Hi all,

Daughters Ex (and good lad) has just passed his test and has got
himself a Corsa from a dealer as per title (his Mum helped with funds,
Dad not about etc).

He's not started driving it yet but I've just found out he flattened
the battery with the interior light and a 12V cleaner.

An Uncle helped him get the battery off and he charged it indoors for
12 hours on an auto charger.

I had offered to lend him a hand putting it back on (and suggested he
get a basic tool set and HBOL) but 'a neighbour' offers to help and
between them manage to get the battery on back_to_front. ;-(

Apparently they didn't fully connect it up backwards, luckily the
sparks put them off!

He did start it after they fitted the battery correctly but it
wouldn't turn over later that day.

It could be that it's just got a ****e battery (I'll test it
tomorrow) but what is the chance of them damaging something and if so
what please? I guess the EMU is ok (as it started / ran) but I wasn't
sure about alternator regulator / diodes etc?

Cheers,

T i m

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:50:48 +0100, T i m wrote:

Hi all,

Daughters Ex (and good lad) has just passed his test and has got
himself a Corsa from a dealer as per title (his Mum helped with funds,
Dad not about etc).

He's not started driving it yet but I've just found out he flattened
the battery with the interior light and a 12V cleaner.

An Uncle helped him get the battery off and he charged it indoors for
12 hours on an auto charger.

I had offered to lend him a hand putting it back on (and suggested he
get a basic tool set and HBOL) but 'a neighbour' offers to help and
between them manage to get the battery on back_to_front. ;-(

Apparently they didn't fully connect it up backwards, luckily the
sparks put them off!

He did start it after they fitted the battery correctly but it
wouldn't turn over later that day.

It could be that it's just got a ****e battery (I'll test it
tomorrow) but what is the chance of them damaging something and if so
what please? I guess the EMU is ok (as it started / ran) but I wasn't
sure about alternator regulator / diodes etc?

Cheers,

T i m


You can damage most things, but if it started he probably just blew some
fuses.

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:15:37 +0100, "Duncan Wood"
wrote:

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:50:48 +0100, T i m wrote:

Hi all,

Daughters Ex (and good lad) has just passed his test and has got
himself a Corsa from a dealer as per title (his Mum helped with funds,
Dad not about etc).

He's not started driving it yet but I've just found out he flattened
the battery with the interior light and a 12V cleaner.

An Uncle helped him get the battery off and he charged it indoors for
12 hours on an auto charger.

I had offered to lend him a hand putting it back on (and suggested he
get a basic tool set and HBOL) but 'a neighbour' offers to help and
between them manage to get the battery on back_to_front. ;-(

Apparently they didn't fully connect it up backwards, luckily the
sparks put them off!

He did start it after they fitted the battery correctly but it
wouldn't turn over later that day.

It could be that it's just got a ****e battery (I'll test it
tomorrow) but what is the chance of them damaging something and if so
what please? I guess the EMU is ok (as it started / ran) but I wasn't
sure about alternator regulator / diodes etc?

Cheers,

T i m


You can damage most things, but if it started he probably just blew some
fuses.

Needs to measure the current drain from battery with everything off.
If it has a high drain current then disconnect alternator, if drain
current reduces the alternator charging circuit has blown.
--
Peter Hill
Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header
Can of worms - what every fisherman wants.
Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

T i m wrote:
Hi all,

Daughters Ex (and good lad) has just passed his test and has got
himself a Corsa from a dealer as per title (his Mum helped with funds,
Dad not about etc).

He's not started driving it yet but I've just found out he flattened
the battery with the interior light and a 12V cleaner.

An Uncle helped him get the battery off and he charged it indoors for
12 hours on an auto charger.

I had offered to lend him a hand putting it back on (and suggested he
get a basic tool set and HBOL) but 'a neighbour' offers to help and
between them manage to get the battery on back_to_front. ;-(

Apparently they didn't fully connect it up backwards, luckily the
sparks put them off!

He did start it after they fitted the battery correctly but it
wouldn't turn over later that day.

It could be that it's just got a ****e battery (I'll test it
tomorrow) but what is the chance of them damaging something and if so
what please? I guess the EMU is ok (as it started / ran) but I wasn't
sure about alternator regulator / diodes etc?

Cheers,

T i m

my bet would be merely that the battery is knackered. first step get
battery tested and replaced if needed, fit and check charging, check how
much current is trying to get out of battery when it is all off.

get him a Haynes manual too

--
Protected by www.SpamJab.com {xxsVSmRnak9FCDtfEN}
"T i m" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Daughters Ex (and good lad) has just passed his test and has got
himself a Corsa from a dealer as per title (his Mum helped with funds,
Dad not about etc).

He's not started driving it yet but I've just found out he flattened
the battery with the interior light and a 12V cleaner.

An Uncle helped him get the battery off and he charged it indoors for
12 hours on an auto charger.

I had offered to lend him a hand putting it back on (and suggested he
get a basic tool set and HBOL) but 'a neighbour' offers to help and
between them manage to get the battery on back_to_front. ;-(

Apparently they didn't fully connect it up backwards, luckily the
sparks put them off!

He did start it after they fitted the battery correctly but it
wouldn't turn over later that day.

It could be that it's just got a ****e battery (I'll test it
tomorrow) but what is the chance of them damaging something and if so
what please? I guess the EMU is ok (as it started / ran) but I wasn't
sure about alternator regulator / diodes etc?

Cheers,

T i m

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:09:58 +0100, "Alf"
wrote:

get him a Haynes manual too

Thanks for all the tips guys. I hope to be having a look and all of it
(I have DMMs & other testers at the ready).

I am also going to take the tin of red touch_up_paint I originally got
for the Sierra but now use on battery terminals for people ... ;-)

Also some red insulating tape to go round the main feed cables (as
they often aren't red these days I notice).

I find these can also help when do-gooders try to give them a jump
start (I saw such a melted example on a Corsa the other day when Dad
had tried to help Son) ;-(

Oh, and yes, the HBOL was also on the list of "must haves' to him
yesterday.

T i m

p.s. I bought my first car (a seized Fiat 850) for £5 when I was 14.
Using the HBOL, a Kamasa 1/2" sq dr socket set, a spattering of other
spanners and plenty of trial and error I removed the engine, stripped
it down, fitted new shells and Cords rings (couldn't afford a rebore,
I was at school!) and had my first play car. ;-)

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:42:27 +0100, Peter Hill
wrote:

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:15:37 +0100, "Duncan Wood"

Needs to measure the current drain from battery with everything off.
If it has a high drain current then disconnect alternator, if drain
current reduces the alternator charging circuit has blown.

Right. I hooked my portable battery pack up to his car and with
nothing turned on it's drawing around 50 A.

I tried to get to the alternator but it's round the back of the (poxy
stupid wankin transverse design g[1]) engine and in a plastic shroud
..

Following the wires back it looks like it terminates via a large
rectangular plug on an ally heat-sink looking plate mounted vertically
on the nearside end of the block (there are two plugs actually, could
it be an ignition amplifier or similar)? However, it feels like the
larger cable from the alternator joins something else behind there ...
starter relay possibly?

Anyway, we are going to tow it into my mates garage on Friday and he's
going to get it in the air for a closer look.

Local car spares places don't sell rectifier / regulator packs on
their own so if it is the alternator it could be the breakers first
then ... ?

Could be an expensive mistake for the lad. ;-(

T i m

p.s. It turns out the battery was connected in reverse for about a
minute (I know, you don't have to say). After it was correctly
connected he started and ran the car across the car park and that's
when he noticed the battery was hot and removed it again.

[1] I'm old and used to working on the MkII Escort based Kit car, the
Sierra and even my 218SD (where the alternator is right in the front).
;-)

T i m wrote:
I find these can also help when do-gooders try to give them a jump
start (I saw such a melted example on a Corsa the other day when Dad
had tried to help Son) ;-(

I had an attempt (successful) of being a do-gooder when I came across a
mini-cab stalled dead at a garage, the owner had a passenger in the back
freting about whether she'd now miss the flight at the airport they
where headed to.

Cabbie bloke had some jump leads with him, so had already set about
connecting both leads to his battery terminals on his dead car. I got
mine moved in close to his vehicle and got out. It was then that he
approached me with the free ends of the connected cables, holding both
casually in the same hand ...

Seemed a bit confused why I'd started shouting at him. Luckily for him
the claws of his cheap leads were more plastic than copper and the
plastic stopped the potential for a wee burnup in his hand. In fact
there was so much plastic, the claw metal inserts barely made connection
with the battery terminals and things weren't happening until I got into
looking closer at both vehicles.

H.M. Gov statistics department probably has a list of injuries/year on
people jump-starting cars, and should maybe set about doing a public
information film.

--
Adrian C

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:30:14 +0100, Adrian C
wrote:

T i m wrote:
I find these can also help when do-gooders try to give them a jump
start (I saw such a melted example on a Corsa the other day when Dad
had tried to help Son) ;-(

I had an attempt (successful) of being a do-gooder when I came across a
mini-cab stalled dead at a garage, the owner had a passenger in the back
freting about whether she'd now miss the flight at the airport they
where headed to.

You aren't a do gooder, you are an automotive guy. ;-)

Cabbie bloke had some jump leads with him, so had already set about
connecting both leads to his battery terminals on his dead car. I got
mine moved in close to his vehicle and got out. It was then that he
approached me with the free ends of the connected cables, holding both
casually in the same hand ...

shudder

I've also see showers of sparks from the 'live' lead and name any
other metallic earthed part the car.

Seemed a bit confused why I'd started shouting at him. Luckily for him
the claws of his cheap leads were more plastic than copper and the
plastic stopped the potential for a wee burnup in his hand. In fact
there was so much plastic, the claw metal inserts barely made connection
with the battery terminals and things weren't happening until I got into
looking closer at both vehicles.

I know the clip type, same on my portable pack. It's actually
difficult to actually connect them when you want to.

H.M. Gov statistics department probably has a list of injuries/year on
people jump-starting cars, and should maybe set about doing a public
information film.

I'd only consider such if it would help people stop killing cars. I'm
very happy for Mr Darwin to look after the 'people'.

T i m

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:42:27 +0100, Peter Hill
wrote:


Needs to measure the current drain from battery with everything off.
If it has a high drain current then disconnect alternator, if drain
current reduces the alternator charging circuit has blown.

.... Seems to have been the right answer (well plus possibly other
things, not got that far yet).

I towed it in with mate yesterday and he got it up on the ramp today
and removed the alternator cable. High current drain goes away. ;-)

He will find him another alternator on Monday and go from there (it
started and ran ok with the alternator disconnected).

Cheers, T i m