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Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:37 am
by Daily Oliver
Hello everyone, this is my very first post, so any help would be duly appreciated.

We've just bought a Bongo, whilst I was fitting the coolant sensor I noticed that these wires 'please see pics' were melted.

Ummmm....

Three questions?

1. What are they for?
2. Is this serious? :shock:
3. What would you suggest the best thing to do about it?

(photos below, one showing general area under the bonnet and other zoomed in on the problem)
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l62 ... G_0330.jpg
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l62 ... G_0331.jpg

Have to say, we're so glad to have joined the club - really look forward to meeting some of your soon.

Thanks in advance - Daily Oliver..

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:45 am
by jaylee
Looks like a leisure battery set up corroded & fried..??

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:54 am
by jaylee
Its an after market split charge relay unit? (2nd picture) screwed to the top of the OEM fuse box...

I don't have a leisure battery set up.. The first pic suggests it's coming off that!

Is there a lid for the corroded internals & 2 relay box thing??



:oops: Manners... & welcome! :D

Long shot; That wasn't you i saw in Chippenham Sainsbury's car park on Tuesday was it? (Silver bongo, alloys, tow bar.)

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 10:02 am
by 321Away
Those after market auto sensing relays are rubbish, they normally only have a 20A rating so a flat leisure battery spikes it over its max and burns them out.
Julian

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 10:05 am
by mikeonb4c
321Away wrote:Those after market auto sensing relays are rubbish, they normally only have a 20A rating so a flat leisure battery spikes it over its max and burns them out.
Julian
Unless you protect them with fuses, and carry spares, and jump leads, like wot I dun. Its worked OK for me for 4yrs and was a v.cheap solution. HOWEVER, you are right that it is a 'tinny solution' and I have finally bought myself a Willinton kit and am looking forward to fitting it (along with a new LB that actually works) slurp slobber :lol:

PS - It occurs to me that since LBs should not in any case (ideally) be subject to excessively deep discharge, you'd think we'd fit a low voltage sensor to them so that no device could be allowed to drain them completely. We'd need one that didn't go off just because there is a momentary voltage drop (due to high startup currents with some devices), - does such a device exist?

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 10:07 am
by missfixit70
What Jaylee said :wink: split charge set up by the looks, judging by that, I'd check out, or get checked out, all the added wiring associated with the LB & anything else that may have been messed with :roll: . If there is nothing now charging the LB & depending on what's there already, I'd consider looking at a "willinton" split charge kit, loads of info on the forum about it if you do a search, contact him via ebay here - http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/willinton/ - non listed atm, but if you contact him & ask he'll sort you out.
Welcome to the forum :D

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 3:21 pm
by 321Away
mikeonb4c wrote:Unless you protect them with fuses, and carry spares, and jump leads, like wot I dun. Its worked OK for me for 4yrs and was a v.cheap solution. HOWEVER, you are right that it is a 'tinny solution' and I have finally bought myself a Willinton kit and am looking forward to fitting it (along with a new LB that actually works) slurp slobber :lol:

PS - It occurs to me that since LBs should not in any case (ideally) be subject to excessively deep discharge, you'd think we'd fit a low voltage sensor to them so that no device could be allowed to drain them completely. We'd need one that didn't go off just because there is a momentary voltage drop (due to high startup currents with some devices), - does such a device exist?
True enough mike, i always recommend to customers that if they drain their LB flat, to use a jump lead between the 2 positive terminals just to knock out the spike, which would normally cause the damge to the split charging system, its best to use a maxi blade fuse (big version of normal blade fuse) as they can take surges of up to twice their rated value for 2 seconds.

You mean something like this??

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12vdc-Low-Voltage ... 5ade8352db

Julian

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 3:42 pm
by mikeonb4c
321Away wrote:
mikeonb4c wrote:Unless you protect them with fuses, and carry spares, and jump leads, like wot I dun. Its worked OK for me for 4yrs and was a v.cheap solution. HOWEVER, you are right that it is a 'tinny solution' and I have finally bought myself a Willinton kit and am looking forward to fitting it (along with a new LB that actually works) slurp slobber :lol:

PS - It occurs to me that since LBs should not in any case (ideally) be subject to excessively deep discharge, you'd think we'd fit a low voltage sensor to them so that no device could be allowed to drain them completely. We'd need one that didn't go off just because there is a momentary voltage drop (due to high startup currents with some devices), - does such a device exist?
True enough mike, i always recommend to customers that if they drain their LB flat, to use a jump lead between the 2 positive terminals just to knock out the spike, which would normally cause the damge to the split charging system, its best to use a maxi blade fuse (big version of normal blade fuse) as they can take surges of up to twice their rated value for 2 seconds.

You mean something like this??

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12vdc-Low-Voltage ... 5ade8352db

Julian
Oh crap - that's another gizmo I think I might have to buy. I fully discharged my current LB once (and left it there for several days as I had no voltmeter fitted at that time so when my VSR relay fuse blew I never realised the LB was not recharging.....it never really forgave me I think :oops: ). A device like the one you've shown me could be regardog as more an essential than a luxury esp. as it'll handle 35 Amps current (I presume it cuts out if you exceed that or else it will need fuse protection) and the cut-off voltage threshold is adjustable. Plus am I right in thinking the blurb says it doesn't cut supply just because of a brief spike (I suspect so since its designed to work with a ?compressor fridge and its starting spike).

My flexible friend is starting to flex =P~

This item would be worth its own thread esp as there are one or two relevant enquiry threads running at present 8)

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 9:00 pm
by Daily Oliver
Well I have to say - WOW! What a fantastically helpful bunch you all are... thank you!

That makes more sense now - I will get this checked - saves me the embarrassment of looking like a complete nube... Thanks for advice about the split charge unit, will take a look.


Just to answer - Sainsburys in Chippenham? Erm... we don't have a tow bar so can't have been us....

Big thumbs up!

Daily Oliver. 8)

Re: Wire Melt???

Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 9:09 pm
by jaylee
Deffo had a tow bar... Looked like it was owned by "outdoor types"!! :wink: :D