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For the fact of working in disaster management for a living i should know that disasters always occur after a conjunction of cock-ups. Right ?

After replacing the steering column doughnuts, I thought that it would be smart to fit a spring en guise of earth lead. Very smart indeed. The horn was horny as ever but the battery charge not quite so. Then the car started developing as strange burned (burnt?) rubber smell which I couldn't locate. Never mind, If something breaks i'll fix it. So last nite i opened the bonnet to undo the quick disconnect battery connector and found a that something was shining in the dark - just like the exhaust manifold does when the timing is off. It so happened that my smart spring was red hot and worked as a earth resistance and started burning the doughnut. To make the matter even more interesting it's located just below the fuel line intake which happens to leak more often than not due to bowls overflowing. Now the tirade....

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Edited by Geko
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That sounds a bit weird. What have you got connected on the steering wheel or column that takes that sort of current to earth continuously ? If the wiring is standard It should be just the connection for the horn push, so unless you were leaning on the button at the time I suggest you investigate further 'cos something doesn't look right - it certainly shouldn't affect the battery in any way.

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Bloody hell that looks like an old fashioned electric bar fire my grandma used to have !!!

 

Good timing on finding that !! Thats a big save !!

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That sounds a bit weird. What have you got connected on the steering wheel or column that takes that sort of current to earth continuously ? If the wiring is standard It should be just the connection for the horn push, so unless you were leaning on the button at the time I suggest you investigate further 'cos something doesn't look right - it certainly shouldn't affect the battery in any way.

+1 You have an electrical fault somewhere, I just used the standard cable for earth continuity on my TR4 and never had a problem. there should be very liitle current except when you press the horn button, Is your light switch earthing through the column ? is the headlight switch on the column on a 4A ?

 

cheers

 

Alan

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It could be an earth problem as Kevin suggests but where is the current coming from? That implies something live is shorting to the steering system somewhere. You really need to sort that out before you have a fire.

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As Rob has pointed out it could have serious consequences in a fire if not sorted out.

 

The starter solenoid with the battery cable is situated very close to the top coupling, and with your improvised earth strap being a spring is there a possibility it is touching the solenoid lead when using the steering, bearing in mind the column flexes laterally to a certain extent?

 

Kevin

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You are lucky that the spring is electrically resistive otherwise you might have had a burnt out wire in the loom. (A lot more difficult to sort out).

 

I agree with others that you have a short from live to steering column, and you need to find that ASAP. The lighting switch is prime suspect (It has happened to me a couple of times). There is very little space between the lighting switch and the column. It is crucial that once it is sorted out that you ensure the lighting switch is tightly screwed into place so it cannot move relative to the column.

 

Good luck and let us know what it turns out to be.

 

TT

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Chassis not earthed??

 

is it glowing only at certain times/electrical loads??

surely before your mod something didnt work and that thing now works slightly (due to your resistive spring??)?

 

. It so happened that my smart spring was red hot and worked as a earth resistance and started burning the doughnut.

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Thanks all, Battery to body; body to chassis and body to steering rack earthing are ok and an extra earth lead has been added from battery to engine. The horn push button (Moto Lita) has been modified through fitting an aluminum disc plate at the back of the push button so the pencil is in permanent contact with the disc but it has no connector. Another mod is the headlamps which have been replaced with super-duper LED lamps with integrated cooling fans. Relays are fitted but these fans draw a significant amount of current. I had a quick look at the light switch on the steering column which seems ok but the wiring not quiet so. I never managed to get the parking lights (front markers) to work with the switch in the middle position albeit they do work with the headlamps are on. The coupling is toast.

 

I shall investigate over the weekend and revert

 

Cheers

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  • 3 weeks later...

Gents, I found the fault. I have a live feed for the headlights relays attached to the speedo cable. The wire was rubbing against the steering column clamp and after the insulator wore out, gave live contact with earth on the steering column. Indeed, was very lucky that the spring was resistive otherwise the damage could have been much worse.

Thanks for the spot-on pointers.

One more down, on to the next.

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Edited by Geko
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