Pecky
Forum Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2008
- Messages
- 71
- Location
- Perth - Western Australia
- Car Year
- 2016
- Car Model
- Forester - diesel
- Transmission
- CVT
[FONT="]I managed to set fire to my car by not having enough fuses to cover all power sources.
I have a second battery for my fridge and on the battery cover I made for it I have a circuit breaker and a cigarette lighter socket and a socket for the Waeco fridge plug. When I put the fridge plug into the socket I must have held my tongue the wrong way as the positive contacts in the centre of the socket touched and welded to the negative surround contact. No problems as the circuit breaker tripped and isolated power from the fridge battery.
BUT
I also have a small 7 A/Hr battery to run my camping lights that is plugged into a connection by the rear cargo area cigarette lighter socket [/FONT][FONT="](see picture)[/FONT][FONT="]. This battery has no fuse and was then feeding back to the shorted socket on the fridge battery . The car soon filled with smoke as the insulation to this battery melted and caught fire. I rushed out and grabbed my fire extinguisher and was just about to use it in anger but first I ripped the wires off the small battery. Luckily they are held on by 'spade' connectors and disconnected easily which removed the power and I was able to blow the remaining flames out.
Needless to say this small battery now has its own fuse as does the wire that feeds it from the fridge battery circuit.
So make sure all your power sources are protected by a fuse or circuit breaker and avoid this potential disaster.
cheers
[/FONT]
I have a second battery for my fridge and on the battery cover I made for it I have a circuit breaker and a cigarette lighter socket and a socket for the Waeco fridge plug. When I put the fridge plug into the socket I must have held my tongue the wrong way as the positive contacts in the centre of the socket touched and welded to the negative surround contact. No problems as the circuit breaker tripped and isolated power from the fridge battery.
BUT
I also have a small 7 A/Hr battery to run my camping lights that is plugged into a connection by the rear cargo area cigarette lighter socket [/FONT][FONT="](see picture)[/FONT][FONT="]. This battery has no fuse and was then feeding back to the shorted socket on the fridge battery . The car soon filled with smoke as the insulation to this battery melted and caught fire. I rushed out and grabbed my fire extinguisher and was just about to use it in anger but first I ripped the wires off the small battery. Luckily they are held on by 'spade' connectors and disconnected easily which removed the power and I was able to blow the remaining flames out.
Needless to say this small battery now has its own fuse as does the wire that feeds it from the fridge battery circuit.
So make sure all your power sources are protected by a fuse or circuit breaker and avoid this potential disaster.
cheers
[/FONT]
Last edited:
) you should check out the electrical thread on 