A Cautionary Tale..
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 9:46 pm
I recently discovered that my headlamps were wired back to front giving me dipped beams when I selected main and vice versa..(the car had a new wiring loom recently and this was the first time I had driven it in the dark), Fixing the problem looked easy enough, pull the mass of wires down from under the dash and swap the wires to the switch on the steering column. Looked easy enough. Did this and tried the headlamps a few time, running the engine to get the headlamps up. Everything worked, so far so good.
I then went to start the car to put it away in the garage but the car would not start. The solenoid clicked over a few times but nothing else. Looked like a flat battery or stuck starter motor - well I had been switching the headlamps on and off? The interior light and ignition lamp still worked so there must be some power.
Took the battery out and charged it overnight. Still no luck.
Clambered under the car and turned the starter motor by hand, still not luck.
Disconnected the starter motor power cable and the soleniod worked so assumed it must be a dodgy starter motor. Looked as if it was shorting the battery every time the ignition key was turned.
Jack the car up at the front and fight with the two bolts holding the starter motor in to remove it, phone round and source a replacement unit, drive 20 miles each way to collect the replacement started. Fit the replacement unit, connect the battery and turn the key... And yes, you guessed it, the same problem!!
Pull out all the wiring under the dash and check that there is no short. Short the solenoid terminals to check the starter, no luck, check voltage with meter at solenoid, 12.5V so that's OK.
Try to start a second starter motor (I had a old unit with a broken bendix) from the solenoid using a pair of jump leads, one side from the solenoid positive and the chassis, nothing.
Try directly across the battery, starter turns...Finally progress.
Try positive from battery and earthing to chassis/engine.. Nothing.
Try a second cable from the battery negative to the earthing point on the chassis near the petrol tank... Everything works.
Problem finally tracked down to a dirty connection between the battery earthing cable and the chassis (even thoug the connection was tight). Solution clean the terminal connector and reconnect.
Moral of this tale..
Just because your car was working 5 mins ago and you have been playing around with the electrics don't assume that the new electrical problem you now have was caused by you - it could easily be at the other end of the car!!
Just because you can measure a good voltage between the positive side of the starter solenoid and earth do not assume that you don't have any bad earth connections anywhere. The started draws a very high current so any bad earth in the circuit and the car will not start.
Elans can sometimes be easily (and cheaply fixed) assuming you don't buy parts you don't really need....
Check the simple things first before assuming the worst!!
Carl
I then went to start the car to put it away in the garage but the car would not start. The solenoid clicked over a few times but nothing else. Looked like a flat battery or stuck starter motor - well I had been switching the headlamps on and off? The interior light and ignition lamp still worked so there must be some power.
Took the battery out and charged it overnight. Still no luck.
Clambered under the car and turned the starter motor by hand, still not luck.
Disconnected the starter motor power cable and the soleniod worked so assumed it must be a dodgy starter motor. Looked as if it was shorting the battery every time the ignition key was turned.
Jack the car up at the front and fight with the two bolts holding the starter motor in to remove it, phone round and source a replacement unit, drive 20 miles each way to collect the replacement started. Fit the replacement unit, connect the battery and turn the key... And yes, you guessed it, the same problem!!
Pull out all the wiring under the dash and check that there is no short. Short the solenoid terminals to check the starter, no luck, check voltage with meter at solenoid, 12.5V so that's OK.
Try to start a second starter motor (I had a old unit with a broken bendix) from the solenoid using a pair of jump leads, one side from the solenoid positive and the chassis, nothing.
Try directly across the battery, starter turns...Finally progress.
Try positive from battery and earthing to chassis/engine.. Nothing.
Try a second cable from the battery negative to the earthing point on the chassis near the petrol tank... Everything works.
Problem finally tracked down to a dirty connection between the battery earthing cable and the chassis (even thoug the connection was tight). Solution clean the terminal connector and reconnect.
Moral of this tale..
Just because your car was working 5 mins ago and you have been playing around with the electrics don't assume that the new electrical problem you now have was caused by you - it could easily be at the other end of the car!!
Just because you can measure a good voltage between the positive side of the starter solenoid and earth do not assume that you don't have any bad earth connections anywhere. The started draws a very high current so any bad earth in the circuit and the car will not start.
Elans can sometimes be easily (and cheaply fixed) assuming you don't buy parts you don't really need....
Check the simple things first before assuming the worst!!
Carl