is a oil light, a timing belt light, a brake light, and a battery light and a fuel filer light, they are all dull except for the oil light which is really bright/normal.

I stuck the multimeter on the brake light sensor and it only is seeing 7 volts. maybe the dash light system is only getting 7 volts would explain the dull lights.

Then looking at the alternator, has a socket going in with two wires. One goes straight to battery and other one goes into harness and if i disconnect that socket, all the dash lights go out... when the key is on 2 clicks there is 12 volts in the harness end of the socket but nothing in the alternator side of the socket.

When i connect the socket up and get all dash lights dull on 2 clicks and probe the wire again it only has 6 volts. then when i start the car and probe again, it gets 13.6 volts.

So what have i learnt? nothing.can't understand how it works ha ha. still have no idea but am just guessing that the wire for the dash going into alternator must be different resistence or something to the old diesel alternator wire somehow making the dash lights only get 6 volts. but the oil light works normal and bright.

ahh well just put in the hard basket and forget about it. ha ha.

[Holden202T]

same thing in my gemini with LED, its pretty dull but still lit!