Ferret battery/electric problem

[Ken Wales]

I drove my Ferret to get its roadworthy inspection, travelled about two miles no problem. Left it there about 8.30 in morning, The Ferret was not touched until about 17.30 when the garage owner started it so he could move it under cover i.e. nine hours at rest. Started O.K. but just reversing and then driving forward he could smell battery fumes, I think he turned the engine off (or it might have died) and on investigating found the left battery extremely hot and battery was venting acidic fumes ( one terminal connection was slightly loose). Right hand battery appeared normal. After a time break he attached a power pack in place of the hot battery but all the electrics dead (just possible the power pack may not have had a charge in it).

An electrician is going to look at but any suggestions of what the problem is would be gratefully accepted. It appears to have occurred in a period of a minute or two as that is the time he was driving it.

Some potential ideas could be.

· Regulator putting out too much charge, but then why not both batteries showing symptoms.

· Short in battery itself.

· For some reason while the Ferret was at rest something was happening to the battery.

· Battery terminal being loose caused arcing during day.

 

Why are the electrics dead is there a fuse/contact breaker to look at?

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

Ken

[Ken Wales]

Clive

 

Yes wow, I personally have always hated electronics and only have a very basic understanding. I will print your comments off and will take to mechanic to see if that enbables them to resolves the problem. I will let you know outcome.

 

Thanks a load.

 

Ken

[fv1609]

Ken, I enjoy electrical issues having been a licensed radio amateur since I was a schoolboy. I like the fact that you can measure things directly & have tangeable evidence to build up a diagnosis.

 

What I am particularly hopeless at is interpreting the nuances of engine noises & drawing any legitimate conclusion. Thankfully there are people around who enjoy that sort of thing & ready to help me out.

 

Best of luck with it Ken, I'm sure there are a lot of people on here feeling for you & intrigued with what outcome will. Not just on the basis of goodwill but to file away in their memory in case they have the same problem arise!

[Ken Wales]

Clive

Yippee, they managed to get it started.

 

On investigation electrician found there were a few bad connections.

1. Battery

2. One in the area of inter-vehicle starter socket box.

3. Connection to the starter.

Main problem however was the starter motor which was supplied as brand new (case had a couple of scratches) and almost certainly was brand new. They were getting 24 volts to the motor but then they worked out that 24 volts not getting past the terminals (believe they used your information to find this problem). There was a coating on the terminals which garage did not realise was a coating and once they scratched off all good.

There was another cable which had almost been cut through by rubbing on drive coupling??(not sure re part rubbing on) which eventually would have been another problem.

So now they are starting on what I originally took it in for, the roadworthy inspection. They have five brand new tyres to fit but they cannot break the bead with their gear so are taking to a lorry tyre place to use their equipment.

Once roadworthy done, then the battle with Queensland Transport to register the Ferret , I have examples of others they have done so should not be insurmountable, only problem is they did not actually see the other vehicles and they may ask to see mine.

Thanks a lot for the great information you provided and when /if you come to Australia look us up. We are just north of Brisbane.

Cheers, I will be having a cold beer to celebrate tonight.

Ken

[fv1609]

Ken that's brilliant news. Your state of elation must be very high & makes up for those dark days of frustration.

 

Pity they didn't bench test the starter with volts on it first rather than rely on a visual or even an ohmmeter which doesn't count for much. Anyway that's in the past. The brass starter terminals are silver plated, even a small amount of resistance in the system at that sort of current will cause a dramatic voltage drop & corresponding amount of heat (proportional to the square of the current x resistance)

 

Good luck with the tyres.

[Diana and Jackie]

We - that is Jackie and I are amazed a garage with all their technical know how cannot get the tyres off ferret rims!

 

We can do it in 20 minutes with two 39 inch tyre levers, gallons of washing up liquid and a lot of prodding.

 

The trick is, working on the outer rim to to work the washing up liquid under the rim bit by bit then once the outer rim pops off (assuming of course that the rim nuts have been removed), work the washing up liquid between the inner rim and run flat insert, or if there is no run flat insert under the remaining rim.

 

Make sure they put a rim band(tyre flap) around the rim if the runflat insert isnt being used.

 

Wash all the washing up liquid off with clean water as it is highly corrosive (contains a lot of salt)

 

D & J

 

 

 

Clive

Yippee, they managed to get it started.

 

On investigation electrician found there were a few bad connections.

1. Battery

2. One in the area of inter-vehicle starter socket box.

3. Connection to the starter.

Main problem however was the starter motor which was supplied as brand new (case had a couple of scratches) and almost certainly was brand new. They were getting 24 volts to the motor but then they worked out that 24 volts not getting past the terminals (believe they used your information to find this problem). There was a coating on the terminals which garage did not realise was a coating and once they scratched off all good.

There was another cable which had almost been cut through by rubbing on drive coupling??(not sure re part rubbing on) which eventually would have been another problem.

So now they are starting on what I originally took it in for, the roadworthy inspection. They have five brand new tyres to fit but they cannot break the bead with their gear so are taking to a lorry tyre place to use their equipment.

Once roadworthy done, then the battle with Queensland Transport to register the Ferret , I have examples of others they have done so should not be insurmountable, only problem is they did not actually see the other vehicles and they may ask to see mine.

Thanks a lot for the great information you provided and when /if you come to Australia look us up. We are just north of Brisbane.

Cheers, I will be having a cold beer to celebrate tonight.

Ken

[ferrettkitt]

We - that is Jackie and I are amazed a garage with all their technical know how cannot get the tyres off ferret rims!

 

We can do it in 20 minutes with two 39 inch tyre levers, gallons of washing up liquid and a lot of prodding.

 

The trick is, working on the outer rim to to work the washing up liquid under the rim bit by bit then once the outer rim pops off (assuming of course that the rim nuts have been removed), work the washing up liquid between the inner rim and run flat insert, or if there is no run flat insert under the remaining rim.

 

Make sure they put a rim band(tyre flap) around the rim if the runflat insert isnt being used.

 

Wash all the washing up liquid off with clean water as it is highly corrosive (contains a lot of salt)

 

D & J

 

Ah I know who to send my Runflats to then volunteering:cheesy:

[griff66]

and mine as well!!!