Help Needed

[e666]

Hi all

 

I need some help to solve a problem I have with the spek.

 

Whilst working on the engine yesterday I managed to drop a spanner which landed on the positive terminal on the battery touching the chassis. The contact was made for about 5 seconds (it took me that long to realise what was happening) The spanner has Bl**dy hot!

 

But she wont start anymore!!! :boohoo: :boohoo: Its not the battery as I've changed it. On turning the ignition all you get is a series of load clicks from the starter motor. Doesn't attempt to turn the engine, just clicks.

 

I think the solenoid or even the starter may be kaput! Anyone got any ideas? and how to test them ? and do you think anything else may have been effected by the current... like the ecu

 

All fuses are fine btw

 

thanks

e

[Guest gordon_macnab]

I would say the ECU could be at fault. Shorting the battery is just like welding on the car with very high current .

 

Usually when welding your remove the disconnect the battery earth to eliminate tjhe problem.

 

ECU could be fried as they're very sensitive :boohoo:

 

For the starter just remove it and test it on the bench with some jump leads, you can easily see if its turning and if the solenoid engages.

 

Gordon

[Guest Daniel Aldridge]

Have you cleaned the battery connections and checked engine and chassis earths Ian? When the battery got shorted out against the chassis it may have burnt the earth cable in the process!

[Guest Daniel Aldridge]

Sorry Ian. Just read your post again,you would have checked the battery connections when you changed the battery. Still sounds like an engine or chassis earthing problem IMHO

[Guest sparkt]

have you tried another battery as you could have bent the plates inside the battery,

it sounds like thats what it is as it does not turn over the solanoid and starter should be ok

[Guest chris brown]

Its ether a low battery or a bad connection check the voltage at the battery whilst trying to start. If it is above about 10.5V (if lower then battery knackered) then do the same again but this time connect the -ve end of tester to the engine if it is lower than first test then earth from battery is poor remove and clean earth strap (when you shorted the battery out allot of current was drawn down this wire).

 

PS its not the starter or the solenoid thats U/S

[Guest Battery Bill]

Gordon

Shorting the battery is just like welding on the car with very high current .

 

I have read somewhere that its OK to keep your battery connected whilst welding especially on Older Car (Or it might have been newer but I cant remember )

I think we had a thread on this a while ago, a good while though

[swan]

hi

 

The battery in the boot would seem to be a good idea.

 

Swan

[Guest Battery Bill]

Thanks Pete thats another quid I owe you

[Guest chris brown]

OK to keep your battery connected whilst welding especially on

NEWER CARS well not that new we haven’t disconnected ether alt or battery for years whilst welding there is no current flow apart from welder tip to earth lead. I seam to remember we used to years ago

[e666]

Hi Guys

 

thanks for the input so far. The battery has been replaced and all terminals are good to go. I'll check the earth strap as suggested and see what state that is in I hope it is that simple

 

So Chris you think the starter and solenoid will be fine? I had thought the clicking was the starter no engaging or something. Its the sort of noise you get if the battery doesn't have enough juice (although its usually just one click). This thing just clicks away till you release the ignition Still I'll do the earth strap check first then worry if it still wont start

 

I'll do some more on it tonight, but I may be posting back here guys

 

cheers

 

e

[Guest Dredd]

I've done a similar thing and the ECU survived OK

[Longboarder]

Sometimes you can get the solenoid to click which conects in the starter which drops the voltage so the solenoid clicks out again which cuts the starter connection which raises the volts again so the solenoid clicks again and so on giving a rapid series of clicks but no start. Sounds like not enough power to the starter. Bad battery or bad connection in the circuit? If you fried the ECU wouldn't the engine still turn over on the starter, just not fire.

 

Nigel

 

If you short the pos terminal to earth with a spanner, massive current flows through the spanner to the body and back from the body through the earth lead to the neg terminal. It doesn't rush off elsewhere to create random damage!

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

I did the same thing on a D1000 ford artic unit ( New ) only the wheels and chasis were left and a garage full of black smoke.........bot on my hood a few weeks ago it was a faulty alternator.... and a crack in the celionoid case ..but i also replaced the alternator with another faulty one the third one was ok

[e666]

WAHOOOOOO

 

Thanks guys!!! SHE'S ALIVE!!!

 

Replaced the earth strap after doing chris' checks and she burst into life the first turn of the key What a relief!!! Now I MUST get a positive terminal cover fitted

 

Again many many thanks for the pointers posted to this thread

 

e