Car problem

BeckyAndy

Please help, fella was trying to change oil filter in my 2006 clio and touched the alternator with the tool. It sparked and so did the battery. Now the car is dead it will not start and even the lights will not turn on. Checked fuse all seem ok. We think the battery could be flat but we have charged it and still nothing not even a sound from the starter motor not sure if it is charging correctly. Any help would be good.

Niowrtt

Put a bulb on the battery to check. If the battery has been damaged (the cells can blow), then putting a high load on it like the starter could immediately discharge it.

If the battery really is charged, then double check all fuses.

There will be a large, main fuse protecting the whole car from the battery which may be separate to the under-bonnet fuse box. There will also be "fusible links" which are often separate to normal fuses, but if nothing is working it points to the battery fuse.

fwor

Many cars have a master fuse, which is usually inline with the main positive feed from the battery to the rest of the car's electrical system.

If that fails, you would get the symptoms you describe.

forgotmyname

Checked THE fuse? Do you have the handbook showing ALL the fuses
that affect the igntion and starting systems?

BeckyAndy

Fuses all look fine and nothing in handbook.

rxbren

there will be a big square fuse (not your blade fusses) that would have blown had the same thing happen when a "fitter" changed the oil on one of my old cars

BeckyAndy

Can you describe where the fuse in question is. As we have checked all fuse that we can find. Is there a way to check the relays, in the fuse box in front of the battery there are 4large blade fuses ( all ok) and 1 black relay box could it be that?

Tobster86

From past personal experiences I'd blame the battery. I've known them catastrophically fail for other reasons.

Depending on the car it may be worth consulting the local scrapyard for a good condition battery for generally a tenner.

Since I'm a big advocate for fixing cars at home, I should point out to anyone put off by this event that the Haynes manual does state to disconnect the battery negative terminal before doing things like this. I admittedly rarely do myself but try to stay well aware of where live positive connections are (alternator & starter motor).

s_b

Tobster86 wrote: »

From past personal experiences I'd blame the battery. I've known them catastrophically fail for other reasons.

Depending on the car it may be worth consulting the local scrapyard for a good condition battery for generally a tenner.

Since I'm a big advocate for fixing cars at home, I should point out to anyone put off by this event that the Haynes manual does state to disconnect the battery negative terminal before doing things like this. I admittedly rarely do myself but try to stay well aware of where live positive connections are (alternator & starter motor).

if battery had catastrophically failed it would have exploded

as said its got to be one of the bladed large fuses by the battery or maybe there is an extra fusible link in the main connector cable

2 minutes work with a £5.99 maplins multimeter would soon find the problem

rxbren

Dont know what your fuse boxes look like or have a manual it will listed as alternator fuse but it will be a small box more than likely with a see through clear plastic cover you will see the fuse inside would have blown its probably listed in the book as 75amp you will just have to open all fuse boxes and have a look around or get a haynes manual

rxbren

If you dont want to buy a haynes manual ring your local library they might have one