Starting/electrics issue after flat battery
Discussion
Hi everyone. Hoping somebody has a clue what might be going on with my car!
I have a 1997 Griff which I had an incident with last summer. Somebody drove into the passenger door while I was stationary, which resulted in the car being off the road for quite some time while searching for a suitable replacement door. While the car was off the road, the battery went flat as I hadn't realised the trickle charger had been switched off.
I recently fitted the new door, as well as a brand new battery however when everything was connected back up, there is absolutely no sign of life from the car at all. I can't get windows, horn, lights, no ignition, and the immobiliser led is no longer flashing.
I thought it may have been a bad earth so connected a jump lead to the negative terminal to a new earth point but that made no difference. I have checked every fuse including the big ones (one at the starter and another in the passenger footwell). Inertia switch also checked and working fine.
I thought it may have been the immobiliser but I'd have thought that the windows and sidelights etc would still have worked.
If anyone has any ideas what I might try next I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.
I have a 1997 Griff which I had an incident with last summer. Somebody drove into the passenger door while I was stationary, which resulted in the car being off the road for quite some time while searching for a suitable replacement door. While the car was off the road, the battery went flat as I hadn't realised the trickle charger had been switched off.
I recently fitted the new door, as well as a brand new battery however when everything was connected back up, there is absolutely no sign of life from the car at all. I can't get windows, horn, lights, no ignition, and the immobiliser led is no longer flashing.
I thought it may have been a bad earth so connected a jump lead to the negative terminal to a new earth point but that made no difference. I have checked every fuse including the big ones (one at the starter and another in the passenger footwell). Inertia switch also checked and working fine.
I thought it may have been the immobiliser but I'd have thought that the windows and sidelights etc would still have worked.
If anyone has any ideas what I might try next I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.
The 100A fuse is only in the charge circuit so will not be the issue.
The 80A fuse near the fusebox could well be the issue. There should be 2 cables coming from the battery positive terminal, one to the starter the other (smaller gauge) to the 80A fuse. From the fuse will be 2 heavy brown wires going into the fusebox. It is also possible one or both of those could have become detached from the back of the fusebox as they are only push on terminals.
When checking the fuse detach at least one end of the fuse as it is most likely the thin metal strip type and may have a fine fracture that is difficult to see.
Steve
The 80A fuse near the fusebox could well be the issue. There should be 2 cables coming from the battery positive terminal, one to the starter the other (smaller gauge) to the 80A fuse. From the fuse will be 2 heavy brown wires going into the fusebox. It is also possible one or both of those could have become detached from the back of the fusebox as they are only push on terminals.
When checking the fuse detach at least one end of the fuse as it is most likely the thin metal strip type and may have a fine fracture that is difficult to see.
Steve
UPDATE - I took off the 80 amp fuse in the footwell, it was completely fine. The 100 amp one near the starter looks fine too. I took the fuse box off to check the connections to the two brown wires from the 80 amp fuse and both are fine. Car still totally dead - no electrics at all. I can't help but think I've done something really stupid/basic when the damaged door was changed over for a replacement, but no idea what as I'm sure any disturbed connections were reconnected as they were. I wouldn't think the wiring to the door would cause these issues even if an error had been made with the door wiring!
The positive cable looks like it making a good connection at the starter and the brown cable has a good earth connection at the alternator.
The search continues...
The positive cable looks like it making a good connection at the starter and the brown cable has a good earth connection at the alternator.
The search continues...
4 things ....
1- It was a door replacement, not the engine wiring harness so unlikely that anyting in that wiring would cause you can issue. But, did the car run after the accident? Did the electrics works? You don't mention this.... There are electrics running from the footwell into the engine bay etc. but if it was just a door, unlikely to cause this.
2 - Fuses, if they all are OK, then you need to test which ones are receiving any volts.
3 - Wiring, again, new battery, check the wiring is passing anything to where it is supposed to go. Positive to started, across main fuses etc.
4 - Immobiliser - known to die after periods of no use, especially when battery is flat, If the inertia switch is working, there's nothing else in the system to kill the car except the immobiliser, by design. Has it been upgraded or is it factory original?
As per previous posts, a multimeter is now your best friend. Checking the basics, bypassing immobiliser is possible.
No one fitted a kill switch somehwere
?
1- It was a door replacement, not the engine wiring harness so unlikely that anyting in that wiring would cause you can issue. But, did the car run after the accident? Did the electrics works? You don't mention this.... There are electrics running from the footwell into the engine bay etc. but if it was just a door, unlikely to cause this.
2 - Fuses, if they all are OK, then you need to test which ones are receiving any volts.
3 - Wiring, again, new battery, check the wiring is passing anything to where it is supposed to go. Positive to started, across main fuses etc.
4 - Immobiliser - known to die after periods of no use, especially when battery is flat, If the inertia switch is working, there's nothing else in the system to kill the car except the immobiliser, by design. Has it been upgraded or is it factory original?
As per previous posts, a multimeter is now your best friend. Checking the basics, bypassing immobiliser is possible.
No one fitted a kill switch somehwere
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