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Okay, so Friday we did our traditional tree purchase thing...used the TL and my bike rack...it's worked before, it worked again.
So...on the way home, I get to a light, and I see smoke pouring into the cabin.
...I freak out, of course have the kid and wife in the car...pop hood...it's bad. Really bad...smoke everywhere, I can see a ton of wires with the insulation melted off...bare copper...then I see it, a small flame...
If I could just disconnect the battery...but I have no allen wrenches with me...so I gulp hard tell B to get the baby out of the car and try and think of anything I can salvage...I'm mentally preparing for watching my pride and joy of almost 7 years burn to the ground.
Alas, 2 Cuban dudes actually bother to ask if we're okay instead of just gawking with a fucking newborn on the median..."desconnecta la batteria"...no puedo hermano...no tengo allen wrenches...bam, those mother fuckers jump out with tools and unhook my battery...I was like, should I run into the pharmacy nearby and buy water to put out the flame? No, they assure me that it's okay once the battery stops arcing. They were right. Fucking hispanic angels...
Betty was a champ...I expected the "you stupid mother fucker" from her...but got nothing but support. I'm a doer, I act I don't whine...and I felt totally helpless without the right tools...in the worst possible scenario. She suggested AAA but I knew they'd destroy my front bumper trying to tow...she said just think about it...so I traced back the wire that was totally bare, and realized it was the main issue. So I ripped it from the positive terminal...gave a Vaya con dios and reconnected while B watched the engine bay for more smoke...we were good, and we limped home. Still haven't been stranded by this car . So yeah, that is the danger of learning how to wrench on the same car you're in for 7 years...I was "less skilled" with my wiring early on. T-taps and butt connectors and odd gauge sizes have no place in your car. At the very least keep tools or a fire extinguisher in your car...you don't want to know what it feels like to be ill prepared. I got very lucky.
What it ended up being was an on/off toggle I had installed on the DRL module. I ran it off for the last few weeks and I think it just held the voltage and built up heat which translated into melted insulation, arcing and then fire. Either way, decided that with this new leaf in my life...time to simplify. I yanked the DRL module, LED module for the DRL module...led footwell lighting I seldom used...all I left were the security add ons and the original accord fog wiring. I had to rewire, loom and tape up everything I left and now, it all looks clean and stock.
Anyway, I think I'm so smart and have so much experience but nobody i immune...and in the end, I got lucky that people were nice enough to stop. B often asks why I stop to help strangers and I always tell her one day, that could be you...
Peace out y'all...
I spent 10 hours on her over the weekend, cleaning things up. Also washed her. Wednesday...before Thanksgiving I also went back to my roots. I was so hellbent on not re-doing a color that I avoided the Satin Lagoon paint I had loved so much (only changed it because I used the wrong clear when re-doing the white brembo decals so it looked dingy). In the end, I was not in love with the burnt copper...and I was mad at how the toolbox tiffany blue came out...the clear yellowed and wrinkled and although from 10 feet it looked okay, it wasn't nice...up close they looked odd and the blue didn't match my beloved mu lugs. After discussing with ebelp and my wife...we agreed that the baby poop military green wasn't gonna cut it and that I should go back to what I love. And I do...it's flawless and perfect and matches and is how I remember loving the car.
carnage...embarrassed by my shitty wiring jobs, although I had hidden them well with loom
after getting things wired properly, I was testing everything
tidied up
what got removed
and this stuff...DRL module...discontinued...and the USR LED DRL modules.
Technically, they are all flawless in their own right...just my bad wiring and adding the toggle that fucked it up. I'll probably be listing them on the BM soon.
Last edited by Steven Bell; 11-30-2015 at 10:23 PM.
Glad you're OK J... I can imagine smoke pouring from the bay for ANYONE, even the most experienced mechanic is probably an "oh shit oh shit oh shit" moment.
At the same time, I can't believe how much wiring you pulled - Maybe its just because all I have in there right now is the DRL relay harness and resistors and the fog harness for the Inspires, but I'm mentally looking at my bay now and re-assessing where I need to tidy things up... then again, I have maybe a 1/4 of what you have in there, and will probably keep it that way.
I love the blue - its a really nice offset to the black. The burnt copper will forever be my favorite incarnation though
Thanks, brother...I appreciate it. Trust me, I didn't even realize how bad it was...maybe denial. Then again, it's an 04...DRL, LED DRL...Fogs that don't belong...security add ons...hid's...wiring for side marker blinking...led floor lighting, and sound system...imagine...over 7 years with various ranges of experience ALL learned by ME on THIS car.
Crazy!
The orange was nice, it was...it just reminded me of a 350Z...not my style...that color is close to something you could see on a car...the teal never was...that was always mine and ebelp's color!
Thank you, my friends. Yep, it was a harrowing experience, to say the least. I got lucky those dudes stopped. Needless to say I ordered little tool kits for each of our cars. I'm not getting caught like that ever again.
Well, that's the first time it's bit me in the ass like THAT. Normally it's just a something that stops working. I'm gonna keep it simple and keep tools in each car from now on.
Thanks Johnny.
you and I both, my friend...I got super lucky!
and hell no! nothing on or in the car,
well the trimmings for the wreath got in there but that's no big deal.
man so glad it wasn't any worse and that you all are safe, that's super scary! i always keep a fire extinguisher in each of my cars just in case, along with an emergency bag of supplies (matches, water, heat blankets, etc)
i have a tool set i sometimes put in my car but it's larger, what tool sets did you buy? the other day my wife got stuck with a dead battery and luckily i had my tool set with me so i drove over there and changed out her battery but it made me realize that i need a small tool set in each of my cars all the time.
did you find any sets relatively small to put in a trunk?
Look what you've done J... now everyone with any after market wiring on their TLs is going to be digging through their engine bay / cabin terrified of being set on fire
or just buy a fire extinguisher and some tools and be prepared!
I mean, I went almost 7 years like that! I really think it was the on/off wiring I put onto the drl module. That module would get hot...I had them turned off on my switch...but I think that generated the heat that traveled down the line, melted the insulation, then shorted to ground.
I think...either way...got a baby...can't be having my sedan burn down.
Thanh...yes sir, it looks just like mine did...it's a relief to have it all cleaned up!
Wow J, scary story! Glad you, the baby, wife, and car are still doing great!
On my first TL, I had done some shitty wiring also, probably even worse than yours. Before I parted and sold it, i ended up ripping most of it out also. Then on my current and previous 6MT Type-S's I've always tried to keep it more simple, with the current one being the simplest. No BS, no cheap ebay crap, etc.
If I could get my soldering game up I'd solder and electric tape everything. I fucking hate those cheap connectors.
You can Q...soldering is the only way to go, IMO...I won't bother with connectors unless it's something I need to have quick disconnects on...
thanks, man!
Glad to hear the fire didn't spread and burn down your car. Are you painting your calipers with a brush or spraying them? I always thought you removed them seeing how great they come out. My car has green calipers and I'm thinking about painting them the Focus RS blue.
I end up with some overspray on the garage floor...I should protect better!
Yeah, I do pull the pads though too...makes it easier to run a bag over the rotor rather than trying to tape the pad.
Glad to hear that situation wasn't any worse, J. It's a great feeling to be helped by strangers who don't want anything in return. This has encouraged me to put a socket set back in my car.
Love seeing the Christmas tree on the TL every year.
I wonder if it might be easier to pull the caliper off the car for paint? Then reinstall and bleed.
Also, this is going to sound weird but - with all the modifications on your car I'm kind of surprised you have a factory airbox.
I end up with some overspray on the garage floor...I should protect better!
Yeah, I do pull the pads though too...makes it easier to run a bag over the rotor rather than trying to tape the pad.
oh yea good point, i usually take out my pads too. i've painted mine 3x: new black - duplicolor brush (so so), G2 white brush (AWESOME paint kit), and now satin lagoon (2x $4 spray cans FTW haha). if i could get satin lagoon or teal in G2 i would go that route but it's way too expensive. the g2 kit makes it impossible to mess up...you can leave gaps in the paint and it self fills in the holes and makes the entire coat even, pretty amazing
Glad to hear that situation wasn't any worse, J. It's a great feeling to be helped by strangers who don't want anything in return. This has encouraged me to put a socket set back in my car.
Love seeing the Christmas tree on the TL every year.
I wonder if it might be easier to pull the caliper off the car for paint? Then reinstall and bleed.
Also, this is going to sound weird but - with all the modifications on your car I'm kind of surprised you have a factory airbox.
Definitely don't think the bleeding process would make it easier, but then again, I hate doing that! Maybe...but if I pulled them off, I might be tempted to powdercoat them!
I actually have an aem dryflow filter! The stock top is part of the benefit of the "poor man's CAI".
Originally Posted by sockr1
oh yea good point, i usually take out my pads too. i've painted mine 3x: new black - duplicolor brush (so so), G2 white brush (AWESOME paint kit), and now satin lagoon (2x $4 spray cans FTW haha). if i could get satin lagoon or teal in G2 i would go that route but it's way too expensive. the g2 kit makes it impossible to mess up...you can leave gaps in the paint and it self fills in the holes and makes the entire coat even, pretty amazing
Good to know, I assumed the G2 was self leveling! The rustoleum I used on my toolbox was a nightmare...since it needs 2 days to dry enough to put the decal on, and then be able to clear. The Satin is good within 30 minutes to put the decal on and is so easy. I love it.
VHT Caliper spray paint is fantastic as well. Actually really pleasantly surprised - Even if you have some minor runs, after the first time you use the brakes hard and heat up the calipers, the paint will cure in a way that significantly evens out the coat and gives it almost a hard rubber feel to it. Also great because you can easily reapply for touch up should you need to.
I'm tempted to give the G2 system a try next time I do the calipers, but its rather pricey and somewhat hard to find here in Canuckistan
The "burnt copper" isn't actually caliper paint, its VHT's engine enamel. It seems not to go over regular VHT caliper paint all that well. The caliper specific stuff though seems to be great
11-30-2015, 05:19 PM
. So yeah, that is the danger of learning how to wrench on the same car you're in for 7 years...I was "less skilled" with my wiring early on. T-taps and butt connectors and odd gauge sizes have no place in your car. At the very least keep tools or a fire extinguisher in your car...you don't want to know what it feels like to be ill prepared. I got very lucky. 
Either way, decided that with this new leaf in my life...time to simplify. I yanked the DRL module, LED module for the DRL module...led footwell lighting I seldom used...all I left were the security add ons and the original accord fog wiring. I had to rewire, loom and tape up everything I left and now, it all looks clean and stock. 
Damn bro, glad you and the family made it out safely and you were able to solve the problem. Sounds like it could have been a hell of a lot worse!
GP16 
