Evening!

I've a got a quick question...

Call me what you want, but I went to apply the positive side of a set of jumps leads to the battery on SWMBO's Clio and caught the bodywork at the same time as the terminal! Much sparkness ensued and now the thing won't start! Central locking, Imobiliser and dash lights still work but there's nothing as far as firing goes...

As it's dark now and it'll have to wait 'til the morning, which fuse or item is most likely to have blown do you reckon?

popped ECU

seriously, i've caught bodywork with spanners etc when touching the pos battery terminal and never had a problem

why were you using the jump leads anyway ?

Theres a crash sensor on the mk2 clio, which usually triggers in a accident. Usually only take a knock to stop the car.

It maybe worth pressing the little red button under the bonnet, just off to the right hand side of the engine bay. Not guarenteed to work if you've fried the nuts off of the ECU though.

Maybe worth checking all of the fuses first too.

I'd imagine he was jump starting another car, or the clio ric04vrs.

Edited 30 January, 201016 yr by Browny_37

Cheers for the replies... I'll check for that button and run through the fuses in the morning - hopefully before SWMBO finds out!

I was going to jump start my Fiesta off the Clio. I actually caught it earlier today too but only got a tiny spark and thought to myself 'must remember to be more careful next time'...

What year is the clio, as the one id seen it on was a 98 plate.

What year is the clio, as the one id seen it on was a 98 plate.

Its a 51 plate 1.5 Dci...

Maybe different to what i have suggested, but i certainly would start with that and work onto the fuses as a starting point.

I remember 1 tried to jump start an old calibra. Was in the driveway for months and months and was basically fooked anyway. Tried to jump it off a TDi Discovery but connect the jump leads the wrong way round. One less rusty vauxhall on the road. It fried everything electrically

I remember 1 tried to jump start an old calibra. Was in the driveway for months and months and was basically fooked anyway. Tried to jump it off a TDi Discovery but connect the jump leads the wrong way round. One less rusty vauxhall on the road. It fried everything electrically

You trying to cheer me up?

You trying to cheer me up?

Yea, even more of a numpty than yourself!

Seriously though, i have shorted the terminals together when disconnecting/reconnecting batteries and never caused any faults. As stated, may have triggered the crash sensor or blown a fuse or something...

Yea, even more of a numpty than yourself!

Seriously though, i have shorted the terminals together when disconnecting/reconnecting batteries and never caused any faults. As stated, may have triggered the crash sensor or blown a fuse or something...

Well I've just braved the snow and been through the fuses... no broken ones. I've yet to find the crash sensor!

Update: SORTED!

While looking for a crash sensor and/or magical reset button I happened across a big connector and undoing it I thought 'Ooo, what if I disconnect the battery that might reset stuff...'

So before I did that I had another go at starting it and would you believe it - it fired up! So I'm assuming having all the fuses out has done the reset.

Thanks for the help. I'll be more careful next time.

Luke.

Nice one fella, glad its sorted!

That was close then!

Must have just tripped something out.

I connected jump leads the wrong way round on the felly once from a corsa (stupid vauxhaul using brown for the negative and black for the positive). It just blew the noise suppressor on the alternator (stop's interference on the stereo).

Phil

Yea, even more of a numpty than yourself!

Seriously though, i have shorted the terminals together when disconnecting/reconnecting batteries and never caused any faults. As stated, may have triggered the crash sensor or blown a fuse or something...

Tip from an old mechanic to me -"disconnect earth first ,and connect eart last " -that way if spanner meets metalwork -you've removed the possibility of S/C ( Mind you on all thecourses I've been on ,it's taught to use an insulated spanner -high currents through metal spanner =hot spanner :no: :no: )

Tip from an old mechanic to me -"disconnect earth first ,and connect eart last " -that way if spanner meets metalwork -you've removed the possibility of S/C

I know, im just lazy TBH :p

Tip from an old mechanic to me -"disconnect earth first ,and connect eart last " -that way if spanner meets metalwork -you've removed the possibility of S/C ( Mind you on all thecourses I've been on ,it's taught to use an insulated spanner -high currents through metal spanner =hot spanner :no: :no: )

Not so much hot spanner, more blow the end of the spanner off, arc flash, flying molten metal and possibly the battery going bang too

Not so much hot spanner, more blow the end of the spanner off, arc flash, flying molten metal and possibly the battery going bang too

Hot spanner was a mild approximation as to the end result .Lessdramatic, but equaly destined to focusmindes onresukt

So what is the definitive, 100% safe way to apply jump leads then?

So what is the definitive, 100% safe way to apply jump leads then?

1) Connect the red lead to the positive terminal of the flat battery.

2) Connect to the positive terminal of the good battery.

3) Connect the black lead to the negative terminal of the good battery.

4) connect the black lead to the engine block, not the good battery. The reason for this is if there is any hydrogen present at the flat battery the sparks from connecting the earth lead might ignite it.

Disconnection is in the reverse order.

This applies only for negative earth vehicles. Some vehicle such as series I and II Land Rovers that are fitted with dynamos instead of alternators are positive earth so be carefull out there

Edited 6 February, 201016 yr by chriskite

So what is the definitive, 100% safe way to apply jump leads then?

Follow chriskite's post , BUT VERY CAREFULLY ,AND KEEP LEADS AWAY FROM ANYTHING ELSE .Basiclly it't just common sense . Short circuits on batteries lead to HIGH currents ,which means lots of molten metal =lots of burns ,and= £££££ spent replacing burnt out stuff .