Total power loss after new battery
Discussion
I have just fitted a new battery after the old one would not hold any charge.
I replaced it exactly as the old one was fitted, the terminals where the same way round and the battery was even a few amps stronger than the old one. All tightened up and car started absolutely fine and was showing between 13.8 and 14.2 volts on the LCD display.
I have driven about 1 mile from my house and the car cut-out. It then restarted but was cutting out intermittently and now it has stopped with absolutely zero power, when I put the keys in the ignition it won't even light up the dashboard.
As I have 90 minutes to wait for the recovery people does anyone have any suggestions please?
Thanks
I replaced it exactly as the old one was fitted, the terminals where the same way round and the battery was even a few amps stronger than the old one. All tightened up and car started absolutely fine and was showing between 13.8 and 14.2 volts on the LCD display.
I have driven about 1 mile from my house and the car cut-out. It then restarted but was cutting out intermittently and now it has stopped with absolutely zero power, when I put the keys in the ignition it won't even light up the dashboard.
As I have 90 minutes to wait for the recovery people does anyone have any suggestions please?
Thanks
There is an earthing bolt that goes though the bulkhead from the passenger footwell to the battery compartment that can cause issues (behind the battery). IIRC, it screws into a captive nut from the footwell and another nut is attached to hold on a negative cable from the battery in the footwell.
On my Tuscan I found that the bolt in the footwell holding various earth connections was not fully screwed in, causing all sorts on intermittent power issues as a number of earth connections were loose, although the battery cable was attached securely in the wheel arch.
You may just have disturbed this by fitting a new battery and easy to check with the battery out.
On my Tuscan I found that the bolt in the footwell holding various earth connections was not fully screwed in, causing all sorts on intermittent power issues as a number of earth connections were loose, although the battery cable was attached securely in the wheel arch.
You may just have disturbed this by fitting a new battery and easy to check with the battery out.
I will check it again tomorrow but I saw that at the top left of the battery compartment as you look from the wheel and and it looks fairly secure and tight.
My Tuscan is a 2006 so very late on and from reading around there are quite a lot of little things which can go wrong with the battery system but mine appears to have had all the updates such as the positive cable being furthest out from the centre of the car to stop asking to the body which was apparently a problem with early Tuscans. I have glued a rubbish shield to the inner side of the battery so that the Earth is not touching anything at all and the inline fuses look absolutely fine so I am just so confused.
After the battery replacement it's started fine ran fine there was absolutely no problems until a mile down the road so my initial thought was maybe a terminal hadn't been tightened and had jumped off but they were both absolutely fine.
My Tuscan is a 2006 so very late on and from reading around there are quite a lot of little things which can go wrong with the battery system but mine appears to have had all the updates such as the positive cable being furthest out from the centre of the car to stop asking to the body which was apparently a problem with early Tuscans. I have glued a rubbish shield to the inner side of the battery so that the Earth is not touching anything at all and the inline fuses look absolutely fine so I am just so confused.
After the battery replacement it's started fine ran fine there was absolutely no problems until a mile down the road so my initial thought was maybe a terminal hadn't been tightened and had jumped off but they were both absolutely fine.
R11ysf said:
I will check it again tomorrow but I saw that at the top left of the battery compartment as you look from the wheel and and it looks fairly secure and tight.
It was the same with mine - the issue was actually that the other end of the bolt in the footwell wasn't making good earths. Good luck!This is mental!
So I took the battery out and checked it and it was 12.8 volts so all good.
I then put it on full charge just to make sure and I put an old battery which was also registering 12.8 volts on the floor and pulled the Leeds down and connected them with the battery on the floor and everything switched on and was perfectly fine again.
So then I put the good battery back in tight and everything up and now it won't turn on again I am completely flummoxed as to where the loose wire can be???
So I took the battery out and checked it and it was 12.8 volts so all good.
I then put it on full charge just to make sure and I put an old battery which was also registering 12.8 volts on the floor and pulled the Leeds down and connected them with the battery on the floor and everything switched on and was perfectly fine again.
So then I put the good battery back in tight and everything up and now it won't turn on again I am completely flummoxed as to where the loose wire can be???
Bad contact between battery cable and its connector that goes on the battery post?
Get hold of a 21 Watt bulb holder and bulb (brake light or indicator light bulb holder) and test around the main pos and negs with it if you are having no joy after checking battery lugs/terminals
Get hold of a 21 Watt bulb holder and bulb (brake light or indicator light bulb holder) and test around the main pos and negs with it if you are having no joy after checking battery lugs/terminals
Edited by Penelope Stopit on Sunday 14th April 18:45
Maybe a broken (corroded) cable (pos or neg) and when stretching/straightening the cables it makes contact but when bending back into situ it creates an open circuit?
Can you test continuity on each cable (battery disconnected) and wiggle them around a lot - see if you get fluctuations on the reading/continuity.
Can you test continuity on each cable (battery disconnected) and wiggle them around a lot - see if you get fluctuations on the reading/continuity.
Ok I found it!
Basically I went round checking all of the positives and negatives and seeing where the grounds were and everything seemed ok until I came inside the car and found the 80 amp fuse there. The nuts were only finger tight and it looks like the cover was not even closed and some of the footwell sound deadening is used to hold the wires in place. Surely this is not correct?
Anyway I cleaned up the connections and tighten the bolts down properly and suddenly had power again so below is a picture do you think I should just close the fuse connector box cap and hold it down with duct tape so it doesn't come Undone again?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vMEjY5y5k4KmrWYt9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xUJrzLEzgzHzwHTn9
Basically I went round checking all of the positives and negatives and seeing where the grounds were and everything seemed ok until I came inside the car and found the 80 amp fuse there. The nuts were only finger tight and it looks like the cover was not even closed and some of the footwell sound deadening is used to hold the wires in place. Surely this is not correct?
Anyway I cleaned up the connections and tighten the bolts down properly and suddenly had power again so below is a picture do you think I should just close the fuse connector box cap and hold it down with duct tape so it doesn't come Undone again?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vMEjY5y5k4KmrWYt9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xUJrzLEzgzHzwHTn9
Yes indeed a huge relief to find it as it did knacker my weekend spending 4 hours roadside yesterday and then 3 hours in my cramped tiny garage today.
Frustrating as it is only 20 months and less than 1000 miles since I had a new battery and alternator fitted and as I have never been in that footwell before I'm wondering if it had been tightened correctly when that was all done.
Thanks for the tip on the cable tie I will definitely do that in the morning because the clip did not want to hold hence my using duct tape but I will put cable tie under the duct tape now I know that is a good fix.
Thanks everyone for your help extremely fast and generous with your answers as always.
Frustrating as it is only 20 months and less than 1000 miles since I had a new battery and alternator fitted and as I have never been in that footwell before I'm wondering if it had been tightened correctly when that was all done.
Thanks for the tip on the cable tie I will definitely do that in the morning because the clip did not want to hold hence my using duct tape but I will put cable tie under the duct tape now I know that is a good fix.
Thanks everyone for your help extremely fast and generous with your answers as always.
R11ysf said:
Ok I found it!
Basically I went round checking all of the positives and negatives and seeing where the grounds were and everything seemed ok until I came inside the car and found the 80 amp fuse there. The nuts were only finger tight and it looks like the cover was not even closed and some of the footwell sound deadening is used to hold the wires in place. Surely this is not correct?
Anyway I cleaned up the connections and tighten the bolts down properly and suddenly had power again so below is a picture do you think I should just close the fuse connector box cap and hold it down with duct tape so it doesn't come Undone again?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vMEjY5y5k4KmrWYt9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xUJrzLEzgzHzwHTn9
I thought as much.....Basically I went round checking all of the positives and negatives and seeing where the grounds were and everything seemed ok until I came inside the car and found the 80 amp fuse there. The nuts were only finger tight and it looks like the cover was not even closed and some of the footwell sound deadening is used to hold the wires in place. Surely this is not correct?
Anyway I cleaned up the connections and tighten the bolts down properly and suddenly had power again so below is a picture do you think I should just close the fuse connector box cap and hold it down with duct tape so it doesn't come Undone again?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vMEjY5y5k4KmrWYt9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xUJrzLEzgzHzwHTn9
Anyway, don't tighten the nuts and walk away from the job
See here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Midi-Fuses-30amp-150amp...
This type of fuse wont crack, the strip fuse that is now fitted will crack in the near future
Edited by Penelope Stopit on Monday 15th April 10:28
I recommend to install a fuse holder like this https://tvr-parts.com/tvr-parts/part-details/tvr-m....
I do not think it is state of the art to have a fuse which might become warm or hot embedded in foamed material or carpet!
I do not think it is state of the art to have a fuse which might become warm or hot embedded in foamed material or carpet!
I just ordered this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283093022481
That seems perfect as a replacement for anyone with a T car.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283093022481
That seems perfect as a replacement for anyone with a T car.
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