tigermack

iTrader: (5)

After all the delay with finishing up my car for the steering box and oil cooler fitment... I finally got the car to start. Car started all good with the choke on, as soon as the choke is off... the gauge went ka-boom, all down to 0. As soon as my bro stepped on the gas, the tech would hit up again. Rev it at least up to 3000 RPM, but gauge shows it barely up to 1000 RPM... we're wondering why... AND then smoke started coming out near the fuel pump area as I was standing next to it. I bend over and saw cloud of smoke shooting out from that area, friend saw small fire and we rushed to shoot water at it since the fuel tank is nearby, etc. PHEW! After that... I checked... there's brake fluid leaking around that area... I do remember the brake fluid went down from the booster so we refilled that. It didn't show any visual leaking anywhere but after the small fire... it started to leak! I don't know what's going on... I need some help. Let me know if you need more info on what we did...

Thanks in advance for any kind of help...

Mack

MaX PoWeR

iTrader: (2)

bump for mack. we really guta noe man.

Vashner

Well first thing is to take out the battery and then get a meter and test light and start checking circuits. Also check any grounds in the area to make sure proper contact is achieved.

Now also.. we need background info. While it's true some members might be following you and your vehicle. We still need the year, model and mods.

Edit: lol it's in his sig nm..

Including if it's stock or aftermarket pump.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

Vashner,

I have an aftermarket fuel pump.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

So I checked the car briefly, where the fire happened. I see that the brake line going to the diff has been burnt and that's what caused the fluid to leak. Now, I will spend more time throughout the week to look for the problem... any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Mack

Vashner

It's probably shorting out at the pump. Are the connections to the pump totally covered?

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

No, I've always ran it that way... but I guess I should get them covered?

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

Please help.

Skidtron

iTrader: (1)

I don't think I'm understanding you correctly. So the soft brake line from the body to the rear end is now leaking and was possibly on fire???? If nothing is anywhere near touching the fuel pump contacts then covering them won't change anything. It wouldn't be a bad idea I'm just saying that's not the problem. Does your fuel pump ground through it's chassis or have a ground terminal on top along with the positive? I'm assuming it has a contact on top. Where your wiring passes through the floorboard is what I would suspect. Is there still a grommet are the wires exposed to the outside word and grounding against the chassis? Probably just the years of oil and grime under your car that was on fire.

BTW spraying water on a fire in a car is bad news. If it was an oil fire your car would have burnt to the ground after you spray water on it the fire will get bigger. You need a class C fire extinguisher for cars or a class D if you have anything magnesium on your car. Like if you owner a super beetle and your engine was on fire. Class D is mostly for airplanes though. A class B CO2 one could do the job in most cases but it won't stop and electrical fire.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

I will check with the wiring under the floor, I do not think it was the soft brake line that was caught on fire. I will look further into it and keep you guys updated soon. I believe it's the wiring near the pump... which is odd. It might be because it was sitting for awhile? haha j/k.

Yeah, I was thinking about what would happen if the small fire didn't stop... it'd be a nasty result. I will get an extinguisher soon, thanks for the info! The first thing we had in mind was just to stop the water with whatever we have, which was water.

MaX PoWeR

iTrader: (2)

some little info to add. when i was going to lift the hood to disconnect the battery. the hood wasnt fully closed n was laying on the latch. when i was about to lift the hood, i saw little sparks where the hood was touching the latch. like connecting a positive wire to a negative wire making this little spark. so im assuming a positive is having contact with the chassis.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

I haven't had time to check this out yet... but I'd like to see if there's other things I should look into as well. =]

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

I am going to check it out in a bit... wish me luck!

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

I just worked on it again... everything was all good UNTIL...

I put the hood down and have it locked to the hitch... the small fire started and then burnt another one of my fuel line going to the diff...

I don't know what's making a short. All I did was installed the oil cooler on the bar in front of the original oil cooler for the 82'. Could it be because the oil line is touching the hood when the hood shuts, since the lines are stainless steel? I am very confused...

The only thing that burnt was the stainless steel brake line going to the diff and ONLY when the hood is locked. As soon as the hood is locked, clusters all went down... then my bro popped the hood (didn't open it up, just pulled the latch), everything went up again. I am confused cause how come only the brake line get burnt? I checked all the lines before I put everything back up... that's the only line that was damaged and the wires weren't burnt either.

Please input.

gsl-se addict

iTrader: (3)

I would check clearance from the battery + post and the hood. It might be touching when closed. Same thing for the alternator output post (especially if you have like an S5 alt with the tall output post). When you have a short, the electricity will travel through the path of least resistance. It sounds like current is passing through that brake line (or near it) causing it to heat up and catch fire.

There is a short somewhere.. you just need to find where. A clue is that whatever is shorting is probably not on a fuse (otherwise one would blow). After checking the alt post and battery + post, check for anything that is aftermarket that you had to wire (fuel pump, ignition, stereo, etc.). Also check in the areas that you were just working in. Possibly a wire is getting pinched in the hood hinges or somewhere around the steering box.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

I just found the problem... the problem is the hood is touching the positive cable terminal when it's fully closed.

Thanks for all the help, you guys are great!

I will let you guys know again when I have the stainless steel line in for the diff!

I do have a question though, how come it's burning down there and it doesn't show any sign other than the brake line being burnt? That's the main question I really have...

gsl-se addict

iTrader: (3)

On you battery, position it so the negative terminal is closest to the front of the car, tie down battery if it isn't already. As far as it only showing signs there.. it is hard to say. There are many paths for current to flow in this situation and the majority of the current will just find the easiest path to complete the circuit...

I had a similar problem on my old SA. The PO put the battery with the + towards the front, plus battery wasn't tied down. I hit a pothole and the battery shorted. In my case, it melted the choke cable, accelerator cable, and hot-start assist cable. One of which sliced through the fuel line and started a fire. Luckily I got the fire out without any real fire damage...

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

Wow, glad to hear that.

I do believe my cable is also melted because it's not functional anymore... it's stuck and I can't seem to pull it out no matter how hard I try. I think the next thing is look into how to replace that.

Anyways, thanks for the help!

aussiesmg

iTrader: (1)

the fuel pump power wire runs through the floor under the bins on the drivers side, they VERY often wear and ground on the body here, this may explain the source of your fire when the body became live, just a thought, I've had a couple of these go bad over the years.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

oOo I see... that's very interesting... I should keep an eye out of the positive terminal from time to time.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

It looks like my e-brake lines are messed up cause they're stuck... anyone knows how hard is it to replace the complete e-brake line assembly?

aussiesmg

iTrader: (1)

More of a pain than difficult, they resist removal and installation but are very simple in actual work. Undo the threaded bar at the handbrake end under the floor, then loosen the retaining nuts at the caliper (assuming its a disc rear) and unhook them, installation is the opposite, allow them to stay loose until both ends are installed.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

I will check it out when I have time and when I am completely full of energy...

I will keep you guys updated! Thank you for the advices.

I have a disc rear end.

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

I have a little update for you guys, I finally had some time to check out why the e-brake is sticking. Found out that the line for the right side is melted and stuck tighten, had to remove the exhaust heat shield and all to reach to it. I will be able to replace it tomorrow. Let you guys know what's gunna go on with my car soon...

tigermack

iTrader: (5)

Car is up and running, swapped the e-brake cable with the parts car, started it up with the hood shut and no problem.

Only problem I have that isn't really a problem is the left side e-brake cable is stuck open, the rear part of it so I'd need to swap that part out and that'd be the end of this. I guess it's melted as well... haha...

Thanks for all the help, guys. I really appreciate it. Cheers.