Electrical fire

Decided to run the land-rover up earlier as i've just got it back on its wheels after replacing the front spring mounts (not sure of the proper name).


It struck up streight away with no problems, so i left it to tick over,came back and everything seems ok so i shut the bonnet and moved it off the concrete where i had been working. at that point black smoke started to come from under the bonnet, off with the engine, lifted th bonnet and was engulfed in flames. Just what i needed. so put the fire out with a bike glove luckily before it took hold. the only damage is the cables from my alternator to the loom and the starter solenoid. I managed to save the connector block for the alternator too.

my question is what thickness wire should i use to replace the charred remains. I have a wiring diagram so theres no trouble knowing what goes where.

am sure folk will verify this


you really shouldn't open the bonnet if there is signs of a fire..
you're just feeding it with oxygen and are likely to lose atleast yer eyebrows.
yer lucky it was a vehicle with a high bonnet

slob said:

am sure folk will verify this


you really shouldn't open the bonnet if there is signs of a fire..
you're just feeding it with oxygen and are likely to lose atleast yer eyebrows.
yer lucky it was a vehicle with a high bonnet

Click to expand...

yeah i know but i wasn't going to let this summer's work go up in smoke. and as its a landy theres plenty of other holes to feed the fire with oxygen. I nearly had to resort to the fire extinguisher. Luckily no lasting harm done to either me or more importantly the motor.

ask a fireman if yer like but as soon as you open that lid..whoooff! which is why you got engulfed in flames. it dint matter if there are other holes or not. the open bonnet acts like a well flued chimmey

yeah its called flashback or something, its the same as if you open a door in a burning house, a huge fireball will come through into the oxygen. i suppose i was lucky that i caught it when i did, another few seconds and it would have got round as far as the main loom and the battery.

so you,ll need some of this then

Rather than being initially concerned with the thickness of replacement wiring,
I'd be more concerned with ascertaining the cause ,rectifying it and then replacing the wiring.
Otherwise you could find yourself back to square one .

Look on Autosparks remember that you will need 2 runs of 50amp cable from the alternator (Thanks MAD for that )

groenendael said:

Rather than being initially concerned with the thickness of replacement wiring,
I'd be more concerned with ascertaining the cause ,rectifying it and then replacing the wiring.
Otherwise you could find yourself back to square one .

Click to expand...

whilst welding the front of the chassis i had to cut a cable tie which was keeping the wiring away from the exhaust, it melted through and shorted out. Completely forgot when i came to getting it back on its wheels

Thanks iannotts

No problems