hey all, ive got a '77 clubby with a 1275 in it. it works beautifully most of the time but sometimes theres no electrical power at all. the engine won't turn over and the radio doesn't switch on. ive had a look at the battery and one of the cables is frayed around the clamp. is the problem in the ignition switch or is the battery cables the problem? any help would be great.

thanks in advance

First, measure the battery voltage to see if it is still serviceable.

If there is anything short of an air gap between the battery and the cable, then the radio should work. The frayed battery cable would only be a problem when high current is required, like when starting. Twist and tighten the battery terminals to make sure they are nice and tight with good contact.

As for the rest, Start by checking that the fuses are making good contact under the bonnet. Sandpaper the copper fuse contact to get it nice and shiny and then re-install the fuses. Check the connections onto the fuse box for loose connections as well and also check the solenoid connections are nice and tight.

Beyond this, you will need a multimeter. It won't be to hard to chase if you have one and we'll go from there.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Check all the connectors onto the starter solenoid in the engine bay , if the crimp on terminals on the wire from the ignition switch get loose or corroded they can cut the power like that . The ign switch could also be the problem . Is the radio setup to an accesory position on the switch (will it work with the motor turned off) or on the engine side ?

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thanks for the quick help

the radios on the engine side

Hi guys

thanks for the responses so far

to shed a little additional light:

tis a brand new battery and turns the thing over like a demon when it feels like it

have previously had problems with the battery clamps - click but no start etc - these seem to have been fixed with a little sandpaper and elbow grease

has remote central locking - when power goes down it won't even lock the car so I guess it's a complete power loss

fuses and solenoid are good - can check those - afraid a multimeter is beyond my skill level (you guys obviously have really young kids and haven't got to the desperately trying to save face stage "yes of course dad still knows something about something"

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'62 Morris 850 (Marion)
'65 Mini Delux - sleeper 1275/S discs (Ms Plum)
'69 Vanden Plas Princess 1300
'71 Wolseley 1300
'74 Austin 1300 Countryman
'94 XJ6 Sport 3.2
'04 Rover 75 CDTi

Clean the earth point that the battery lead goes to , clean the ends of the earth strap in the engine bay from the clutch cover to the inner guard and where it touches the cover and guard . Next time it doesn't work see if any bits are hot to touch (solenoid , ignition switch , battery cables etc ) and look at them for problems .

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DON"T FORGET TO CHECK THE CONNECTION OF YOUR NEGATIVE CABLE FROM THE BATTERY TO THE BOOT FLOOR. It is very important. MAKE SURE THERE IS NO BULK PAINT UNDER IT.

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DID I MENTION THAT I AM THE BEST SUPPLIER FOR MINI ELECTRICAL PARTS AND REPAIRS?
"Let us remove your "SHORTS"

^^^ooh yeah, that's a goodie

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

ok...... we're getting closer

seems the clamp on the positive battery cable is an add on (clamps onto the cable with 2 bolts) rather than part of the cable construction - this clamp part has split so can't be tightened up properly.

Question is..... do we just replace this clamp or is it going to be better to replace the entire cable back to the engine bay?

Is replacing this cable a tought job?

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'62 Morris 850 (Marion)
'65 Mini Delux - sleeper 1275/S discs (Ms Plum)
'69 Vanden Plas Princess 1300
'71 Wolseley 1300
'74 Austin 1300 Countryman
'94 XJ6 Sport 3.2
'04 Rover 75 CDTi

Yes you can replace just the clamp.

But it is not too difficult to remove the cable entirely and get another made up to spec - most battery places / auto sparkies can do this. Depending on the year of the car the cable may run through the floor channels, but even so it shouldn't be too hard to remove it.