Car won't start after + battery cable touched ground
07-22-21, 07:14 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Car won't start after + battery cable touched ground
What happened
I was removing the positive battery cable while the car was running and the cable fell over and accidently touched something metal (there was no spark) - then the car died and wouldn't start again.
I played around with wires and stuff and eventually the car started and I just drove home but now it won't start again.
Why I did what I did
I know it was kind of a stupid move but I had one good battery and one dead battery and no jumper cables and needed to get 2 cars home. I have done this before with no problems.
Start the car with the good battery, remove it while the car is running, put the dead battery in the running car - then put the good battery in the other car and now you can drive both cars - until you get overly confident and ground out the positive wire
What I see from testing
When the cables are connected, nothing in the car works - its like the battery is completely dead.
The battery shows 12 volts with both battery cables disconnected.
Once I put the cables back on, I see 6 - 7 volts on the voltmeter.
When I disconnect the battery cables again, the battery shows around 9 - 10 volts and then climbs back up to 12V within a few mins.
From what I see, both positive and ground cables physically look fine
My thoughts
The car eventually started after, so I think that can possibly rule out any blown fuses...
Questions
Can it be the ground cable / strap? I guess that could be easy enough to test for continuity with the voltmeter...?
Is there a fusible link that can be 'hanging on by a thread'?
Anyone have any other ideas?
I was removing the positive battery cable while the car was running and the cable fell over and accidently touched something metal (there was no spark) - then the car died and wouldn't start again.
I played around with wires and stuff and eventually the car started and I just drove home but now it won't start again.
Why I did what I did
I know it was kind of a stupid move but I had one good battery and one dead battery and no jumper cables and needed to get 2 cars home. I have done this before with no problems.
Start the car with the good battery, remove it while the car is running, put the dead battery in the running car - then put the good battery in the other car and now you can drive both cars - until you get overly confident and ground out the positive wire
What I see from testing
When the cables are connected, nothing in the car works - its like the battery is completely dead.
The battery shows 12 volts with both battery cables disconnected.
Once I put the cables back on, I see 6 - 7 volts on the voltmeter.
When I disconnect the battery cables again, the battery shows around 9 - 10 volts and then climbs back up to 12V within a few mins.
From what I see, both positive and ground cables physically look fine
My thoughts
The car eventually started after, so I think that can possibly rule out any blown fuses...
Questions
Can it be the ground cable / strap? I guess that could be easy enough to test for continuity with the voltmeter...?
Is there a fusible link that can be 'hanging on by a thread'?
Anyone have any other ideas?
Last edited by wiseguy75; 07-23-21 at 10:45 AM.
07-23-21, 01:05 AM
#2
What happened
I was removing the positive battery cable while the car was running and the cable fell over and accidently touched something metal - then the car died and wouldn't start again.
I played around with wires and stuff and eventually the car started and I just drove home but now it won't start again.
Why I did what I did
I know it was kind of a stupid move but I had one good battery and one dead battery and no jumper cables and needed to get 2 cars home. I have done this before with no problems.
Start the car with the good battery, remove it while the car is running, put the dead battery in the running car - then put the good battery in the other car and now you can drive both cars - until you get overly confident and ground out the positive wire
What I see from testing
When the cables are connected, nothing in the car works - its like the battery is completely dead.
The battery shows 12 volts with both battery cables disconnected.
Once I put the cables back on, I see 6 - 7 volts on the voltmeter.
When I disconnect the battery cables again, the battery shows around 9 - 10 volts and then climbs back up to 12V within a few mins.
From what I see, both positive and ground cables physically look fine
My thoughts
The car eventually started after, so I think that can possibly rule out any blown fuses...
Questions
Can it be the ground cable / strap? I guess that could be easy enough to test for continuity with the voltmeter...?
Is there a fusible link that can be 'hanging on by a thread'?
Anyone have any other ideas?
I was removing the positive battery cable while the car was running and the cable fell over and accidently touched something metal - then the car died and wouldn't start again.
I played around with wires and stuff and eventually the car started and I just drove home but now it won't start again.
Why I did what I did
I know it was kind of a stupid move but I had one good battery and one dead battery and no jumper cables and needed to get 2 cars home. I have done this before with no problems.
Start the car with the good battery, remove it while the car is running, put the dead battery in the running car - then put the good battery in the other car and now you can drive both cars - until you get overly confident and ground out the positive wire
What I see from testing
When the cables are connected, nothing in the car works - its like the battery is completely dead.
The battery shows 12 volts with both battery cables disconnected.
Once I put the cables back on, I see 6 - 7 volts on the voltmeter.
When I disconnect the battery cables again, the battery shows around 9 - 10 volts and then climbs back up to 12V within a few mins.
From what I see, both positive and ground cables physically look fine
My thoughts
The car eventually started after, so I think that can possibly rule out any blown fuses...
Questions
Can it be the ground cable / strap? I guess that could be easy enough to test for continuity with the voltmeter...?
Is there a fusible link that can be 'hanging on by a thread'?
Anyone have any other ideas?
07-23-21, 08:41 AM
#3
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
07-23-21, 10:43 AM
#5
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
07-25-21, 07:31 PM
#6
What happened
I was removing the positive battery cable while the car was running and the cable fell over and accidently touched something metal (there was no spark) - then the car died and wouldn't start again.
I played around with wires and stuff and eventually the car started and I just drove home but now it won't start again.
Why I did what I did
I know it was kind of a stupid move but I had one good battery and one dead battery and no jumper cables and needed to get 2 cars home. I have done this before with no problems.
Start the car with the good battery, remove it while the car is running, put the dead battery in the running car - then put the good battery in the other car and now you can drive both cars - until you get overly confident and ground out the positive wire
What I see from testing
When the cables are connected, nothing in the car works - its like the battery is completely dead.
The battery shows 12 volts with both battery cables disconnected.
Once I put the cables back on, I see 6 - 7 volts on the voltmeter.
When I disconnect the battery cables again, the battery shows around 9 - 10 volts and then climbs back up to 12V within a few mins.
From what I see, both positive and ground cables physically look fine
My thoughts
The car eventually started after, so I think that can possibly rule out any blown fuses...
Questions
Can it be the ground cable / strap? I guess that could be easy enough to test for continuity with the voltmeter...?
Is there a fusible link that can be 'hanging on by a thread'?
Anyone have any other ideas?
I was removing the positive battery cable while the car was running and the cable fell over and accidently touched something metal (there was no spark) - then the car died and wouldn't start again.
I played around with wires and stuff and eventually the car started and I just drove home but now it won't start again.
Why I did what I did
I know it was kind of a stupid move but I had one good battery and one dead battery and no jumper cables and needed to get 2 cars home. I have done this before with no problems.
Start the car with the good battery, remove it while the car is running, put the dead battery in the running car - then put the good battery in the other car and now you can drive both cars - until you get overly confident and ground out the positive wire
What I see from testing
When the cables are connected, nothing in the car works - its like the battery is completely dead.
The battery shows 12 volts with both battery cables disconnected.
Once I put the cables back on, I see 6 - 7 volts on the voltmeter.
When I disconnect the battery cables again, the battery shows around 9 - 10 volts and then climbs back up to 12V within a few mins.
From what I see, both positive and ground cables physically look fine
My thoughts
The car eventually started after, so I think that can possibly rule out any blown fuses...
Questions
Can it be the ground cable / strap? I guess that could be easy enough to test for continuity with the voltmeter...?
Is there a fusible link that can be 'hanging on by a thread'?
Anyone have any other ideas?
Something is fried, causing your voltage to drop because of increased resistance. I know it's a far fatch but take off your accessory belt, and spin your alternator. If it spins freely all good, if it spins with like hesitation or "clunks", not that it will make noise but unsmooth turning of the alternator pulley, its fried.
07-26-21, 07:07 AM
#7
Likely killed the diodes in the alternator. The fact that it drains the battery when connected is telling you something is shorted within the cars electric system.
To isolate the short one begins by disconnecting items like the alternator and/fuses until the drain goes to zero.
To isolate the short one begins by disconnecting items like the alternator and/fuses until the drain goes to zero.
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