Troubleshooting — Electrical System (Opel Ascona C)

Symptom/Cause

There is no voltage on the starter motor/

• The battery is discharged
• The battery has an internal defect - The battery contacts are loose or the ground is not firmly attached to the body
• Loose or broken connections in the starter motor circuit
• Starter motor switch or solenoid is faulty

Voltage is supplied to the starter motor—the motor does not work/

• The motor brushes are badly worn, or stuck, or their wires are loose
• The commutator is worn, dirty or burnt out. The starter motor anchor is faulty
• The field coils were grounded

Electrical problems/

• The battery is in a discharged state
• The starter brushes are badly worn, stuck or disconnected
• Bad connections in the starter motor circuit
• Dirt or oil on the drive gear

The starter motor is noisy or has poor engagement/

• Broken or worn teeth on the gear or flywheel
• The starter main drive spring is broken
• The starter motor mounting bolts are loose

Generator not charging*/

• The alternator drive belt is loose, has come off, or is damaged
• The brushes are worn out, stuck, broken or dirty
• The brush springs are weak or broken

* if everything is in order, but the generator still does not charge, you must provide the car for inspection by a specialist, it is necessary to check the generator and regulator

• The battery does not hold a charge for more than a few days
• Internal battery defect
• The electrolyte level is too low or the electrolyte concentration is too weak due to leakage
• The separator plates are no longer effective
• The battery plates are heavily sulfated
• The drive belt is slipping
• Battery contacts are loose or corroded
• The generator is not charging properly
• A short circuit in the circuit causing a constant leak from the battery
• The internal regulator is not working properly

The ignition indicator does not turn off, the battery discharges in a few days/

• The drive belt is loose and slipping, or is damaged
• Generator is faulty

If individual electrical appliances fail, check the following:

• The fuel level sensor shows nothing at all (see also Chapter 3)
• The fuel tank is empty
• The electrical wire between the sensor in the tank and the device is grounded or damaged
• The device casing is not grounded
• The power cord of the device is damaged
• The sensor is faulty

The fuel level sensor constantly shows a full tank/

• The electrical wire between the sensor in the tank and the instrument cluster is damaged or disconnected

The sound signal works all the time/

• Horn button is grounded or stuck
• The wire from the horn button is grounded

The sound signal does not work at all/

• The fuse has blown
• The wire or its connections are loose, damaged or disconnected
• The sound signal has an internal defect

The horn is making intermittent sounds or not the sounds you expect

• Poor electrical connections
• The sound signal is not adjusted correctly

The lighting does not turn on/

• If the engine does not work, the battery is discharged
• The light bulbs are burnt out or broken
• The electrical wiring is disconnected or damaged
• The switch is short-circuited or faulty

The lights turn on but quickly fade

• If the engine does not work, the battery is discharged

The headlights give off very little light

• Dirty headlights
• The reflector is damaged or dirty
• The headlights are severely out of alignment
• A very low power light bulb is installed
• The existing light bulbs are old
• The wiring is too thin and cannot transmit the required voltage

The headlights shine unevenly, especially when jolted/

• Battery contacts or ground are disconnected
• Headlights are not grounded properly
• The switch contacts are faulty

Windscreen wiper motor not working/

• The fuse has blown
• Electrical wiring contacts are damaged or disconnected
• The brushes are badly worn out
• The anchor is worn out or faulty
• Field coils are faulty

The windshield wiper motor is slow and uses a lot of electricity

• The switch is dirty or burnt out
• The spindle drive is bent or not lubricated
• The spindle is bent or damaged
• Anchor bearings are dry or out of adjustment
• The anchor is badly worn or faulty

The windshield wiper motor operates slowly and consumes little electricity

• The brushes are badly worn out
• The switch is dirty, oily or burnt out
• The anchor is badly worn or faulty

The windshield wiper motor works but the blades do not move/

• Connecting elements are disconnected or faulty
• The drive spindle is worn or damaged
• The engine drive parts are badly worn

Brushes do not fall into place after switching off/

• The relay is faulty

Incorrect operation of brushes, lack of intermediate mode/

• The relay is faulty

The brushes work continuously when the intermediate mode is turned on/

• Motor faulty

The brushes don't fit into place/

• Relay or motor faulty (a more detailed diagnosis should be made)

Windshield wiper motor starts working unexpectedly/

• The secondary windings of the coil are faulty (open circuit)
• Generator voltage regulator defective * Washer pump wires too close to high voltage wires
• Carburetor solenoid shut off valve is faulty
• Poor grounding at the windshield wiper motor mounting screw

* Installing a suppressor capacitor on the generator is the primary cause of this source of problems. If this is not the case, it may be necessary to replace the voltage regulator