Damn it. The smoke got out.

**flagg** · 21st December 2012, 08:06 PM

Last work trip of the year. Thinking about filling the 110 with kayaks and other good things for the break I've been so looking forward to.

Plane lands, race out to the car park. Spy the tell tale snorkle sticking up from the crowd. Big smile. Bags in the back, around to the passenger side to turn the battery on.

A toxic smoke bomb goes off. Earth cable melted bare, and partly through battery. Battery switch comes off in my hand, molten and burns the crap out of me.

Sod*

*not actually what i said, but for the sake of the story ill keep it g rated.

At least I'm out of the multi story car park now.

It must be a pretty catastrophic short, but its odd that it was fine when i drove it here. I didn't replace the starter cable when i redid the wiring, and i suspect it may have worn through somewhere.

You guys should go and make sure yours are ok. I'm lucky my 110 isn't a smoldering heap.

:'(

I'm pretty sad about my holiday plans (was going to leave tomorrow) but happy i could pull the cable off the terminal in time. My fingers will heal.

**justinc** · 21st December 2012, 08:10 PM

Noooooooooo!

really sorry to hear

good thing is, no computers to fry!

at least it is a relatively easy fix, but bad timing

chin up.

jc

**wrinklearthur** · 21st December 2012, 10:18 PM

Have you had time to have a look at the damaged yet, is there a possibility that someone tried to hot wire it?
.

**steveG** · 22nd December 2012, 06:52 AM

Glad both you and the vehicle survived with only minor injuries.
Will be interesting to find out where the short was. To pass that much current I'm guessing it would have to be either starter cable, winch motor cable or a battery post/clamp.

Steve

**flagg** · 23rd December 2012, 02:57 PM

Thanks guys,

I had a quick look yesterday (left for the holiday without it..). Starter cable looks fine. There doesn't seem to be a short anymore...????? Maybe it was the dual battery controller dying.. or the starter solenoid..

When I'm back its just going to be a process of working through everything. Good excuse to get a USI-160.

**flagg** · 12th January 2013, 02:37 PM

unfortunately the towy couldn't get it in the garage when we got it home.. So I've had to be working on it on the drive way, braving the heat and sun... blurgh..

Anyway, I *think* i've tracked it down.. the small wire screwed into the starter motor is sorted to earth.

Not sure why this would cause a short before I'd turned the key - thought this was what triggered the solenoid..

**steveG** · 12th January 2013, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by flagg

unfortunately the towy couldn't get it in the garage when we got it home.. So I've had to be working on it on the drive way, braving the heat and sun... blurgh..

Anyway, I *think* i've tracked it down.. the small wire screwed into the starter motor is sorted to earth.

Not sure why this would cause a short before I'd turned the key - thought this was what triggered the solenoid..

I agree with you - that wire should only be live when you're cranking. Also, its only small, definitely not enough to smoke the earth lead on your battery.
Keep looking I'd say ....

What about the battery switch itself. Any chance that could have shorted to earth when you turned it on. If it did, it might explain why only that and the earth lead seem to be fried.

Steve

**wrinklearthur** · 12th January 2013, 09:12 PM

A dirty terminal where the earth lead is fastened to the bell housing, can have enough resistance to cause quickly, a lot of heat.

Make sure all of the terminal's and their mounting faces are spotlessly clean and tight.
.

**flagg** · 12th January 2013, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

A dirty terminal where the earth lead is fastened to the bell housing, can have enough resistance to cause quickly, a lot of heat.

Make sure all of the terminal's and their mounting faces are spotlessly clean and tight.
.

Interesting - inspecting the old earth lead from the battery to the outrigger it was broken at the outrigger end, cracked off almost completely. Maybe this was it, like a very big hot joint?

That would explain why I can't find a short large enough to burn a 10mm thick cable..

**flagg** · 13th January 2013, 06:50 PM

So I'm pretty sure there is nothing other than the starter that is shorted. I've gone right through and checked all the cables. There is only 0.2 ohms resistance between the solenoid trigger and earth.

As Steve has said, there has to be something else because the starter solenoid shouldn't be active unless I'm cranking the ignition....

I took out the starter and had a look inside.. It was full of oil.. And the wires for the solenoid are cotton braided??

Will clean it up and see.

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Damn it. The smoke got out.

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