I have tried
to explain to her indoors that after all the effort of fixing it, I should hold on to it a bit longer. After all, who's to say a more "recent" car wont be any worse? I have tried
to explain to her indoors that after all the effort of fixing it, I should hold on to it a bit longer. After all, who's to say a more "recent" car wont be any worse? 
Well.
All my hard work was almost for nothing
Coming back home today after a test run (no overheating or any other such nonsense....) and the car just died on the way up the hill
Nothing! No power, no engine, nothing!
So I set the parking brake and got out. Then I sniffed...lifted the bonnet and saw the smoke, then the flames
Actual fucking flames! Clicked immediately what it was, ran to the boot and....fucking tailgate is locked due to lack of power! So into the rear door & luckily the seat was folded so got hold of my extinguisher and raced round to douse the flames
Turns out I had got distracted when I put the main feed wire onto the starter and didn't get back to tie it in with clips & cable ties. So it got hot & obviously flopped to the side and touched the exhaust downpipe. Melty melt, sparky spark and burny burn....
Arse!
However, I got it out on time. Called the AA and got the wee man to do what I pay them for
The damage was limited to the heavy wire to the starter.
Luckily I had a spare engine loom, so I removed the + terminal & associated wires from it and replaced my doomed ones.
An hour later and she was back on her A game
Have to say though, I shit myself
From now on, anyone meandering by to chew the fat will be told to feck off.....
All my hard work was almost for nothing
Coming back home today after a test run (no overheating or any other such nonsense....) and the car just died on the way up the hill
Nothing! No power, no engine, nothing!
So I set the parking brake and got out. Then I sniffed...lifted the bonnet and saw the smoke, then the flames
Actual fucking flames! Clicked immediately what it was, ran to the boot and....fucking tailgate is locked due to lack of power!
So into the rear door & luckily the seat was folded so got hold of my extinguisher and raced round to douse the flames Turns out I had got distracted when I put the main feed wire onto the starter and didn't get back to tie it in with clips & cable ties. So it got hot & obviously flopped to the side and touched the exhaust downpipe. Melty melt, sparky spark and burny burn....
Arse!
However, I got it out on time. Called the AA and got the wee man to do what I pay them for
The damage was limited to the heavy wire to the starter.
Luckily I had a spare engine loom, so I removed the + terminal & associated wires from it and replaced my doomed ones.
An hour later and she was back on her A game
Have to say though, I shit myself
From now on, anyone meandering by to chew the fat will be told to feck off.....
