Author
|
Message |
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 12:23 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 12, 2010 Posts: 1912
Trade Rating: +4
Location: Manchester
|
|
So.. i was driving about before when the car decided it wanted to fill itself with smoke! So i pulled over and opened the windows and called greenflag as there was no fire or anything. Pulled the handbrake cable up and the bottom of the lever was sparking :/
So i quickly disconnected the battery and had a look at the cables from inside and all of the plastic/rubber sheath had melted off and the cables were stupidly hot
i have looked at all the cables around it and cant find anything and myself, the greenflagman, my dad and my dads ex AA boss are all stumped..
Any help or advice would be massively appreciated!
| | |
|
|
|
Last edited by Antknee on Sun May 22, 2011 2:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 12:26 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 07, 2010 Posts: 13077
Trade Rating: +65
Location: England
|
|
Short circuit. Either loose earth or +12vs touching each other. There is a earthing point under the center console
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 12:26 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 08, 2010 Posts: 10151
Trade Rating: +12
|
|
you are saying the handbrake cable has melted?
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 12:30 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 08, 2010 Posts: 1035
Trade Rating: +17
Location: North Manchester
|
|
has something got on the exhaust ?
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 1:02 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 12, 2010 Posts: 1912
Trade Rating: +4
Location: Manchester
|
|
I've had the centre console off and all the wires are intact with none of the insulation cracked or broken and the earths seem pretty solid, ill take all the earths off tomorrow and give them a clean with wire wool
Yes the plastic handbrake sheath has completely melted due to the heat in the cable, it stunk and filled the car, its still in my throat :/
It only seems to spark after a few minutes of the battery being connected
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 1:03 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 12, 2010 Posts: 1912
Trade Rating: +4
Location: Manchester
|
|
cartoonhead wrote: |
has something got on the exhaust ? |
nope its all clear and the outside of the cables near the exhaust are fine its just after they go inside where it gets a bit grim
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 1:41 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 27, 2010 Posts: 11520
Trade Rating: +10
Location: What's it to you? ? ?
|
|
Sounds like an electrical short, wonder if somethings trying to earth itself back through the handbrake cable?
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 7:08 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 12, 2010 Posts: 1912
Trade Rating: +4
Location: Manchester
|
|
i'll have a ganders later and get back to yous if i sort it or if i run out of ideas! everyone iv asked so far has said "i've never seen that before" lol
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 7:17 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 07, 2010 Posts: 2949
Trade Rating: +6
Location: Athens, Greece
|
|
Have you checked the cig lighter connections?
I would think a fuse should have blown if it was a dead-short.
If you've melted the loom that's bad news. Otherwise should be OK.
| | |
|
|
|
| | |
| 1.4i, 2001, 3-door, China Blue
Repair safely - Drive safely | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 8:45 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 07, 2010 Posts: 1495
Trade Rating: +3
Location: Waiting for the tugboats to push me into port (Whitehaven)
|
|
MrBSI wrote: |
Sounds like an electrical short, wonder if somethings trying to earth itself back through the handbrake cable? |
this.
i've had stuff like this happen at work before
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:01 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 12, 2010 Posts: 1912
Trade Rating: +4
Location: Manchester
|
|
Cheers guys the earthing problem seems to be the thing everyone is saying
What would be the best way to go about sorting it out? clean the existing earths and put another connection from battery -ve to the chassis?
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:03 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 12, 2010 Posts: 1912
Trade Rating: +4
Location: Manchester
|
|
V9977 wrote: |
Have you checked the cig lighter connections?
I would think a fuse should have blown if it was a dead-short.
If you've melted the loom that's bad news. Otherwise should be OK. |
nope i checked everything and nothing seems melted or damaged in any way and no fuses have blown
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:13 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 26, 2010 Posts: 314
Trade Rating: 0
Location: home!
|
|
When you release the hand brake are the rear wheels rotating freely?
| | |
|
|
|
| | |
| el camino. "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right" Henry Ford. | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:15 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 12, 2010 Posts: 1912
Trade Rating: +4
Location: Manchester
|
|
they were but im sure it wasnt at one point because the passenger side drum was really hot after i got home, more so that the driver side but i jacked it up and the wheel turned freely :/
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:25 pm |
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 26, 2010 Posts: 314
Trade Rating: 0
Location: home!
|
|
If nothing with electrical.check cable linkages down to drums.there might be kinda friction somewhere making the cable hot!
| | |
|
|
|
| | |
| el camino. "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right" Henry Ford. | |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|