Bad Earth Maybe, or something else?
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2019
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Bad Earth Maybe, or something else?
Ive just finished putting CAI and exhaust on my C5, and had the battery neg cable disconnected while I was working on it.
Finished the work, put the cable back on, car started, no problem.
Since then every time I go to get in the car, everything is dead.
If I open the bonnet, wiggle the battery (not even the cables, just literally prod the battery with my hand) I can hear things happening (clicking type noises) and I can start the car no problem. go for a drive, car drives perfectly, everythign works.
Stop the car, go to start it again, and same problem.
Only thing Ive touched was the neg cable on the battery, so I double checked that its tight.
Must be a coincidence that its happened right after working on it? I figure it can only be either a bad earth, or something in the battery itself has a loose connection. ANyone else encountered this? where do I look for the earth connections to check they arent corroded or degraded in some way?
Finished the work, put the cable back on, car started, no problem.
Since then every time I go to get in the car, everything is dead.
If I open the bonnet, wiggle the battery (not even the cables, just literally prod the battery with my hand) I can hear things happening (clicking type noises) and I can start the car no problem. go for a drive, car drives perfectly, everythign works.
Stop the car, go to start it again, and same problem.
Only thing Ive touched was the neg cable on the battery, so I double checked that its tight.
Must be a coincidence that its happened right after working on it? I figure it can only be either a bad earth, or something in the battery itself has a loose connection. ANyone else encountered this? where do I look for the earth connections to check they arent corroded or degraded in some way?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2019
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I thought Id read elsewhere that the C5 had a tendency to have bad earth connections, so if anyone knows where the main earth connections are, I will have a look at those too
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By the term earth, I am assuming you are talking about grounds. But if all you did was disconnect and reconnect the negative terminal, then it would follow that the battery is the place to look for the problem.
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I would be checking to make sure that your battery terminals are tight when the bolts for them are tight. They bought them out very easily and the length of them is absolutely critical. If they are too short they strip out the battery, if they are too long they bought them out in the terminal and can't tighten the actual cable end to the battery.
Have you got top mount or side mount terminals? My C5 had side mounts with an 8 millimeter or 5/16 head screw. I have in the past after numerous times tightening them, had to grind off about fifty thousandths of the length to make it tighten again. It's either that or put a washer under the head of it and tighten that way. I'm guessing but while you have the screw type, the terminal is not.
Have you got top mount or side mount terminals? My C5 had side mounts with an 8 millimeter or 5/16 head screw. I have in the past after numerous times tightening them, had to grind off about fifty thousandths of the length to make it tighten again. It's either that or put a washer under the head of it and tighten that way. I'm guessing but while you have the screw type, the terminal is not.