hi guys, the bonnet release cable mount broke off the bottom of the dash in my (OT) daily. i want to weld it back on because opening the bonnet (BTW, that's the "hood" for you guys) is a major pain in the arse now... is there any precautions i should take on the electrical side of things? particularly as this car has a later model EFI motor in it, i'm keen to NOT blow up anything expensive! welder will be a TIG, if that makes a difference. cheers, col.
Unhook the battery. Other than that, I would place the ground (I believe that would be "Earth" to you) clamp as close to the weld as is practical, so you minimise the chance any stray 'trons could wander where they shouldn't
No guarantees of course, and good luck with that, not to mention the not burning your car to the ground part.
The sparks and heat will really do a number on any carpet or upholstery that you have in the car... Any dash plastic or paint will be affected, too. - Joe
If I was to do it, I bet I could find a way to make it spatter. "TIG - making me feel incompetent since 1985"
I suggest a drill. For added strength, I suggest two bolts, instead of one. Just kidding, a six inch bead of good old arc weld is better. To answer your question, yes, you can damage your electricals by welding. Disconnect battery ground cable bolt, remove ground cable from post. reverse procedure after welding.
From what I remember from my auto repair class you shouldn't weld anywhere within the range of a vehicle's computer, as current can cause damage to the internals. I am only guessing that since it is your daily and has EFI that it is a newer vehicle with a computer.
I work on heavy equipment, they have 6 computers in them. When we weld we turn the master switch off, just disconnect the battery, and place the ground cable as close to the welding area as possible. We have had problems when we the batteries were not disconected.
FWIW....I burned out an MSD in my o/t race car. Had the battery disconnected, MSD was still mounted on the dash, and I was welding in the trunk. Grounded on rear frame rail, welding sheet in to install fuel cell, using MIG welder. (Filling spare tire well.) With my experience, (or bad luck), I'd pull the car's computer out, and disconnect the battery, just to play it safe. Roger
If someone tried to weld my electricals, well, hell yeah, it would damage them! Oh, I misunderstood the question.
I have several times but turned off the battery switch, never any problems . I don't know , though, if the switch made a difference or not.
a body shop i use always disconnects the battery and clamps some sort of gizzmo onto the battery cables before they do any welding on a computer equiped car to protect the electronics that's all i know, maybe check with a good body shop in your area?
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