Electrical fire! Problem found, problem fixed!
 

Let me rehash. My previous tread (https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati...today-1128441/) About 5 weeks ago, I was driving home from Whole Foods just a few blocks from my home and I noticed smoke coming from under my hood. Smoke got heavier and car died. I popped the hood and noticed a fire at the wiring harness at lower left hand side of engine compartment. I disconnected the battery ground cable and closed the hood. After a couple minutes later the smoke subsided, but the car was dead as a door nail. Had it towed home (about 4 blocks) the next morning.

Fast forward. After sitting at the curb for about 4 weeks, I had it towed into the shop last week Sunday. This past Friday, I stared working on the car. Put it up on the lift and stared pulling the wiring harness that connects the battery, alternator, and starter. Here are some photos of that harness both on and off the car. After 360k+ miles, this wiring harness finally decided to crap out.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a18d69c24d.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...89c66ff905.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...17a5642256.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...e5c75d746.jpeg

As you can see, the clamp at the engine / bell housing had cut through the wiring harness and fried the harness which resulted in the fire. The rubber insulator bushing between the clamp and harness was nowhere to be found. Most likely, the the rubber insulator bushing disintegrated and the rusted metal clamp to cut into the harness.

It took me over 3 hours to remove this wiring harness, which was intricately routed along the inner fender well with several well obscured clamps.

I replaced the fried harness with a used harness that I bought off the web from a guy maybe 10-15 years ago. I'm always buyin crap jus in case! Did a little rework on the harness before installing. Redid the connectors the reverse switch. Got rid of the clamp-on battery terminals. Soldered lugs to the battery cables which mated to my marine battery terminals with wing nut connectors.

Please don't get me stared about the assholes on this forum's buy/sell board!!!!!!!!! Don't want to mention any names, but here's a hint. The effing worthless cockless pricks are 00xtremist and Kenshin XI.

. Had the replacement harness in yesterday afternoon. It was a bitch to install after being coiled in a box for the last 10-15 years. In other words, it lacked the shape memory of a preciously removed harness.

This morning, I rechecked all the electrical connections and cautiously reconnected the battery cables. The 100 amp maim fuse was still good. Got in the car and turned the ignition switch to the "ON" position. Didn't see any smoke, which was a good sign. While watching the idiot lights, I see a few illuminate, than another one illuminates, and finally they're all on. I cautiously turned the key to the start position. I get the infamous click, click, click. Finally she fires up. Holy Jesus H Christ! This rotary is alive again! I took her for a short 2-3 mile drive to get some gas. She ran well except I noticed that the volt meter showed lower than before which was about 13 volts. Before this incident, it showed just barely 14 volts. I wonder if the short damaged the alternator?

So, the RX7 is on the road again! Next step is to buy a fire extinguisher just in case. With these aging cars, you never know what to expect.

To my fellow rotor heads, hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend!

I once bought an integra with a burnt wiring harness and had to replace it. It was a real pain in the butt. I had to do the whole underdash to engine harness 3 times due to buying harnesses from people off of craigslist who said they were complete but weren't so I know your pain there!! Glad to see you got it done!

Glad that it was an easy fix!! Better than replacing the main harness and having to pull the dash. And even better to have one in stock!

Yeah, I was glad to see that the damage was localized. I was expecting the worst before I tore everything apart. It might have been the leak from my oil pan gasket that led to the deterioration of that rubber bushing at that clamp. Sealing that oil pan is next on my "to do" list. Recommend that everyone keep a watch on that rubber bushing on their car.

Interesting!

Also of note, Mazda did not install an oil pan gasket on the engine. They simply used a grey sealer that holds up extremely well. Food for thought when resealing the oil pan.

Correct. I used a gasket when I installed my Mazda re-manufactured rotary. The previously installed gasket will be removed and replaced only with Hylomar sealant.

That's an excellent idea. That's odd that Mazda assembled a reman engine with an oil pan gasket instead of the grey sealer. I have always kept an oil pan gasket in stock for a 12A and a 13B N/A just in case I'm out of the Mazda grey sealer and have to seal an oil pan. Hasn't happened in the 10+ years that I've had the gaskets. Keep us updated on how the reseal goes!

My Mazda reman install goes back over 15 years so I'm not sure whether the oil pan gasket was on the reman or not. I do know that I dropped the oil pan to install a high pressure oil regulator and TII oil pump. So, I might have installed an oil pan gasket, which I now regret. Hopefully, within the coming weeks I'll be able to remove the gasket and substitute with Hylomar sealer while replacing the motor mounts at the same time.