Electrical Fire/Fires shed some light.
07-06-2014, 09:21 PM
#1
Drifting
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Location: Sumter South Carolina
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Electrical Fire/Fires shed some light.
So coming off track and my dash starts flickering like I just turned ignition on and off. I had been having some alternator charging problems so I thought it just wasn't charging.
Got to my spot and the fun started. Immediately lots of smoke from the hood. I thought I had a leak of oil from my newly installed cooler but when I popped the hood fire from drivers side trans tunnel. I grabbed extinguisher, nailed it, then noticed rear wheel well. Looked and sure enough, fire. Nailed it, then to other wheel well and noticed brake line was glowing. Then passenger footwell crackling smoking and carpet on fire. Then back to wheel well.
Thats when it dawned on me the battery must be grounded. Popped the passenger side compartement and sure enough, the battery hold down was broken, leaning the bolt over to positive terminal and connecting with my exhaust cutout motor. Grabbed a crecent and got it off, then blasted the reignited flames again.
What a POS. I bought the metal one instead of the crappy plastic or rubber one so it wouldn't break. Shows me. If my car had of burnt to the groud that would be lawsuit territory.
This is the culprit
Now real question is why. Why did it decide to ground to the rear brake lines and the clutch line? Why not front lines? and the wires in the passenger footwell were ECU Holley Commander Harness. I am praying it wasn't fried but wont know for sure till repaired. The fuse on the commander never blew. I am not optamistic about the commander. If it is, im not sure but it might be worth the lawsuit considering even another used unit would be $500, once all said and done im prob looking at $1000 in parts right now, not even considering the labor.
Haggerty insures the car but I don't think they count aftermarket parts. I'm going to see tomorrow what they think.
Any words of encouragment, advice? I'm not really angry, just shocked I guess that something so simple can cause so much trouble. I got lucky. Now I'm going to wire in a fuse to the battery post and isulate the crap out of it.... Live and learn.
Got to my spot and the fun started. Immediately lots of smoke from the hood. I thought I had a leak of oil from my newly installed cooler but when I popped the hood fire from drivers side trans tunnel. I grabbed extinguisher, nailed it, then noticed rear wheel well. Looked and sure enough, fire. Nailed it, then to other wheel well and noticed brake line was glowing. Then passenger footwell crackling smoking and carpet on fire. Then back to wheel well.
Thats when it dawned on me the battery must be grounded. Popped the passenger side compartement and sure enough, the battery hold down was broken, leaning the bolt over to positive terminal and connecting with my exhaust cutout motor. Grabbed a crecent and got it off, then blasted the reignited flames again.
What a POS. I bought the metal one instead of the crappy plastic or rubber one so it wouldn't break. Shows me. If my car had of burnt to the groud that would be lawsuit territory.
This is the culprit
Now real question is why. Why did it decide to ground to the rear brake lines and the clutch line? Why not front lines? and the wires in the passenger footwell were ECU Holley Commander Harness. I am praying it wasn't fried but wont know for sure till repaired. The fuse on the commander never blew. I am not optamistic about the commander. If it is, im not sure but it might be worth the lawsuit considering even another used unit would be $500, once all said and done im prob looking at $1000 in parts right now, not even considering the labor.
Haggerty insures the car but I don't think they count aftermarket parts. I'm going to see tomorrow what they think.
Any words of encouragment, advice? I'm not really angry, just shocked I guess that something so simple can cause so much trouble. I got lucky. Now I'm going to wire in a fuse to the battery post and isulate the crap out of it.... Live and learn.
07-06-2014, 11:03 PM
#3
Drifting
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Member Since: Dec 2007
Location: Sumter South Carolina
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They do but wont cover anything that happens on the track. Thry arent stupid. Anyone can lie. This fire didnt have anything to do with the track, and didnt happen on the track. It was at the track but could have been a parking lot just the same after spirited driving.