Hi all,

First off I have a 92 HJ30 VG30E auto. While I was away on hols my idiot friend needed to move the car and hooked up the battery incorrectly (ie reverse polarity).

Anyway, now I am trying to suss out what damage has been done. I have checked all the fuses and fusible links that I can find and they all seem to be OK...which isn't a good sign

All the lights, radio, etc work in ACC, and when the key is moved to ON all the dash lights come on (like normal). When you try to start the car you here a click from the engine bay and then all power is lost (everything....radio, lights, etc) and to get it back you have to disconnect/reconnect the battery. It doesn't try to crank.

I have played a little bit with it and haven't had any luck. I tested the "Engine Cont" relay in the fusible link box next to the battery and it is OK. When I leave that disconnected and try to start the car, in the ON position all the dash lights come on as before except for the "Engine check" one....and when you try to start the car it does crank (but doesn't start of course).

Anyone have any ideas on what to check next? I'm guessing it probably fried the ECU or something...and seeing as I didn't pay much for the car that would send it to the scrap heap.

 

Hmm, does the battey have good charge? the click sounds a bit starter-ish..

 

Hmm, sounds like you need a new battery?
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Ferrari dino engine history

 

Definatly try a different battery in there before you get rid of the car. I had this happen a few times with my cars and it's usually a battery situation.

 

The battery has full charge, but I will try another battery tomorrow.

I've had flat batteries before and the click is usually "click-click-click", which it isn't this time......what also makes me think its not a battery problem is the complete power outage after I try to start the car....its strange....everything just dies that instant.

Anyway, will try another battery and report back. Any other ideas of things to check?

 

it sounds like a loose connection.

 

OK, tried another good battery and no go....same as before. One click then all power goes dead.

I've checked all the battery connections...nothing loose....what other connections should I check?

After my friend hooked up the battery incorrectly he tried to start the car.....so I'm guessing that will do more damage than just hooking up the battery incorrectly.

Any other ideas of what I should check next?

 

Put the vehicle in neutral/park with the emergency/handbrake firmly on.

Key in the ignition, turn to normal running position so you see the dash indicators light up.

Using a stout screwdriver, short-out the 2 big fat terminals on the back of the starter solenoid - see the same reaction (all electrical stuff dies)? .................. If so you have a dud starter or dud cabling ................ if the starter turns and the engine starts, you have a dud starter solenoid with shorting/burnt contacts inside.

Again Ensure the vehicle is in neutral/park with the emergency/handbrake firmly on.

 

Shorting the starter solenoid contacts results in the same thing....one click then all power goes dead......so dud starter or dud cabling?

I'll remove the starter and test it out of the car....that should tell me if its the starter or something else.

I'll report back this arvo

 

I took out the starter and tested it (solenoid, then starter then together) and it works...so that's not the problem.

I checked the cables going to the starter and they are OK (little resistance).

I put everything back in the car and the same thing happens...one loud click then the power goes dead.

Any other ideas? Thanks for everyone's help so far.

 

Well I don't know WTF happened but its all working now....I tried shorting the starter contacts again to see if anything had changed....didn't start but didn't make a click either......jumped back in the car and she right fired up

Thanks again for your help.

 

Glad you got going, but whatever it was is still sitting there waiting to take a nice bite out of your *** on a cold and dark night................

My bet is cabling - in particular the fat cables running to the battery posts and the connection quality of the cable/clamp joint and also the negative battery cable joints/lugs on the engine and the body.

 

LvR is right on the money. I've seen this happen a hundred times, and it is always a dirty or loose connection at a battery terminal, the starter, or the main ground. Check, and double check those connections. Also, if the battery terminal clamps are CLAMPED to the cables instead of being a molded on part of the cable, then take the clamps off and inspect the end of the cable, and the clamp to be sure they are really clean, and tight.

 

Back in school they told us that it is possible to reverse the polarity on a battery or alot of other things in certain situations such as putting the cables on the wrong way, could've been something weird like that. who knows. But you should definatly figure it out so it doesn't leave you stranded somewhere.

 

Ok I hate to bring back an old thread but I can't start my own yet. I'm have a crazy problem with my 90 Maxima. Nothing electrical in my car works until I start the car. No interior lights, dash lights, door locks, clock, radio, nothing. But as soon as I start the car, everything cuts on and works like it does normally. Everything also shuts off when the car is on acc. I checked all the fuses and they are ok. I'm at wits end.

 

Faulty ignition switch?

 

try jumping starting it from another car, reverse polarity might have fried the starter and alternator.

 

check all your fuse buses and relays too

 

The car will start up on it's own with no problem. The battery in it is 2 days old. I just can't understand why everything electrical is dead unless the car is started..

 

probably an off-mode circuit gone bad.

its not good to run electrical devices without the car on/alternating anyway...a great way to use up the polarity in the acids.

 

WHAT?WHAT? ........................ however - if the switch is faulty and the alternator manages to actually power the rest of the car, then I bet that its also not charging the battery either - I would get a sparky to check that aspect and am sure you can find the problem that way ........................ eg check the cable and connections between the battery positive pole and the alternator output.

 

I think that I'm going to take it to a shop today.