New battery, car still dead as doornail

I would check that the connections are on taught. What you are describing is the alternator is probably not properly charging the battery.

Sometimes when a battery in a car goes bad, it also takes the alternator with it. There are times when the alternator goes first and damages the battery because it overcharges the battery and then goes shorted from overheating. Some vehicles have an external voltage control or management module. This should also be changed along with the alternator.

A professional mechanic always runs a test on the alternator when replacing the battery. If the alternator is defective, you may have to replace the battery again if the battery was damaged.

Jerry G.

ster

Reply to
Jerry G.
Loading thread data ...

No is isn't.

Just how ?

He's only driven to the edge of his plot FFS !

I'm 99.9% certain it's a broken earth strap. You can usually check easily with a heavy duty jump lead placed between some good (unpainted) contacts points on the engine block and car chassis, re-making the connection, unless it's further back the chain right at the battery (but unlikely).

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

"Cleo Frank" wrote in news:UEZ3k.4573$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews3.bellsouth.net:

Most cars have TWO fuse boxes;one under the hood that holds the high current fuses for engine stuff,and one under the dash for the rest of the car. the main fusebox is usually close to the battery.

The main fuse is actually a fusible link;a metal strap designed to melt as a specific current.

see your owner's manual,or get a service manual from an auto store or online.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Jim Yanik

"DaveM" wrote in news:quednYuQp977-83VnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

you can get a good ECU from a junkyard,for a fraction of wehat a dealer would charge. you MUST match the part numbers for your specific model and engine.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Jim Yanik

When you hook up the battery backwards (the OP did) it doesn't cause the "earth strap" to break. It burns out the fusible links or blows fuses and maybe even cooks some electronic components.

Steve B.

Reply to
Steve B.

ster

"Refer all servicing to qualified personnel"

So far in my life I've had a total of 3 car batteries that simply went open circuit, presumably from a failed internal connection. In all cases simply replacing the battery (and verifying the charging system) was all that was needed. Fortunately I got the polarity right the first time. The other 2 got changed at Sears but worked anyway. Also in all cases everything operated normally until it died when trying to start. "Normally" included no dim lights, sluggish starter motor, etc.

G=B2

Reply to
stratus46

so now that you have the battery in correctly, are you getting 13.2 volts across it? that would be a good place to start.

Reply to
boxing

with a

the

back

I didn't say it did.

The OP says it failed to re-satrt long before he fitted the replacement battery.

Did you even bother to read the post properly ?

Graham

Never cooked any for me, but it was just a brief touch. Wouldn't have given the alternator diodes too long to live.

Graham

Reply to
Eeyore

I knew a guy who did that to a company truck - just long enough to fry one or two diodes - from that moment on the charging indicator would glow dimly all the time but otherwise it ran OK.

--
----== Posted via Pronews.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.pronews.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
default

with a

on the

er back

Alternator diodes are a good possibility. And many other more expensive things if they were not polarity protected.

Reply to
sparky

2c guess/question, has the starter motor stuck up? my 92 mazda van just occassionally has the starter motor latch up (no noise), So I tap the side with a hammer via a 3' rod (well, it is buried weel underneath) and all is hnky dory.
Reply to
terryc

Sounds good. It would be a good idea to check the voltage with a meter when running and not running so you know if it's just the battery or something else, but that would indicate the battery.

If you are lucky, you have just blown the fusible links on the battery lines. More likely you have blown some fuses too. Worst case you've blown the alternator, ECU, and a bunch of sensors with the reverse polarity as well.

--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra.  C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Yeah, I did it to on my Toyota Celica GT about 20 years ago. In a dimly lit parking garage at K-Mart late one night when I needed a battery. No damage other than blowing the fuse that controlled my the motors on my flip-up headlights (although headlights still worked, just pointed straight down). Flipped it around and the car was A-OK. Did make some sparks as I recall and I did feel exceedingly stupid for not being more careful.

Reply to
Dave

It WAS the main fuse (80 A). The box that contained this thing was right in front of my eyes practically the whole time, next to battery ..DUHHHHHH

Car is now its usual chipper self!

THANKS!

Reply to
Cleo Frank

"Cleo Frank" wrote: 1990 Mazda Protege

I accidentally c Update (for anyone interested). Problem discovered

It WAS the main fuse (80 A). The box that contained this thing was right in front of my eyes practically the whole time, next to battery ..DUHHHHHH

Car is now its usual chipper self! THANKS! ____________________________________________

Those of us who post here always enjoy hearing whether our advice or opinions helped solve a problem. Thank you for taking the time to report back.

Rodan.

Reply to
Rodan

Regarding your original problem, as others have suggested, a bad ground (-) connection at the battery or where the battery cable is bolted to the car's frame would cause the symptoms you described... intermittent non-starting, dim instruments. Or a ground fault elsewhere. Ground faults are a bastard to diagnose, they could be caused by a wire's insulation having rubbed off, a poor connection, a broken solder joint, corrosion inside a wire's insulation which can't be seen. I have worked extensively on older cars' electrical systems, and it takes some serious patience AND LOTS OF TIME generally. I'm not saying that it definitely won't be a quick fix, just mentally set yourself up for the long haul. That's why people in the know shudder when you start talking about an intermittent ground fault problem... and that's why it's generaly at least a few hundred bucks when you bring your car to an auto electric specialist.

As far as hooking up the battery backwards, you can get a pretty good indication of whether it's electronics or wiring by doing some simple tests. Honk the horn. Turn on the headlights. These are generally both NOT wired through the ignition module or ECC and should work if the battery is good and the wiring is intact. If they DO work, that means any fusible link or main fuse is fine, and that your problem is most likely with your ECC or, hopefully, a fuse which controls the ECC. You can often buy salvaged ECC's from online junkyards, you need to be EXTREMELEY SPECIFIC with the model number... pull yours out and job down the exact model number. Different models and/or years of the same car have different engines or features that the ECC controls, so they are very specific to the particular year and model of vehicle.

Reply to
Dave

You blew the fuse links (not regular fuses), and prolly the ECM and assorted other cotrollers. Have fun. JR

Cleo Frank wrote:

--
--------------------------------------------------------------
        Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
Reply to
JR North

es?

Yep, the infamous "fusible link" looks just like any other wire BUT it's a selected length and gage (you DON'T want to replace it with any other gage of wire!).

And, don't just casually replace the three inches that burned up. You gotta replace the whole eight inches, or it will die again, soon. DAMHIKT.

Reply to
whit3rd

:Background: 1990 Mazda Protege, very well maintained, very clean :under hood. Last night it started as usual. I drove it to the dumpster :at the edge of my property to dump some trash, stopped the car, :and cut engine. When I tried to start it back up, I got the usual :click of a dead battery; digital clock very dim etc. : :Went to NAPA today and bought topnotch battery (the same :kind that came in car when new). I did accidentally install :it backwards (neg lead to pos post and pos lead to neg post), :got some sparks, but the battery is now securely connected. :The lead clamps are pretty clean and don't appear damaged. :But no power whatever, clock dead, nothing. : :Ideas? :

See message #3246 (and onwards) here

formatting link

Bloke did something similar - he connected a battery charger in reverse. Your car is probably similarly afflicted - ie. blown 100A fuse.

Reply to
Ross Herbert

Blown fusible link.

--
Paul Hovnanian	paul@hovnanian.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Click to see the full signature
Reply to
Paul Hovnanian P.E.

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.