Re: Power failure help?

[Alan Lambert <lechefgerard@domain.elided>]

At the risk of sounding stupid myself--isn't what you've just described
a monumental short in the HOT (not ground) line at an unfuzed position?

Before frying anything else, use a V.O.M. and (with the battery
disconnected) track thing through.


--- Pearsondan@domain.elided wrote:
> Hi,
> I only save my stupidest questions for the list--the ones none of my
> friends 
> with old American iron all scratch their heads at.  In my 1988 Milan
> Verde 
> last week, I began getting an intermittent power failure about 45
> seconds 
> after starting.  It was so subtle (very brief loss of power, all
> warning 
> lights coming on ARC) and would only occur once after start-up that I
> wasn't 
> worried.  I figured I had a loose ground wire and was going to spend
> the 
> weekend going through the engine compartment cleaning all the
> contacts.  
> Well, the car didn't make it to the weekend.  Turns out that the main
> ground 
> cable burned clean through just at the battery terminal!  Thursday
> saw the 
> cable come away in my hand after the car "stopped" a couple of blocks
> from my 
> home.
> 
> So, I cleaned up the ends of the cables (the negative cables on the
> Verde 
> have two ground contact cables), bought a new post clamp and
> reattached the 
> cables.  Mistake.  I got crackling coming from the negative post at
> the 
> contact and, after a minute, a sizzling sound from both terminals. 
> No power 
> was going to the car (interior lamps or indicator lights not coming
> on)  Lead 
> was melting at the contact and I quickly pulled the ground and
> positive 
> clamps.  
> 
> Okay.  I replaced the battery on the theory that something somehow
> might have 
> happened to the old battery damaging its cells or even its polarity
> (though I 
> admit it didn't make much sense to me either).  Same thing only
> quicker 
> reactions as the battery was stronger being new.  What is going on? 
> There 
> had been some crackling/arcing at the old ground cable-clamp
> interface when 
> the car first quit as the cable didn't really come fully away on its
> own.  I 
> don't see any damage to the fuses, but some or all of relays could be
> fried I 
> suppose.  Still, I wouldn't expect to see the electrical reaction I
> am 
> getting at connecting positive and ground to the battery.  I hope
> someone has 
> an answer that isn't incredibly expensive and has me going
> "Dooooh"--much 
> rather be stupid than broke, but I am open to the possibility that I
> will 
> have to swallow being both.  happy holidays...  
> Dan Pearson
> Silver Spring, MD
> 1988 Milano Verde
> 1991 164S
> 
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=====
Best Regards,

Alan Lambert
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