Melted Battery Terminal??

[kooch]

Could anybody please give me some help? :( I've just got back now from breaking down in my mini (1990 racing green 998cc). Basically what happened was I was driving along and suddenly my engine just died, it did this the other day and started up again straight away, only this time when I tried to start it up - nothing. I checked all the usual suspects and then I looked in the boot at the battery. It seems somehow the positive terminal has completely melted in half, and now it just won't start. I don't know if it has anything to do with having the lights on? or heater perhaps? any help would be appreciated.
Also doesn't help with a bloody 'Mini Spares' van driving past and beeping at me!

Cheers

[Gr4H4m]

I dont know but I would start by checking for a short in something with a meaty circuit like the heater/starter/lights or the alternator over-charging?

[Gr4H4m]

be very careful it sounds a bit dangerous you don't want the batt to explode on you. are you sure nothing in the boot let the positive post touch earth?

[kooch]

Nope I don't think so, just the spare wheel. I'll have a check in the morning if anything has been snagged or anything. Cheers Graham

[Gr4H4m]

I would disconnect it tonight. My dad had a batt explode on starting a car once very nasty.

[Deano]

As Graham say be VERY carefull ive seen a few batterys explode & once you have seen that happen they get more respect :)

Could simply be down to loose batt conection ? The other very common short fault is the batt cable melting to the Exhaust :eek: & have seen a few peeps short the batt cable to the subframe or floor when jacking up the car & trapping the cable.

So 1st job is to check the main poss & earth connections i would get a new batt too :(

[kooch]

Well the positive terminal at the moment doesn't have a very good connection as it's melted in half all over the boot! the guy I bought it off said when I bought it it's just had a new battery put on. Dunno if that's bad or really bad as it may be an ongoing problem. I tried turning the ignition earlier to see what would happen and it made a sort of high pitched whining noise coming from the big bunch of wires right at the top on the drivers side. I checked all he fuses and they seem fine. I just don't want to go out and buy a new battery knowing it will more than likely happen again. Not happy.

[kooch]

I think I may have possibly found whats happened. Just had another look in the boot at the battery again. It seems as though someone has put that crappy jack near the battery and its rolled onto the battery or something and has been lying on both + and - terminals as theres still some of the melted + terminal on the jack itself. I don't know what this will have done to the car or what needs doing. So does anybody have any suggestions perhaps as to what I need to do? seriously appreciate all the feedback so far by the way.

[TONYELF]

Getting a decent battery cover would be a good start. Turn spare wheel upside down so jack will sit it. (wrap jack up in a rag to stop it rattling!:rolleyes:

[RSPop]

I would now take the battery somewhere and have it checked, particularly if one of the terminals is damaged.:(

[djhaggis]

new battery at halfords £40.00 with 3 years warrenty thats cheap for halfords

[kooch]

Thanks for all the replies. I got a new battery the other day (about £40) seems to have done the trick, made sure it's all nice and secure and that stinking jack is nowhere near it. Just in the process of getting all the bodywork nice and straight. Just out of curiosity - when de-bumpering the rear, do you have to grind the lip that holds the bumper on then weld it up? I've just done the front and removed the lip from that side, got rid of all rust underneath headlights etc and had it sprayed (looks really good). Just wondering if anyone else has done it and if it's easy to do?