<VV> batteries discharging - starter cable shorting ?

[Charles Lee at Proper Pro Per]

Something discharging a car battery that fast will certainly be warm !

How warm ?

Back in 1968, on my first Corvair, a Corsa 140 convert, I had a case where
battery hold-down strap came loose, and the battery slid back, bit by bit,
stretching out the starter cable.

Stretching out the starter cable caused the battery's 12V line to the
starter to wear through the grommet through the chassis, shorting it out,
but not losing ALL power to the starter, and it actually CUT (welded) about 
3"
through the metal (which I discovered after the left carbs caught
fire while I was driving.)

I don't know how long it was doing this before it finally caused a fire
(unfused, as it was.)

Is this your problem ?   Check your battery cable grommets.

Long version :
--------------
I discovered this "short circuit" while driving my Corsa, top down, when I
stopped at a light and I was consumed by black smoke which I noticed was
coming from my rear vents.

Opening the rear deck, I saw the entire left (driver's side) bank of the
engine burning, up in flames.

Having recently seen what the dear old FD can do to a car, and not being
very aware of the fact that it could have blown up (it didn't), I quickly
drove around a corner out of view of anyone who could call them, and
wondered what to do about this.

The smoke was gone and I could see the flames quite clearly, about a foot
high, but only on the left (battery) side.

A little kid saw the flames and stood by an oscillating lawn sprinkler with
a trash can lid, waiting for it to fill up as it waved past him.  Nice of
him to try and I was hoping he would never get enough water to "help," only
to pour water on a gas fire.  Not a good idea, but better than letting the
FD have an attack on my precious Corsa convert.

Anyway, with few options left, I played the "Big Bad Bear" and "huffed and
puffed" and blew the fire out, with about five long winded total expulsions
of everything my lungs had to offer. (Good think I don't smoke !!!!)

I was completely winded, but the fire was finally out !

The car would not run, since the wires were badly burned, etc., and the
power feed to the starter was welded to the chassis, which immediately
became apparent that it was the "proximate cause" of the problem.  The
battery was still OK though, just the caps melted a little.

I walked to the nearby auto parts repair, bought new ignition wires and
battery cable, and some carb cleaner, and was off and running in about a
half hour.

I stripped it down later to do a better job cleaning up the mess, but at
least I got it home (without telling my insurance company, too !!!)

That's all it took, but I DO NOT RECOMMEND this procedure !

So, lesson is : "Check your battery cable grommets."

I had previously reported a "sign of smoke" from the hood of a new, parked,
Lincoln Continental, and watches helplessly as the FD tried to pry the hood
open, rather than opening the unlocked driver door and opening it with the
release lever.

Boy, they had a lot of fun, and the car burned to the ground because they
never did get the hood open, but, boy, did they have fun destroying the
entire front sheet metal in the process !

They said that opening the door could have caused the air to feed the flame
causing tan explosion.  I guess this might have been true, had the windows
not been open, and who am I to question them ?

It was this recent image that was in  my mind when my own car caught fire,
and it was important to protect my Corvair from their theories.







----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J R Read_HML" <hmlinc at sbcglobal.net>
To: <MarPack57 at aol.com>; <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 8:02 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> batteries


> Anything killing a battery that fast has to be pretty warm while it is 
> happening - and apparently unfused.
>
> You might check the clutch cable or E brake cable to see if they are 
> heating up.
>
> Later, JR