Total loss of electricity

[Sampolainen]

I was just about to go home but apparently the car decided it doesn't want to move. Or do anything at all.

I started her up and just as she started, everything went silent, total loss of electricity everywhere. I checked the fuses as best I could and found this in the fuse box on top of the battery:

Fuse box

From a quick search on here briskoda, I found out that the black wire goes to the alternator. This one has melted it's surroundings a bit. But this shouldn't cause a total loss everywhere, right? But the red one next to the black is the "main fuse interior" which does sound like a possible culprit. But looking from the top, it seems to be ok?

Sucks that this happened just now since I'm stuck with the kids away from home :(

Any tips at all what to do?

[Raf_]

Yup that can do that. You'll need a new fuse box and alternator cable

[Raf_]

You'll be lucky to get all the bits tomorrow, won't be surprised if you don't get them till Tuesday the earliest. You'll be best of ringing round all the vag garages tomorrow to see if they have owt in stock.

If you're lucky one of the members on here may have some spares, or even a local scrap yard

[chicken_eyebrow]

If you've got some pliers and a crimp of the correct size you could try cutting that cable back to bare wire and fitting a new crimp on it, clean the terminal, screw it back on and see if it works. You may have to jump start the car though as if that alternator cable has been failing for a while the battery will be dead (hence why nothing is working). Depends on how much damage it's done to the terminal etc. as to whether just fitting a new crimp will work. If you're lucky it will get you back on the road until you can get hold of a new fuse box and a new alternator cable.

[Sampolainen]

Huge thanks guys, I actually managed to do a quick fix and get home with the kids. I found another thread here that had a "duct tape solution" for a temporary fix here. I took both the black and red wires and put them directly on to the terminal and hey presto it was up and running. I'll start looking for a new fuse box and assorted parts tomorrow(got the part no's from the other thread as well. Gotta love briskoda ) , luckily the car is not needed very often so there's no need to drive it around in an un-fused condition. And 'conveniently' this has apparently solved the problem with the battery losing charge.

[petecook859]

Huge thanks guys, I actually managed to do a quick fix and get home with the kids. I found another thread here that had a "duct tape solution" for a temporary fix here. I took both the black and red wires and put them directly on to the terminal and hey presto it was up and running. I'll start looking for a new fuse box and assorted parts tomorrow(got the part no's from the other thread as well. Gotta love briskoda ) , luckily the car is not needed very often so there's no need to drive it around in an un-fused condition. And 'conveniently' this has apparently solved the problem with the battery losing charge.

[petecook859]

Huge thanks guys, I actually managed to do a quick fix and get home with the kids. I found another thread here that had a "duct tape solution" for a temporary fix here. I took both the black and red wires and put them directly on to the terminal and hey presto it was up and running. I'll start looking for a new fuse box and assorted parts tomorrow(got the part no's from the other thread as well. Gotta love briskoda ) , luckily the car is not needed very often so there's no need to drive it around in an un-fused condition. And 'conveniently' this has apparently solved the problem with the battery losing charge.

[petecook859]

SORRY GUYS LAPTOP PLAYING UP!!!

[petecook859]

As stated in a previous topic,I got a "as new" fusebox from ROADSIDE RESCUE POOLE DORSET.EMAIL [email protected] Website www.skospares.com,and I replaced the cable terminal and had it soldered.

[Sampolainen]

Aight, all fixed up now. Old fusebox was pretty knackered:

New installed. All's well now for a while, I hope

Edited 8 March, 2012 by Sampolainen