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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Fire under the steering column.
Posted by: Dr. Roger Sep 12 2005, 12:31 AM
hmmmmmm. interesting.
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Posted by: Dr. Roger Sep 12 2005, 12:33 AM
pic courtest of Pelican Parts.
Does this make sense? Kinda? 
Posted by: Dr. Roger Sep 12 2005, 12:37 AM
I'm so screwed.... 
Posted by: Dr. Roger Sep 12 2005, 12:55 AM
wires again
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Posted by: Sparky Sep 12 2005, 08:39 AM
Umm yuck!! Ok so what caused the short? Good luck getting it fixed!
My best,
Mike D.
Posted by: seanery Sep 12 2005, 08:43 AM
YIKES!!!
Posted by: john rogers Sep 12 2005, 08:48 AM
If you are using the windshield washer that could let water in that area and cause a short? It could be dirt or corrosion also. At least that whole assembly is replaceable but I imagine expensive? You can also put switches on the dash for the high beam and turn signals as that is what I did with the race car and left the column switches off.
Posted by: Sparky Sep 12 2005, 08:52 AM
Find someone here on the list or locally and see if the have a spare harness, I say cut back 6" from where the burnt/fused wires are and solder on a replacement pigtail. Worth a try....
Mike D.
Posted by: Dr. Roger Sep 12 2005, 08:58 AM
| QUOTE (john rogers @ Sep 12 2005, 07:48 AM) |
| If you are using the windshield washer that could let water in that area and cause a short? It could be dirt or corrosion also. At least that whole assembly is replaceable but I imagine expensive? You can also put switches on the dash for the high beam and turn signals as that is what I did with the race car and left the column switches off. |
Yes, I think i'll do this ...
Everything but the turn indicators.
Interestingly enough, there was water damage and corrosion on several wires.
Watch out for this on your cars!
I have not fiddled with any of these wires going up front so it "just happened". SCARY....
I still don't know exactly how to figure out what goes where. The diagram above doesn't tell me much. =-(
Posted by: john rogers Sep 12 2005, 11:04 AM
I thought that diagram looked familiar, it is from the article I did for replacing the switches completely. Here's some help to decipher things. The diagram is like you are looking down at the connectors from above. The easiest way to see the wires going to the connectors is to pull them back and down some. The turn signal connector is on the right side of the column which is the connector with the white/black and green/black wires in it. The wire colors are the same in the feed to the connectors and inside the switch assemblies (at least on mine they were) so you can see which wire color goes where. The easiest thing is to get another set of switches or you can just replace them as I did. NAPA has small connectors as does mouser.com if you wire in other switches. I made some digital pictures of the wires and connectors and labled each color as to what it feed, fuesed? etc. Good luck.
Posted by: 914GT Sep 12 2005, 11:40 AM
Roger, hate to see the bad luck you've run in to. Based on my experience I would be afraid to just patch the end of the harness at the steering column. It is highly likely that there is more damage further into the harness that you cannot see. When I pulled the old harness out of the V8 project car I found that several wires had melted together where they are bundled tightly near the fuse panel and out to the front trunk. Once those wires get hot in that tight bundle they will fuse together. I know it's a lot of work but to be completely sure you'd need to pull the whole harness out of the car and unwrap it for a full inspection. Or just scrap it for a good harness off a donor car. If you don't do this I think you're at risk of having another meltdown or even a worse fire. That's my opinion, but be careful whatever you decide to do - at minimum remove all the fuses and then bring each circuit up one at a time.
Posted by: Toast Sep 12 2005, 11:47 AM
Cut and splice.......if ya can. 
Posted by: ! Sep 12 2005, 11:50 AM
Captain Krusty had a box of them at the GAF.....
805-925-1993
West Coast Garage
Santa Maria CA
ask fer John Larson
Posted by: lapuwali Sep 12 2005, 03:49 PM
Pulling the whole harness is a bear.
The only way I've found to do it without cutting stuff is to pull everything towards the fusebox. Disconnect everything up front, and pull it all down that (small!) hole in the scuttle just above the fusebox. Disconnect all of the taillights, then pull that bit forward towards the relay board. Disconnect the 14 pin plug from the relay board, and all of those grounds next to the relay board, then pull the whole mess through the firewall into the cabin.
Posted by: Dr. Roger Sep 12 2005, 04:09 PM
| QUOTE (914GT @ Sep 12 2005, 10:40 AM) |
| Roger, hate to see the bad luck you've run in to. Based on my experience I would be afraid to just patch the end of the harness at the steering column. It is highly likely that there is more damage further into the harness that you cannot see. When I pulled the old harness out of the V8 project car I found that several wires had melted together where they are bundled tightly near the fuse panel and out to the front trunk. Once those wires get hot in that tight bundle they will fuse together. I know it's a lot of work but to be completely sure you'd need to pull the whole harness out of the car and unwrap it for a full inspection. Or just scrap it for a good harness off a donor car. If you don't do this I think you're at risk of having another meltdown or even a worse fire. That's my opinion, but be careful whatever you decide to do - at minimum remove all the fuses and then bring each circuit up one at a time. |
guy and james,
i think you're absolutely right.
i will go through most of the harness. everything i can get to without yanking the whle thing. Should be most of it.... and repair everything i can.
i just picked up another ignition switch and am going to take my time inspecting the harness before installing it.
thanks again for your knowledge and support.
"group hug" time... where's mrs. k????? =-)))))
rogergrubb
Posted by: Flat VW Sep 12 2005, 05:04 PM
| QUOTE (rogergrubb @ Sep 12 2005, 02:09 PM) | ||
guy and james, i think you're absolutely right. i will go through most of the harness. everything i can get to without yanking the whle thing. Should be most of it.... and repair everything i can. i just picked up another ignition switch and am going to take my time inspecting the harness before installing it. thanks again for your knowledge and support. "group hug" time... where's mrs. k????? =-))))) rogergrubb |
Holy Shnikies!
I am sure pulling the wiring harness would provide a pretty absolute result, but the wiring harness itself is not inherently "bad".
I would begin with a multi-meter and would hunt down the "hard ground faults" that surely must be there if for no other reason than to determine a "cause and origin" on just what caused the malady.
JohnP.S. The wires are not good or bad, rather a-political, the wiring in that car can be re-used and repaired with a through metering,IMHo.
Posted by: Flat VW Sep 12 2005, 05:08 PM
| QUOTE (rogergrubb @ Sep 12 2005, 06:58 AM) | ||
Yes, I think i'll do this ... Everything but the turn indicators. Interestingly enough, there was water damage and corrosion on several wires. Watch out for this on your cars! I have not fiddled with any of these wires going up front so it "just happened". SCARY.... I still don't know exactly how to figure out what goes where. The diagram above doesn't tell me much. =-( |
Not at twelve volts, water did not cause the wiring to melt.
John
Posted by: Bleyseng Sep 12 2005, 05:19 PM
Its happened to my 914 and lately the Westy. Old switch and a wire lug inside comes loose and touches something else and frys the shit outta everything. New switch and its good as new. Check the wires back to the fuse box.
Posted by: 914GT Sep 12 2005, 07:01 PM
Roger
I have part of an old harness with the turn signal/wiper connectors. No ignition switch connector though. It's yours if you want it.
Posted by: GWN7 Sep 12 2005, 08:32 PM
When your going thru the wiring, check all the wires. When Smokey went up it burnt wires at the ignition switch and back to the engine. Also there were burnt wires as far as the up to the fans in the front end (just the ends of the wires were burnt at the fans). Something came loose and started it all. Fed back thru the system.
Posted by: Dr. Roger Sep 12 2005, 11:34 PM
| QUOTE (GWN7 @ Sep 12 2005, 07:32 PM) |
| When your going thru the wiring, check all the wires. When Smokey went up it burnt wires at the ignition switch and back to the engine. Also there were burnt wires as far as the up to the fans in the front end (just the ends of the wires were burnt at the fans). Something came loose and started it all. Fed back thru the system. |
yes, i think it is something grounding out somewhere else. i inspected wires at the switch and they are cooked but it does not appear to be a leaky washer valve. no signs of oxidation any where near the where the hose comes in or goes out. something had to be shorting.
i do have a bit of a rats nest back where the old relay board used to be........ crap.
i guess it's time to learn where all of those wires at the rear relay board come from and go to.
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