#1: SOLVED! Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 12:23 pm ---- 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
#2: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Lee, Location: EnglandPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 12:26 pm ---- Short circuit. Either loose earth or +12vs touching each other. There is a earthing point under the center console
#3: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Seabook, Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 12:26 pm ---- you are saying the handbrake cable has melted?
#4: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: cartoonhead, Location: North ManchesterPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 12:30 pm ---- has something got on the exhaust ?
#5: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 1:02 pm ---- 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
#6: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 1:03 pm ----
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
#7: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: MrBSI, Location: What's it to you? ? ?Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 1:41 pm ---- Sounds like an electrical short, wonder if somethings trying to earth itself back through the handbrake cable?
#8: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 7:08 pm ---- 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
#9: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: V9977, Location: Athens, GreecePosted: Fri May 20, 2011 7:17 pm ---- 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.
#10: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: ExoVyper, Location: Waiting for the tugboats to push me into port (Whitehaven)Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 8:45 pm ----
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
#11: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:01 pm ---- 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?
#12: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:03 pm ----
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
#13: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: elcamino, Location: home!Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:13 pm ---- When you release the hand brake are the rear wheels rotating freely?
#14: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:15 pm ---- 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 :/
#15: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: elcamino, Location: home!Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:25 pm ---- If nothing with electrical.check cable linkages down to drums.there might be kinda friction somewhere making the cable hot!
#16: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Addaz, Location: SuffolkPosted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:29 pm ---- I aint got a fecking clue
Probaly the handbrake cable switch below, wire have come out and shorted on the body
#17: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: elcamino, Location: home!Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:40 pm ----
Addaz wrote:
I aint got a fecking clue
Probaly the handbrake cable switch below, wire have come out and shorted on the body
There should be a sign of spark or melted wire insulator...
#18: Re: Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:44 pm ---- im gonna have a tinker before work tomorrow so ill post up when i fix it, if not there's a guy at work who owns a garage and said he'll sort it for me for free
#19: Re: SOLVED! Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:19 pm ---- Fixed it!
Turns out it was a dodgy earth as everyone suggested
What i done was unbolt all the earthing points (bar 1 or 2), cleaned them with emery paper and checked for broken wires while i was doing it (didnt find any), also the earth at the bottom of the LH sill seemed a bit flimsy so i put a cable from the battery -ve to the earth point, worked a treat
thanks for all the suggestions!
Any
#20: Re: SOLVED! Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:19 pm ---- Fixed it!
Turns out it was a dodgy earth as everyone suggested
What i done was unbolt all the earthing points (bar 1 or 2), cleaned them with emery paper and checked for broken wires while i was doing it (didnt find any), also the earth at the bottom of the LH sill seemed a bit flimsy so i put a cable from the battery -ve to the earth point, worked a treat
thanks for all the suggestions!
Ant
#21: Re: SOLVED! Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: elcamino, Location: home!Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:21 pm ---- I was wrong then!!
#22: Re: SOLVED! Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:25 pm ---- ah well, no worries, we cant all be right all of the time
#23: Re: SOLVED! Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: elcamino, Location: home!Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:33 pm ----
Antknee wrote:
ah well, no worries, we cant all be right all of the time
Did you find any melted wire or spark sign?
#24: Re: SOLVED! Handbrake cable/Electrical problem Author: Antknee, Location: ManchesterPosted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:36 pm ----
elcamino wrote:
Antknee wrote:
ah well, no worries, we cant all be right all of the time
Did you find any melted wire or spark sign?
nope didnt see anything but some of the contacts were a bit oxidised so was probably some part of the problem
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