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| Electrical Gremlins - a story http://www.gtfieros.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1000 |
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| Author: | BigB [ Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | Electrical Gremlins - a story |
Driving through a major down-pouring on Thursday evening and everything electric dies a couple kms from Orangeville. I'm lucky enough that I can pull over to the side onto what can only be called a casual river! Troubleshooting the power junction block & fuses I come up empty so I know it's gotta be the battery cable to the main ground or starter has become disconnected so a tow it's gotta be (dangerous location & raining like mad!). Luckily I'm a CAA guy and have it towed home to south Mississauga. Sure enough, the main ground wire has pulled out of the connector at the alternator bracket. The kicker is, I looked at it last year and thought the wire run from the front battery (relocated) seemed a little tight. Off to partsource and I make a nice 1GA 9' cable and we're good (windows are actually a little speedier). Pack the car and attempt #2 to get to the cottage is underway - well, not so fast ... 10 kms later and everything shuts down. I jiggle stuff around nothing. Crawl under the car (better location & weather!); everything is good. Embarrassed I fear that I may have to make the call again and voila, the car powers up again. I think that's kinda weird so better head home and figure it out. Well, it was a rather nervous drive home as the car powered down no less than 10 times, but now in an 80's Microsoft Windows blue screen sort of way (power down completely, then come right up again). Another culprit - the power junction block. I've had some fun with these in the past. At 30 years the plastic has become brittle, the posts get a little rusty and when you back off the nuts, not a good combination and they disintegrate. In this case though, "crispy" is what best describes the connections. What I believe happened was there was so much moisture which came in Thursday, that the power block grounded, melted and pushed plastic goo between the feed base and the connectors and thus, things became a little intermittent (odd that I would not have blown a fuse). I simply bolt-joined my connectors together, used some electrical shielding and wrapped it with tape. I may undo with a Princess Auto power block but for now it does the trick. So that was my Thursday / Friday ... |
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| Author: | canuckmark [ Sun Jul 16, 2017 7:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Electrical Gremlins - a story |
Not sure which direction the cottage is but if you're up my way and you run into trouble feel free to call. Weekends are iffy with racing the Legend but otherwise I'm usually around. |
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| Author: | BigB [ Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:01 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Electrical Gremlins - a story |
Thanks Mark. It was really just bad timing. If it happens at the cottage or at home not a problem, but 8:00pm on a Thursday evening, when it's pouring out off the side of a fairly busy road - ya, no repairs happening in the field! |
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