Getbig.com: American Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: Tre on November 19, 2009, 10:45:17 PM
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Here's the short version of a semi-long story that began a few days ago: while driving home tonite, my truck begins to lose electrical power - radio going off-and-on intermittently and I detect some fluctuation in the brightness of my headlights in addition to the fact that my dashboard display lights are a little dim. Just as I (thankfully) reach my 'hood, the power goes and I hear some weird sound at the back and I pull over as it dies.
I hop out and raise the hood and see that 'glow' again at the little post where the 2 leads in the pic are connected. I say again, because it was there 30 minutes earlier when I had the truck idling for a while and when I got back in the truck, I could smell burning plastic. On the lead on the right, you can see where the plastic has been melting.
So, my question is actually a simple one - do I absolutely have to have the nut on that little post? I removed it Tuesday and forgot to put it back on. Does not having it there leave me with an incomplete circuit of some sort?
Sure, I could just try it and see, but I'd rather do it in the daytime (I need to go buy some more steaks!) if I don't have GetBig approval as I don't know a damn thing about electrical systems in newer vehicles.
Thanks in advance.
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nuts are there for good reasons... in all instances
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nuts are there for good reasons... in all instances
I'm an idiot. In addition to forgetting the nut, I also forgot to attach the pic:
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I know fuck all about cars or electrics Tre but there looks to be a black ring around the lower lead where the upper lead would be in contact with it. If the nut wasn't screwed down, keeping the two contacts tight together, maybe it's carbon deposits from arcing? Arcing might explain intermittent power loss too.
You could try scrubbing the carbon off with some sandpaper and re-sandwiching the contacts between the battery and nut. Btw, I'm talking completely out my ass here. I know shit all about cars. I've just had carbon deposits on a tool battery's contacts in the past and that blackening reminded me of it.
Or maybe loose contact/irregular power supply just stressed something further down the line and it failed. Probably pay to have a look at your fuses too.
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Ummmmm, unless that black stuff is conductant and it's there on purpose... in which case don't remove it. :-\ But if it's bone dry & not at all gummy then it's probably carbon and you'll find it on the underside of the upper contact too.
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I'm an idiot. In addition to forgetting the nut, I also forgot to attach the pic:
Yes tre, you do want that bolt attached to the battery. PM me if you want a drawn out response.
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Car is ruined. Buy a new one.
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He's probably electrocuted himelf by now.
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yes, as someone pointed out, you get "arc flashes" from a bad connection that fuck up your terminals and battery. the shit's gotta be tighter than a fitness hoe's ass when you're hitting it.
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At first this read like a alien abduction story, but I agree with the rest of the people here.
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LOL @ alien - or FBB - abduction!
You guys were 100% correct. Everything needed to be tightened down to the prevent the arcing that was causing my wires to melt. Everything is working, but I'll probably get a pro to take a look before I start making my weekend ski trips.
Thanks, GetBig!
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True story.....once when I was growing up my dad "did some repair" on the fan in his truck......he wasn't happy with it and started reving the fucker up and the fan flew off and went completly thru the hood of the truck......he had a bit of a tempa'...... ;D
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LOL @ alien - or FBB - abduction!
You guys were 100% correct. Everything needed to be tightened down to the prevent the arcing that was causing my wires to melt. Everything is working, but I'll probably get a pro to take a look before I start making my weekend ski trips.
Thanks, GetBig!
What the fuk are you doing skiing?
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I bet Tre can hotwire a car like nobody's business.....
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Ok, I'm willing to throw in the parts on this one because we've had them on overstock, but the diagnostics are going to run $300, and with our standard service fee your total comes to $419.95.
Will that be cash, check, or charge today, sir?