Re: Something else to start a fire

["jtrealtywebspannet" <jtrealty@xxxx>]

What you have described is a "home brew" jumper set-up for the fan 
fail relay. This jumper was supposed to be a temporary fix. You need 
to get it out either with a Fanzilla or another method. I have seen 
other cars melt the jumper wires and it can be dangerous. You may also 
need a new otterstadt switch, if the cooling fans run continuously 
it will cause the wires to overheat. The cooling fans have to cycle on 
and off. Make sure all the electrical connectors have not softened 
from the heat, they still make tight contact and are not dirty or 
bent. Check that you have the higher capacity circuit breaker for the 
cooling fans (40 amps). If the wires had shorted out then they 
wouldn't have melted they would have FRIED and the circuit breaker 
would have popped.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757

--- In dmcnews@xxxx, "K Creason" <dmc4687@xxxx> wrote:
> I had a small fire in the relay compartment in the cab, caused by 
the front
> fan fuse line going up in smoke.
> In place of the original fan-fail module I had two orange wires with 
inline
> fuses in heavy rubber housing. The wires for the module had been 
clipped,
> the module base removed. The in-line fuses (blade style) were put in 
with
> crimps and heat-shrink. It was a very nice job. I figure it was 
probably
> done by the dealer (Crest Chevrolet in socal).
> But why didn't the fuses blow? Why did they catch on fire?
> Read on, gentle reader.
> I called John Hervey; he's a good man. It didn't make sense that 
they would
> smolder and actually burn without blowing first, or to do so after 
blowing.
> So while I describing the layout of the situation to John, looking 
for
> shorts on the "hot" side of the fuses, I think I figured out the 
problem.
> The wires and fuses were laying on top-- across the back row of 
relays-- and
> I believe that the little bit of fuse that shows across the top of 
the fuse
> (for checking it's status) grounded against the metal pan of the
> compartment.
> This theory is supported, I think, by the fact that the bottom fuse 
appeared
> to have been closer to the pan, was mostly consumed on the "hot" 
side of the
> wire.
> 
> I've now cut out the old crimps and wire and placed new in, heat 
shrinked it
> up nice and tight. It is now laying near vertical at the end of the
> compartment instead of across the top. If you have a setup similar 
to mine--
> you might want to double check it.
> 
> Now, unfortunately, I have some melted carpet and charred vinyl to 
clean up.
> That wood cover-- that's a bad idea. It was very hot & smoking. I'm 
lucky
> that didn't shoot up in flames. Hopefully it is covered in a fire 
retardant
> paint?
> 
> Any ideas for cleaning up the smells, soot, and charred remains?
> 
> Thanks,
> Kevin