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  • March 28, 2024, 11:58:28 AM

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Author Topic: jumper cable fire?  (Read 13343 times)

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Offline demonicdragon

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jumper cable fire?
« on: February 15, 2011, 04:11:30 PM »
so after getting through part of the NYS winter were finially getting a bit of a thaw. So i thought id like to start up the eagle. My eagle 90% of the time needs a jump start so i attached the jumper cables and the lights started to come on in the eagle once again. but after a few times trying to get it to turn over my cables were smoking and soon a small fire broke loose. nothing was damanged besides the jumper cables and my thumbs a bit burnt trying to remove the cables from the batteries. any idea what caused this? my wires werent crossed or anything so its just weird. did i try to hard turning it over ? should i splash a bit of gas in the carb?

Offline craigp29690

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2011, 04:31:10 PM »
Was the motor turning over?  Cables can get hot when they are too small for the load and you keep cranking the motor too long.  Jumper cables vary in gauge, some of the cheap ones are a lighter gauge wire than some of the more expensive ones.  A lot of the newer ones are designed for small 4-cyl engines that draw less amps than the bigger 6-cyl.

A little starter fluid down the carb and cranking it for a minute then letting it rest then trying again is better than just cranking the motor for 5 minutes straight. 
1957 Nash Rambler
1964 Rambler Classic 770 2dr
1965 Rambler Classic Wagon              NON-AMC
1966 Rambler Classic Wagon              1981 MAZDA 626 (RWD)
1972 AMC Ambassador Wagon           1991 MAZDA MX5
1981 AMC Concord Wagon                1978 Dodge Magnum XE
1984 AMC Eagle Wagon Ltd        
1987 AMC Eagle Wagon Ltd           Yes I have a few toys..........

Offline mudkicker715

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2011, 05:34:50 PM »
Sounds like a bad starter. How were you jumping it?  I have with 1 dead battery in a diesel tried to crank it over for roughly 1/2 hour with no problems to some wimpy car battery cables. Can't believe that would be the cause (battery cables meaning). If starter is good,which I doubt. Check ground.



Manitowoc WI

Offline demonicdragon

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2011, 08:22:43 PM »
Ill try the starter fluid. Ive used these cables before for the same situation. Im getting a hei unit in the mail so then the ecm will be bypassed. Though idk if yhis is a electrical issue or fuel

Offline craigp29690

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2011, 09:22:51 PM »
Is the starter turing the motor over?  Do you have spark at the plugs?

1957 Nash Rambler
1964 Rambler Classic 770 2dr
1965 Rambler Classic Wagon              NON-AMC
1966 Rambler Classic Wagon              1981 MAZDA 626 (RWD)
1972 AMC Ambassador Wagon           1991 MAZDA MX5
1981 AMC Concord Wagon                1978 Dodge Magnum XE
1984 AMC Eagle Wagon Ltd        
1987 AMC Eagle Wagon Ltd           Yes I have a few toys..........

Offline demonicdragon

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2011, 11:24:18 PM »
i know i heard the solonoid. i havent checked for spark yet. ill check tomorrow in the 40 degree weather were finially getting. lol

beacheagle

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2011, 11:34:23 PM »
From my experience, you probably have used your jumper cables one too many times and the ends are frayed. melted the end of my thumbs a couple of times with bad jumper cables.

Most cold start problems with the 6 is the fuel..it floods easy. just push the pedal down 1/4 of the way and crank her..don't pump it cause it will flood, then you have to hold your foot to the floor and run the starter longer

Offline demonicdragon

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2011, 05:44:37 PM »
well i got the distributer install. took a while to get the thing lined up. lol. just barely fit. was getting woried it was to big. so anyways at the moment i got it hooked up to the battery but just read thats not a good idea cause of drainage. so what simple wire can i hook up to for ignition? something off the solonoid?

wagoneerhauler

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2011, 05:51:42 PM »
Is this an HEI unit?  If so and you are no longer using the ford ignition then you can take power from the main switched power wire that went to the old ignition module.  It is a heavier gauge wire (12ga or 10ga) I'm not sure at the moment but I believe it is yellow on the Eagle but might be red.  Someone will chime in and let you know.

Offline demonicdragon

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2011, 05:54:13 PM »
yeah i installed the Hei unit. im waiting for the chime. lol. what would i do without this forum?  :P

Offline demonicdragon

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2011, 09:05:05 PM »
so a buddy of mine says i have to line up the engine tdc which i didnt since it didnt say it in the directions. haha. i dropped it in how i had the old one in though not sure if anything turned while i installed it. should i bother lining up the marks on the engine and finding tdc?

wagoneerhauler

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2011, 08:13:54 AM »
So I take it you have not had it running yet?  Since you don't know if its right you might want to.  You can pull the #1 plug out and cover the hole with a finger (don't put it in it  ;) )  Then bump the motor over till the compression pushes your finger off.  That will be the point at which you'll want to have the distributor line up with the correct position on the cap for #1.  It will turn as you lower it in so you might need to pull it back out and move it a tooth over and try again.  It should be fairly close to the correct position at this point and you can clamp it in lightly to allow manual movement as you time it.

Offline demonicdragon

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2011, 11:56:05 AM »
not to many people know the answer to which wire is a easy ignition by the solonoid? im thinking its the green on the solonoid...

Offline demonicdragon

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2011, 12:38:19 PM »
ok. heres the update. got my tdc with the use of a screwdriver  ::). laid a plug on top of something metal and cranked the motor to see if i got spark. well i didnt see anything. so im guessing i either got the distibuter in backwards or the 18gauge wire i ran from the battery to the distributer isnt enough.

Offline demonicdragon

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Re: jumper cable fire?
« Reply #14 on: February 17, 2011, 03:00:11 PM »
so i found out with the help of 2 people that the motor wasnt turning over. all i could hear was the whining of the solonoid. haha. so new starter tomorrow. lol

 

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