ausmini :: View topic - Small electrical accident...advice needed.

Well.....

After checking compression to see if my head gasket was causing cooling issues, my horn power wire magically disconnected itself and dropped onto the starter solenoid and shorted after I had reconnected the battery...

Also heard a sparking sound when put lead back onto coil.

The ignition light came on and then click when I went to start, then all dead as a dodo - no ignition light or anything.

Checked power is fine from battery to solenoid, but even using push-button, nothing happening when trying to start. Also no 12v feed out from solenoid to white/red wire to ignition switch....removed ignition switch and tested with multimeter -seems fine.

When testing continuity (battery disconnected) between power in terminal and power out terminal to starter on solenoid, there is continuity when the solenoid button is pressed.

Any ideas on what to check next? Fuses were fine and power feed to continuous power fuses is fine....

Thanks for any ideas.....

Author:	BBY755 [ Mon Dec 12, 2016 4:08 pm ]
Post subject:	Small electrical accident...advice needed.
Well..... After checking compression to see if my head gasket was causing cooling issues, my horn power wire magically disconnected itself and dropped onto the starter solenoid and shorted after I had reconnected the battery... Also heard a sparking sound when put lead back onto coil. The ignition light came on and then click when I went to start, then all dead as a dodo - no ignition light or anything. Checked power is fine from battery to solenoid, but even using push-button, nothing happening when trying to start. Also no 12v feed out from solenoid to white/red wire to ignition switch....removed ignition switch and tested with multimeter -seems fine. When testing continuity (battery disconnected) between power in terminal and power out terminal to starter on solenoid, there is continuity when the solenoid button is pressed. Any ideas on what to check next? Fuses were fine and power feed to continuous power fuses is fine.... Thanks for any ideas.....

Author:	78Clubbie [ Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:45 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Small electrical accident...advice needed.
Check battery under load. May have 12V without load but as soon as you stress it, the voltage disappears. Dont ask me how I know

Author:	BBY755 [ Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Small electrical accident...advice needed.
Thanks, Good tip. I have the battery on a charger now as I would have used a lot of juice cranking it for the compression test. Will leave overnight and check tomorrow. Maybe I fried something at the same time....

Author:	Bill B [ Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:20 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Small electrical accident...advice needed.
BBY755 wrote: Well..... After checking compression to see if my head gasket was causing cooling issues, my horn power wire magically disconnected itself and dropped onto the starter solenoid and shorted after I had reconnected the battery... Also heard a sparking sound when put lead back onto coil. The ignition light came on and then click when I went to start, then all dead as a dodo - no ignition light or anything. Checked power is fine from battery to solenoid, but even using push-button, nothing happening when trying to start. Also no 12v feed out from solenoid to white/red wire to ignition switch....removed ignition switch and tested with multimeter -seems fine. When testing continuity (battery disconnected) between power in terminal and power out terminal to starter on solenoid, there is continuity when the solenoid button is pressed. Any ideas on what to check next? Fuses were fine and power feed to continuous power fuses is fine.... Thanks for any ideas..... Tend to agree with 78Clubbie - clicking instead of whirring can be a poor connection at battery, earth, the solenoid or anywhere in between. Your original "accident" should have shorted between horn power from fuse 2 which is fed by battery power at fuse 1 - usually blowing the fuse between 1 and 2. If there wasn't enough power to blow that fuse, contacts along the way might have only just been coping up to the accident. Also - do you realise the White/red wire at Ign. Sw. only feeds to solenoid when switch is turned to spring-loaded 'start' position. (Don't mean to be rude... but you mentioned both 12v feed (battery power) and continuity (ohm meter) so I am not sure which one you mean). The coil should be ok as it is supplied by the Ign Sw. The horn lead terminals were originally insulated - maybe 'for just such an occasion'.

Author:	BBY755 [ Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:33 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Small electrical accident...advice needed.
Thanks Bill B, I wasn't clear on the white/red ....will test everything with a full battery when I get a chance. Will update findings as they happen just in case someone does the same stupid thing I did! (Have a new terminal rubber boot in the garage that I hadn't fitted..... )

ausmini https://ausmini.com/forums/

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Author:	BBY755 [ Wed Dec 14, 2016 7:50 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Small electrical accident...advice needed.
78Clubbie wins the kewpie doll! Voltage showing 12-13 volts where should have been but when disconnecting isolator switch on earth battery terminal, checked negative terminal (positive earth Cooper S) which was SLIGHTLY loose..... Put key in and generator light on, and it started first kick......knew it was something simple but not THAT simple.......

Author:	drmini in aust [ Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:18 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Small electrical accident...advice needed.
Those cheap green battery earth isolator switches are only rated at 100A or so. It pays to check they are tight and clean them occasionally. Mini's Lucas starter pulls a couple of hundred amps. [A Gemini one is rated at 350A...! According to their spec sheet].

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