OK so i've replaced my door regulator system blah blah and now need to reconnect my battery.

i have:

closed all car door to ensure something like a door light isn't on

reconnected the positive terminal first

then, i got to reconnect the negative terminal but it makes a tiny crackling noise. i can't see any sparks being created but i didn't proceed just to be safe.

so what does this mean? i triple checked all wires when i put them back in and they're all connected.

does it mean that something isn't connected somewhere?

i have removed the glove box light though. is this shorting the circuit?

someone help! thanks.

ETA:

oh it also produces a TINY amount of smoke which smells of burning. it comes directly from the negative terminal as soon as the o ring thingy to reconnect comes into contact with the terminal

Edited 4 April, 201214 yr by ollie j123

usually the crackling will be sparks, sometimes hard to see, bang it on quickly, it should be ok, if anything is wrong it would start tripping out fuses. make sure its a good connection aswell should have already got a bit of contact grease on the terminal, if not smear a bit on.

Itsmnormal and fine, there are a number or permanent live connections to various things.

My wipers seem to jump slightly when reconnecting the battery. Only worry about it if you have a battery drain and can't start the car after a couple of weeks of no use.

When I put a new battry in mine, I connected the +ve first, and then monitored the current. On first connection it was about half an amp, dropping to a lower value. So ,you would get a spark or two, but nothing to worry about .

Thanks for your help guys. Perhaps I was worrying unnecessarily but I just wanted to check.

So after having reconnected the battery, there are now two warning lights being displayed on the dash (yay).

One is the EPC and the other is the engine symbol. I found this thread:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/150495-epc-warning-light/

however, my car does not seem to be down on power at all. I have had the battery unhooked for 3 days and before that, there was nothing wrong with the car at all. I replaced the coolant temp sensor in January.

Any ideas people? I'll be driving it for about an hour later so will write here if anything changes. I'm off for a week tomorrow so may get a diagnostic done after i get back if the lights are still there. And will write the results here to help others in the same situation of course

hmm immediate update:

went and started up the car and the EPC light doesn't come on now so that's a result.

The engine light does come on though. AND the rear right brake light doesn't come on. Perhaps unrelated. every single other light everywhere on the car turns on/off fine.

Your brakelight switch needs replacing, which is why your EPC light comes on.

Thanks for your prompt reply. However, the EPC light is now not on.

The "electric engine management" light is on though (the engine symbol thingy) along with my rear right brake like not working.

Will the brakelight switch being replaced solve both these problems?

Thanks.

first things first check the brake light bulbs, on the diesels the glow plug light stays on all the time if theres an error with the brake lights, either the bulbs or the switch. could be the same with the petrol but engine management light.

I imagine the high level one would still work though, unless the fuse had gone. You're right though, worth checking the simpler things like the fuse first - hadn't thought about it as the brake light switch is a common thing to fail I believe.

A failed brake light switch, or 2 dead bulbs, usually brings on the EPC light. Not sure about the engine shaped check light. Only way to find out what's going on for certain is a code scan, but if that will cost something, get the brake lights sorted first.

I'll change the bulb first as that'll only cost me £2. I'm getting deja vu though. I had a 2003 VW polo and one rear bulb went. I swear i had the engine light come on the dash but it may have been a different light.

Anyway, thanks for input. I'll report back

So, final update....

Drove to B and Q to get replacement bulb. 1 minute into the journey the engine light turned off and the rest of the 45 min journey (turned engine on and off 3 times just to check) it didn't come back on.

Looks like a typical VAG problem. disconnect battery for 3 days and warning lights come on. Leave for an hour and they self correct!

Sadly they didn't have the correct bulb though so that's still to be corrected.

Thanks for your help everyone on yet another minor Fabia issue

Im sure a quick easy way to check would be to park up and press the brake pedal a few times while looking in the mirror to see if the bulbs light up.

Halfords sell most bulbs, about £2.99 for a pack of two or about 50p if you get trade discount.

Reverse bulb is of the same type I think

Yeah they're the same for all VAG cars we've owned. On the bottom of the bulb surface, they need one "dome" as I'd describe it. Unfortunately in B&Q they only had bulbs with two "domes".

And indeed, I could see in my rear view mirror as you say that the OSR brake light isn't working.

Thanks for your help.

Yeah they're the same for all VAG cars we've owned. On the bottom of the bulb surface, they need one "dome" as I'd describe it. Unfortunately in B&Q they only had bulbs with two "domes".

And indeed, I could see in my rear view mirror as you say that the OSR brake light isn't working.

Thanks for your help.

Check the bulb and the fitting as to whether the bulb has offset or parallel pins. One of the rear bulbs has offset pins, I can't remember which. If you try to fit the wrong type it is possible to cause a short when fitting and blow the fuse.