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Date:         Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:18:58 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Electrical Fire in the Engine Bay
Comments: To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <03d501cc610f$ae9bc6b0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

John,

I probably have what you need. Let me know. I can bring it to our upcoming meeting with Joel.

Jim

On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 4:05 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans < scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> that high voltage warning on that box .. > refers to the nearby coil. > there is no 'high voltage' in the relay box there. Nothing over 12 volts. > > I have, exactly once, in literally thousands of vanagons worked on .. > seen a relay short internally , leading to melted wires. > very rare though. > the particular time I saw was in an early vanagon in the dash area.. > but no kidding....the ground contact inside the relay somehow reached > ignition on power ..and all the wires on that circuit started to melt. > > looks like you'll be digging until the ruined stuff is all identified and > removed. > The nice way from that point is get the whole harness out of a dead vanagon > .. > and built that in. > and you'll get to learn a lot about how it's wired in the process. > > likely causes.. > always ..........a wire running on something, or something rubbing, with > engine vibration, on a wire that is hot while running. > as for components....relays are suspect for sure, but they are extremely > ...extremely reliable and long-liffed usually. > usually it's that someone routed a wire incorrectly, or did bogus work of > some sort. > > Scott > www.turbovans.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 1:21 PM > Subject: Electrical Fire in the Engine Bay > > > Well, if it's not one thing, it's another. >> >> I was tooling down the road, enjoying my newly opertional air >> conditioning, and my smooth running engine, when of a sudden - the >> engine just quit. I immediately put it in neutral, turned off the AC, >> recycled the ignition switch, but nothing happened. None of the panel >> lights came on. It was like the battery had been disconnected or >> something. I left it out of gear and pulled to a stop off the road. Then >> I realized that with the ignition off, the engine was still running, >> rough, but still running. I jumped out, popped the hatch, and smoke was >> everywhere. Engine was kicking over, but barely, and roughly. I pulled >> the coil wire out of the distributor cap and the engine stopped. At that >> point I saw a wiring harness that had really gotten hot and melted the >> insulation. >> >> The wires in question came from the high voltage electronics box on the >> left side of the engine bay that has the two relays in it. The >> insulation was melted and fused on the wires on the relay marked 53 >> PN#141 951 2538 and PN# 321919505A. From there, the wiring cover - the >> long flexible plastic cover through which all those wires go, was melted >> along the bottom, all the way from the ignition box across the front >> (towards the front of the van) over to the the point it disappears down >> and behind air filter box and AFM. I moved the wire harness where it >> passes over the top of the box with vacuum line layout, and got a click >> over where the starter is. Sounded like the solenoid clicking. I >> immediately went and disconnected the battery. Got AAA to come and get >> the van and take it home. That is as far as I have gotten. I'll spend a >> bit more time later today when it cools off. I have no idea what may >> have cause this, but to be sure - it will take some time to trouble >> shoot and fix. >> >> I haven't yet started tearing it apart to troubleshoot and fix this. >> Haven't even looked at Bentley yet. >> >> But has anyone any ideas?? >> >> Thanks. >> >> John >> >> -- >> John Rodgers >> Clayartist and Moldmaker >> 88'GL VW Bus Driver >> Chelsea, AL >> Http://www.moldhaus.com >> >


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