Complete electrical failure!

Complete electrical failure!

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Discussion

Tasmin200

Original Poster:

1,274 posts

188 months

Sunday 21st April
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I went to start my 200 this morning. It tuned over, caught then stopped. Now there is absolutely nothing working. Zilch. WTF would cause that?

Battery seems good with 12.5 volts.

carlo996

5,746 posts

22 months

Sunday 21st April
quotequote all
Check the main earth points and fuse.

keynsham

273 posts

272 months

Sunday 21st April
quotequote all
I had similar on a Rover P6 I own. Try putting a meter across the battery and turning the headlamps on. If the battery reads 12.5V and then goes to virtually nothing with the lights switched on, then your battery has packed in! I have no idea how a battery can do this but mine did. I assume some sort of internal failure that allows 12.5v to be shown on a meter as virtually no current is needed, but as soon as any real power demand is put on the battery it cannot cope.

Tasmin200

Original Poster:

1,274 posts

188 months

Sunday 21st April
quotequote all
Ta, I'll maybe do some investigation tomorrow. I threw my toys out the pram this morning and slammed the garage door shut this morning. I was heading to a drive it day meeting. I nearly fixed it with matches...

mrzigazaga

18,560 posts

166 months

Sunday 21st April
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Tasmin200 said:
Ta, I'll maybe do some investigation tomorrow. I threw my toys out the pram this morning and slammed the garage door shut this morning. I was heading to a drive it day meeting. I nearly fixed it with matches...
You have come a long way Roy...a couple more broken runs of the smiles per gallon ladder is bound to happen...I am still not sure what gremlins await me from Delilah...I cannot help with electrickery but might be a relay/fuse/Pektron red relay?...not sure they were fitted to the 200?

Chin up mate smile

Tasmin200

Original Poster:

1,274 posts

188 months

Sunday 21st April
quotequote all
Cheers Mark, a good Sunday meal and a bottle of Shiraz has taken the edge off but after everything I've put into that car I was mightily p'ed off with it this morning!

Hopefully it's just a collapsed battery. I doubt it but you never know.

Tasmin200

Original Poster:

1,274 posts

188 months

Monday 22nd April
quotequote all
keynsham said:
I had similar on a Rover P6 I own. Try putting a meter across the battery and turning the headlamps on. If the battery reads 12.5V and then goes to virtually nothing with the lights switched on, then your battery has packed in! I have no idea how a battery can do this but mine did. I assume some sort of internal failure that allows 12.5v to be shown on a meter as virtually no current is needed, but as soon as any real power demand is put on the battery it cannot cope.
This is what has happened. I've never seen a battery die so catastrophically yet still show 12.5v!

Anyway it's the best outcome and a very easy fix.

keynsham

273 posts

272 months

Tuesday 23rd April
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Tasmin200 said:
keynsham said:
I had similar on a Rover P6 I own. Try putting a meter across the battery and turning the headlamps on. If the battery reads 12.5V and then goes to virtually nothing with the lights switched on, then your battery has packed in! I have no idea how a battery can do this but mine did. I assume some sort of internal failure that allows 12.5v to be shown on a meter as virtually no current is needed, but as soon as any real power demand is put on the battery it cannot cope.
This is what has happened. I've never seen a battery die so catastrophically yet still show 12.5v!

Anyway it's the best outcome and a very easy fix.
I have to say it is only the second time I have seen it too!! I'm glad it was a simple fix for you!

mrzigazaga

18,560 posts

166 months

Tuesday 23rd April
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How old is the battery Roy?...someone put the battery in the boot of Delilah, very crudely I must add, not sure they needed to come through the cabin with a 30mm hole saw..eek...hey ho...so now I guess I have more choice, just need to find a good boot battery holder instead of it being "Wedged" by the spare tyre...laugh

Tasmin200

Original Poster:

1,274 posts

188 months

Tuesday 23rd April
quotequote all
mrzigazaga said:
How old is the battery Roy?...someone put the battery in the boot of Delilah, very crudely I must add, not sure they needed to come through the cabin with a 30mm hole saw..eek...hey ho...so now I guess I have more choice, just need to find a good boot battery holder instead of it being "Wedged" by the spare tyre...laugh
It's only 2-3 years old but not been used much. That probably didn't do it any favours.

I've ordered a Type 075 XD - 12 Volt Car Battery | 62ah | 620cca which should do the trick. It still fits in the tiny space as it's only 243x175mm