Fitting Electrical Accessories to a Van Without Causing Problems
by Most parasitic drains and a good share of vehicle fires start with an accessory someone wired in badly. Where to take a feed, how to fuse it, and what not to do.
Category: Electrical & Charging
Alternators, starter motors, immobilisers, locking and lighting. Modern vans produce misleading symptoms when voltage is low, so these guides test circuits properly before condemning components.
Van Lighting Faults and Bulbs That Keep Failing
Lighting is the most common MOT failure category and the cheapest to prevent. Why bulbs keep going, and what repeated failure in one position is telling you.
Van Central Locking and Sliding Door Lock Faults
Central locking that works on some doors but not others is telling you something specific. Actuators, sliding door looms and the security implications of ignoring it.
Van Immobiliser and Key Problems
An immobiliser fault is one of the few things that will stop a mechanically perfect van dead. How to tell a failing key from a system fault, cheaply.
Van Starter Motor Faults: Click, Silence or Slow Crank
The noise the van makes when you turn the key narrows the fault immediately. How to read it, and why the starter itself is often innocent.
Van Alternator Faults: Testing Before You Replace
Alternators get replaced on a single voltmeter reading more often than they actually fail. Why smart charging changes what normal looks like, and how to test properly.