Battery warning light
Discussion
Ok people, I would use the search function but......it still does not work.
Car is a 1999 Chim 500. No other Gremlins known to be in the system. Today the battery warning light started glowing whilst engine is running and whilst driving. It has covered 20 miles today and been parked with immobiliser on for several hours. Also 4 or 5 engine starts without issue so I kinda guess the battery is being charged whilst running and the glowing light is probably not a sign of 'no charge'.
So am I looking for a duff earth and if so where? Or do we as a collective have knowledge of other causes of glowing battery lights? (The other instrument lights are behaving normally). Could it still be 'no charge' or inadequate charge from the alternator?
Car is a 1999 Chim 500. No other Gremlins known to be in the system. Today the battery warning light started glowing whilst engine is running and whilst driving. It has covered 20 miles today and been parked with immobiliser on for several hours. Also 4 or 5 engine starts without issue so I kinda guess the battery is being charged whilst running and the glowing light is probably not a sign of 'no charge'.
So am I looking for a duff earth and if so where? Or do we as a collective have knowledge of other causes of glowing battery lights? (The other instrument lights are behaving normally). Could it still be 'no charge' or inadequate charge from the alternator?
It is not full on, although it never has been a real eye scorcher of a light. In sunlight you would not see it. At engine idle and loading the system up with headlights, hazards and heater fan all selected on it makes no difference to it.
I thought that 100 amp fuse either worked or it didn't. Would a car continue to run for 20 miles with a duff 100 amp fuse?
I thought that 100 amp fuse either worked or it didn't. Would a car continue to run for 20 miles with a duff 100 amp fuse?
The analogy I always use for wire/fuses is think of them like a water pipe. If it's "blocked" less water can flow through it.
"Blaocked" for a fuse could mean corroded, especially at the terminal ends. You'd still see a healthy voltage but less current could flow through the corroded contacts...
Just a thought...
"Blaocked" for a fuse could mean corroded, especially at the terminal ends. You'd still see a healthy voltage but less current could flow through the corroded contacts...
Just a thought...
Thanks all for the advice. I have just ordered a couple of new 100 amp fuses and a new fuse holder in time for the weekend. It might be something else but it would seem prudent to start with the easy job first. There is no record of the fuse being changed in the cars history.
All I have to do now is find a good place to put the trolley jack to get the front end up high enough.
All I have to do now is find a good place to put the trolley jack to get the front end up high enough.
Place the trolley jack under the front corner of the outrigger on the drivers side. Jack up and then place an axle stand under the central frame of the main chassis. Don't go under the car using only the trolley jack. If working on one side of the car, I normally place two axle stands under the car to be safe and then leave the trolley jack pumped elsewhere. A full size spare wheel from your daily driver shoved under the car can also provide a useful fail safe!
chris1972 said:
Place the trolley jack under the front corner of the outrigger on the drivers side. Jack up and then place an axle stand under the central frame of the main chassis. Don't go under the car using only the trolley jack. If working on one side of the car, I normally place two axle stands under the car to be safe and then leave the trolley jack pumped elsewhere. A full size spare wheel from your daily driver shoved under the car can also provide a useful fail safe!
Thanks for the tips. It has been about 25 years since I last crawled under a car! Vowed that I would pay someone else in future but this job seems straight forward enough.I need to dig out my axle stands from the skip we call a garage which will take the longest time of the whole job. (They were made by some apprentices as a task set by my father many years ago. He was in heavy engineering. The design spec was for each to hold 20 tons (non-metric) in the lowered position, 10 tons extended to full height. You can hardly pick the things up due to their weight). Should be adequate to hold a Chim!!
Regards
Yeah right guys. I might be in my 5th decade but the brain hasn't fried yet.
The game plan is to check whether I can get the trolley jack under without driving onto a raised ramp. Dis-connect the battery negative in the footwell. Jack it and axle stand it. Get the spare wheel out of the wifes Ford Ka and chuck it under as a backup. Open the fuse holder and dis-connect the contacts. Remove the old holder and fuse, inspect it for issues such as corrosion to make sure it is the culprit and bin it. Fit the new holder and fuse and re-connect the cables. Close the holder and cable tie it for good measure.
Remove axle stands and drop it off the jack. Re-connect the battery negative and start it up. Return the car to the wife as a serviceable vehicle (it is hers after all).
Now watch 'Sods Law' stuff this plan up with rusted nuts and bolts and turn a quick job into a day long nightmare.
(hopefully ger my Tuscan back from service and MoT this week at a cost that is bowel loosening)
The game plan is to check whether I can get the trolley jack under without driving onto a raised ramp. Dis-connect the battery negative in the footwell. Jack it and axle stand it. Get the spare wheel out of the wifes Ford Ka and chuck it under as a backup. Open the fuse holder and dis-connect the contacts. Remove the old holder and fuse, inspect it for issues such as corrosion to make sure it is the culprit and bin it. Fit the new holder and fuse and re-connect the cables. Close the holder and cable tie it for good measure.
Remove axle stands and drop it off the jack. Re-connect the battery negative and start it up. Return the car to the wife as a serviceable vehicle (it is hers after all).
Now watch 'Sods Law' stuff this plan up with rusted nuts and bolts and turn a quick job into a day long nightmare.
(hopefully ger my Tuscan back from service and MoT this week at a cost that is bowel loosening)
OK I haven't had chance to get under the car this weekend due to 'domestic' requirements. However I did get to look under the bonnet. Looking down on the drivers side of the engine I can see a loose cable! From this distance it does not look like one from the 100 amp fuse holder, or is it?
Any ideas, sorry about the picture quality.
Any ideas, sorry about the picture quality.
Thanks. Yep I will have to get my act together and get underneath. The car starts and drives so I might talk to my local garage and see if we can get it up on a lift as it may require the elbow room for serious prodding around.
Quite how it would have sheared I don't know as I have driven the last 100 miles in it with no grounding or snagging on debris issues. Of course it may have snagged on something years ago and has finally corroded through.
Quite how it would have sheared I don't know as I have driven the last 100 miles in it with no grounding or snagging on debris issues. Of course it may have snagged on something years ago and has finally corroded through.
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