"Ohne Worte" - without words ... for now.
- Thread starter transexl
- Start date
transexl
Member
The wiring is back together again, I still have to assemble the console, radio and glove compartments etc..
The mate whose knowledge, skills and workshop I was allowed to use demonstrated to me just HOW close Jimmys "new habit" of smoking might have resulted in losing him completely in a fire... .
We still feel a bit queasy, but are looking forward to driving again.
So much for now, I´ll be back
Take care !!
stefan, Heike and Jimmy
The mate whose knowledge, skills and workshop I was allowed to use demonstrated to me just HOW close Jimmys "new habit" of smoking might have resulted in losing him completely in a fire... .
We still feel a bit queasy, but are looking forward to driving again.
So much for now, I´ll be back
Take care !!
stefan, Heike and Jimmy
Attachments
Oh dear me!
May I hazard a guess that that was the wiper motor circuit?
Of course all that's wrong is the the insulation has failed. Lucas electrics are fitted ex factory with lots of smoke in the wires. When the insulation comes off the wires, the smoke gets out! I hope you remembered to order smoke filled wires to replace?
Glad Jimmy (and you) are OK!
Chris
May I hazard a guess that that was the wiper motor circuit?
Of course all that's wrong is the the insulation has failed. Lucas electrics are fitted ex factory with lots of smoke in the wires. When the insulation comes off the wires, the smoke gets out! I hope you remembered to order smoke filled wires to replace?
Glad Jimmy (and you) are OK!
Chris
transexl
Member
Guten Abend zusammen !
Thank you for all your good wishes :!:
:!:
We sure are glad that everything went ok in the end... .
We just cannot imagine what it would have been like to lose Jimmy in a fire
(- Neil, we do think of you very often...).
What went wrong:
On sunday 21rst we went for a ride.
After a short while we noticed smoke and a smell of burning plastic, rolled onto a parking lot, stopped the engine and opened the bonnet.
One wire (with connector) had come lose and fallen onto the exhaust manifold, smoldering and sparking.
It had temporary contact until it got stuck, by that time we had switched everything off and opened the bonnet to see where the cable had burned its way through the isolation all the way up to the bulkhead/dash.
The friendly man from the ADAC (our AA) that we had called could - like me - not figure out where the wire came from, so we cut it off. As everything else worked like before, we drove home.
I got to see to the matter on Thursday 25th.
The cable that had caused the trouble had been left with no function (but the full load of the battery) from a conversion of alternator.
(PLEASE do not ask me how the older "Gleichstromlichtmaschine" that was converted to a "Wechselstromlichtmaschine" are named in English ! I am in no mood to find that out as it is too confusing even in German :!: :!: )
To see where the wire/cable goes and what damage it had done I took some hours off and sweated my way through what you can see in the pictures... .
Tomorrow I will refit the console etc., and we hope to never experience anything similar...
Boy, this thing has sure left me tired...
BIS BALD
stefan
(Oh yes: I have used wiring of the Teutonic kind:
no smoke, but more pulling strenght.
It is recommended here "on the continent for British cars in case you have to tow and have no towing rope at hand... )
Thank you for all your good wishes :!:
:!: We sure are glad that everything went ok in the end... .
We just cannot imagine what it would have been like to lose Jimmy in a fire
(- Neil, we do think of you very often...).
What went wrong:
On sunday 21rst we went for a ride.
After a short while we noticed smoke and a smell of burning plastic, rolled onto a parking lot, stopped the engine and opened the bonnet.
One wire (with connector) had come lose and fallen onto the exhaust manifold, smoldering and sparking.
It had temporary contact until it got stuck, by that time we had switched everything off and opened the bonnet to see where the cable had burned its way through the isolation all the way up to the bulkhead/dash.
The friendly man from the ADAC (our AA) that we had called could - like me - not figure out where the wire came from, so we cut it off. As everything else worked like before, we drove home.
I got to see to the matter on Thursday 25th.
The cable that had caused the trouble had been left with no function (but the full load of the battery) from a conversion of alternator.
(PLEASE do not ask me how the older "Gleichstromlichtmaschine" that was converted to a "Wechselstromlichtmaschine" are named in English ! I am in no mood to find that out as it is too confusing even in German :!: :!: )
To see where the wire/cable goes and what damage it had done I took some hours off and sweated my way through what you can see in the pictures... .
Tomorrow I will refit the console etc., and we hope to never experience anything similar...
Boy, this thing has sure left me tired...
BIS BALD
stefan
(Oh yes: I have used wiring of the Teutonic kind:
no smoke, but more pulling strenght.
It is recommended here "on the continent for British cars in case you have to tow and have no towing rope at hand... )
Dave3066
Well-Known Member
transexl said:
You've gotta love language
There's a lesson for anyone who does any sort of upgrade that leaves some part of the wiring loom redundant. Particularly if the wire carries a live feed.
Well done Stefan for preventing the damage from spreading any further.
Dave
I can remember whilst a young and care free Classic car DIYer, setting the passenger side underlay on fire when welding underneath. I had removed most of it, but there was a bit left which was not exactly flame retardant.
As I had removed the glove box, the flames went up and took out the fuse box, which was rather lively to say the least. The horns alerted me along with the wipers which were furiously trying to clean the black from the windscreen (but the black was the dense smoke on the inside of the car). Gingerly opening the passenger door I threw a 2 gallon bucket of water into the flames. This put the fire out, which had by this time destroyed the front seat, door card, wiring loom, and sill carpet, along with blackening everything inside the car.
However, water and a burning wiring loom were not the best of mixes, so everything then got even livelier. My Father did a lot of wood hauling at the time and lent against the shed was a woodmans axe. In a moment of panic, I grabbed it and (thankfully the boot was open) with a crashing blow, cut the battery earth cable. Luckily I was a good shot with the axe, but still had to repair the damage I did to the base unit and replace the battery box.
The car (Thunderdog) was booked in for an MOT that afternoon, or rather a reMOT as it had failed on a small piece of welding that I had missed under the passenger side floor. It took many months to repair the damage, so all I can say Stefan, is well done mate, you were very lucky.
Richard
I always remove the battery when welding now
As I had removed the glove box, the flames went up and took out the fuse box, which was rather lively to say the least. The horns alerted me along with the wipers which were furiously trying to clean the black from the windscreen (but the black was the dense smoke on the inside of the car). Gingerly opening the passenger door I threw a 2 gallon bucket of water into the flames. This put the fire out, which had by this time destroyed the front seat, door card, wiring loom, and sill carpet, along with blackening everything inside the car.
However, water and a burning wiring loom were not the best of mixes, so everything then got even livelier. My Father did a lot of wood hauling at the time and lent against the shed was a woodmans axe. In a moment of panic, I grabbed it and (thankfully the boot was open) with a crashing blow, cut the battery earth cable. Luckily I was a good shot with the axe, but still had to repair the damage I did to the base unit and replace the battery box.
The car (Thunderdog) was booked in for an MOT that afternoon, or rather a reMOT as it had failed on a small piece of welding that I had missed under the passenger side floor. It took many months to repair the damage, so all I can say Stefan, is well done mate, you were very lucky.
Richard
I always remove the battery when welding now
ghce
Well-Known Member
Once bought a car from a wrecker, the previous owner had tried to fit a stereo, result no front seats, headlining, dash, carpets, under bonnet plastic or rubber, wiring from the rear seats forward all gone not to mention paint damage DIY can be so much fun, took me several weeks to track down all the bits to recommission that car.
Graeme
Graeme
transexl
Member
Hey Dave,
it was, and though the wiring was a b***** to work on (no space in the dash, bitumen-like wrapping, insulating tape, having to take care when cutting the loom open etc. etc.etc.), I was so glad that I COULD repair everything !
We did not have to put in another cable, as the one that burned/smoldered was obsolete anyways, that would have been the hardest part is I would have wanted it to be routed like before... :shock: .
Anyway, we are more than happy (again)
Jimmy is doing well, he still is everything we wanted 8) .
Tschüs
stefan
it was, and though the wiring was a b***** to work on (no space in the dash, bitumen-like wrapping, insulating tape, having to take care when cutting the loom open etc. etc.etc.), I was so glad that I COULD repair everything
!We did not have to put in another cable, as the one that burned/smoldered was obsolete anyways, that would have been the hardest part is I would have wanted it to be routed like before... :shock: .
Anyway, we are more than happy (again)
Jimmy is doing well, he still is everything we wanted 8)
.Tschüs
stefan