All electrics have cut out

[dubtruck]

Hello,

This morning I got in the car, (Peugeot 306 1.9 Turbo Diesel) heated the plugs, began to start the car as normal, with all normal lights on dash etc, and just as it was kicking into life all the electrics cut out.

Now there is no power at all, not lights on the dash the central locking won't work etc.

I had a poke around and took a few photos. I'm only able to get current from the positive to negative terminals, and from the positive at the join to the starter motor solenoid and the negative battery terminal.

I've tried testing between the various earths on the body to the positive battery terminal and also from a number of places on the engine to the positive terminal with no joy.

annoyingly, I've only been able to use my lightbulb voltemeter as my clarkes voltmeter has once again failed to take readings.. I'm on my 3rd replacement!... anyway, what this means is that I cannot say what current I'm getting at the various points where I do get connection.

I can see a fair bit of green corrosion on the cables at the positive battery terminal, and a bit more at the join to the starter motor. I'm thinking this is most likely to be the cause though would have expected corrosion to have been a slower degradation that an all out cut.

I'd also like to know how to remove the big red plastic cap that sits over the positive terminal, I've tried unscrewing and got no where, I'm wondering if I need to bend the little lugs down and lift it off.. or whether I shouldn't tamper with this.

Picture 1:

Here you see the cable run from the battery to the starter motor (after which the cable continues out of shot to what looks like the alternator but its difficult to get access).





Picture 2:

This shows the Positive Terminal Connections.





Picture 3:

This shows the connection to the starter motor, it has some green corrosion but much less than around the batter terminal.






Any help with diagnosing the problem (and hop to remove the red plastic cap) would be very helpful.

Cheers!

[aggyj17]

I had the same problem with my old dturbo turned out the negative terminals were shot get a jump lead and put it on the engine/chassis of the car and the other end on the negative batter terminal if it comes to life there's your problem

[dubtruck]

Tried this ^^ and violla, a working car.. okay, so it didn't have the power to start but did restore all the electrics.

Just need to order a new cable.

Thanks Aggy

[Willo]

I got one of them shitty screw things for my battery poser tube can they be changed to regular terminals

[aggyj17]

thats good to hear mate. i added an extra earth point aswell to the top of the suspention turret aswell just to help it aswell the earths on 306's are shit lol

[londondan86]

Chop that screw terminal off and fit a new lug, quite cheap from halfrauds

[Piggy]

yeah decent battery terminals for the win...

halfrauds well expensive...and crap...

find a motorfactors or order online if you can

[aggyj17]

I got some decent ones from eBay pretty cheap

[dubtruck]

Cheers for all replies and comments!

Further developments have occurred:

After following Aggy's advice I got some more advice given to me by a mate who'd had similar problems, he recommended that I take off the negative and give the terminal a clean with a knife and also the inside of the 'O' that sits on top of the terminal (that connects the earth to the battery).

It started fine, but has then suffered the same fault after being turned off a few times.. but not others... and each time the fix works - take of the negative, put back on and voila it works!

[C2K]

Duff earth for sure. Thought that before I saw the jump lead idea.take the Battery and box out and examine the main gearbox earth as it's probably shot. Check the other loom earths in the area.

---

Reading your last post you need to follow the loom from the negative terminal, There'll be a break or corroded earth.

[puglove]

I had an identical issue about 5years ago on my old DT turned out that in the top of the red screw bit was sooooo coroded that it just wouldnt allow any current through.

Im not sure why all of a sudden it just decieded to stop any electric getting through. But after a good clean out of the red cap with a drill bit wire brush it was as good as gold for the rest of my ownership with it.