Check those insulators! - Near Catastrophe

[ktm]

About a week ago I met my wife for dinner at a nice little restaurant in town. I decided to drive the Z as it was a gorgeous evening for a cruise. I get to the restaurant without issue and proceed to enjoy my meal.

When we get outside it is dark. My wife gets in her car and starts to head home. I hop in the Z, let it warm up, and head off too. I get no more than 1000 feet from the restaurant and start to smell smoke. Within another 100 feet the odor is quite strong and I can see smoke coming from my vents by other's headlights.

I frantically pull into a deserted parking lot and turn off the car and lights. The car stops but the parking lights will not turn off. Smoke is billowing out of my cabin and engine bay at this time. I check for a glow around the car and pop the hood. I see smoke emanating from a point in my harness near the radiator support.

I pull all of my Maxi fuses that I can. One of them is too damn hot to touch and the holder is melting. I can't access my fuse box due to my modifications (used button head bolts to secure it in place - lesson learned) so I rip the positive terminal off the battery. The negative terminal is under the inspection lid and I can not get a good grip on the terminal.

By this time there is a visible flame by the radiator support. I manage to put the flame out and breath a sigh of relief. I call AAA and get a tow home.

The following day I inspect the damage. The car is ok as is everything else save for the dash and engine bay harness. My car is heavily modified so my engine bay harness only carries the lights, starter, alternator and battery feeds. The driver's side side marker light wire is completely melted from the bullet to the combo switch. I am talking about 8+ feet of bare, exposed wire.

The nearest I can tell the insulator slipped off the bullet connect and it made contact with the front valence, shorting out.

I am now rewiring my car with a Painless 12-circuit fuse box and my own harness. A fire extinguisher will also be ordered shortly (been putting it off for a little while).

Check those insulators folks.

Edited August 4, 2010 by ktm

[SteveJ]

Just another example of why people should strongly consider Dave's relay modifications...

[Zs-ondabrain]

True Steve. It would have popped the 15 amp fuse quickly. This is one of the reasons I can't seem to stress enough about correct size fuses for each and efvery circuit. With the Parking light upgrade harness, there is still your existing fuse in the box and the power wire to the PLH is also fused. Double protection.

Get back to me on the switch Bo. Let me know,

Dave