almost lost my truck!

[screamin86]

So lastnight my wife and I went out to a friends cabin for a party they were throwing before he goes to his new base (usaf) and we took the truck. Well on the way home about a mile from home the headlights dimmed along with all the gauges then they went back to normal then did it again. The last time it did it I noticed the volts droped to 0 then would pick up when it would go back to normal. Well I thought maybe the alt was going out. Well it did it one more time and I started smelling electrical wires burning and had smoke rolling out of the dash just under the column so I pulled over and shut it down and jumped out running around looking for fire. I poped the hood and found nothing at first then saw the wires for my efan were all burnt up so I checked under the dash and sure enough they were fried so I cut them off to run fanless the rest of the way home. My wife pointed out that the floor on my side looked wet too and I checked and it was oil. Well today I started the truck to move it and on cold start I usualy have 60-70lb of oil presure and now it was like 20-25 I go to looking around and had oil driping down on the carpet so I figure the nylon line must have got a hole when the fan wires burnt up since thay share a grommet. Luckly I stoped whej I did or else it prob would have burnt to the ground.

[KY..Rob]

I hate to hear that, But I'm glad you and the wifey are OK. I had a 1970 Road Runner, That thing would catch fire if you looked at it wrong.

[howlinwolf]

my lumina threw a rod and caught on fire.  got her put out and a new engine in though

[VileZambonie]

Get rid of the mechanical oil pressure gauge.

How do you have your fans wired up? Hopefully on a relay circuit and not a toggle switch.

[screamin86]

Thanks! I'm glad we are ok but I'm also glad that atleast its a easy fix but I'm going to investigate to find out what caused the wire to burn up.

[screamin86]

I had the fans wired directly to run with the ignition on but run into the fuse block. I have a thermostat relay for it I just haven't got it on yet.

[beastie_3]

Get the fans to draw power directly from the battery (with fuse), not the fuse block and get that relay kit in.

[Jim Rockford]

I second removing the mechanical oil gauge, Electrics are super reliable and less trouble to own. And second gettin a relay on that fan, Amps are way too high to be run off of a thin wire for a long distance. Same with fog lights.

[screamin86]

Yeah I'm gona try to go pick me up a new gauge in the next few days and start rewiring my fans and such. It will most likely wait till this weekend though with me working 12hr days on second shift and my wife working third all I ever do at home is sleep and watch the baby in the mornings :/

[Jim Rockford]

Stick the kid in the closet and go work on your stuff..lol

[beastie_3]

Stick the kid in the closet and go work on your stuff..lol

No way! They can fetch you tools!

[screamin86]

Lol well she is 2 1/2 but she loves my truck and car and like to try to help so I figured in a couple years ill have a decent tool fetcher lol