22 replies to this topic

[marcojohno]

that wudnt explain the heater cable shorting out on the manifold


another update, i checked all the wiring at the front end on the solenoid/starter/alternator and nothing was wrong :s

[mrbridger]

I had the same problem recently. The symptoms are as if there is no battery at all.
In an effort to trace the fault i pressed and prodded the wires which run from the steering column and disappear under the dash,and the red ignition light came back on! I haven't pinpointed the faulty wire or connection yet but it's worth you having a look in this area. My money's on a screwy ignition wire/connection.

[marcojohno]

hhhmmm this is getting a bit tedious

there is still no fault i can find

and today we tried jump starting it again just out of curiousity and there was still sparks coming from the + point on the battery as soon as the lead touched it, even for a brief moment

[marcojohno]

okay soo two new earth's and a new battery.......and.......... its still sparking away and no electrics

i am beyond it now, i shall be waving a fond farewell to my mini soon

[GraemeC]

Exploding batteries and sparks on connecting the jump leads certainly sound like a direct short of battery to earth. Prime suspect is the main battery cable even though you have checked it.
Usual points of failure for this cable are the point where it passes through the boot floor and where it comes close to the exhause at the bottom edge of the front bulkhead. However it is possible it could've got damaged and shorted anywhere along its length.

Do you have a multimeter?

[marcojohno]

yerrr my friend told me that was a good place to check, so i took it to my local garage and we had it up on the ramp and followed it from the boot floor to the front and checked everyyyy wire and not a single problem

[Punts]

yerrr my friend told me that was a good place to check, so i took it to my local garage and we had it up on the ramp and followed it from the boot floor to the front and checked everyyyy wire and not a single problem

Try disconnecting the battery, all the live wires at the starter and alternator. Connect the battery earth, then live, if it sparks as before then there's a short in the live cable. No spark, connect the starter (main live from battery only), if it sparks now - faulty solinoid. connect the alternator wire at the starter end first, then back at the alernator end. By now I hope you've found the short because the only wires left are the feeds to the ignition and fuses and it'll be a lot harder to isolate the wires.

[alicetheauto]

I had this same problem, the large cable from the positive of the battery had melted to the st 1 exhaust. For it to be such a massive drain on the battery is quite scary, my battery filled the car with smoke! If it were further down the circuits, it would blow a fuse surely? Almost all the wiring goes from the positive on the solenoid straight to the fusebox doesnt it?