PBJ Posted April 18, 2015 #1 Posted April 18, 2015 Went out to the garage to get the old 86 out for a ride with the wife. I started her up and started to pull out of the garage when a plume of smoke started coming up out of the battery area as i was pulling out. I got it into the driveway and shut it off. The smoke started to lighten up indicating what ever was vurning had stopped but I grabbed a screw driver for the tool area and took off the batter cover and found my fog light wiring to the relay a burned melted mess. I had to cut out some of the wiring and tape everything off in order to take the wife out. I checked all my other lights and electrical and all were un affected. The previous owner had installed the on off switch into a hole in the aluminum part of the handle bar and apparently my sleeve caught it and turned the lights on . But I've never had a fire like that happen before. Could it have been caused by the relay? Or could this have been a short of some kind in the frame? I replaced large car style halogen fog lamps with more effiecent LED lights last year. I simply used the old wiring that was already in place but grounded the wiring onto the highway bar. but i had no problem with them until today. Any suggestions as to what might have happened?
Du-Rron Posted April 18, 2015 #2 Posted April 18, 2015 Yes it was a short. Relay, wiring, etc was the problem. The effects of the fire were caused by not having a fuse as close to the battery as possible, ie, if there were a fuse just 6 inches away from your positive connection, then that mass of wiring would still have done the same thing, been unoperational, but just not caught on fire as the fuse would have blown. Battery positive, then fuse as close as possible, then distribution block or relay, then individual circuit lower amperage fuse will make sure stuff doesn't catch on fire again.
Flyinfool Posted April 18, 2015 #3 Posted April 18, 2015 Was there a fuse in the circuit? Most likely a wire got pinched in the steering so that when you turned it on it was a dead short. BUT if there was a fuse inline and near the battery, like there should always be, it should not have melted anything.
PBJ Posted April 18, 2015 Author #4 Posted April 18, 2015 Thanks guys. Now I have to get in there and check it out.
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