940 Dashboard Warning Lights

[MWCheshire]

Folks,

Any advice gratefully received re this one please!

I have a 1995 940 SE 2.3 Turbo Estate and when I was driving home this afternoon (and just a few hundred yards from arriving), all the dashboard warning lights as per my attached picture suddenly came on and will not now go off.

The car still seems to run absolutely fine, but these lights are staying on all the time. They are a very odd selection, so I'm thinking this will be something electrical rather than any actual faults with the individual systems. The lights on are:-

Low Washer Fluid (it isn't low...)
Bulb Failure
Battery Charge Failure
Brake Circuit Failure
Parking Brake (which stays on even when the handbrake is off, just a bit less bright)
ABS Malfunction

The seatbelt light does go off when I put my seatbelt on!

Any ideas?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by MWCheshire

Folks,

Any advice gratefully received re this one please!

I have a 1995 940 SE 2.3 Turbo Estate and when I was driving home this afternoon (and just a few hundred yards from arriving), all the dashboard warning lights as per my attached picture suddenly came on and will not now go off.

The car still seems to run absolutely fine, but these lights are staying on all the time. They are a very odd selection, so I'm thinking this will be something electrical rather than any actual faults with the individual systems. The lights on are:-

Low Washer Fluid (it isn't low...)
Bulb Failure
Battery Charge Failure
Brake Circuit Failure
Parking Brake (which stays on even when the handbrake is off, just a bit less bright)
ABS Malfunction

The seatbelt light does go off when I put my seatbelt on!

Any ideas?

Check your alternator belt, if that's intact, check the main battery feed wire to the alternator (if that breaks it will cause this) and if that doesn't find the fault, check all your fuses.

A voltmeter across the battery will confirm it's not charging when the engine is running and also once you've fixed the fault, confirm that it's once again charging.

[volvo always]

Had same issue at 181,000 miles years ago on my 1989 240 GLT one night at 11.30pm on the M6.

Managed to drive 12 miles home with the dash lights like yours illuminated and headlights going dim so only turned on when car coming the other way.

In my case alternator had died. Had another fitted at garage a further 5 miles away and that turned out to be faulty. Charging at max 12.15v!

James.

[MWCheshire]

Folks,

Many thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep you posted as to what happens this week as I (hopefully) get to the bottom of it.

[360beast]

If its lit up like a Christmas tree chances are the alternator belt has snapped or the alternator isn't charging the battery for some reason.

[griston64]

Originally Posted by 360beast

If its lit up like a Christmas tree chances are the alternator belt has snapped or the alternator isn't charging the battery for some reason.

I thought that would've meant that it's Christmas

[griston64]

Sorry I'm bored today !

[360beast]

Oh dear Mark, get on with that fence painting!

[MWCheshire]

Folks,

Many thanks for all your help, it was most useul and the problem is now sorted.

The alternator drivebelt had split and started to shred. Happily, the alternator itself is absolutely fine, so new alternator belt and battery recharged = all warning lights out and running smoothly!

Thanks again!