Wire

[Krish 2 1 Cars]

Evening all

 

I've been trying to start my 1.9 but at the moment it won't fire, the wire in the picture below starts to smoke when i turn it over so was just wondering if anyone knew what this was for and why it may prevent the car starting.

 

Cheers,

 

Krish

 

[welshpug 1,661]

check your earth wires, sounds like there may be a missing or broken one and the engine is earthing through the suspension to that wire.

[Krish 2 1 Cars]

ok cheers,
that wire runs from the top of the suspension to the fuel filter bracket, is that normal? if so i'll just replace that and see if it works

[jackherer 543]

That wire isn't the problem, power is trying to go that way because another wire is faulty.

 

Look at the battery negative terminal and there will be relatively thick wires going to the the gearbox and the inner wing and it is these you need to check.

[Krish 2 1 Cars]

Ok thanks, i'll check over the weekend

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

That's a strange one!

 

I'd check all your main earths, and make sure you don't have any wires dangling hitting the strut.

 

Is the other side the same?

[Krish 2 1 Cars]

That's a strange one!

 

I'd check all your main earths, and make sure you don't have any wires dangling hitting the strut.

 

Is the other side the same?

 

The wire is on the other side too but only the drivers side smokes when i turn it over

[jackherer 543]

Those wires are on both sides of the car because they are the return circuit for the low brake pad warning light system, they aren't meant to do anything else.

[Krish 2 1 Cars]

Those wires are on both sides of the car because they are the return circuit for the low brake pad warning light system, they aren't meant to do anything else.

Ahha i'm surprised it has one of those

[jackherer 543]

TBH it probably doesn't any more

 

A lot of brake pads don't come with the wires and a lot of people don't bother fitting them so the wires are often disconnected at the brake hose or just cut back.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I've seen this before but through the passenger side strut wire & it was due to the gearbox earth stud not having been tightened down so the engine had a very poor earth.

 

g

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Mine also did this on the passenger side when i was doing my conversion, in the end i stripped the end off and it now lives under the nearest strut bolt. Doesn't get hot anymore

[welshpug 1,661]

Thatll be because its not earthing the strut any more!

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Good point, where do the black cables actually go to then, just earth? Seems odd that they get hot being connected and not getting hot when bolted to the inner wing/strut top.

[jackherer 543]

Electricity always follow the path of least resistance, when a heavy gauge ground wire isn't connected properly the current can end up using the wire on the strut to complete it's circuit instead and because it is relatively thin it can't handle it so it gets hot.

 

The strut ground cables are meant to go from the top of the shock absorber to the metal bodywork of the car, the strut is mounted with rubber bushes so without this wire they are electrically isolated. It isn't immediately obvious why the current from the main earth ends up taking this route but it isn't an unusual fault on a wide range of different models of car.

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Hmm i'll find out my phase 1 wiring loom and see where they are attached to earth. Odd like cos i don't seem to have any earth problems on my car and the struts are no longer earthed with those wires.

[jackherer 543]

You wont have any warning light when your brake pads wear out, that is all those wires are intended for.

[lagonda 42]

I can see where this had happened on my car, before I bought it.

 

There is only one reason, pure and simple...a poor earth connection. Either, and most likely, from the battery to the engine (as stated by others, thick wire from battery negative to a stud on the gearbox), or possibly a poor other battery earth to the body itself...but then there would need to be something other than the starter taking a very heavy current drain during (attempted) starting.