Help please - also broken down!!!!

[dusty]

Car parked after no-probs driving. Come to re-start some 5 hours later and no sign of life at all. No central locking, no interior/exterior lights, no alarm. Nearly new battery tested and has full charge.

Have checked visibly for any loose elec connections, duff fuses and relays etc but can't find any. Have 'wiggled' most things but without any joy = still completely dead car. Baffled, me I is!

Any help, advise, pointers (have already thought seriously about getting rid!) would be so gratefully received.

[Scott]

Are the terminals tight on the battery?

[dusty]

Are the terminals tight on the battery?

Yes thanks for that - I've removed the terminals and put them back on and still nowt. Am stumped at the mo quite frankly!!

[puglove]

All the terminals clean and free of any corrosion?

[Scott]

Do any lights come on in the dash when you put the key in the ignition? It sounds strange that the battery is charged by the are no lights at all.

[londondan86]

Must be a fooked cable from the battery, check the earths to the gearbox and the chassis.

[dusty]

Must be a fooked cable from the battery, check the earths to the gearbox and the chassis.

Having played with 'it' and all the cables leading to 'it' no lights have come on at any stage anywhere at all on the vehicle. I will search out and check the earth cables as suggested ..... finger's crossed etc.

One minute it was werkin' - the next it wasn't. It's as daft as that. Still could be worse I s'pose

[Hdiestate]

Does the terminals spark when u refit them?
Aslo try jump starting it from another car.

[dusty]

Does the terminals spark when u refit them?
Aslo try jump starting it from another car.

Appreciate your suggestion and had of the same route. First few times I refitted the terminals they didn't spark - but then one last time the neg terminal did. And we were off again - it all runs /operates as it should and was doing earlier. I hadn't knowingly touched/changed/banged/ anything new or different. Drove to local garage to check out nearly new battery and all sweet there.

When it finally becomes daylight again I shall search out those earth leads and give them a going over. Damn wigglies!

[andywhy]

Check for corrosion on the leads too. Even a tiny bit can cause problems. Give it a clean with an abrasive pad/wire brush (not too hard) and then put it back together and cover in vaseline to keep the crap out.

[dusty]

Check for corrosion on the leads too. Even a tiny bit can cause problems. Give it a clean with an abrasive pad/wire brush (not too hard) and then put it back together and cover in vaseline to keep the crap out.

Have found what I think is where the battery neg terminal attaches (earths) to the engine/gearbox and from that lead, at the engine attachment end, there is a lead going over to the chassis. This is all in the vicinity of the underside of the battery mounting tray. I have taken off the bolt and connections at the chassis end and completed the task as suggested above. Many thanks for that tip (just knew the vaseline would come in handy somewhere else!!). Also checked that no internal/external lights were 'on' when they should be 'off' and removed the non-OEM radio and assorted non-OEM fitted leads as a precaution - just the connecting blocks remain in place now.

Meanwhile have re-examined all the little jobs I've done recently to see where I may have not been fully hygienic on the elec front: me = new brake light sensor; new RH rear indicator lamp; RH front speaker wiring; airbag light on dash resolution (tighten connectors under front seats). Garage = new alternator and pulley assy. All were ok apart from RH rear indicator lamp - Py21W instead of P21w installed. New alternator is a neat job - no contra indications on the dash re charging light etc.
All lights on dash work ok apart from oil press light and oil level indicator which haven't worked for 4 years! Had also noticed recently the occasional slight elec shock/tingle when getting out of the car and touching the metal door to close it.

Upshot so far is that no more elec shox; all external lights now ok; oil press light and oil level indicator still not functioning.

Re-examined battery (new Nov 12) etc after last 'dead-car' incident and, from readings on the battery charger it now seemed almost completely discharged. (previous initial indication was that it was just about 100%). It has had and taken a full on charge o/n. Car started and ran well all day so far, but will leave it overnight and see what state battery is in tomorrow.

Now to see if I can get the fans to work - engine reach about 95degC today + 'STOP' light illuminated in dash. Cooling achieved through driving! Very appreciative of all advice so far .................

[Poodle]

If the battery dropped charge that quickly and the earths are clean, it's looking like new battery time.

[dusty]

If the battery dropped charge that quickly and the earths are clean, it's looking like new battery time.

Yeah I wondered that too, so took battery back to supplier for check and it it all seemed to be OK as it would in situ and just after a run. Have now measured the battery DCV at 13.2 - enngine stopped for 1 hour - and will check it tomorrow again. Have cleaned up 4 x chassis earth points 3 in engine bay + 1 in driver's foot-well) as earlier suggested ........ I'm sure there are more though! Finger's crossed eh!

Now the fans ..... 1 rotates freely but the other is now just simply rotates against a little physical resistance after being stuck! Motor fudged I 'spect. Relays and fuses all look ok.

[Poodle]

I don't suppose you've got anything that could be draining the battery charge overnight - new radio or something..?

[dusty]

I don't suppose you've got anything that could be draining the battery charge overnight - new radio or something..?

Everything apart from the alternator has been on the vehicle for years and this has happened all of a sudden. So assume that it's either something I've or the missus has inadvertently done or a new fault is showing itself without me cocking up!

Good idea about the radio so have removed that, along with re-tracing my steps on all the little jobs I've done recently, to see if that has any effect. All usual elec bits and pieces work with no 'dimming' or odd lights going off/on when braking or indicating etc. Have also confirmed internal door lights go off as they should ... and switched them off just in case.

These elec snags seem so transient sometimes.

[andywhy]

Put your multimeter inline with the battery and check the "parasitic" current. Disconnect both terminals (neg first for safety). Put the positive terminal to positive of the meter, then the negative of the meter to the positive cable going to the car. Put the negative on the battery as normal. Put it into 10A mode (remember to move the probe to the other socket) and see how much drain you get. Don't try to start the car or turn lights/ignition etc on, or you'll probably damage your meter. Just make sure doors are locked, etc, just as you would when you walk away from it after driving.

Anything around 0.10A or under is normal. You might want to let the car settle for 5 minutes after you make the connection as the ECU might draw a few amps for a while.

Anything over 1.00A would likely cause you to have low battery symptoms after 12 hours or so, especially if you have a weak battery anyway.

And make sure you put your probe back in the volts socket, or you'll get a nasty sparking and smoking surprise next time you try to measure a battery for voltage

[dusty]

Put your multimeter inline with the battery and check the "parasitic" current. Disconnect both terminals (neg first for safety). Put the positive terminal to positive of the meter, then the negative of the meter to the positive cable going to the car. Put the negative on the battery as normal. Put it into 10A mode (remember to move the probe to the other socket) and see how much drain you get. Don't try to start the car or turn lights/ignition etc on, or you'll probably damage your meter. Just make sure doors are locked, etc, just as you would when you walk away from it after driving.

Anything around 0.10A or under is normal. You might want to let the car settle for 5 minutes after you make the connection as the ECU might draw a few amps for a while.

Anything over 1.00A would likely cause you to have low battery symptoms after 12 hours or so, especially if you have a weak battery anyway.

And make sure you put your probe back in the volts socket, or you'll get a nasty sparking and smoking surprise next time you try to measure a battery for voltage

Brilliant 'Andywhy' - will do that persactly. Have been trying to figure out how to do that very thing with my new meter from BnQ! Now I can .... and without setting fire to it!

[andywhy]

Happy to help I'm of the era that prefers to explain what I mean rather than "check the current drain". Um, how?

[dusty]

Happy to help I'm of the era that prefers to explain what I mean rather than "check the current drain". Um, how?

Much prefer and really appreciate the detail 'Andywhy' - we must be same era!

[dusty]

After 12 hours of the battery being connected to the car the DCV this morning is 13.04v which seems to show that:

a) battery OK and can hold charge
b) battery drain is much reduced and now, possibly, negligible
c) she lives ............ for now!?

Will now proceed in slower time to assess parasitic leakage as per 'Andywhy' suggestion and get my head from out under the bonnet!

Forum tips/advice/suggestions/support excellent - very many thanks and God bless 'tinterweb

[andywhy]

If it's still showing 13.04v overnight, there is no parasitic issue It would have dropped a lot if there were.

[Poodle]

Sorry guys, most of us are from an era where we ask if we dont know what we're doing. :p Always more than happy to help if we can though, apologies if we're sometimes a little short on detail, can be easy to forget not everybody is capable mechanic.

[dusty]

Sorry guys, most of us are from an era where we ask if we dont know what we're doing. :p Always more than happy to help if we can though, apologies if we're sometimes a little short on detail, can be easy to forget not everybody is capable mechanic.

Could not have been successful (finger's crossed!) without all the advice from forum members. Many thanks again.

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If it's still showing 13.04v overnight, there is no parasitic issue It would have dropped a lot if there were.

Yep got that, but will still give the 'in-line' process a try-out just to see.