Electronics cut out when starting

[Mistry93]

Hi All

When I go to start the car, all I hear a couple of loud clicks then all the electronics die. I can bring the electronics back by opening the bonnet and wiggling the battery box.

This happens with a hot and cold start. I thought I had fixed the issue if I waited for a few seconds on the ignition (to allow everything to prime) before completely turning to ON but this did not solve the issue.

This is not repeatable in the sense that some days the car will be fine and start with no issue and other days I can be sat in the drive walking back and forward between the driver seat and the battery.

I am running an optima red top battery and the car is mostly stock. The only electronics 'upgrades' are two extra lights on the interior and 2 lights on the exterior so I don't think the current draw is larger than what the battery can provide.

Does anyone else have these issues and have an idea of what is going on?


Many thanks

[Davemitch]

Sounds like the battery connectors that, common fault for our cars unfortunately but at least it's an easy fix

[Nickp47]

https://www.lcrotary.co.uk/collections/ ... eplacement

[Mistry93]

and it is nearly always loose connections and your 'wiggling the battery box' would suggest the same.

[PaulAV]

Temporary fix is to cut a piece of copper pipe length wise, open it slightly and place between clamp and battery post as a shim. Works well until you can get hold of a decent replacement clamp.

[Mistry93]

Many thanks for the responses.

I have got a pair of the battery clamps from LC Rotary however, they do not fit the Optima terminals.

I will measure the size and look online for a suitable clamp.

[Mistry93]

You hadn't mentioned that you had a Optima battery.

Despite these being more expensive than "standard" batteries they have been known to fail internally, with a crack between the inside of the terminal and the cell matrix.

A friend of mine had all sorts of hassle with the supplier when his failed in this way, even though it was within the warranty period, as Optima were saying that he had "applied excessive force to the terminal" and was therefore responsible for the breakage.

It was only when he found evidence of other people with the same issue that they caved. They also tried the "warranty does not cover motor sports" angle when he mentioned that he had taken the car out on a trackday.

Start by assuming that the bad connection is external to the battery but don't discount that it may be internal.

[Mistry93]

You hadn't mentioned that you had a Optima battery.

Despite these being more expensive than "standard" batteries they have been known to fail internally, with a crack between the inside of the terminal and the cell matrix.

A friend of mine had all sorts of hassle with the supplier when his failed in this way, even though it was within the warranty period, as Optima were saying that he had "applied excessive force to the terminal" and was therefore responsible for the breakage.

It was only when he found evidence of other people with the same issue that they caved. They also tried the "warranty does not cover motor sports" angle when he mentioned that he had taken the car out on a trackday.

Start by assuming that the bad connection is external to the battery but don't discount that it may be internal.

I did post this in the original post (4th Paragraph)

I did not know that had such bad faults. I always thought they were fairly reliable hence why I bought one. It is disturbing to know that they have such a flaw and are a pain to deal with.


How would I determine if the internal part is broken?

[Mistry93]

Put a bulb/meter across the battery terminals and push them back and forward. If there's an internal break then the light will go out or the meter will read zero. Worse case, the internal break causes arcing and the battery catches fire.

However, the odds are that you have a bad external connection.