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        General >> Problems >> Help! Battery melted!
        
(Message started by: Kjetil S on Mar 28^th, 2008, 10:30pm)

Title: Help! Battery melted!
Post by Kjetil S on Mar 28^th, 2008, 10:30pm

My car did killed another ignition switch fuse today when I was on my way to work >:(
Only this time the new fuse burnt through the moment I turned on the ignition again. And again. And again.

I took off the battery cover to kill the master fuse for the car stereo (huge circuit breaker) but as soon as I bumped into the battery, I was met with huge sparks from the negative terminal, and the bolt holding the wires to the negative terminal burnt right through it.

I'm now left with a big gaping hole in my negative battery terminal.

I've talked to an electrician, and he reckons that it may be a short curcuit in my starter.

Any comments or ideas?

Title: Re: Help! Battery melted!
Post by davem on Mar 29^th, 2008, 12:17am

Yes it does sound like a short somewhere, but I guess that's obvious. Have you tried disconnecting the starter, then re-connect the battery and replace the ignition fuse? See if it blows again. I presume both fuse boxes look dry inside...no water in there?

Title: Re: Help! Battery melted!
Post by Kjetil S on Mar 29^th, 2008, 8:07am

I was going to try disconnecting the starter. According to the electrician, starters can fail and short circuit internally. The ignition switch fuse was actually removed when the battery had a meltdown, and no other fuses blew, I think I can fairly assume that the short circuit is either on an unfused circuit or before any fuses.
I want as many ideas as possible to work with before I start working on the car.

Both fuse boxes look dry. I'm always careful to put the covers back on, and I' have bags of silica gel in both, just to be sure.

Title: Re: Help! Battery melted!
Post by Kjetil S on Mar 29^th, 2008, 10:19am

I've had a look at it now, and my trusty meter reads a short curcuit between ground and the car stereo curcuit, so atleast I found *a* short. I also read a short curcuit between the connectors of the stereo circuit breaker when the circuit is broken, so there is something fishy going on there.
And I register something close to a short circuit on one of the large wires going to the positive terminal. Am I correct in assuming that the thickest of the red wires are starter, and the thinner one is for the rest?

Title: Re: Help! Battery melted!
Post by Kjetil S on Mar 29^th, 2008, 3:08pm

I managed to locate the problem.

The short circuit on one of the large wires was nothing more than me forgetting to turn off the hazard lights.
The insulation behind my circuit breaker had rubbed off and was shorting a 50mm^2 cable to ground. I have now disconnected all live feeds to my stereo and fitted a spare battery, and the car is now back on the road atleast.

So good news is that my starter motor is fine :)

Thanks for all help!

Title: Re: Help! Battery melted!
Post by peteHull on Mar 29^th, 2008, 11:31pm

Check the supply to the cig lighter they have been known to give short circuit probs....

hth
Pete