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218 Posts
OK, OK, I am the idiot of the year, I know!!!
Today, I cleaned the Alfa and took a nice 25min drive down to a buddy who was working on another friend's turbo Miata, mapping his new ECU. The car was running like a dream, as always, fast, responsive, smooth, torquey. Nice Italian growl at acceleration. Anyway, when I arrived, they needed a jumper cables (which I had) and a jump, and since I was parked right behind the car they were working on............
Well, when I was asked to jump the other car, my initial instinct was "no way, I just had my car in the shop for 6 weeks and was drilled over $900 on work, no way would I want to risk mucking with anything electrical". Of course I did not follow my mind, against my better instincts, I agreed.
We did a slow drain type jump, I did not start my car. They all the while were mapping and reprogramming an AEM ECU and test starting the other car several times. I did not feel comfortable and eventually said I had to go. And we disconnected the cables.
When I tried to start the Alfa, lights in the dash and a small tumble, nothing. I tried again a few times, nothing. Then WHITE SMOKE from the fuse box area, so I pulled out the ignition key but the car started, and stayed started, and smoking , WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION.. We scrambled about looking to disconnect the battery while I reinserted the ignition key and turned off the car, still smoking from the fuse box area..
Upon inspection, we apparently burned to a crisp a purple and black wire that connects to the ignition switch that goes to a black wire that goes to the starter solenoid.
So, that's where I am. My buddy said that the jump had nothing to do with the burn-out, the wiring was faulty from probably a too thin wire when the ignition switch was installed back in June.
I had it towed to the shop, again, and will get the bad news later this week.
I am a ROYAL moron, yes!!
Tell me I did not fry my ECU!! Maybe just the starter.......
Today, I cleaned the Alfa and took a nice 25min drive down to a buddy who was working on another friend's turbo Miata, mapping his new ECU. The car was running like a dream, as always, fast, responsive, smooth, torquey. Nice Italian growl at acceleration. Anyway, when I arrived, they needed a jumper cables (which I had) and a jump, and since I was parked right behind the car they were working on............
Well, when I was asked to jump the other car, my initial instinct was "no way, I just had my car in the shop for 6 weeks and was drilled over $900 on work, no way would I want to risk mucking with anything electrical". Of course I did not follow my mind, against my better instincts, I agreed.
We did a slow drain type jump, I did not start my car. They all the while were mapping and reprogramming an AEM ECU and test starting the other car several times. I did not feel comfortable and eventually said I had to go. And we disconnected the cables.
When I tried to start the Alfa, lights in the dash and a small tumble, nothing. I tried again a few times, nothing. Then WHITE SMOKE from the fuse box area, so I pulled out the ignition key but the car started, and stayed started, and smoking , WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION.. We scrambled about looking to disconnect the battery while I reinserted the ignition key and turned off the car, still smoking from the fuse box area..
Upon inspection, we apparently burned to a crisp a purple and black wire that connects to the ignition switch that goes to a black wire that goes to the starter solenoid.
So, that's where I am. My buddy said that the jump had nothing to do with the burn-out, the wiring was faulty from probably a too thin wire when the ignition switch was installed back in June.
I had it towed to the shop, again, and will get the bad news later this week.
I am a ROYAL moron, yes!!
Tell me I did not fry my ECU!! Maybe just the starter.......