[ScottE]

I have a 1973 spider. Today i hooked a battery charger to the car and after about a half hour of charging ,smoke started to appear from under the cowl.I unhooked the battery cable and in awhile the smoke stopped. When i hooked the battery back up the smoke started to come back. No smoke in engine or passenger compartment, just from behind firewall right in middle of the cowl. What is under there and why is it BURNING!
Thanks for any help.
Scott

 

[Alfacliff]

only thing I can think of in that area is the battery cable from battery to starter and from starter to terminal strip under battery. I guess there is also a ground strap to teh back of the engine there too.
what did the smoke smell like? if a plastic smell, wireing. if an oily smell, the ground strap.
cliff

 

[ScottE]

It smells like wireing. I don't know how to get in there to see what it is. If you take the cowl off, there's a hole in the middle where the smoke comes from but there is a non- removeable plate above it so i can't see straight down.

 

[Alfacliff]

the hole in the middle is the vent hole for air into the heater box and side vents. might check under the dash.
cliff

 

[ScottE]

Checked under dash but see nothing. Maybe i should hook the battery back up and see if it will burn. Insurance?

 

[Gordon Raymond]

Smoke!

This does not sound good at all! A friend Al, that owns Italia Automobili, usually has one or two spiders a winter where someone connected the charger backwards, + to-, - to +. This takes out a major wireing loom, and his cost in time to replace same pays his rent! From your discussion, this is probably NOT the problem as the loom in question runs behing the engine and to the left fenderwell next to the engine. You might check with Lionel V. a BB member, as he manufactures very nice replacement looms, and may be able to tell you exactly what has happened. Wish I could be of more help, I hate melted Italian looms! Gordon Raymond

 

[gprocket]

Cliff is right - the hole you are looking at is the intake for the heater. But the major part of the wiring harness is up in that area as well. Is the heater switch on and the motor jambed by chance? Pull the fuse to the heater.

I am wondering why a fuse hasn't blown if you have enough resistance to melt something. Makes me think a fuse is bypassed...

Good luck!

 

[ScottE]

What would be drawing power when everything is shut off? I'm new to this car, have only had it since May and every time i turn around something breaks. Didn't have a problem till i charged the battery.
Scott

 

[Gubi]

Scott: are you absolutely sure you didn't hook the charger up backwards? Sure as heck sounds like you did.

If you melted through the wiring that could cause a short and explain the power draw.

 

[tokky28]

One thing about these cars is that the accessories can still be turned on with the ignition off. Hence, a heater fan stuck on could probably cause the scenario you're experiencing.

Andre

 

[ScottE]

Hi Tom, I'm sure it was hooked up right. It was on for 30 or 40 minutes before the smoke started. I figure if it was wrong it would have caused an issue right away. I work at a GM dealership and the car was in our drivethru.The service advisor who undid the charger didn't indicate that it was put on incorrectly.
If i put the battery cable back on now,the smoke starts again.
Thanks,....Scott :X

 

[brewtech]

something is shorting out somewhere in the loom or maybe some fancy radio wiring. Are there any other wires other than the oem ignition wires crimped into the + battery terminal? Obviously, when you hook up the battery the shorting begins.

 

[alfaparticle]

You could pull all the fuses and reconnect the battery. If it starts to smoke again then it looks like alternator/voltage regulator or starter motor circuits or a short in the wiring to the fuse box. If it does not smoke, replace the fuses one at a time until you find the circuits that are shorted. Then start looking carefully at those circuits.

Ed Prytherch

 

[rogerspeed]

either/or the heater/wiper wiring/motor is bad, i have seen melted units, if the switch is "on" for either unit and the motor is bad, smoke and heat ensue, also neither unit needs the ignition switch "on" to operate or self-combust.

 

[ScottE]

Thanks everyone!
I will investigate further tommorrow,i'm at home and car is at work.I appreciate all the posts.
Also have antifreeze peeing on my right foot; could this be from heater core?
Thanks again
Scott