Jump Started/new Batt - Inst Cluster, Indicators And Brake Lights No L

[j199y]

Hi all,

Wanted some advice, I had car stopped and CD player on for 1-2 hours which made the Battery completely flat, when I turned the key nothing happened at all, had a jump start from a mechanic friend and drove car around for half an hour to recharge the batt, everything seemed to be fine with no issues.

Went to a autocentre and got them to test the Battery (due to above I thought batt may be faulty as CD player for 1-2 hours should not have drained batt i'm guessing), they advised batt faulty so they put in a new one, as soon as they did the intrument cluster is totally dead (no lights etc) along with brake lights no longer working as well as the indicators, they are saying the jump start may have caused this, my thoughts were if the jump start caused this shouldnt it happen straight away? they are now going to get an electrician to look at it.

Car is a 02 petrol Yaris.

Advice would be appreciated :)

[CPN]

Sorry for them but that's "smoke and mirrors"! All you are doing when jump starting is augmenting an existing 12V source (albeit flattish) with another... The instrument cluster, heck, even the car, wouldn't know the difference electrically...

[Hybrid-Harry]

If the jump start had caused it, you wouldn't have been able to drive it to the autocenter. I not sure if your car has one, but there is often a 30A master fuse that safeguards against wrong polarity connections. If they did a heavy discharge test on your Battery, they should have disconnected it first. If they didn't it is quite possibly their fault.