Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:43:04 -0500
Reply-To: Tom Lambas <twlambas@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tom Lambas <twlambas@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Electrical Fire in the Engine Bay
In-Reply-To: <CAF7dTYXSNfSPuEnz8UPC-pN4k4J50o4E=PC-nCt99bfu6DtS5A@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Oops, one "been" would have been enough.
On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 4:36 PM, Tom Lambas <twlambas@gmail.com> wrote:
> Oh no! Sometimes I think these vans should have been been called Vanagony.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 3:21 PM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:
>
>> 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
>>
>
>
|