Help With Electrical Short!
05-22-02, 09:03 PM
#1
Help With Electrical Short!
SHORT STORY
I got a problem with my S5 NA. Electrical short. Dead short. Zero resistance from pos terminal on battery to ground. I saw sparks coming from O2 sensor area but its not the sensor. I saw sparks very briefly before I shut off car so I cannot determine exactly where its coming from. The charging system light was on too. I cannot see or feel any other wires in that area. There are some wires just above that area like the injector wires and other stuff but I don't think its those either. It looks like it is coming from underneath the exhaust manifold heat shield or maybe from something behind the 6 port actuator. But as I said I don't see or fee any other wires in the area.
LONG STORY
I soldered in an 86 alternator about 5 months ago. Works fine. About a month ago I changed the coolant and may have spilled some on the alternator. When I started car there was cracking sounds (electrical burning sounds). It sounded like it was coming from underneath intake but I'm not sure cuz rotaries are loud. Anyways I shut car off figuring it was water on my alternator. Started it back up 2 hours later and everything was fine. Drove it for 2 weeks (also to Ottawa) with no problems. Then 2 weeks ago I started it up and same thing happens (cracking sounds). This time it can't be water in the alternator cuz I didn't change any coolant. I let it sit for a day and everything was fine again. Then I blew the exhaust gasket right where the exhaust manifold attaches to exhaust piping. Well, I hadn't driven my car for 'only' 2 days and my car battery was dead so I jumped it and got it going. As I was driving on the hiway my battery voltage fluctuated from 10-14 volts. When I hit TO traffic I can see smoke coming from my heater vents and I can smell burning rubber. Not the electrical burning smell but possibly burning hoses. I thought maybe it was the exhaust heat coming from the blown gasket and melting some hoses. I got to my destination and shut car off. I see no signs of burnt hoses or electrical wires. At the end of the day I had to jump it again and thats when I seen sparks. I don't believe its my alternator (I unpluged it and I still have a short from pos battery to ground). Its not my battery (its 1 month old). Sorry for making this story so long but I hope it can help to determine the problem.
Thanks.
I got a problem with my S5 NA. Electrical short. Dead short. Zero resistance from pos terminal on battery to ground. I saw sparks coming from O2 sensor area but its not the sensor. I saw sparks very briefly before I shut off car so I cannot determine exactly where its coming from. The charging system light was on too. I cannot see or feel any other wires in that area. There are some wires just above that area like the injector wires and other stuff but I don't think its those either. It looks like it is coming from underneath the exhaust manifold heat shield or maybe from something behind the 6 port actuator. But as I said I don't see or fee any other wires in the area.
LONG STORY
I soldered in an 86 alternator about 5 months ago. Works fine. About a month ago I changed the coolant and may have spilled some on the alternator. When I started car there was cracking sounds (electrical burning sounds). It sounded like it was coming from underneath intake but I'm not sure cuz rotaries are loud. Anyways I shut car off figuring it was water on my alternator. Started it back up 2 hours later and everything was fine. Drove it for 2 weeks (also to Ottawa) with no problems. Then 2 weeks ago I started it up and same thing happens (cracking sounds). This time it can't be water in the alternator cuz I didn't change any coolant. I let it sit for a day and everything was fine again. Then I blew the exhaust gasket right where the exhaust manifold attaches to exhaust piping. Well, I hadn't driven my car for 'only' 2 days and my car battery was dead so I jumped it and got it going. As I was driving on the hiway my battery voltage fluctuated from 10-14 volts. When I hit TO traffic I can see smoke coming from my heater vents and I can smell burning rubber. Not the electrical burning smell but possibly burning hoses. I thought maybe it was the exhaust heat coming from the blown gasket and melting some hoses. I got to my destination and shut car off. I see no signs of burnt hoses or electrical wires. At the end of the day I had to jump it again and thats when I seen sparks. I don't believe its my alternator (I unpluged it and I still have a short from pos battery to ground). Its not my battery (its 1 month old). Sorry for making this story so long but I hope it can help to determine the problem.
Thanks.
05-22-02, 09:34 PM
#3
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Location: P'Cola, FL
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Hmmmmm
Sounds like your Light switch just burned up. This is fairly common. You still have low and high beams? The potentiometer in the light switch that controls your instrument lighting might have shorted out and burned up thus causing the problems. Do you have ANY interior lighting that works still?
There may be other problems too, but the symptoms sound like the light switch.
Have it checked out or get a manual and check it out. Go to the www.fc3s.com site and there is a downloadable work manual for the car. You can look up the wiring and all. Good luck.
Hope that helps start you in the right direction.
There may be other problems too, but the symptoms sound like the light switch.
Have it checked out or get a manual and check it out. Go to the www.fc3s.com site and there is a downloadable work manual for the car. You can look up the wiring and all. Good luck.
Hope that helps start you in the right direction.
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