Arrrggggghhhh.....Fire!!!!

[Rick]

Hi all,

After using the F for the last couple of weeks with a big grin on my face as its been SORN all winter, she let me down today!!

I was about to go somewhere to buy Li's birthday pressie, got in the F Started it, opened boot and put hood down, just as I was putting the Tonneau on, billows of smoke from the boot, thankfullly I did the stupid thing and opened it, all of the wiring in the bootlid was on fire, flames and all!!!

Off I ran to the garage and CO2'd everything emptying they whole thing then I ran and took both battery terminals off.

Luckily all the burn marks on the paint rubbed off but there is not much left of the loom. (Ill upload pics in a bit)

Looks like the boot light started it by shorting, but the fuse didnt blow, it shows no signs of fault either!!

My question is, Do I cut the loom at the bottom of the boot and home the engine bay bit is ok and rewire myself, or do I buy a bootlid with the loom still in it nd just join it further down?? PS My boot is rusty!!







Rick

[adrianclifford]

Rick, as we discussed on the phone last night, I suggest you investigate the furthest end of the loom to see if it's possible to replace the whole loom. It may be massive and quite a long way from where you can access. You may need to cut carefully in to it as it may lead off to many other places around the engine bay.

I'll look out for that boot lid and as much of a loom as I can get if you want me to after you've made your calls today.

[Geoff.F]

Sympathies. I bought a 2nd Bootlid as I did not like the Boot Rack Plugs only to find that the harness was 2 inches short to fit a 7 Pin connector.
To build up the harness is relatively easy if you have the patience of a Saint and the required bits and tools.
I used www.vehicle-wiring-products.co.uk for the cable, wrapping and split convoluted tubing. For joining I have 1mm steel sleeves with crimping pliers and heat shrink tubing. The joins were staggered so as not to cause a bulge.
On rebuild, fit a rubber grommet where the wire goes through the lock bracket as this is a common fouling point.
Good Luck.
Geoff F.

[Rick]

Thanks guys just about to make some calls now

[Dell]

Personally I am not a fan of crimping wires together as it always looks messy and runs the risk of creating a high resistance joint as it ages, by far the best way IMO is to solder them. cover the joint with heat shrink sleeving then tape it back into the loom

[Rick]

Cool cheers for the advice guys!!

Rick

[colintf]

that was both unlucky and lucky Rick!

[Rick]

Hmmm I know, lucky I had the Co2 to hand not the powder one too!!!

Rick

[Rob Bell]

OMG Rick - glad you had the fire extinguisher to hand and not more damage done! I'd replace as much loom as possible. And as Dell says, solder and cover with shrink-wrap for the most reliable join.

[Keith Williams]

Sort of lucky there Rick that it happened so close to an extinguisher

I did a fire training course the other week and was amazed how efficiently the extinguishers put out a car fire. Plenty of petrol used to try and give us a good test but between the powder and the foam extingushers all the fires were put out with plenty left as back up in the extinguisher

[Geoff.F]

Personally I am not a fan of crimping wires together as it always looks messy and runs the risk of creating a high resistance joint as it ages, by far the best way IMO is to solder them. cover the joint with heat shrink sleeving then tape it back into the loom

Every cable end connector on the car is crimped without any sight of solder therefore a close fitting sleeve approx 5mm long suitably crimped is ideal.
Do not use the ugly heavy 'crimp connectors' sold by Halfrauds as they are only for the old heavy gauge cables used on Classic cars rather than the thin gauge used on modern looms.
I am having one hell of a problem with the soldered bullet connectors on the Stilleto (1969 Sunbeam), go fast Hillman Imp to they that know, due to corroded or dry solder on the bullets.
Geoff F.

[Rick]

Think I have sourced a new boot from Glenn Sprigg (TF with the loom still in it) Where do I get the tiny heat shrink from?? Tried to find some locally but couldn't

Rick

[Geoff.F]

Where do I get the tiny heat shrink from?? Tried to find some locally but couldn't

Rick

Normally Halfrauds or any DIY Shop. If not, look at the VWP Website mentioned above and they will ship for next day delivery.
Do not forget the heat gun and some sort of mettalic backing cloth to protect the other wires from melting/burning. Plumbers or DIY sell a plumbers cloth.
Geoff F.

[Dell]

Maplins is a very good source of heat shrink sleeving & I usually just hold the soldering iron close to it to do the shrinking bit

[Rick]

Cool cheers guys!!

Rick

[Rob Bell]

I think that the on-line RS website probably is cheaper than Maplins for heat shrink? Got a large "value pack" from there a while a go. Should last me a few years!

[Rick]

My new boot arrives on thurs from MG Mania (Glenn) it is a TF one and will need spraying tho!!

One of my neighbours runs Surrey Autogas and has looked at it for me today and has cut the wiring back and we beleive we have found the source of the fault, some of the cabling to the boot lock has been tampered with at some point in the cars life it was here that the fire started we beleive.

He has cut all of the cabling back to clean wire and is going to re-attach the new loom for me!!

Just need to find somone to spray it for me now!! I have had quotes around £200 for cash which seems a lot, especially in the currect financial climate :

Rick

[m9fdb]

I'd say £200 was the going rate to paint a botlid ..... it is metalic and will need lacquering also ....

[Geoff.F]

I waited for the correct colour Bootlid to come up on E-Bay' No painting Bill and the colour matched perfectly.
Geoff F

[arsvs]

i know this is an old post but the same exact thing happened to me today grrrrrrr!!!!!!