Bit of a burn

D90mitch

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Sometimes Peterborough, Sometimes Hatfield

• Sep 23, 2014

• #1

For a few months now - I will sometimes get a bit of a burning smell in the cab. I can't see anything obvious resting on the exhaust manifold so I am a bit lost as to what it could be. Other than the smell, I haven't noticed anything else but was hoping it's nothing more serious.

 

Station House

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Fife, Scotland

• Sep 23, 2014

• #2

Can sometimes be the handbrake cable acting as an electrical earth

Worth checking the cable isn't getting hot when you smell burning

 

D90mitch

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Sometimes Peterborough, Sometimes Hatfield

• Sep 23, 2014

• #3

Interesting, never would have thought of that. What is normally the easiest way to make sure it is isolated and not acting as an earth?

 

P

Pricilla

Active Member

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Gloucestershire

• Sep 24, 2014

• #4

No sure about the possibility of reliably isolating the hand brake cable, but from reading on here the elastictrickery tries to create a circuit through the hand brake because of poor main earths elsewhere....ie it has no where else easier to go. Perhaps check earth straps etc....

 

Station House

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3,960

Location

Fife, Scotland

• Sep 25, 2014

• #5

D90mitch said:

Interesting, never would have thought of that. What is normally the easiest way to make sure it is isolated and not acting as an earth?

Click to expand...

You should be able to see visually when getting underneath if there's any melted plastic/rubber or cable sheathing - that's what would cause the burning smell if the handbrake cable is acting as a substitute earth

If there is, need to take off the gearbox/chassis earth straps, clean up and refit