scannon
10-03-2007, 09:44 PM
As I was finishing up the interior insulation project, it seemed a good time to install the nut plate brackets that make the windscreen easily removable before I reinstalled the interior parts. The passenger side went well, no problems at all but when I started to remove the black trim piece on the driver side I managed to get one of the headlight wires wedged between it and the body cutting its insulation and creating a massive short.
By the time I ran around the car, grabbed a wrench and disconnected the battery the cockpit was full of smoke so I grabbed the fire extinguisher and headed back to the driver side. Fortunately, no flames but when the smoke had cleared I found lots of burned wire insulation, mainly the wires from the headlight switch to the ignition switch and from there on into the main loom headed to the battery. The insulation on other wires close to the burned ones is also damaged and will require replacement. When I started stripping out the damaged wiring loom I discovered that once the burned wire got past the tape wrapping, the heat dissipation was good enough to not damage the wire or its neighbors in the bundle. I will have 8 - 10 wires needing new sections spliced in, none of them over 2' in length.
I decided to take this opportunity to get rid of the Caterham steering column mounted ignition switch and lock and bought a simple ignition switch from NAPA that is a replacement for a Chevy truck. I will decide tomorrow just where on the dash panel to mount it. Once that is done it should be a simple task to replace the burned wires and get the car back on the road.
I never liked the location of the switch under the dash as you had to insert the key by feel. It was rather stealthy under there but the convenience of the dash mount more than makes up for it. I also plan to install a battery cutout under the bonnet or under the dash.
http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1479908467_Burnt Wires.JPG
By the time I ran around the car, grabbed a wrench and disconnected the battery the cockpit was full of smoke so I grabbed the fire extinguisher and headed back to the driver side. Fortunately, no flames but when the smoke had cleared I found lots of burned wire insulation, mainly the wires from the headlight switch to the ignition switch and from there on into the main loom headed to the battery. The insulation on other wires close to the burned ones is also damaged and will require replacement. When I started stripping out the damaged wiring loom I discovered that once the burned wire got past the tape wrapping, the heat dissipation was good enough to not damage the wire or its neighbors in the bundle. I will have 8 - 10 wires needing new sections spliced in, none of them over 2' in length.
I decided to take this opportunity to get rid of the Caterham steering column mounted ignition switch and lock and bought a simple ignition switch from NAPA that is a replacement for a Chevy truck. I will decide tomorrow just where on the dash panel to mount it. Once that is done it should be a simple task to replace the burned wires and get the car back on the road.
I never liked the location of the switch under the dash as you had to insert the key by feel. It was rather stealthy under there but the convenience of the dash mount more than makes up for it. I also plan to install a battery cutout under the bonnet or under the dash.
http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1479908467_Burnt Wires.JPG