Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:21:07 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Electrical Fire in the Engine Bay
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
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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