Dead bongo after battery replacement

[BingaBonga]

The battery on my bongo died and stopped taking charge.

I replaced it with a S4 029 Bosch Car Battery 12V 95Ah Type 250 S4029

The bongo appeared totally dead!

When removing the old battery, I knocked out the cable connected from one of the terminal cables (the one with the fuses attached) which runs to a relay (which I think feeds the leisure battery).

I reconnected the dislodged cable
I tested the new battery - it has 12.6 volts across its terminals

Still the bongo wont start.

I have an autowatch phob which the red light flashes when I press the disarm button.

Is this an immobiliser issue?

[g8dhe]

If you mean the little LED on the fob flashes, then no that is merely the fob sending the signal, it doesn't know what is happening in the vehicle at all, its not a two-way system it sends and hopes the vehicle receiver hears it!

It sounds like a bad connection or blown fuses on the battery arm, possibly even the 100 Amp fuse (its bolted in don't try to prise it out!) may have blown for some reason. Is there any history on the vehicle, has it been out of use or any reason why the battery needed replacing ?

[BingaBonga]

The bongo had been on my drive for about 3 months without being driven. Prior to that I used it to commute to work!

Do you have any suggestions on how I could diagnose the issue?

[teenmal]

Looks like you might have fitted the wrong battery, check the terminal connections to make sure that they are fitted the correct way round.

[g8dhe]

You will need either a meter to check voltages or a simple lamp with leads one to earth and one to probe around the connection arm and its fuses to see which fuse has failed. Have you started by simply looking at the fuses on the battery arm they have a little sight hole to see the fuse although its not always obvious! If it should be the 100 Amp fuse then you need to find out why it blew, normally the alternator diode pack has failed short circuit, as that's the only single circuit that can draw that level of current without leaving a smoke trail!!!! The fuse itself is bolted in from underneath the fuse carrier so it has to be lifted up/turned over to undo the bolts.

[BingaBonga]

Looks like you might have fitted the wrong battery, check the terminal connections to make sure that they are fitted the correct way round.

I bought a S4 029 Bosch Car Battery 12V 95Ah Type 250 S4029 which I found recommended on one of the bongo forums. Is this not appropriate?

[teenmal]

Looks like you might have fitted the wrong battery, check the terminal connections to make sure that they are fitted the correct way round.

I bought a S4 029 Bosch Car Battery 12V 95Ah Type 250 S4029 which I found recommended on one of the bongo forums. Is this not appropriate?

The battery for your vehicle is S4335 028 , the battery terminals are in a different positions make sure you have +~+ and neg to neg .

[g8dhe]

Agreed that the 029 fitting is reversed terminals but it shouldn't be possible to reverse the terminals as the connectors are different sizes!

[teenmal]

Agreed that the 029 fitting is reversed terminals but it shouldn't be possible to reverse the terminals as the connectors are different sizes!

Ha ha, stranger things have happened.

[g8dhe]

Indeed, I always remember one that turned up a few years ago at the National Bash, for some weird reason the "garage" they had asked to fit a leisure battery had ended up moving the Starter battery to the nearside position, extending the leads to do so and then fitted the leisure battery in the tray for the starter battery and hadn't connected it to anything!