Total electrical power loss in griff !!!

[wolfm4n]

Hi all,

first real disaster on my 99 Griffith 500

I hope someone can help me quickly here, i was driving along earlier...and suddenly the car stopped..totally dead.... no eng/ignition...no lights...no dash functions ...windows...central locking.......the only thing that seems to still be live is the cigarrete lighter that the sat nav was connected to.

a short time prior to this happening, there was a faint smell, not of burning...i thought it smelt more like brake or clutch burning etc.....but now its all dead....could it be one of these mythical big fuses ?

If thats a possibility .....can anyone tell me where they are likely to be, and are they commonly available.....or else im going home on a rac wagon in the morning :-(

cheers

Ian

[Ozstyle]

100 amp fuse in holder bolted to underneath of right hand side engine mount bracket
100 amp fuse in holder in line with 2 thick brown wires coming off the battery terminal (+ post if I remember right)

After that I would pull each individual fuse from the fuse box and check, fuse arrangement in hand book should be used as a guide only as notoriously inaccurate.

good look

[Cider Andy]

If the cigarette lighter is still live, it's not likely to be the main fuse. Presumably the sat nav still works? Does it have an internal battery? Or did you check the cig lighter socket some other way?

The battery may have failed and that might explain the smell.

[wolfm4n]

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

How do you do a big embarrassed smiley !!! ? ....guess what...the cig lighter is dead also.....the sat nav does have a backup battery....the car is completely dead...

off outside now to have a look for these 100A fuses near the battery ... though on first look they arnt jumping out at me.

If its likely to be the one underneath on the chassis rail ...it will have to be a pro job to fix at the moment ...im away from home with no ramps or facilities ...i guess from now on im gonna have to start carrying a wee multimeter in the car as well !!!

thanks again

Ian

[Johno]

On a 99 500 there'll be a main fuse in the footwell, connected into the main battery wiring. Pull down the footboard and follow the main wiring until you find a black box about the length of a matchbox.

Once you've checked that on, then look for the one on the chassis rail by the starter motor.

[wolfm4n]

Hi Johno,

Yep thats the one thats gone...in line with the 2 big brown wires... the plastic box has melted a bit also, but shorting out the ends restores power.....

next question....

where can i get a 100A fuse on a sunday morning... or any suggestions for kinda safely improvising ?

cheers

Ian

[wolfm4n]

I suppose i should have mentioned where i am at the moment ....

Prestwich in north Manchester, any good motor shops there on a sunday ?

thanks

Ian

[spend]

Get some fuse wire from your local B&Q to fix it temporarily if you need to.

Buy a fuse AND HOLDER - the holder failing would be much more damaging than the fuse.

[wolfm4n]

Thanks for the advice about the fuse guys.

I got a 100A blade fuse from a local halfords in prestwich on sunday, and after filing a half round recess in each blade i clamped it into what was left of the fuse box and wrapped it all in loadsa insulating tape.

It worked a treat and got us home no problem.

Ordered a new replacement holder and a few spare 100A fuses today... I wont be leaving home without them in future :-)

cheers

Ian