ra-ta-ta-tat... and nothing!

[Damian]

Well, the morning after the night that we decided not to sell our Smurf she does this to us!

Key in ignition, all the usual lights, turn the key and...... ra-ta-ta-tat, the Smurf sounds like an empty machine gun!

Last night we did around 170kms and half way through this she must have thrown a balancing weight off a front wheel 'cos things got a little shakey. I'm hoping that it's as simple as something has 'popped' out, what do you lot think?

Battery connections are solid, (all electrics work fine, no power loss) as for coil and starter etc, well I've got t' find 'em yet!!

Cheers, Damian

[andy s]

Sounds like a flat battery or starter motor try putting on the ingition put the headlights on and try and start her if the headlights dim the battery is most likely flat.

[Damian]

Hmmm, so if I was to jump start the Smurf from another car, would it matter which battery I connect the leads to? Looking at other threads, if they run in parallel it shouldn't matter.....?


Laters....

[andy s]

No it should not matter.

[Damian]

Whilst waiting for my wife to come back with her car I just went out for another try. I noticed that the battery gauge is just below half, surely if both batteries were dead then the gauge should show this? Secondly, when I turn the key, the rev counter jumps to around 2000 then settles, why?

[Vagrant No2]

Whilst waiting for my wife to come back with her car I just went out for another try. I noticed that the battery gauge is just below half, surely if both batteries were dead then the gauge should show this? Secondly, when I turn the key, the rev counter jumps to around 2000 then settles, why?

Try a jump start first on either battery , just make sure you connect to the correct terminals . Once started you need to check charge rate . If all OK sounds like the batteries have died . One battery could fail and bring the other one down with it . Had it happen alot on trucks which run 12v parrelell and 24v series batterys .

Rick

[Damian]

Well, wife arrived, connected up leads and.......... well it tried to start, just not enough power coming through. It would turn for a moment just not enough to start then ra-ta-ta-tat... AARRRGGGHHH!

1/2 hour of charging from another vehicle, I would imagine, be enough start a 3 ltr??? But no, AARRGGHH

Surely the the battery can't be that dead over one night, It's never given me any hassle before....AARRRGGGHHH!

Funnily though, when I connected the leads to the o/s battery there wasn't a hint of life, sooooo that's the complete dead one. Still I'll have to replace both... AARRGGHH!

[TonyN]

We got batts for £45ish at the local car shop, they arn't that big, that why you have 2, the batterys have a code on the top, thats universal so don't stand for any 'its an import' crap you might get.

Remember to need opposite terminal locations on each battery.



And, yes, they do die over night once they stop charging properly

[Damian]

Ha, ha, haaaaaaaa!! Got my mate round with his G Wagon, left it for 15 mins and brummmmmm! Have also spotted why my battery went dead, under the alternator there's a tensioning bolt with a 'block' on. It's obvious that the block should have a bolt though it that fits into the base of the alt' and secures it.

Sooo, anyone know the size or part No for this missing bolt.... please?

Also, one of the terminal connectors on one of the batteries is lose and wont tighten anymore. Are these common battery connectors or a Toyota part??

Cheers, Damian

Phew, I can relax now....

[UKWolf]

No idea on the bolt - but the terminals should be standard.

Ali

[NiftyNev]

Ha, ha, haaaaaaaa!! Got my mate round with his G Wagon, left it for 15 mins and brummmmmm! Have also spotted why my battery went dead, under the alternator there's a tensioning bolt with a 'block' on. It's obvious that the block should have a bolt though it that fits into the base of the alt' and secures it.

Sooo, anyone know the size or part No for this missing bolt.... please?

Also, one of the terminal connectors on one of the batteries is lose and wont tighten anymore. Are these common battery connectors or a Toyota part??

Cheers, Damian

Phew, I can relax now....

Not sure but I think the adjuster bolt has a 8mm thread.Might be hard to find one long enough in this size apart from a genuine part.A solution is to get a piece of threaded rod.Cut this to size and screw a dome nut on one end.Loctite the nut on.

The only place for the original Toyota battery terminals is in the garbage bin.Get some new ones and also some cable lugs.Cut of the original lugs and solder them to the cables.I've done this to mine and it works much better.

Neville