24 replies to this topic

[koomey]

HI
DRIVING ALONG IN MY MINI TODAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BATTERY CUT OUT AND SMOKE STARTING COMING FROM INSIDE BOOT. NATURALLY MADE ME P**P MY PANTS !
I MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND GET TO SAFETY.
UPON INSPECTING THE BATTERY, I FOUND THAT THE POSITIVE TERMINAL SPARKS WHEN I GO ANYWHERE NEAR IT, I THINK THE TERMINAL IS WORN THROUGH WHERE IT PASSES THROUGH BODY INTO BOOT, IVE DISCONNECTED NEGATIVE BUT A BIT APPREHENSIVE ABOUT POSITIVE AS I DONT WANT SPARKS FLYING EVERYWHERE IN BOOT.
WHATS MY NEXT STEP TO SAFELY SORT IT ?

NEED TO GET FIXED ASAP AS MINI IS PARKED AT MY WORK !

THANKS

[liirge]

Once the Negative is disconncted, the car is no longer earthed, and the postive will not spark.
UNLESS
it comes in conact with the Negative terminal on the battery

[T.Harper]

Yeah just make sure you are careful not to touch the negative to the body or let it re-connect. You should repair the wire where it has chafed through, and buy a new rubber grommet to prevent this happening again

[koomey]

thanks very much , about to go and attempt to sort .......

[dklawson]

If the negative cable in the boot has chafed through, you may be able to fix this yourself. HOWEVER, since your cable has shorted to earth, inspect its insulation carefully along its entire length. If the jacket has been overheated and appears to have melted, replace the cable. If it's not damaged except where it shorted in the boot, you can take care of this yourself if you have an electronics store near you. Visit them and get a roll of electrical tape and a bit of "spiral wrap".

Spiral wrap looks like this:
http://news.thomasne...ge/009/9837.jpg
It's used to hold bundles of wires together and protect them from fraying.

With the battery disconnected, pull the negative cable up through the boot floor and wrap the damaged area with electrical tape to seal out moisture. Once that's done, wind a piece of spiral wrap over the electrical tape extending perhaps 2 inches above and below the damaged area. Apply just a bit of electrical tape to the ends of the spiral wrap to keep it in place and then begin reconnecting the battery.

The negative cable goes all the way from the boot to the solenoid so replacing it is a bit of work and probably a good deal of money. Fixing what you have may be possible but only if the cable jacket is not heat damaged.

[koomey]

If the negative cable in the boot has chafed through, you may be able to fix this yourself. HOWEVER, since your cable has shorted to earth, inspect its insulation carefully along its entire length. If the jacket has been overheated and appears to have melted, replace the cable. If it's not damaged except where it shorted in the boot, you can take care of this yourself if you have an electronics store near you. Visit them and get a roll of electrical tape and a bit of "spiral wrap".

Spiral wrap looks like this:
http://news.thomasne...ge/009/9837.jpg
It's used to hold bundles of wires together and protect them from fraying.

With the battery disconnected, pull the negative cable up through the boot floor and wrap the damaged area with electrical tape to seal out moisture. Once that's done, wind a piece of spiral wrap over the electrical tape extending perhaps 2 inches above and below the damaged area. Apply just a bit of electrical tape to the ends of the spiral wrap to keep it in place and then begin reconnecting the battery.

The negative cable goes all the way from the boot to the solenoid so replacing it is a bit of work and probably a good deal of money. Fixing what you have may be possible but only if the cable jacket is not heat damaged.

thanks very much for the info, i have checked cable, its only damaged in boot. ive wrapped the cable with electrical tape and managed to drive 10 mins home. ill get some spiral wrap sorted tommorow and finish the repair,
thanks again, much appreciated

[998dave]

stop, stop, stop.

On positive earth the neg goes to the solenoid.

Koomey, yous looks newer, suspect negative earth, disconnect the negative lead from the battery, AND the bodywork, (one 1/2" screw I think), remove completely, and you have removed the risk of earthing the car, you can now safely undo the positive side, remove the battery from the vehicle, check it and trickle charge it away from anything volatile, (just in case), while that's slowly charging fix the positive lead as suggested above.

Once battery charged disconnect and check it, you may have inadvertantly cooked the battery though, so be prepared to accept the need for a new one.

Sorry,

Dave

[koomey]

stop, stop, stop.

On positive earth the neg goes to the solenoid.

Koomey, yous looks newer, suspect negative earth, disconnect the negative lead from the battery, AND the bodywork, (one 1/2" screw I think), remove completely, and you have removed the risk of earthing the car, you can now safely undo the positive side, remove the battery from the vehicle, check it and trickle charge it away from anything volatile, (just in case), while that's slowly charging fix the positive lead as suggested above.

Once battery charged disconnect and check it, you may have inadvertantly cooked the battery though, so be prepared to accept the need for a new one.

Sorry,

Dave

thanks for the info, i will inspect and test battery today

[Ethel]

DK knows his stuff, but I think it's slipped his mind on this occasion that not many of us have Minis over 40

Yours is much more like to be negative earth, if it has an alternator is will be for sure.

[998dave]

DK knows his stuff, but I think it's slipped his mind on this occasion that not many of us have Minis over 40

Yours is much more like to be negative earth, if it has an alternator is will be for sure.

It says under his Avatar it's a sidewalk, hence my thinking it'll be negative earth.

[998dave]

If the negative cable in the boot has chafed through, you may be able to fix this yourself.

HOWEVER, since your positive cable has shorted to earth, inspect its insulation carefully along its entire length. If the jacket has been overheated and appears to have melted, replace the cable. If it's not damaged except where it shorted in the boot, you can take care of this yourself if you have an electronics store near you. Visit them and get a roll of electrical tape and a bit of "spiral wrap".

Spiral wrap looks like this:
http://news.thomasne...ge/009/9837.jpg
It's used to hold bundles of wires together and protect them from fraying.

With the battery disconnected, pull the positive cable up through the boot floor and wrap the damaged area with electrical tape to seal out moisture. Once that's done, wind a piece of spiral wrap over the electrical tape extending perhaps 2 inches above and below the damaged area. Apply just a bit of electrical tape to the ends of the spiral wrap to keep it in place and then begin reconnecting the battery.

The positive cable goes all the way from the boot to the solenoid so replacing it is a bit of work and probably a good deal of money. Fixing what you have may be possible but only if the cable jacket is not heat damaged.

Edited for clarity, all perfect except habit!

[koomey]

thanks for clearing that up !
good to know people are willing to help unlike other mini forums, cheers

[998dave]

thanks for clearing that up !
good to know people are willing to help unlike other mini forums, cheers

NP. only rule is when you do fix it you have to come back, and put a closing post saying what it was, so next time someone searches they know what to do.

[dklawson]

Ooops!

Thanks Dave. Yes, the positive cable goes from the boot all the way to the front of the car (NOT the negative). My mistake was typographical or old age induced.

[998dave]

...

Edited by 998dave, 08 August 2008 - 11:54 AM.