[DML] Re: DUMB QUESTION OF THE DAY

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We are all driving around in what are basically prototypes (DMC only
built one prototype that remotely resembled final production). The
cars were also rushed through development at a breakneck pace. The
wonder isn't that our vehicles have design flaws -- the wonder is that
they aren't so riddled with them as to be unusable.

BTW: I think DMC did an admirable job of hitting the nail very close
to the head. DeLoreans are far from perfect, but they are even farther
from disasterous.

First & foremost: ensure the vehicle doesn't have a short further down
the line (remember that lightbulbs will give a false ground reading).
Bad terminal connections can also cause a wire to heat up (that's what
happens in our relay compartments) -- check the terminals at both
ends. A single larger gauge wire is fine, but if there's another
problem the brown wires will simply melt elsewhere. When my dashboard
light switch failed I had sporatic damage all the way to the back of
the console.

Original electrical tape in the engine compartment is pretty much
fried by now. When I did my engine swap I rewrapped the entire harness
back there. Electrical tape of course provides absolutely no
protection from an overheated wire (like a dead short), but it does
keep things neat & tidy.

Bill Robertson
#5939

>--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, mike clemens <rmclemns@...> wrote:
>
> This seems like a really dumb question, but my
> research has not yielded any definitive answer, as to
> why it was designed this way.
> 
> I'm working on Josh's car and decided to pull the
> electrical wire between the alternator and the binding
> post underneath the engine bay electrical cover. 
> Why??  Because it appeared the electrical tape
> wrapping this "wire" was melted badly in several
> places.
> 
> This 'brown wire', according to the diagram, is
> actually three, 10 gauge wires, all connected together
> at both ends.  On Josh's car, two of the wires were
> melted pretty bad and covered over by the PO (a really
> ignorant PO) by layering on electrical tape.  Why they
> got so hot is not the nagging question, I think I know
> the answer to that one, the wires rubbed thru the
> insulation and touched the frame, causing lots of arcs
> and sparks.
> 
> The question I have is:  To replace the wire is a
> given, but should I replace it with three 10 gauge
> wires again or can I just use a 4 gauge battery wire
> instead??  It seems really dumb to me to use three
> smaller wires when one bigger one should work just as
> well or better.  Maybe one of you electrical engineers
> could chime in and let me know why it was designed
> this way.
> 
> Mike   TPS    1630
> 
> 
>      
____________________________________________________________________________________
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>




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