PDA

View Full Version : How To Fry Your Electrics, Ego And Chance Of Scoring!



beavy69
04-09-06, 01:19 PM
(See later for the funny story of events - below is simply the problem for those in a hurry! )

I had a big (calcium) battery - terminals close to bodywork - bump and rain/whatever removed insulation when driving along - everything starts flashing and fizzing as the pos terminal contacts the bodywork. After about five seconds I realized what was happening and switched the car off. The pos terminal had melted and nothing worked SHEEEEEIT!

Have now removed the battery (confirmed completely fcuked) BUT two weird things:

1) The alternator and handbrake lights are still on with the battery removed!

2) None of the fuses have broken they are just a little bowed in the middle of the strip!

I will need a new battery but does anyone else know what I may need to replace. And what the hell are 1) + 2) about?

Cheers: Now for the funny story of events:

OK so I had a dead battery. Found a big calcium one that barely fitted in the bat bay (but helped with the many starts needed to get my 32/34 carb up and running)

HOWEVER, the terminals were close to the lip of metal on the body by the bottom of the windscreen so I added plenty of insulation and forgot about it

Unbelievably I was driving a bird back to mine late at night when it happened so my Bro comes to give me a tow but I?ve got no lights and what?s worse is the car is steaming up. So I switch on my interior blue lights in an effort to be seen from behind as they are powered off a smaller battery in the back. And I'm steering the car like a steam train with my head sticking out of the window.

Three roads away from home I notice my blue light is flashing at me so with half my body out of the window I turned to the back of the car to wipe the condensation off the rear window to look at the light in the back, only to find I'm waving at a copper!

My brother hasn't even seen him so I very thoughtfully turn back to the font and start shouting and waving at him (like I?m in some fcuking carnival procession! Really clever!) He still doesn't see me so I give him a tug on the tow rope using my brakes. He spots the cop and stamps on his brakes. Now all this time I?ve been left foot braking from the standing position so all I could do is stamp on my brakes (with all my weight) sending the car into a short slide and leaving me half handing out of the car by my harness like some tramp slumped over a railing waiting to greet the cop.

He looked up and down the car for what seemed like ages with a weird mixture of appreciation and disgust on his face. Asked what we were doing, checked it wasn't stolen (nice one) and that I was insured etc.

Then he said we were bloody stupid for doing it in the dark and for having a blue light and said goodbye. PHEEEEEUUW!

Hope you enjoyed that (at my expense) any electrical ideas/advice (apart from don?t stick your battery too close to the bodywork) would be much appreciated.

draper
04-09-06, 01:26 PM
pmsl

as for advice, dont use a truck battery !! i use a vectra diesal 1 on mine, nearly turned the car over !!

craig green
04-09-06, 01:31 PM
Hehe. thats sounds like a right comical event. bet ya wont do that again!

Hope the electrical issues arent serious. Maybe the diode on the alternator is frazzled?

draper
04-09-06, 01:39 PM
id say your handbrake/alt light is still on because youve crossed a wire when you wired the second mini battery for your interior light

beavy69
04-09-06, 02:07 PM
Rear battery is completely separate, just powers the light with a switch.

Matt2107
04-09-06, 03:34 PM
How nice are Dorset police?

Can never imagine getting let off for that in Oxfordshire.

beavy69
04-09-06, 03:46 PM
They are not nice they are sensible. They spend less time pissing normal people off and more time catching crims. Good on em!

Matt2107
04-09-06, 03:54 PM
lol... I get the apprentice m40 traffic cops practising writing out tickets round here. They que up to pull people over.

craig green
04-09-06, 03:55 PM
How nice are Dorset police?

Can never imagine getting let off for that in Oxfordshire.

Was probably stoned from the proceeds of the last raid. lol

Dergnova
04-09-06, 07:42 PM
Pmsl at your story haha! Hope you get her sorted

philly
04-09-06, 07:46 PM
waving at a police officer.... thast just summet you cant make up!! pure comedy

beavy69
04-09-06, 10:04 PM
Cheers Derg she's top of the list as usual.

Ricky G
04-09-06, 10:19 PM
more to the point did you get ya end away with the bird u was taking home???:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

beavy69
05-09-06, 12:47 PM
Nope not that night.

Bouch
10-09-06, 09:40 PM
From the sounds of it, i think your very lucky you don't live in wales!
If that had happened round my way, they would have'd crushed yor car in front of you and then made sure that you spent the rest of your life scrubbing the floors of the shower block in swansea nick while wearing a fluffy G-string!!!

As for you wiring. There should be nothing wrong with it when you put a proper battery on.
As for the light issue. You've either got the first battery-less car, in which case, you are now a rich man, or your getting a back feed from the other battery through the negitive. You'll probably find the'll go out if you dis connect the other battery.

beavy69
11-09-06, 02:31 PM
Thanks Bouch, am currently waiting for the new battery.

The other one is small and is not connected to the car at all, just for the blue light at the rear.

The two lights that were on were only LEDs so did need a lot of power. I think they may have been getting some power from a charge in a capasitor somwhere. They went out about 12hours later:)

Wires all seem intact (not fried looking lol ) so when I get the new battery i'll hopfully update with some good news. I have finally bought a massive 300A positive cable extension so it will be going in the battery box in the back n/s footwell (to balace the weight) so it can't short again :)