Clicking from solenoid

[Roy748]

Hello all
Need some advice please.
Today I noticed a clicking coming from my van, upon investigation I deducted it was coming from the black solenoid mounted on the NS inner wing just in front of the expansion tank. Their are two solenoids located there as this one is closest to the expansion tank.
Further investigation identified a flatten battery, so disconnect earth and charged battery in situ.
Reconnected battery and upon connection selonoid made a constant tone and dip lights came on, although light stalk in off position. Started the van but lights and tone stayed on. Have now removed the battery to charge fully in the garage. Do I need a new solenoid or is this something else.
Any advice greatly appreciated

[Roy748]

Oh van is a 2001 2.0ltr petrol model

[g8dhe]

I think you mean Relays not solenoids, if they were clicking when the ignition was off then most likely you had left the lights on and the battery was just about to go flat! When the relays switch off the battery voltage rises a bit, enough to cause the relays to switch back on and turn on the lights and the battery voltage falls again! Once the battery is charged all should be fine again.

[Roy748]

Hello g8dhe

Thanks for your reply, relay, I thought I might be incorrect in my description
I have placed the battery on charge in the garage, hopefully tomorrow when it is fully charged it will be ok.
Funny that when i started the van the lights remained on and the tone continued although the lights were turned off, as I checked several times to be sure. Does this sound normal.
I dont believe the light were left on either as I returned home yesterday in the dark and would have seen them on.

[g8dhe]

When the battery voltage gets very low then all sorts of oddities can result so I wouldn't like to say about the warning alarm etc. It could be that the battery has just come to the end of its life now that the temperature is falling and it needs replacing if it has trouble holding a charge even.

[Roy748]

The alarm sound was more a noise coming from the relay. As for the battery it's a bosch bought new in March this year. If it is the battery fortunately it came with a 4 year warranty

[g8dhe]

Well in that case it just sounds like a flat battery, it might just have been the sidelights, has your lights alarm not been working? I know some people in the past kill the Sound Warning System which would mean you don't get all the bleeps and warnings a Bongo can generate!

[Roy748]

Nothing has been disconnected and no side light alarm was heard on exiting the van during day light hours when last used. I am giving the battery 24hrs on charge and will refit thereafter. Hopefully the lights and relay will return to normal, if not I will order a new relay and go from there

[g8dhe]

If the relay was clicking then its not that likely to be the relay, merely low voltage for whatever reason to the relay.

[Roy748]

Hello G8dhe

Problem sorted... fully charged the battery and refitted, initially the lights came on and the relay made a constant sound. At this point disconnect battery in order to stop noise and then remove leisure battery to access relay. Once removed battery reconnected starter battery to confirm which relay to remove and low and behold all was back as it should be.
Have now redirected the solar charger from the leisure battery to the starter in an attempt to stop it happening again.
Thanks for your help and advice, this forum in invaluable..

[Bob]

Might be worth testing the battery before you refit it, just in cast it has failed.

Not common on a battery that new, but possible.

Edit: You don't need this post now, well done.

[Roy748]

Well sadly the problem has returned.. fully charged the battery, left it connected on a 40w solar panel to keep it topped up, but unfortunately this evening (2 days later) the relay once more commenced its continuous sound and the dip lights came on once more, even though the light switch is turned off.
Has any other owners experienced these symptoms, as I have in the past had a flattened battery but never before had the lights and relay producing these reactions.
I will test the battery but as it was new in January i cannot see this being the problem in all honesty.
Could the relay be my problem, as never experienced these symptoms before with a flat battery.
Any advice would be much appreciated

[g8dhe]

Which of the two relays is it ? There can be up to 4 relays down there;

[Roy748]

Hello Geoff
It's the head lights relay, the one closest the expansion tank.
I disconnected the starter battery from vehicle as it was reading only 12.4 volts and the lights were on constantly so naturally had to remedy this. I connected the dollar panel to the starter battery over night in preparation for today, having just checked the battery its holding 12.59v so the battery is holding charge.
The fact that the relay is triggered and turns the lights on as a result even though the lights are in effect off is going to reduce the charge considerably.
Is the a common fault and should I replace the relay

[g8dhe]

Not necessarily the relay, more likely from what you have described is the stalk switch, best to get a multi-meter out and measure the voltage being applied to the relay from the switch, the relay clicking could be an intermittent short of power to the relay coil, the fact that it clicks suggests the relay is operating do the lights come on/off with the clicking ? If they stay on all the time then it might be welded relay contacts but that isn't common on these types of relays. Try swapping the relays around they are the same type as I recall.