10 replies to this topic

[Adam101]

Mayfair
1989

Lost all electrical power. Battery is fully charged (tested at local autoparts store) and battery connections clean.
No ignition lights or any other power.
Disconnected battery and then reconnected it. Managed to get power, however turn key to start position. Heard a click and then all power failed.
Disconnected battery again, and reconnected. Had power initially again ie tried hazards and heater motor all worked. Tried headlights and power failed again. I think I heard a click again when I switched on the headlights.
(I think this is not connected but had battery on charge yesterday)

Any thoughts, ideas.

Thanks

Adam

[L400RAS]

May i suggest a poor earth...

Have you got two jump leads?
Put one from directly onto the battery EARTH (NEGATIVE) pole, going outside and underneath the car and onto some bodywork you don't mind clamping to out of sight
Put the other from the engine block - perhaps an engine stud to hidden bodywork.

the jump leads then act as very good earth straps. Try your car, if it works - you need a new earth strap. Remove one jump lead and try again - if the car does not start up, then it is that earth that is at fault and should be renewed - most people use two straps at both locations.
HTH
Ryan

Edited by L400RAS, 25 January 2010 - 08:03 PM.

[Dan]

The subframes are rubber mounted, if you do that you'll be asking the brake lines and various cables to carry the starter load which won't work any better than a failed earth strap. There is no need at all for doubling up the earth straps. This sounds like a problem with the battery earth lead to be honest, at the body end.

[L400RAS]

The subframes are rubber mounted, if you do that you'll be asking the brake lines and various cables to carry the starter load which won't work any better than a failed earth strap.

Agreed, will amend post to state "to body" rather than "to subframe"
Ryan

[Adam101]

Thanks for the advice, recently bought a set of jump cables, so will try this out tomorrow.

Cheers

Adam

[tommy13]

If the battery is fully charged and tested you shouldn't need jump leads. As Dan has already said, your problem will be a bad connection at one of the battery terminals or the earth to the boot floor. Putting jump leads onto the outside of the terminals may work but could be masking the fact that there may be a bad contact between the inside of the terminal and the battery post.

Hold the key in the start position and get someone to wiggle the terminals around, if the starter springs into life you have found the trouble. Other symptoms of a bad contact are hissing noises and heat being generated.

[bmcecosse]

Battery can fail internally and give these symptoms - especially if the terminals have been pulled or banged........

[Dan]

True enough, it's common for people to hammer a tight terminal onto a battery post and break the battery internally in the process.

[Adam101]

Just tried the jump cables as an earth, the car now turns over as it should, i removed one jump lead from the engine, and it still turns over. Does this mean its the earth going from the battery?

[Ethel]

More likely, earths can be fickle things so if you sort the battery negative and it still plays up don't rule out looking elsewhere.

[Adam101]

Sorted
It turned out to be under the metal plate where the earth strap attaches to, it was a little rusty and the plate was lose.
So i wire brushed around the area and, i tightened up the screw very tightly, and all seems to be fine.

Thanks again for all your replies.

Adam