Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Damage to main battery cable

Friends of ours have just returned from a 2k+ miles trip to France in their 2015 +4 GDI.
On their way down, they were finding that everytime they met a bump in the road, the electrics would totally fail. No dash indications, engine cut out, etc. but then restore without intervention.
Having checked the usual suspects of fuses, relays etc, they finally took it into a garage.
They found that the main battery cables cross over from the battery behind the passenger seat to the driver side and make their way forward from there.
The fault was the propshaft had been rubbing against the battery cable and had finally worn right through the insulation. So it was momentarily putting a dead short on the battery as they went over a bump.That could have had dire consequences, so worth checking yours at the earliest opportunity.
Thankfully, diagnosed and remedied within the hour.

They are very lucky, a dead short on a main battery cable can total a car in minutes

Scary and thankfully rare fault can only think a cable clamp or tie gave way. Strange thing is it was likely the unfused dedicated starter motor cable that was shorting to propshaft since the second main distribution feed running in parallel has an 80 amp fuse close to battery which would have blown. The momentary short would maybe have dropped battery volts enough for engine to drop out.
Cue another thread on fusing starter feed

Deejay,
Thats a good heads up but when I came to install five link suspension to my 2018 GDI I found those cables very well secured to the woodwork above the axle/prop shaft. So did Morgan improve the security of these cables between 2015 and 2018? Or has your friends car had some work carried out in this area? Eg, five link, roll bar fitted or battery type changed, etc?
Cheers
John

Interesting point. 5 link was installed a couple of years back! Also a new battery last year.
So may not be an original build fault but still worth checking when opportunities arise.

Well those cables have to be moved to install the five link and therefore have to be tied up afterwards. TBH I cannot remember whether I used the original method of securing the cables or just used tyraps.
Yes, next time my car is on the lift I'll take a look.
Cheers
John.

I would agree the ex factory battery cable security seems well considered. However, and admit this is long shot, if the battery has been replaced with other than the correct type 075 with positive terminal outboard, it could leave the positive terminal and cable routing there from much closer to the propshaft.