Battery/Booster Lead??????? HELP!
Discussion
Fathers T350 has been sat 'for some while' and was completely dead. Read the manual which states that the special lead that plugs into the port under the car can be used to trickle charge or jump start. I started up another car and then connected leads up. The moment I connected them up though it started cranking the T350...this is with no key in the ignition as we hadn't got into it at this point! My pressing lots of buttons and getting the key in it eventually fires. I leave for a while and check voltage across jumper leads to find 9V. Shortly after the car dies. Managed to get it started again but now even with leads connected to a running battery it barely cranks the car over, the dash display doesn't even come on. It sounds like the battery is now completely kaput and not capable of holding any charge at all.
I connect up the battery charger but every time I switch on it tries to draw mega amps out of the charger and trips it...I can also hear the starter solenoid firing. The manual states that you can charge via this port but on this example its as if the wires from the port are connected straight across the starter motor.
As the car won't fire now and I can't trickle charge as it just tries to turn the car over how on earth am I meant to get in it???
I connect up the battery charger but every time I switch on it tries to draw mega amps out of the charger and trips it...I can also hear the starter solenoid firing. The manual states that you can charge via this port but on this example its as if the wires from the port are connected straight across the starter motor.
As the car won't fire now and I can't trickle charge as it just tries to turn the car over how on earth am I meant to get in it???
Sounds like you need advice from an experienced dealer; my T350's alternator failed recently, but there was just enough battery charge to open doors etc.
If you really want to have another go yourself, how about replacing the battery; access is via panel behind nearside front wheel. But sounds like may be more to it than that - eg starter solenoid jammed in open circuit position? I hate electrical gremlins!
If you really want to have another go yourself, how about replacing the battery; access is via panel behind nearside front wheel. But sounds like may be more to it than that - eg starter solenoid jammed in open circuit position? I hate electrical gremlins!
Tailslide, cheers for the info. The booster leads were getting rather warm so I decided to test my hunch that resistance was proportional to temperature and maybe the red hot leads were affecting the currents ability to get through (can't remember me physics...). Anyway, tried again this morning and got it started. Again, the moment I connected the jumper leads it started cranking. It didn't fire until I had plipped it and then keyed on but I still think this is odd!
I left for 10 minutes still connected to the other car and then took the leads off and instantly measured the voltage on the battery. The moment I disconnected the voltage quickly fell from 13 odd down to 9V at which point it gave its intention to cut out! So, either the battery cannot hold any charge or the alt is gone. Being that its sat there for ages and the battery hasn't been charged I am suspecting that it might just be a battery. I took the panel off and the access to the battery looks ok actually. I've put it on full right hand lock and I think that with the wheel removed (no access to ramp obviously) it will slip out. I might be wrong but I will ring the dealer tomorrow and if they confirm this and have one I will nip down there and fit one. I have enthusiasm to do this as I get to borrow the car for a few weeks if I can get it running!!
At least we have left the door open now so if it needs to be trailered it can be got into to get the handbrake and steering wheel.
Then I'll just have to keep hold of my skyline and come back in a few weeks to drink even more of his finest wines once its back from the dealer...tough
I left for 10 minutes still connected to the other car and then took the leads off and instantly measured the voltage on the battery. The moment I disconnected the voltage quickly fell from 13 odd down to 9V at which point it gave its intention to cut out! So, either the battery cannot hold any charge or the alt is gone. Being that its sat there for ages and the battery hasn't been charged I am suspecting that it might just be a battery. I took the panel off and the access to the battery looks ok actually. I've put it on full right hand lock and I think that with the wheel removed (no access to ramp obviously) it will slip out. I might be wrong but I will ring the dealer tomorrow and if they confirm this and have one I will nip down there and fit one. I have enthusiasm to do this as I get to borrow the car for a few weeks if I can get it running!!
At least we have left the door open now so if it needs to be trailered it can be got into to get the handbrake and steering wheel.
Then I'll just have to keep hold of my skyline and come back in a few weeks to drink even more of his finest wines once its back from the dealer...tough
You're welcome. Sounds like you're getting somewhere - sympathies 'cos of my previous problem. The 9v reading is a sure sign that the battery is fully discharged after the long lay-up; needs to be over 11.5v at least to enable anything to run. Needs charging for 24-36hrs from this level in my experience, but then may well be ok. To avoid in future your father could invest a few ££ in an Accumate (Leven Technologies) which simply plugs into cigar lighter & keeps battery topped up - wire is slim so can still close door & alarm car.
Good luck - you're obviously looking forward to having much more fun than in the Skyline (unless it's been Nismo'd of course!)
Good luck - you're obviously looking forward to having much more fun than in the Skyline (unless it's been Nismo'd of course!)
Tailslide, I keep on at pops to get the requisit battery top up devices but unless I physically install it these things get 'left'. What I did bring with me was a solar charger that provides 5W via the cigar lighter, that has a connector on that to jump leads so what I should have done is used the leads and connected it to the charger so at least it wouldn't attempt to start the car.
You think that with a 2 day charge the battery is reusable? Normally, once left for a few months all the ones I had are beyond repair and will never hold the charge again. Either way, I'll get one tomorrow morning if possible and try that.
Funny you should mention NISMO as, yes, my car has a rather ugly sticker on its rear lid stating that its NISMO tuned. Ugly sticker but nice components installed. Admiteddly only a few bits are nismo, the rest being HKS and apexi but its 330 at the wheels (400ish flyhweel) so amusingly fast. Ok, can't argue with 1000 odd Kg kerb weight but hilarious turbo lag makes it feel pretty quick!
Will let you know ho we get on tomorrow
You think that with a 2 day charge the battery is reusable? Normally, once left for a few months all the ones I had are beyond repair and will never hold the charge again. Either way, I'll get one tomorrow morning if possible and try that.
Funny you should mention NISMO as, yes, my car has a rather ugly sticker on its rear lid stating that its NISMO tuned. Ugly sticker but nice components installed. Admiteddly only a few bits are nismo, the rest being HKS and apexi but its 330 at the wheels (400ish flyhweel) so amusingly fast. Ok, can't argue with 1000 odd Kg kerb weight but hilarious turbo lag makes it feel pretty quick!
Will let you know ho we get on tomorrow
Just to update, I spoke to the dealer and they assured me that the battery take off port underneath the car is connected directly across the battery. This means then that something is quite wrong with it when it starts cranking the second the jump leads are connected to another vehicle. In the end, car was left with door open and is being trailered to Newtown tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully then, dad and I will meet up in a couple of weeks time whilst my step mum is away and we'll swap cars.
turboslippers said:
Just to update, I spoke to the dealer and they assured me that the battery take off port underneath the car is connected directly across the battery. This means then that something is quite wrong with it when it starts cranking the second the jump leads are connected to another vehicle. In the end, car was left with door open and is being trailered to Newtown tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully then, dad and I will meet up in a couple of weeks time whilst my step mum is away and we'll swap cars.
Directly connecting to the battery won't make the car try to start the second you connect the cables. However, if TVR have somehow made the starter motor 'live' the moment you connect the battery then it would. Sounds odd to me.
Tailslide, forgot about posting back here as holidays and the like have meant I haven't badgered pops into getting it sorted.
Anyway, you were pretty much right, a leak into the fusebox area caused lots of corrosion and the starter relay was buggered. This explained why it tried to start every time anything with a bit of current was attached to it.
The leak was actually from the windscreen and this was somehow channeling down into the fusebox. This is going to be interesting as the car is 1-2 month out of warranty and he is having to pay for this. I would expect at least a goodwill gesture but I understand that Newtown Motors (Cwmbran, Wales) are no longer a TVR dealer (bit of mystery surrounding this one after speaking to TVR and then the owner of Newtown...)
I am off tomorrow to go and get it....which will be nice
Ben
Anyway, you were pretty much right, a leak into the fusebox area caused lots of corrosion and the starter relay was buggered. This explained why it tried to start every time anything with a bit of current was attached to it.
The leak was actually from the windscreen and this was somehow channeling down into the fusebox. This is going to be interesting as the car is 1-2 month out of warranty and he is having to pay for this. I would expect at least a goodwill gesture but I understand that Newtown Motors (Cwmbran, Wales) are no longer a TVR dealer (bit of mystery surrounding this one after speaking to TVR and then the owner of Newtown...)
I am off tomorrow to go and get it....which will be nice
Ben
turboslippers said:
I understand that Newtown Motors (Cwmbran, Wales) are no longer a TVR dealer (bit of mystery surrounding this one after speaking to TVR and then the owner of Newtown...)
Nope, Newtown are back as service dealers until the last of the cars they sold are out of warranty: approx Aug 2005. They can service, repair and do warranty until then. I had a really odd letter from Blackpool stating they'd made a mistake in a previous letter (stating the opposite) because they "were busy with the motor show."
Credit me with an ounce of intelligence PLEASE!!!!
I don't suppose it was anything to do with Newtown telling TVR to shove it, taking on Noble, then Noble removing all their dealerships in the U.K. and TVR being unable to get another dealership in the area was it?
Don't really care at least I don't have to travel 2 1/2 hours for a service now. Future TVR purchases sadly seems unlikely though.
turboslippers said:
This is going to be interesting as the car is 1-2 month out of warranty and he is having to pay for this. I would expect at least a goodwill gesture
Thought it seemed an odd problem! Glad you're getting it back. Helpful of Blueyes to clarify Newtown's status - guess they may not now be inclined to be too helpful with an out-of-warranty situation. However, factory are the ones backing the warranty; in my experience they sometimes help if a reasonable case is put forward, especially from a repeat-TVR buyer? Worth asking.
Ahhhh, this starts to make some sense. Last time I was back here at Dads we bumped into Glyn in the restaurant we go to and he asked whether we had received 'the' letter from TVR stating that dealership had been revoked. As it happens, dad hadn't but Glyn informed that another letter would be coming along stating it was all a big misunderstanding. The next day I spoke to the garage though Albert, the service guy quoted that they were no longer a TVR dealer and wouldn't be able to order parts (must have been up in the air at this point).
Confused I rung TVR blackpool who quoted they had revoked Newtown's TVR dealership becaused of 'unresolvable customer complaint issues'. Asked whether they were planning on opening another dealership they stated that they had been trying and either they had keen people with no cash or top end dealers wanting to charge porsche/ferrari labour rates.
I drove past Newtown on the way back this avo and all the TVR stuff is down and showroom filled with MG's.
Is it possible that Newtown went for Noble along side TVR and TVR got the hump and revoked their dealership (first letter). Maybe then TVR realised that they couldn't get another dealership in a hurry and did an about turn (second letter)?
Either way, nearest dealer to here is now 70 miles so TVR is coming with me and then most likely being sold to make way for an R34 Skyline (of the LARGE power variety)
Confused I rung TVR blackpool who quoted they had revoked Newtown's TVR dealership becaused of 'unresolvable customer complaint issues'. Asked whether they were planning on opening another dealership they stated that they had been trying and either they had keen people with no cash or top end dealers wanting to charge porsche/ferrari labour rates.
I drove past Newtown on the way back this avo and all the TVR stuff is down and showroom filled with MG's.
Is it possible that Newtown went for Noble along side TVR and TVR got the hump and revoked their dealership (first letter). Maybe then TVR realised that they couldn't get another dealership in a hurry and did an about turn (second letter)?
Either way, nearest dealer to here is now 70 miles so TVR is coming with me and then most likely being sold to make way for an R34 Skyline (of the LARGE power variety)
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