Nissan Micra electrical failure

Hi there. I have a '98 R-reg Nissan Micra "Equation" 1.0 from which I am getting no response at all from. First thing I had noticed was that the central locking wasn't working, so I had to unlock manually. Then, when I turned the key in the ignition, the dash display didn't come on and attempting to start the car brought no response either. I assume it's an electrical problem, but I have no idea what could have caused it or how to fix it. The car was running fine when I last used it Wednesday evening. I am a complete novice when it comes to car maintenance, as I haven't had it long, so I'm not sure what to do. I would call out the AA (who I'm with) but I'm (foolishly) not covered for home-starts. Any ideas what it could be? Thanks for your time.

Sam.

Reply to
Tiit_Helimut
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At a first guess I'd say dead battery. They have quite bright interior lights these cars - it wasn't left on was it?

I did this once to a colleague's car that we'd taken to a conference for

2 days. We arrived in the dark and I needed to read the map while he drove. Left the car parked for two days and you can guess the rest!

Tony

Reply to
Tony Brett

Of course when I say "dead", I might just mean "flat".

Tony

Reply to
Tony Brett

Hi Tony. Thanks for your quick response! The only thing that could have drained the battery is the light, but I haven't used it for a while. I can't think if there's anything else that could have been left on. The car hasn't been touched by anyone (that I know of) since Wednesday, so I'm not really sure what could have caused it!

Sam.

Reply to
Tiit_Helimut

flat battery, may just be a very old battery or may have been caused by something. first step is a charged or new battery, then check for charging/draining.

Mrcheerful

Reply to
MrCheerful

Hi Mr. Cheerful. I don't have access to either a charged or new battery, and I don't know how to check for charging/draining anyway (I'm a complete novice at car maintenance). Thanks.

Sam.

Reply to
Tiit_Helimut

"MrCheerful" wrote in news:CrhIh.115564$HO5.68618 @fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk:

If the battery is original, it's about due a replacement anyway. Fit a new or recharged battery, and before connecting the second battery lead, tap it against the terminal a few times. If there are any sparks, do not connect the battery, as this indicates an electrical fault which must be rectified first.

Stu

Reply to
Stu

Tiit snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news:1173466310.092101.138880 @v33g2000cwv.googlegroups.com:

Both new batteries and chargers are available at your local Halfords. If you don't wish to own a battery charger or a set of jump leads, I strongly recommend you upgrade your cover to home start. You're going to need one of those three things at some point in your motoring career, unless you change your cars often and are very lucky ;-)

Stu

Reply to
Stu

I do have a set of jump-leads, which were given to me by my parents. I'll have to ask someone on my street if I can use their car to jumpstart mine. I'm not quite sure how to use them, but it shouldn't be that difficult (I hope!) I think I will upgrade my cover anyway. It should only be another =A330, hopefully.

Sam.

Reply to
Tiit_Helimut

Or, phone round some local car accessory shops to see if they will deliver the battery.

Reply to
Lin Chung

Sometimes they just die, especially at this time of year.

Reply to
Conor

Beats me why the interior light doesn't have a 15 minute timeout. I often see cars left parked overnight with the interior lit up

-- bucket

Reply to
bucket

Depends what you do in parked cars, I suppose. And whether you prefer the lights on.

Reply to
Ian Dalziel

Decent cars do :-)

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Errr? They always spark a bit whenever you first connect the battery, it's called a startup surge and happens as capacitors charge up in the power supply circuits in all modern cars.

To Sam:

If you get a big fat spark (you'll know it if it happens) disconnect immediateley and check that everything is off, especially the ignition switch and headlights, then double check that the doors are shut before continuing.

-- Chris

Reply to
Chris Dugan

"Chris Dugan" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@bt.com:

I know about that, but it would have been pedantic of me to mention it, since the spark you're talking about is barely visible IME. If you tap it a few times you might get tiny pinhead spark on the first tap and subsequently nothing.

This is the kind of thing I was warning against.

Stu

Reply to
Stu

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