Help.... Fire in the engine harness

[4yuckfous]

Hi
After the restoration from all harnesses, we wanted to start the engine today for the first time.
But after the connection of all wires and the wires to the AMP-Meter,
the wire from the alternator (dark blue) (J2D-18DBL) got a cable burn.
The burn started, after I had conected the AMP-Meter and turned the ignition.

Strange....the same happend to a other Challenger

The alternator is a Powermaster, ignition is a FBO.

Please let me know or give me a feedback if any one had the same trouble too
and how I can solve this problem......

Thanks and greetings from Switzerland
Andrea

[Bullitt-]

Sorry to hear....Old Song around here

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

[4yuckfous]

Thank you for the link.
But I think, the problem is not the same as explained in the link.
Nothing is connected in the car that can use power.
Only the engine and starter harness are attached.
It is not the power wire from the alternator, it's the alternator regulator.

For all lights I have built a seperat relays and distribution box in front of the car.
To avoid a overload from the electrical dash harness I had connected all power for the lights directly from the battery.
 

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Did this problem surface after you started the engine, or did the wire burn while the key was in the "on" position?  I wonder if one of the connections to the Amp meter might be shorted to the dash frame.   

[4yuckfous]

I'm not sure, but I think the key was in on position not in start position.
Before I have attached the AMP-meter, I have started to turn the engine only with a short over the starter relays, without the sparking plugs, just to check the oil pressure.
At that time no wires were smoking.

[dodj]

J2D-18DBL goes to a splice that splits it five ways. Ballast resistor, ECU, Bulkhead connector(Ignition run), regulator, and power for electric choke(if you still have/had it). I would start with thoroughly checking for pinched/grounded wires in each of the five ccts, then checking the components, the ballast resistor, column wiring, swapping out the ecu, regulator if you have spares. Good luck, it may take a little time.

[4yuckfous]

 :worshippyThank you for the hints.
I was able to start yesterday the engine ...the first time....
But the damages on the electric gives me a lot of work.
Dash harness, engine harness and ECU are involved.

I will change also the alternator wire to a bigger square.

Only to beware you of the same mistakes:
The failure was a short on the alternator regulator wire.
R3-18DGN and J2D-18DBL get on the ground..........

[Bullitt-]

Don't forget to add a section of Fusible Link to that new alternator wire...Fire Hazard

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_1_11?url=search-alias%3Dautomotive&field-keywords=fusible+link+wire&sprefix=fusible+lin

[4yuckfous]

I thought of a supplement fuse
will that be o.k.?

[Bullitt-]

Fuses will blow almost instantly, so they're good for protecting the equipment that the circuit provides power for, like your stereo.

Circuit breakers take a little longer to trip and can be reset, but are relatively expensive. These are good for electric motors, and such.

Fusible links are like fuses in that when they reach their limit, they blow and cannot be reset. What they do best is handle overcurrents that are not quite shorts to ground, but are high current loads, like head lights. They provide a little margin so you are not without power every time something turns on and temporarily overloads the circuit. They are also very cheap, since they are just wire with a better insulation for containing the "blow." They are usually very reliable, except when they get a lot of years on them. If your under-hood wiring is getting brittle, then the fusible links probably are too.

[4yuckfous]

 
All parts are now here.
Yesterday we completed the dash harness 
And tomorrow I will repaeir the compete engine harness,
with fusible link and direct circuit to the battary

thank you