205 Cti 1.6 Total Electrical Failure

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

I was dirivng at night when my car suffered total electrical failure. The lights flickered for one second, then a few seconds later all electrics went off. No spark, no lights, no brakes, nothing! I coasted the car into a town, had to push it into a parking spot. The battery was running hot, but obviously no power was coming from the alternator. I disconnected the battery and had someone come pick me up. The car is still there and I need to troucle shoot it, figure out what's wrong. Could it be an electric shunt? A main wire? I had never had total electric failure like this, usually it goes slowly bad. This was as if a magical plug was pulled. Need help, please

 

PS: I did check all fuses and they were all good.

Edited February 24, 2014 by pyrrhic

[welshpug 1,657]

check the main live connection from battery to shunt box on the slam panel, quite common for the small yellow wire to corrode and break, this shunt box has two fuses in it as well.

 

check the earth cables.

[jackherer 543]

quite common for the small yellow wire to corrode and break

 

That happened to me once, it was in the year 2000 so my 205 was 'only' 10 years old! I think they fail after the shunt box is relocated, either due to fitting a K&N induction kit or an Mi16 etc.

 

I've had the main wire to the alternator fall off too. It's worth mentioning that both of these wires come straight off the battery positive terminal and are un-fused so if they make contact with the engine or chassis they could start a fire.

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

 

That happened to me once, it was in the year 2000 so my 205 was 'only' 10 years old! I think they fail after the shunt box is relocated, either due to fitting a K&N induction kit or an Mi16 etc.

 

Well, I just installed a K&N induction kit a month ago, what did you do to the fuses so they won't fail again with the K&N?

 

I just went to the car during my lunch hour, checked the disconnected and now cooled battery with a multimeter and there was 12.6 volts. I then attempted to start the car twice, both times I hear a relay clicking but no start. I then checked the battery again and my voltage was down to 9.2 volts. I removed the battery and took it to a car shop, they tested it and said I have a shorted cell in it. They didn't have a 400 amp battery in stock, so I ordered one for tomorrow. On the shunts that fail with the K&N, what is the amperage to the fuses? How did you position the shunts after the K&N?

[jackherer 543]

If you're hearing relays click or seeing any other electrical activity it isn't the problem we're talking about. It isn't the shunts that fail, we meant the main wire from the battery to the shunt box, it can literally snap off at the ring connector where it connects to the shunt box.

 

 

Let us know if a new battery fixes it.

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

I'll check the ring connector, and see if the new battery fixes it. Thanks for the info. My shunt box is still just dangling below the K&N filter, I guess I'll fabricate some sort of mount to secure it.

[jackherer 543]

Yes you definitely need a bracket of some sort. If the shunt box touches against the chassis and shorts out it could start a fire. In fact that could be what happened when your car failed, I can see that making the lights flicker and cut out!

[welshpug 1,657]

whilst if all is correct with the shunt box, the chances of anything grounding it is fairly slim, it is common for the flap covering the M6 stud that secures the main fly lead from the battery terminal to break off, which in this case its quite a hazard if its dangling about loose.

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

I guess I'll fabricate some sort of mount to secure it.

 

A very simple ali bracket bolted to the chassis will do the trick. Mine is just behind the headlamp.

 

IMG_0371 by simes205, on Flickr

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

My yellow live wire broke, during my top engine rebuild.

 

New cable installed to the shunt box.

 

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

What is the gauge of that wire you installed, and how long is the cable? I won't be able to get to the car for a few hours, perhaps I can buy a cable to install beforehand.

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

I don't know the technical dimensions of the cable. It was fitted by the garage doing my rebuild.

 

However, these cables on sale here look the same.

 

http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?showtopic=157119&do=findComment&comment=1398658

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

Alright, the Yellow Devil rides again!

 

I bought a new 400 amp battery (55 Euro), and also brought some wire, connectors and electrical tape to repair the yellow wire.

 

When I got to the car I immediately found the fault: not the yellow wire, but its metal connector at the shunt box. When I installed the K&N I obviously had to move the shunt box, and left it hanging below the K&N filter. I wrapped the box with some (admitedly thin) plastic bag, to both keep it semi-weather protected as well as for electrical insulation. I drove it for about a week like that, and eventually the shunt box slamming against the air filter mount ate through the plastic bag. The live connector grounded on the filter mount and the car died, frying the battery in the process. The yellow wire was intact, just showing minor evidence of overheating on the connector plastic casing.

 

I wrapped the shunt box with black electrical tape, about two or three layers thick, checked for continuity between the yellow wire and ground (there was none), and installed the battery.

 

The lil Pug fired right up, with its traditional uneven idle and the fart-like Supersprint exhaust emmiting a joyful cacophony of French fun.

 

I drove it to work, where I have more time to work on it: when the smokers get their smoke break I can get a Pug break. Here I can fabricate a mount for the shunt and permanently repair the Pug.

 

All is well now!

Edited February 25, 2014 by pyrrhic

[jackherer 543]

When I got to the car I immediately found the fault: not the yellow wire, but its metal connector at the shunt box.

You mean the ring connector?

 

it can literally snap off at the ring connector where it connects to the shunt box.

That is exactly what we were talking about!

 

My yellow live wire broke, during my top engine rebuild.

 

New cable installed to the shunt box.

 

It might just be the angle of that photo but it looks like the battery clamp you have is very close to the extra wire coming off the battery + terminal which is not safe at all.

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

You mean the ring connector?

 

Yes, that's it. Sorry for my Americanisms!

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

Cheers for the heads up Kieran.

 

I'll go and have a move about.

Edited February 25, 2014 by iPlod999

[iPlod999 143 1 Cars]

Couldn't move the clamp about too much.

 

So covered up the not very good bare wire and the ring connector.

 

 

Thanks again.

[dale205mills 39 7 Cars]

Takes me back to the days of my old 205 with a k and n fitted and my shunt box dangling and big puddles, total stoppage ​

[jackherer 543]

If it was mine I'd cut off all of those connectors including the battery terminal and fit all the wires into one of these:

 

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

If it was mine I'd cut off all of those connectors including the battery terminal and fit all the wires into one of these:

 

Jackherer, that would be a project for next winter.

[jackherer 543]

I meant Glen (iPlod999) should do that, yours is probably fine!

[pyrrhic 14 2 Cars]

Oh, and just as a heads up to those wanting to do the K&N kit: Amazon US has the kit for a very fair price ($101.92), I am not sure how much shipping to the UK would cost, but this price was by far better than the prices I saw in Germany and the UK.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NKCKFK/ref=oh_details_o03_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The odd thing is, why would Amazon US carry the kit for a 205 GTI? There are less than a dozen of these cars in America.

[erbs 42 1 Cars]

Use Vaseline on the battery terminals,stops the corrosion