Number one reason people lose there cars. Check your wires on a regular basis. Beware the quick fix, do it rite....OLDBEET
word !!!!!!!!!!! happened to me about 2 months ago....luckily i didnt lose the car ....scared me though.....oh yeah its all rewired now.........
Drive in movie ( if any younguns dont know what that is PM me) , about 1964, in my 56 Chev, had a date. Opened glove box for some reason (no, not to get a condom) and glove box lighting wire or something shorted out, like the dumbass I was then, and am now, I grabbed it with my hand to rip wire loose before it spread through rest of harness. Damn, that hurt for weeks, nice brand across palm of my hand. Good advice, beet.
yeah, bad wiring can be a disaster, my budy has a duece coupe with a 409 in it ( the car is awsome) my buddy did a red and white tuck n roll interior in it. and on the way back from des moines it caught on fire on the traler ( yeah it was on a traler its hard on his back driven it for six hours) it was a flame ball, it didnt reck it to bad but it recked the interior and the chrome garnish mouldings!!
My cousin lost his '72 Mustang to shitty wiring in the console. Him and his Dad were heading home when the sucker just started to spark in the console and dash, and before he knew it smoke was billowing out. They stopped the car, but hey didn't have a fire extingisher with them, and the WHOLE car went up in flames. All they got were the rims and the block out of the car. Sure, it was a '72 Mustang... but one overlooked wire could be your baby on the side of the road like that.
Kojack, I think there could be 2 lessons learned from that story. 1: ALWAYS and I repeat ALWAYS carry a fire extinguisher in your car. You never know when you might need it. (Watched a Cavalier burn to the ground a couple weeks ago. Also saw my Dad put out an engine fire in his Pinto wagon with a denim jacket.) 2: Don't be cheap when wiring your car, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you're not sure what you doin'. (I'll be askin' for help when I get there) Eric
I'd like to add one thing to what Studeboy said. Not only carry an extinguisher but make sure that it's rated for electrical as well as gas/oil fires and make sure you keep up on the expiration date and keep it charged.
Never ever use nails as substitutes for fuses. Oily rags should also be avoided as temporary insulation for frayed wiring. Cigarette pack foil used over a blown fuse might get you home occassionally, just don't make a habit out of it. Licking 9 volt batteries for testing them is a cheap thrill that ought to be avoided. Unless you enjoy going down on unclean muff. If you have electrical components on your car that are marked Lucas, you should burn the fucker to the ground. On the last tip, don't bother, the car will take care of that by itself.
Yep, when the mystical "electric smoke" escapes it's bad news!!! Whenever I wire a car I ALWAYS install a Kill Switch.... Yeah, they cost $25 bucks...but it's great to be able to kill all the power instantly. The first thing that happens at the shop when a customer brings a car is the battery gets disconnected or the kill switch turned to off. You can never be too careful....
The Jalopy Journal
