If connecting the battery direct to the starter caused the battery to boil and
no cranking then the starter has a problem - either jammed with the flywheel,
siezed, or an internal short in the motor. If you left the link between
solenoid and motor connected when you connected the battery cable to the motor
terminal of the solenoid, then you could also have an internal short in the
solenoid or link between solenoid and motor. This would account for the
lights dimming right down when you turned the key to start and just got the
'click' - the battery was probably boiling then, you just weren't aware of it.
I have to say that the test you describe sounds VERY dangerous - getting a big
spark in the vicinity of a boiling battery while you face is right over it.
----- Original Message -----
From: Carl French
To: mg list ; MG-MGB
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 5:41 AM
Subject: [MG-MGB] Not starting / did I damage it?
Car with new harness, 67B very old twin batteries, unk how old. Was near
house washing car for trip in the AM and then car would not start. just had
one loud click from the solenoid. Pushing the starting button on my sol. did
nothing, no sound. With headlights on, turn key and get click and headlights
dim right down to nothing. At car wash place (fire station) I was able to push
start and drove to house. Was able to start the car 2-3 times at house but
then got the big click again. I thought I was a genius by having found the
ground strap having a very rusty connection to the body (we had just changed
the pole connector on the strap and I had forcefully moved it around to put
battery in a plastic box [did not fit]) so it seemed logical I had disturbed
the ground. I brushed everything to bare metal and reconnected with no change
(ok, not that). I went to this site;
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/MG_Elec-Tech/start_fault.html
And did a solenoid check that he described in one section. I connected the
main cable from the battery to the outgoing post on the solenoid and
reconnected the battery to see if the car would now turn thus showing the
solenoid to be the problem. What actually happened was I got alot of sparks
connecting the ground on the battery adn heard what sounded like a boiling
battery (WOW) disconnected that one fast. I 'might' have seen a VERY small
wisp of smoke coming from the passenger side of the bay when I got up to it
but everything felt OK.
So, Do you think I have a bad battery? Bad solenoid? Something else? Does
anyone think I did something bad when I attempted to check the solenoid? I am
looking for some quick Ideas from you people in California who might still be
tapping away at the computer. I have a few hours in the AM before we have to
be on the road and I can push start it to take it 14 miles to my mechanic for
final sorting out and a little later start but with one more old part replaced
;->
Carl & Judy French
Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup
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