Dead Sag!!!! Help and advise please all!!!

[extremekiter]

Hi again guys.

Right i need your help and ill give you all a massive kiss at Chatworth when i see you all !!

Ok, i went to the Sag 3 weeks back and went to start her after being on a CTEK charger for most of winter to find the battery almost DEAD!
So i trott off to local shop and order exactly the same again, same make with correct type numbers and fitted it.
I then run it for half a day with my new battery (two weeks ago) please as punch that my Sag turns over better then ever.........untill yesterday i go to start her up in the fab weather we had to give her a little blast around the country roads to find it completly and utterly dead again. Nothing, no dash lights, no door openers, nothing....as i f no battery is even fitted its that dead. Worse than the old battery.

So to racap. Old battery i thought was just worn was replaced 2 weeks ago, go to it yesterday and its flatter than ever with new battery.

Seems like a short maybe? Gotta be hasnt it?

And i cant remember how to get in boot with dead battery. Wheres that emergency cable again?

Thanks guys

Justyn

[bobd]

100 amp fuse under the airbox - replace with 125 amp item and charge battery and away you go hopefully. You already know how to get at the battery.
If this is the correct answer then I will give the kiss a big swerve.

[extremekiter]

Thanks for reply but i forgot to add this problem seemed to raise it ugly head since i replaced that fuse for 125 amp fuse. Thought id do it for piece of mind and it may be just luck of the draw but it had never been a prob untill i did the 125 fuse mod

Update; Just had a thought. I never done continuity test to check fuse was fine before i fitted it. Shouldnt have really as it was new but it could have popped maybe. Ill be honest i didnt disconnect battery before replacing.

Justyn

Edited by extremekiter on Monday 28th February 18:54

[LeeT350c]

Justyn

I would say its not the fuse as if that fails you would not get half a days running, more like 15 mins tops!

First thing is to charge the battery. Once charged see if it fires up OK and have a look to see if your alternator is charging (around 13.8v)

If it is then we can start to look for large current draws, one of which may be the alternator failing.

Cheers

Lee

[extremekiter]

Right ok mate, i did put the CTEK charger on it last night that RG fitted/wired into the boot for me but it would even register a battery via its light indicators so went to it this morning and still utterly dead. Shall i connect jump leads to it via underside and connect up the charger via that maybe?

Justyn

Edited by extremekiter on Monday 28th February 19:08

[extremekiter]

UPDATE;

Just tried to jump it off another BRAND NEW battery via anderson underneath and nothing. Still no life at all.

Battery fuse????? But why would it pop after a run tucked up in garage for 2 weeks?

Justyn

[darkmark07]

Sounds like a similar problem I had with my T350 - does the POD switch on whilst connected to the charger?

Could be:

1. Stuck relay (pull each one individually to see if that fixes the problem - can't remember which one it is off the top of my head)
2. Faulty diode pack on the alternator allowing a back feed into the ignition system
3. Something else entirely...

Am posting via mobile phone at the moment but if you check my post history from around Christmas time, you should see something similar.

FWIW, I tried all the relays and now suspect the alternator. It's on Sebring's list of things to do with my car whilst it's in.

Also, not familiar with the CTEK but the Accumate relies on seeing some voltage from the battery to ensure that you have connected it properly. If the battery is too far gone the charger won't see this and won't put any charge in. A cheap and cheerful alternative is a halfords trickle charger which cost me about £15 and I connect via the anderson socket and appropriate leads.

Good luck

Mark

Edit: started writing this before I saw your last post - sounds rather more serious and probably unrelated to the above. Is it completely dead i.e. no power at all - not even alarm / doors etc??

Edited by darkmark07 on Monday 28th February 19:45

[VARLEYHYD]

extremekiter said:

UPDATE;

Just tried to jump it off another BRAND NEW battery via anderson underneath and nothing. Still no life at all.

Battery fuse????? But why would it pop after a run tucked up in garage for 2 weeks?

Justyn

Justyn,

1. Check the passenger footweel fuse 80A/100A for continuity

2. Check for drain ie boot/ courtesy lamps

3. Check anderson connector for continuity

G

Emegency access is in bible

[extremekiter]

Hey guys thanks for all yr help.

I know for sure the Anderson works fine as i jumped it 3 weeks ago severall times. Ive checked pass footwell fuse and its fine. im thinking maybe dodgy connection on battery fuse on leads on battery i saw. Maybe dodgy connection on bbatery altho i know i tightened them properly.

Justyn

[shep1001]

Mine goes flat if left for two weeks (or flat enough it won't crank over) I was told by somebody who should know, the Meta alarm draws enough current to do this. Its also worth checking as graham says, my boot light was iffy till I fixed it.

If you have nothing when jumping off another battery I suspect the immob needs a re-set, again common after a flat battery, I will email how to do this to you. I assume here by 'nothing' this is when you turn the key, you DO have interior light and the dial sweep as you turn the ignition on.


Shep

Edited by shep1001 on Monday 28th February 20:35

[extremekiter]

Brilliant shep thanks.

When iconnect the jump battery to anderson i get no life, no lights on dash absolutly nothing as if no battery is on the car. No power at all!! No key plip, no lights on dash as if a main shunt fuse has gone, dicky battery connection etc etc. Dead!!! The jump battery has 12.9 volts and its new. Brand new!

PS. That is a fuse i assume that is inline the live red wire that is tucked up with the battery box right? Its defo a fuse holder!

Justyn

Edited by extremekiter on Monday 28th February 20:42

Edited by extremekiter on Monday 28th February 20:44

[darkmark07]

With the other battery connected, can you get the CTEK to work?
I'm struggling to remember my schoolboy electronics but you're effectively wiring 2 batteries in parallel. I remember when I did the same thing, the car did turn over but was very very sluggish - possible that if the (installed) battery is completely fubared then you might not be able to raise the voltage with the 2 batteries in parallel to get any life from the car...

[shep1001]

extremekiter said:

Brilliant shep thanks.

When iconnect the jump battery to anderson i get no life, no lights on dash absolutly nothing as if no battery is on the car. No power at all!! No key plip, no lights on dash. Dead!!!


You should still have something to functions that don't require the ign to be on, if it were my car I would look to a blown fuse first (PS footwell 100A is on the perm +12V I think - test both sides of the fuse with a volt meter whilst on the battery earth is there voltage to one side only?) next, Pick something that should have 12v to it (eg boot light) there should be voltage there (if there is voltage either side of the fuse that is).

There is a 'power relay' on the fuse board I don't have a diagram to check what it does but maybe this is the issue if the fuses are intact?

Also have you tried jumping off a car that is running rather than a static battery?

Justyn

Edited by shep1001 on Monday 28th February 20:54

Edited by shep1001 on Monday 28th February 21:09

[extremekiter]

darkmark07 said:

With the other battery connected, can you get the CTEK to work?
I'm struggling to remember my schoolboy electronics but you're effectively wiring 2 batteries in parallel. I remember when I did the same thing, the car did turn over but was very very sluggish - possible that if the (installed) battery is completely fubared then you might not be able to raise the voltage with the 2 batteries in parallel to get any life from the car...

Fair point but surely you would get some life, even a tiny amount just to get the indicators to flash when using plip. I get nothing! As if the installed battery isnt even there, if ya know what i mean. Absolutly bugger all! No life on anything whatsoever. which leads me onto something simple like dodgy connection on installed battery, fuse blown in what i think is an inline fuse on battery wire etc etc


Justyn

[extremekiter]

Great idea shep.

I did check the pass footwell fuse and its intact and looks fine but will check voltage on it anyway to see if power is getting to that. Surely if no power there then its located prob to battery compartment? I will check the boot light just incase thats playing silly buggers.

Justyn

[shep1001]

extremekiter said:

Great idea shep.

I did check the pass footwell fuse and its intact and looks fine but will check voltage on it anyway to see if power is getting to that. Surely if no power there then its located prob to battery compartment? I will check the boot light just incase thats playing silly buggers.

Justyn

I think that cable in the foot well runs the supply to the fuse board. There is nothing else from the supply side of the fuse holder to the battery it goes through the bulkhead direct to the battery. Its a pain in the arse but its a game of follow the voltage and see where it stops

[extremekiter]

So is there a fuse on the battery lead in the battery compartment cause ive, what looks like, a fuse holder inline the thick red battery wire?

Hmmmmmm....

Justyn

[shep1001]

extremekiter said:

So is there a fuse on the battery lead in the battery compartment cause ive, what looks like, a fuse holder inline the thick red battery wire?

Hmmmmmm....

Justyn

Only one way to tell.... open it up and test it!. I don't have one on mine but then its a TVR and they are not always the same. There will be a fuse holder & 80A fuse on the 12v supply to the Power steering pump fed off the battery (from the battery box) which direction does the cable run off the battery?

[extremekiter]

SORTED!!!!!!!!!

I WISH TO CLAIM THE BIGGEST BELLEND AWARD PLEASE

Just put jump pack on a left it for 10 mins to see if anything happend and it did! All of a sudden she jumped into life after after a while but not immediatly.

Then i happened peer into the boot and.......now this is where i get a good kicking from my fellow PH clan....the bloody boot light was on and then i remebered that when i drove home 2 weeks ago i heard the tailgate rattling. So i hadnt closed the boot lid glass properly but it was shut tight but not on catch and it had totally blitzed the battery completely. Even the jump battery took 10 mins to get some power into installed battery to get any life into it and thats what was confusing me!

What a complete and utter tit i am!

So leaves me to thank everyone who helped me which to be fair helped me get my head round it all.

And yes the battery does have to have some power in it to start a charge, and now it has and now its charging

Ill be standing out the gate at Chatsworth handing out kisses to you all...be prepared Maybe the wife may have something to say tho.

Thanks again all....you all are a great bunch always willing to help when needed. Brilliant

Justyn

[Alpinestars]

I have pulled the bulb out of the boot light for exactly this reason.