Breakdown Electrics? Live reporting :-)

[WillS66]

So I’m currently sat beside my non moving chimaera on a junction of the M3 and, whilst I wait for the AA I thought I’d try and educate myself.

Funny smell in the cabin followed by a compete electrical failure, including the door controls and the hazard lights.

After about five minutes the hazards and electrics now seem to be working but nothing engine related. It’s as if the car no longer recognised the immobiliser.

Any ideas?

Wills

Edited by WillS66 on Wednesday 29th November 08:40

[Loubaruch]

Ignition switch contacts burnt.

[Steve_D]

It has to be something more fundamental than ignition switch as the hazards and sidelights do not go through the ignition switch.
I would suggest either the 80amp fuse in the footwell (but once blown I would not expect electrics to come back on again) or loose connections there or on the battery.

Steve

[Sardonicus]

Steve_D said:

It has to be something more fundamental than ignition switch as the hazards and sidelights do not go through the ignition switch.
I would suggest either the 80amp fuse in the footwell (but once blown I would not expect electrics to come back on again) or loose connections there or on the battery.

Steve

This ^ I did witness on someone's Chimaera a long time back that one of the two 8mm screw's for said foot well main fuse had come loose whilst investigating something else unrelated the wire terminal eyelet had also discoloured and the holder had gone brittle too this may help

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I had the big fuse in the passenger footwell get a loose connection. It made/failed/made/failed before setting fire to the plastic casing.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

What was it Wills?

[WillS66]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

What was it Wills?

Turned out to be the main cable from the battery to the fusebox (at least I think that's what this is, see picture). Bad connection led to the melting of the fuse holder, which was where the smell was coming from, and the destruction of the 80 amp fuse sitting in it.

Got home by temporarily bypassing the fuse and connecting all the cables straight through. The car's now home in the garage, cable disconnected, and awaiting the arrival of the replacement parts bought for a grand total of less than £15.

It's simple to fix, but rooting around in the passenger footwell has made me realise just how crammed in everything is down there. I was considering moving the battery to the boot, which is still a possibility, but its also been suggested I get a physically smaller AGM battery (Odyssey PC950 seems popular) to replace the current one and create a bit of space that way.

I'm planning a fair bit of DIY on the car this winter, one of these options is now very high on the priority list.

WillS

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

WillS66 said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

What was it Wills?

Turned out to be the main cable from the battery to the fusebox (at least I think that's what this is, see picture). Bad connection led to the melting of the fuse holder, which was where the smell was coming from, and the destruction of the 80 amp fuse sitting in it.

Got home by temporarily bypassing the fuse and connecting all the cables straight through. The car's now home in the garage, cable disconnected, and awaiting the arrival of the replacement parts bought for a grand total of less than £15.

It's simple to fix, but rooting around in the passenger footwell has made me realise just how crammed in everything is down there. I was considering moving the battery to the boot, which is still a possibility, but its also been suggested I get a physically smaller AGM battery (Odyssey PC950 seems popular) to replace the current one and create a bit of space that way.

I'm planning a fair bit of DIY on the car this winter, one of these options is now very high on the priority list.

WillS

Exactly as I suggested

[Sardonicus]

Keyboard diagnostics for the win amongst a few contributors