Spyder starting problem - 10v from a fresh battery

G

Gooner

Member
Messages
447
I’m unable to start my 4200 Spyder, having just swapped over a flat battery for a fully charged one (using my CTEK). I keep a spare battery charged as I don’t use the car often at the moment so it saves time if I have a flat one.

Anyway, I couldn’t start the car after the last swap. The dash gauge showed about 10.5V and although all the dash lights came on, turning the key just had a few relays clicking but not turning the starter motor.

I assumed I’d not fully charged the battery so I charged up the other one, swapped them again, same result.

All running fine when I last used the car about a month ago.

I wondered if I’d damaged the one of the battery cables but not sure how to tell.

I’d be grateful for any suggestions on how to diagnose what’s gone wrong. I tried a search of the forum but nothing especially relevant came up.

Thanks for looking.
 
lifes2short

lifes2short

Member
Messages
5,821
not familiar with your particular car but can you actually damage a battery cable without knowing it?, does sound like dodgy batteries, as catman advises I would get them checked at a local garage if good could be starter motor solenoid, but by the sound of it my money is on duff batteries.
Are you an AA member or similar with home start, if so give them a call and they will check things for you
 
hashluck

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,521
When you change the battery it is quite easy to knock one of the relays out in the relay board sat above where the battery sits. Worth checking they are all properly seated
 
G

Gooner

Member
Messages
447
Thanks for all the quick replies. I will check out the batteries. I have a CTEK smart charger and conditioner and one of the batteries is only about a year old so I’d hoped to have eliminated them.

I’ll also check if anything is getting hot around the battery area with the power on.

Thanks again.
 
G

Gooner

Member
Messages
447
hashluck said:
When you change the battery it is quite easy to knock one of the relays out in the relay board sat above where the battery sits. Worth checking they are all properly seated
Click to expand...

Thanks, I hadn’t realised that. I’ll have a look.
 
G

Gooner

Member
Messages
447
Well it’s working now, thanks for all the help. I swapped the batteries back to the original one (now fully charged) and also checked the fuses and relays. I only found this one that looked odd:
c27da2ef3a2c09469defde1f03dd3d15.jpg


I don’t know what it does but the case was open with no fuse in, and there is an identical red wire with a 3A fuse in. Maybe I bashed it when I swapped the batteries the first time. I put a 5A fuse in the blue one. Turned the key and it started perfectly.

I expect it is my ‘spare’ battery that is the problem so I will have that checked out now.

Thanks again, much appreciated as always on this forum.
 
Andy Marshall

Andy Marshall

Member
Messages
297
On my Spyder that's the wiring for the Circuito automatico di autodistruzione. Usually they go off 24 hours after reconnection...
 
philw696

philw696

Member
Messages
25,376
I would ignore the Voltage gauge and check with a proper multi meter to see what voltage you have
Ignition off
Ignition on
Ignition and starter cranking and see what voltages you have.
 
G

Gooner

Member
Messages
447
A belated update - turned to be a fault in my new ‘spare’ battery. Had no problems since switching back to the 3 year old one.

Now I just need to replace it under warranty.

Thanks again for the help.
 
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