[whippetmom]

Hi all

I have recently purchased a Master van which has been converted to a coach build horsebox. I love it - it is a 2005 plate, 2.5ltre.

Are there any other users out there? They are quite popular.

However, today when driving the pre-heating warning light came on and I lost all power to the engine - it was like running out of fuel. It happened about 4 times but was brief and then the light went off again and power came back. It was pretty scary as I annoyed a few drivers because the vehicle was grinding to a halt without any brake lights or indicators. And then it took off again!

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[Lagdti]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

The company that employs me runs 4 of these vans,both Renault Masters and Vauxhall Movanos which are the same thing with different badges.The combined mileage of the 4 is around 850,000 miles so theres not much I haven't seen with them.On the whole they are very good,the gearboxes can be a little fragile and they do give the odd niggling fault but of all the vans I have worked on they are amongst the best.

Ideally you need to have the fault codes read on your van,it sounds like a turbo boost problem (either sensor or leaking boost pressure) to me but the fault codes will tell you a lot.The wiring can break where it connects to the boost pressure sensor/airflow sensor and this can cause the fault your experiencing,but there are other possible causes which would flag up a fault.

 

[whippetmom]

Hi - and thanks very much for your reply: this might sound like a very 'blonde' question (which I am!) : but I have never owned this type of vehicle before - so:: can I take it to any garage or does it have to be a Renault trucks place? The reason I ask is that I have a v good local garage just around the corner where I have all my MoT tests and services done, etc - but they can't test 3.5 tonne vehicles. I would like to go there because I trust them and I am a bit worried about driving it now.

I will go back to the guy I bought it off and see who recommends. I was actually supposed to pick it up at Christmas but it was as dead as a dodo when I went to collect! It had a new ECU in the New Year which we had to wait a bit for. I have only had it for about 6 weeks and yesterday was the first time I put horses in it - so it was a bit heart stopping when it just ran out of power as I envisage having to abandon it and walk a very long way with two exhausted horses!

 

[Lagdti]

The MOT will need to be done at a garage that can test Class 7 vehicles,apart from that your local garage will be able to work on it/prepare it for an MOT as long as they are happy to do so.

 

[whippetmom]

Thank you very much, I shall ask them if they'll look at it.

From your experience - when this happens while driving, is there anything I should be doing apart from putting on the hazard lights? When it fades away (and it is unexpected) I came out of gear, then go into a low gear and put my foot to the floor and the fuel seems to get through and the vehicle surges forward. By keeping it revved up, it seems to keep it going. Trouble for me is that with two horses in the back, I have to brake very, very slowly and approach junctions and roundabouts coming well down the gears - accelerate and brake driving does not work with a ton of horse flesh keeping balance just behind me.

Sorry you are in a bored mood!