Date:         Tue, 24 Dec 2002 13:48:47 -0800
Reply-To:     Stuart MacMillan <macmillan@ATTBI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stuart MacMillan <macmillan@ATTBI.COM>
Subject:      Burnt wires; Was Warning....
Comments: To: sbsyncro@HOTMAIL.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Brent,

 

OOOO, ouch!  Merry Christmas!  

 

First of all DON'T ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE!  There are burned fuel
lines in your photos.

 

This is not likely the result of an "overload" but a direct short to ground
in that alternator wire somewhere between the alternator and the battery.
Follow it until there is no more burned wire and you will find the short.  I
assume you fused your headlights at the battery, so if that didn't blow then
the short is definitely in that alternator wire, or something connected to
it that isn't fused.

 

This happened to me with an old Saab my son and I installed a bass speaker
in.  We routed the wire to the amp from the alternator but put the fuse near
the amp (idiots!) and the first time he had back seat passengers the wire
shorted out and melted the entire wiring harness.

 

Anything can be repaired as long as you don't catch this mess on fire, so
disconnect the battery and hire the tow truck.  Maybe someone on the list
has a harness left over from a Tiico swap!

 

Good luck, you'll need it!  (And some $$$$ too.)

 

Stuart MacMillan

'84 Westy w/2.1