I nearly set fire to the mog this morning!

[Robthebrit]

While on the mammoth trip over the weekend the power to my overhead console was annoying me, the main power wire is not big enough and if anything is running from the 12v sockets that take any real power the radio will cut out. I decided to install an 8 guage so it will handle everything I need in the future. In the process of pulling the old power cable I dropped it behind the windshield flange and it shorted to the cab.

The Pep Boys 30 amp made in china circuit breaker did absolutely nothing. The short stripped all the insulation of the cable, all 20-30 feet of it, and it cut into a load of other cables due to the head. The circuit breaker is in a socket so I tried to pull it out but it was too hot. Fortunately the wire cutters were close by and I cut the cable prior to the circuit breaker. When the smoke cleared I got to see the carnage and I have quite a mess on my hands.

This is just more ammo against stuff that is made in china, especially for safety stuff. Its really easy to get a short in our vehicles as we modify them so much. If this had occured in the middle of nowhere the results could of been very different, first of all I would not of known what was causing it and it could of quite easily set the truck on fire. If you are going to usse circuit breakers I would recommend shorting them to make sure they work.

I need to get busy to get it done before the DV trip.

Rob

 

[Green Ganesha]

Rob, scary meltdown! That sucks; I feel for you. And counsel well-taken on putting quality first, especially whenever safety is concerned. Yours is a lesson I need shouted in my ear every time I set foot in Harbor Freight....

And, yes, be sure to get your spaghetti of melted electrics sorted out in time for DV!

 

[Robthebrit]

I'll be mostly done this weekend. I can wire for driving/spot lights while I am at it. I'll also switch the overhead console to aux power instead of truck power. I will replace the circuit breakers with fuses, its difficult for a fuse to fail.

Rob

 

[DaktariEd]

Wow....that sucks!
Sorry about the carnage.
But I will definitely look for USA companents if I need electricals like that.
Good luck!

 

[outsidr]

For what it is worth, I have used the High Amp Extreme Outback sourced breakers for my compressor and had a similar dropped wire incident. It did work and although they are not cheap I can tell you it really saved me....:26_7_2:

I have to admit that I now disconnect the batteries almost every time I reorganize the wires no too.

I am also planning on getting a portable halon fire extinguisher, or something that wont kill wires... (not halon it is now something that is not poisonous but can't remember what it is called.) I saw them on the ultimate adventure rig...

 

[Gear]

Glad to hear you did not set your Mog on fire. By the way which one will you be taking to Death Valley. I can't wait to see one in action.

 

[Robthebrit]

The camper is going to DV.

Rob

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

hate to say it but that is the issue with high amperage fuses like 30 amp and such. I have twice in my life also had similar possible issues. One was in Moab a couple years ago because my e locker was failing and I thought a higher amp might get it to click in.. Never, ever, use a higher rated amp than required or when lower amperage fuses because of a short, only if it actually is pulling near 30 amps (a ton of draw, many alternators put out just over 30 amps so it more than adequately powers an entire vehicle) and needs this size fuse... The same thing happened with me at 30 amps, plastic completely melted off the wire and near fire situation...

 

[ntsqd]

FWIW, I buy wiring supplies from either West Marine or on-line from Del City Wire or Waytek Wire. So far I've gotten non chinese, quality stuff from all three. Terminal Supply is also out there, but I find their page laborious to navigate.

 

[FourByLand]

Wow, very close call!

Glad to hear you will have it sorted out before the trip, we will need those margaritas for sure!

:costumed-smiley-007

 

[teotwaki]

I'll be mostly done this weekend. I can wire for driving/spot lights while I am at it. I'll also switch the overhead console to aux power instead of truck power. I will replace the circuit breakers with fuses, its difficult for a fuse to fail.

Rob

Exception: Harbor Freight is recalling millions of Chinese made automotive fuses

September 5, 2007

California auto parts seller Harbor Freight Tools will recall as many as 295,000 sets of automobile fuses manufactured in China because they could malfunction and cause electrical fires.

Harbor Freight reported plans for the recall of Chinese made fuses to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration August 10.

Harbor Freight told the federal safety agency that it is aware of property damage caused by the fuses but does not know of any injuries.

The decision to recall the fuses is a result of four customer complaints "in a very short period of time" according to the company as well as concerns raised with Harbor Freight by General Motors Corp.

Last month, GM sent an internal bulletin to dealers discouraging them from using the Harbor Freight fuses and reminding dealers that the fuses are not GM parts.

NHTSA has also received two complaints from consumers about the Harbor Freight fuses.

Harbor Freight Tools had sought to limit public disclosure of the fuse recall by marking its four page letter to NHTSA as a confidential communication. The auto parts company asked the safety regulators to limit disclosure of the defect report from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

If successful, this tactic would have prevented consumers from knowing they had potentially hazardous fuses in their cars.

The fuses are supposed to be 5-30 amps but may have been made with the wrong amperages and that can lead to damage to a vehicle's electrical system. Harbor Freight has now stopped selling the fuses.

Between August 2005 and August 2007, Harbor Freight sold 295,000 fuse sets containing 120 fuses which means as many as 35 million fuses could be involved. The fuse sets sold for between $3 and $10.

The company plans to notify anyone who purchased the fuses from the company's Web site, as well as mail-order customers, and will post recall notices in retail outlets. It will give customers a $5 gift certificate for returning the items, in addition to a refund.

 

[ntsqd]

Re: Harbor Frieght

As an aside, their main location is nearby in Camarillo, CA. A friend worked for them for a while. I'm glad it wasn't me. From what he told me their non-disclosure attempt is not unexpected. I've little love & no trust for that company.

 

[Robthebrit]

I normally get stuff from west marine too but I vividly remember buying this breaker from pep boys because the original wiring didn't even have a fuse and it was a long run winding in and out of the cab with plenty of potential for a short. A 30amp breaker is a big one but under the conditions it should of disconnected. Last night I shorted it across an old battery and it did nothing, just caused the battery to off gas until the breaker finally burnt out in a blaze of glory. There was a lot of current flowing, orders of magnitude more than 30amps.

I replaced the cable last night all the way back to the battery in the back, everything in the camper is working great and at worst I don't have a radio or CB in the cab. The cable I ran was a 10 guage, not for the current but for the length of the run, with all the back and forth and going to the front of the cab and back again to allow it to tip, the total length was about 25 feet. I want to run some driving lights and the console is a good place to tap as the power is already where I need it (at the roof). The only reason I didn't do it before is because I did't want to run another wire. Fortunately I can now run a single big wire and do everything I wanted.


Rob

 

[Robthebrit]

Eveything is fixed from this little accident. I replaced everything with marine stuff and while I was at it I wired for spotlights on the roof rack, fog lights on the front bumper and installed the CB properly. Overall I am pretty happy with it, even if I did swear a lot while trying to get the wires down the windshield post.

I tested the new marine breaker and it works great, short a 16 guage cable and the breaker disconnects without any damage at all.

Rob