Xantia not starting

[daviemck2006]

Well after tightening the clamps she had the phut to start bigpug, which was well down. At the end of the jump leads was getting 13.9 going into big pug. I gave her a cup of tea time before starting it.

There was a quick shower here a wee while ago, was that your tea Jim?

[CitroJim]

There was a quick shower here a wee while ago, was that your tea Jim?

No, couldn't have been as the tea was still in the kettle at the time - good job too

[daviemck2006]

So now, as I have done a few jobs to Gabby now, and Jim always says he has no problem with his nuts second time around, we can surmise that he only ever goes hand tight on his nuts

[white exec]

Good news about Gabby starting, and having enough va-va-voom to get the big girl going too.
Always good to get a grip...

[Stickyfinger]

I have this memory problem, which ones have I done ?, forgotten ?, not seen ?....I have resorted to TIPPEX now, I mark each bolt when, and only when, correctly tightened. On engine-2-part bolts, it has the added advantage (if you use a large "dollop") that you can see if a bolt has loosened and is equally useful at night if ever you need to find bolts in the darkness of an engine bay!

[Hell Razor5543]

Well, based on Michels oil filter problem, I know which way I would prefer things to 'fail'! (although I would prefer filters to remain reasonably securely in place). I recall having to take Bluebird to the local scrap yard to get a locking wheel bolt removed. It took them 45 minutes (and cost me £20) to break it loose (it also broke 2 correct 'keys', and eventually had a socket hammered onto it). She now has standard wheel bolts all round!

[daviemck2006]

The lockers on my daughters audi were impossible for me to shift. It took a garage 2 hours to get all 4 off. I hate lockers with a passion, and usuallyone of the first things I do with any car I buy is consign them to the bin

[white exec]

Not helped by tyre-fitters love of the rattle-gun, and aversion to a torque wrench. Invariably over-tightened.

[Michel]

Not helped by tyre-fitters love of the rattle-gun, and aversion to a torque wrench. Invariably over-tightened.

Precisely why I always take my cars to the same place for tyres and have for 13 years. They do it properly, torque wheels properly, have no problem balancing centreless wheels. Great place. Small family run place in Binfield.

[CitroJim]

Not helped by tyre-fitters love of the rattle-gun, and aversion to a torque wrench. Invariably over-tightened.

Precisely why I always take my cars to the same place for tyres and have for 13 years. They do it properly, torque wheels properly, have no problem balancing centreless wheels. Great place. Small family run place in Binfield.

I do the same but often I just take wheels as they're only at the other end of my road... They like that as it saves them a bit of work...

[Mandrake]

Was there any gap between the two halves of the battery clamps when they were loose ?

The usual reason for battery clamps coming loose unexpectedly is that the clamps are sitting too high on the tapered post and thus the two halves touch each other before the clamp is fully tight on the posts. Tightening the bolt just squeezes the two halves together tighter but doesn't squeeze any tighter on the post. So even though the bolt is tight and everything looks good if you give the terminal a good twist you'll find it lets go fairly easily...

To avoid this, if there isn't a gap of at least a few mm I always slacken the bolt off a few turns, use a flat blade screwdriver to spread the two halves and make sure it pushes further down the taper of the post then tightens up nicely with a gap between the two halves of the clamp. And then afterwards I try to rotate the clamp by hand to make sure it actually is biting on the post properly.

Sorry if I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs, but a lot of people don't seem to be aware of this potential pitfall of tapered battery posts...

[CitroJim]

I think in this case it was me being very careful in tightening them Simon. I'm always very conscious of how delicate Xantia battery clamps are and act accordingly...

However, having said that it was a good six or seven months before Davie had her that I last had the battery out...

[daviemck2006]

There was a gap between the clamps as there should be, the earth had slackened and it just lifted off. The positive was tighter but still came off with a twist, si its connection could have been fine. She did a few miles of stop start deliveries last night with no problem. And at this time of year its all in the dark so heavy loads on the battery, but had 3 times to neighbouring villages which are 5 to 7 miles distant, always better getting one or two of them to give her a bit of a run.

[Michel]

Was there any gap between the two halves of the battery clamps when they were loose ?

The usual reason for battery clamps coming loose unexpectedly is that the clamps are sitting too high on the tapered post

Yes, that is the usual reason.

The other reason on Citroens that have been bought from North Bucks is that Jim's "tightened" them

[CitroJim]

The other reason on Citroens that have been bought from North Bucks is that Jim's "tightened" them

Another keyboard was at risk again then

From coffee this time!