MELTED Battery! Customer States: Doesn't Start...WHY?? Electrical system Failure!

[@mariusd5913]

In my experience as an electronic engineer, is that many over heating situations at a terminal is due to poor connection. The make and break of contact cause arcing and a lot of heat, especially if its a high amp circuit. That arcing alone can melt things without any components in the circuit being defective.

[@phonotd]

My thoughts exactly.

[@dvvaughn564]

but twice? i can see once oopsie moment but twice? gotta be something more to it.

[@iHelpSolveIt]

Totally agree with you on this. Totally poor design. I know they have to put the battery on the opposite side where the driver sits, this is why German car makers put them in the boot. Helps handling and safer, away from prying fingers and heat. Also helps to have rubber matting. I haven't finished watching but my standard action with some manufacturers was to make a rubber mount mat and in other time create a rubber coated box with ventilation to isolate the battery. When i did stealth high performance audio installation way back in the 90's before manufacturer installed dash radios were common, used to use 2 to 6 5000kva caps for high draw use and a seperate high current fuse box. I despised aftermarket installers that just lumped extra connection to the terminals and now I see the US manufacturing cheapskates doin it 🤦‍♀️🤣

[@mariusd5913]

@@dvvaughn564 to your point, one may consider that the issue is on the cable terminal side which did not get replaced or a nut that does not lock properly. One can only speculate. But poor contact around the heated area is a high probability either way. I don't recall him pulling the insulation back to check if all of the cable going into the terminal is still in a good condition, so the issue may still be there, who knows.

[@mariusd5913]

Think about it this way, what kind of current will heat up those bolts and bus bars but not heat the cable? when your contact has like twice the metal but that's where the heat is, then it's resistance or arcing forming at or near the contact and probably not an over current condition.

[@beardyeighty]

Eric O had one of these power steering problems the other day that the dealership was going to charge thousands for. It turned out to be the braided grounding strap on the passenger side between the frame and the firewall. The corrosion was interrupting the electron flow after being inundated with salt. The fix was a $14 insulated battery lead.

[@jw-hy5nq]

I saw that, brilliant troubleshooting video. GM engineers are starting to follow Ford on their stupid ideas. That grounding point should never have been put that close to a wheel well. How long did you think these idiot engineers thought it would last?

[@Charlie_Crown]

@@jw-hy5nq ....they probably got an award from GM hierarchy, for that genius bit of built-in obsolescence 🤣

[@michaelslattery2121]

It was very similar problem and symptoms.

[@WhiteBuffalo59]

Saw that and could not help but think the same thing.

[@waltwolf.8601]

@Rainmanraysrepair I too watched Eric O's video regarding a Braided Ground Strap causing all sorts of issues. One with a Power Steering problem. The Fix was a $14 - #2 gauge insulated wire with crimped terminals and Wire wheeling the surface before installing. 😀

[@phonotd]

Stripped and cross threaded terminals would point to loose connections causing arcing and resulting in heat build up melting the connector block and battery case.

[@danman32]

That's what I was thinking.

[@NemoConsequentae]

Agreed, or... the the fault was originally in the battery and when it failed it burned a hole in both distro blocks*, maybe? *Because they only replaced the distro not the battery that was causing the problem.

[@creativitylife5581]

I totally agree with you , on clue is the battery has been replaced recently , and most likely poor installation and or wrong torque specs for terminals nuts , also take into sometimes main fuses gets melted if battery polarity reversed

[@HoLeeFuk317]

Drunken owner probably working on their own vehicle

[@alext8828]

That would account for the fact that the fuse didn't open. There was no over-current, just a hot spot from loose connections. There's a lesson here. If the fuse does not open and you have heat damage, it's always gonna be a loose connection and not an over-current. Somebody write that down.

[@jdraupp]

Wiring diagrams and electrical repairs are incredibly intimidating to me. But watching you troubleshoot by using a diagram not only gives me the gusto to think I can dive in and tackle something like this but it’s also really educational and informative. Thanks Ray.

[@stephengnall2692]

Something similar happened on my 2016. It just wasn't that bad. Smelled it within 100ft, turned around, opened the hood and saw that the bolt was loose on that same terminal, tightened it and it's been good since

[@Josstrigaming]

Ray, you have become a part of my morning routine. Thank you for your fun mechanic shenanigans!

[@josepherhardt164]

Mechanicanigans?

[@Josstrigaming]

@@josepherhardt164 100%😂

[@ferrumignis]

I'd be pulling the insulation back on that terminal and checking the state of the crimp. Melted parts on a fused circuit are rarely due to excessive current, more likely a high resistance connection.

[@jimparr01Utube]

I agree. That could have been the original problem. Crimps DO fail high resistance. As in - big-ass heater.

[@achillies40]

I was going to say the same thing. Many years ago, I was called to a generator that had tripped a breaker. The breaker was a 1500A 415V 3-phase breaker. It was a BIG generator. The draw from the generator was around 900 amps/phase. The cables had very large solder-type lugs to terminate them to the breaker. One of the lugs had dumped all its solder and dropped a phase. (LOTS of overloads to reset on motors). I took the breaker apart and found that the resistance from line to load on the offending phase was 1 ohm. The others were something like 0.08 ohms. I pulled the breaker apart and resurfaced the contacts and put it all back together. Resoldering the lug was a pain in the rear end. The problem wasn't an overload. It was a tiny bit of resistance that shut down a factory until I fixed it.

[@SWATT101]

@@achillies40 nice troubleshooting...I was an industrial electrician in a steel mill for 37 years...seen it, almost, all lol

[@guuuu666]

Well a resistive load restricts current flow and turns it into heat. In a high current system like in automotive applications this means that any unprotected circuit will eventually melt weaker components across the restricted path of current.

[@achillies40]

@@SWATT101 Nice to meet another Industrial Electrician. I specialise in breakdowns.

[@uzaiyaro]

Oh, Ray; you’d be proud of me. I replaced my battery terminals the other day with good solid brass ones, gave everything a thorough clean. My negative terminal was loose despite being as tight as they’d go, causing various electrical issues. All better now, and looking great! Happy to send you a photo if you want!

[@michaelpressman7203]

Brass is the best I love the stuff hey have a good day bye

[@nunyabiz8887]

One of two best repair channels (my opinion) I watch. Very informative and educational. SMA is the other. There are many good ones.

[@donaldmccarty457]

At half way through video I suspect alternator prob previous and or currently but now aft learning it has elec steering I can see how it leads into having ground issues etc ...I'm so glad I'm retired and not dealing with such ignorance as elec steering and throttle etc .. the auto industry has tried for a super long time to push out the small garages etc..... and they have nearly succeeded God help you guys dealing with this pure junk

[@KTHR56]

Moral of the story: Don’t drink and drive so shoddy mechanics don’t have to mess with your truck installing and uninstalling intoxalocks. And then Ray doesn’t have to fix your entire electrical system.

[@notsure1872]

In my area they have car audio shops installing interlock devices. Lol Im assuming the same in Florida.

[@craiglyles4755]

And learn to properly bypass the hack job these car toys installers do since the DUI business will forever exist.

[@donbavol9672]

Essentially, the person who installs the breath lockout is the lowest bidder to the government.

[@MickayG]

Where I'm from they don't even issue those things anymore, too easy to bypass... simply not effective at all. People who are stupid enough to drive while under the influence will find a way, even taking away license doesn't stop them... it's a problem between the ears, not something solved by a device.

[@lopingmymule3104]

@not sure I’ve had one in Florida. I had to go to a specific place about 50 miles away (I was in the middle between 2 locations) but all they did there was install those interlocks. Mine was 13 years ago and they were serious about that stuff back then

[@KennethArnoldarnoldservice]

Thanks!

[@oldschool1993]

Before hooking up that new battery you should have checked those 3 cables for short to ground.

[@TheAsklan]

nope...

[@oldschool1993]

@@TheAsklan Well, some like to just wait for the giant spark when they touch the positive to the battery- like it's July 4.

[@brucepickess8097]

@@oldschool1993 Agree, common sence to check prior to any reconnection.

[@craiglyles4755]

Ray seems new to electrical diagnostics based on several videos.

[@57dent]

In effect he did by checking the Amp draw. His method is much faster as it checks all the lines at once

[@edwardgrimes8572]

Battery terminals all shiny.....no problems here! Thanks, Ray!!!

[@xSensu]

Wish more mechanics were as thorough and honest like you.

[@patrickmcgoldrick8234]

I don't think it's so much an honesty issue as changes in technology, hybrids, electric power,start stop features,very hard to troubleshoot ecm controlled transmissions and transaxles for an example mechanical or electrical failure, could in be a bad speed sensor,a speedo cluster,wrong fluid or low fluid? The skill set to tackle accurate trouble shooting takes experience and proper scanners which cost to of money to acquire and you would still have to pay for updates for the scanning tools and those are not cheap. Then tools themselves are a chunk of change.What I trying to say it's no so much an integrity issue as it's a matter of skill for the sometimes immense difficulty to find an exact diagnosis among many possibilities.

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

I agree Ray surprised there was no fire when the heat burned through the battery @Rainman Ray's Repairs

[@timmack2415]

Often times, heat build up is because of high resistance, not always high current. Checking the connectors on both ends probably would have been a good idea. Plus, you are braver than I! I would have checked all those circuits to ground before I reconnected them. Peace ✌️

[@joecool509]

This 👆..high resistance connection can cause over heat conditions anywhere in the circuit and is not able to be fuse protected.

[@JasonFritcher]

@UCzjspTW2I4ZpnXsxenY3fFQ Higher resistance means more voltage drop, and voltage drop times current is power lost to heat. Current can stay the same, but if voltage drop increases, more heat will be produced.

[@technicalprecision8651]

Ohm's law does not apply to HRCs (high resistance connections) because they are basically using air space or in some cases semi conductive corrosion to bridge the connection and that is where the heat is coming from due to arcing. This is seen a lot in high voltage applications and even in residential connections. Connections have to be tight or they will get hot.

[@StephenFasciani]

High resistance can also be the cause of an inadequate torque on the connections. You want adequate conductor contact to avoid this.

[@spaceflight1019]

@@technicalprecision8651 When preventive/predictive maintenance was in vogue folks used infrared cameras to look for hot spots. Now they look at Mean Time Between Failures and the odds of the plant being shuttered instead of wasting money to fix problems before they fail.

[@rogerfleury3591]

113th! YIPPEE! BOY HOWDY! GOOD MORNING RAY! BREATHALYZERS ARE NEVER OK! WILL MESS WITH WIRING IF NOT INSTALLED OR REMOVED PROPERLY! I worked in probation and parol, and had clients with big problems happen with breathalyzers. Roger in Pierre South Dakota

[@AV84USA]

Ray, I have the Milwaukee stubby impact too, and after a week of using it I removed the belt clip. Surprisingly, it made a big difference in handling! I didn’t realize how much it was getting in my way until it was gone.

[@michaelpressman7203]

If I use the Bell clip my pants would fall down so I understand why you removed it hey have a nice day

[@thebeastinsdeu]

Wow, 4K and HRD looks so nice, Please do more video in this format.

[@imkrazy182]

These diagnostic videos are my favorite. While I like the straight repairs, its more fun to watch you troubleshoot.

[@edlyli7166]

You're good. Wish you were in my area. It's hard to find good, honest mechanics.

[@davidmachtolff8451]

Agree with most on a loose connection however, having happened twice leads to a possible "intermediate " condition. The fact that an interlock device was just removed adds unknown variables. Would be nice to know if the first one melted before or after the interlock.

[@Graham_Langley]

I couldn't see in the video but I hope those connections don't rely on the plastic carrier to maintain their clamping force. Seen the results of that before...

[@stevewillard9836]

interlock camp here. the customer even told him it happened at the same time. sometimes i worry about that boy (ray)

[@108gk]

All of it could have been the result of an attempt to bypass the interlock at some point in time.

[@TJ-nr9cg]

I've had an interlock at one time in my life and my newest girlfriend has had one recently and I e found that those devices cause a lot of harm to the battery due to constant draw on the battery. The constant draw paired with a bad connection could definitely cause that.

[@stevewillard9836]

@@108gk good point and if you noticed the wire that was off was the one going to the starter, the same wire a interlock connects to

[@sferg9582]

You mentioned that there was a BAC starter lockout installed and later removed when the problems came up, which tells me whoever removed the device wasn't tightening the distribution block fasteners enough which caused overheating.... not enough "clickage".

[@kingofdaplayazball5817]

Thank you for your videos. My family's mechanic was a very close friend, and unfortunately he is no longer with us, but the silver lining behind that is now my family and I watch Rainman Ray's videos. You help fill a gigantic void in my nephew's life, and for that I can't thank you enough.

[@ItsJusHP]

Can't wait for the update, I'm going with fixed 👍

[@SE45CX]

Hi Ray, as a suggestion you might be interested in a current clamp meter. Maybe it is something to get your job done even more efficiently.

[@sheluvzslizzy7926]

Wow at last a soft tutorial I can follow! you sir are a genius

[@ericwalstrand3512]

I'm impressed that he pretty much had it repaired before he put it in the bay.

[@alfredocarpaneto5976]

Check the ground strap. South Main Auto just did a video on one of these GM rigs with wonky electrical issues that dealt with power steering. Turns out it was a ground strap corroded. This was a 2019 Chevy pickup he worked on.

[@mooseman3136]

Just in case it does it again, I would have put some sort of heat insulator (maybe exhaust wrap type stuff) between the terminal and the battery to at least save the battery from damage if it were to happen again. And as someone else mentioned, SMA had a corroded ground strap to the frame that affected the power steering. I would be suspecting the power steering if it's drawing too many amps (although you'd think the fuse would blow). But to have it happen twice, I would not let it go until the CAUSE of the heat is actually found.

[@dennissamuels69]

NICE Ron White “satellites linking up in outer space” reference!

[@02hockeystick19]

As a dealership tech, I usually shy away from anything involving issues with an intoxalock or removed intoxalock system. If you’re not careful, you can get yourself into a lot of legal trouble especially if they aren’t supposed to have it out of the vehicle. Typically that system has to be worked on by a specific place and if this happened after they had it removed, I’m tempted to think it was removed illegally. I wouldn’t think that the people certified to put those in and take them out would mess it up this poorly to where it’s borderline electrical fire…

[@willypalooza6519]

Unfortunately i had one. Regardless they are absolutely certed to take on vehicles and if you fail to mention during your install appt seemingly small things like its a hybrid they kick it until correct info is obtained. They are trained pros installing and uninstalling them. And have all oem vehicle info before you come in to ensure electrical install is up to snuff

[@TheBattleMaster100]

I've waited over fifteen minutes for your doo-di-do-di-doo. Awesome.

[@markraday8071]

Good morning Ray thanks for the video. I can't believe all the electronics in new vehicles 💯. It takes a skilled technician and specialized equipment for a proper repair. Good thing the owner of that truck came to you ✌️. Have a great day 🇺🇸

[@supralapsarian]

13:25 - The exact moment we answer the question: “but how did the third terminal get melty-hot too without the vacant one showing any damage?” 🤣 The last guy had the same thought. (You know… the guy whose arthritis prevented him from tightening any of the bolts down.) Another fantastic video! Thanks for letting us tag along.

[@jasonpeace1991]

My father is one of those people He gave me one of his bikes to look at why it wasn't running right I swear not a damn bolt was tight had air leaks everywhere he had been Brought him a 1/4" digital torque wrench and told him it's not tight until it tells you it's tight!

[@bluewindshield]

I'm laughing.... just because your videos are always entertaining. You enjoy your work, and viewers enjoy learning new stuff. Pretty confident things were not tightened down, and that was the cause of the excessive heating issue.

[@G0NMY]

that stay bar vertical support right by the battery looks like its had tape wrapped around it could that have rubbed through the lead providing an intermittent earth as it vibrates with the engine. And that is why it was un bolted from the stay bar effectively removing the earth?? I would remove the tape off the metal support and the wire and inspect for arching.

[@bobbyb322]

The people that installed the breathalyzer screwed it up when they removed it. That's my diagnosis, not to be confused with opinion.

[@snipusmaximus]

Totally concur, those folks that install and remove IIDs are notorious for screwing electrical systems on vehicles.

[@grassroot011]

Yup, there is a wide gap , chasm between facts and opinions. This is what causes much mayhem in politics too. ? Capiche?

[@michaelpressman7203]

I wonder if the guy that put the last fuse block in did it for a six pack and remove the breathalyzer just an assumption on my part hey have a good day

[@bobbyb322]

@@michaelpressman7203 Most likely, I would have just drunk a six pack and remove it myself though then head to the bar.

[@superradish]

Ray, thanks for your videos. I've been screwing around in my dashboard and today my car continued to run after i pulled the key out of the ignition. Watching you taught me how to track down the short in the line to the ignition cable. You do great work.

[@Chr49]

hi ray have you checked if the ground connection is ok. I've seen a new car burn because of a bad ground connection. Crusty cable maybe. I am an Electrician and have seen many things destroyed by a bad neutral connection. i like your videos. good and honest work

[@MrMustangMan]

i've seen you work on one of these in the past.....

[@godg521]

Mr Rainman... you inspire me as I'm a heavy mechanic... but a volt drop test can positively assure that the terminal in question, is faulty rather a scan and bam.. love your work and uploads u boss and I always refer to your vids when I'm in a bother.. peace ✌️

[@tomtke7351]

Y-E-S it is a good video !! The 175 A alternator fuse resides between battery +12 and alternator +14V. Might have been instructive to drive the vehicle to enact higher rpm's and then observe heating.... putting lots of load like ac, headlights, etc, on the alternator's connection.

[@kevinjohnson9543]

Check the body/frame grounding strap under the passenger front wheel well. There is another shop I’ve seen that diagnosed a similar truck with weird electrical issues and that strap was corroded and not bonding properly. That could help explain the high resistance across the circuit t6at overheated.

[@johnduer7428]

I love the fact that you are not afraid to tackle a job that started with another repair job. You are the doodle I dooo guru.

[@adampyro834]

its not a valid repair without at least one doodly-doo

[@swoopulater]

yep, loose connection would be the #1 guess on my part too but you didn't drive it to see if anything changed while driving. that alternator output at idle being 14.8 is within the high end of the spec but i might of driven the vehicle to see if that could of been an issue do to a possible regulator problem in the alternator. but that's just my thinking... from all indications though, knowing someone else had been working on it, the most likely suspect is a incorrect prior repair. some guy in a hurry, not tightening down the connections good enough 😁

[@CubbyTech]

14.6v is the general upper limit for lead-acid - after 15v, some electronics can fail or cause undesirable function.

[@eddieMurphy11111]

the best one is solving the problems again thanks for the very interesting video

[@USbilbo1966]

It is always a good sign for a mechanic to see that they have good tools. The thermal imager from Snap-on shows that you are buying good tools. And use them. I love watching you and other mechanics on KZbin. I have learned so much. Keep up the great work, we are watching.

[@keysautorepair6038]

Have seen starters pull too much amps and do this and have also seen an alternator overcharge due to grease getting on the brushes.

[@stonemason9063]

I've seen this before, if someone replaces the battery on these and left the fused wires loose it arcs and melts the fuse exactly like this. I've dealt with several self/roadside repairs where they left 1 or 2 of those wires loose and melted the battery fuse block. This is more than likely what happened here.

[@chrisstromberg6527]

Too have it happen twice though!?

[@stonemason9063]

@@chrisstromberg6527 could be the first one incompetent tech, 2nd could've been owner when he replaced battery. It's hard to say. But thats what the evidence presents itself as given the information. So that's just what one has to presume.

[@Black3ternity]

@@chrisstromberg6527 Ray said something of additional hardware lying about and cross-threaded nuts and bolts. Probably botched up the first time and as Ray said: The replacement unit did not come with new nuts so maybe they did not really realize they were cross-threaded and put them back on as far as they go.

[@stevewillard9836]

it shorted for sure but the cause i think only the owner knows and he aint talking

[@charlies418]

​@@chrisstromberg6527He found that one of the nuts was stripped, so I suspect that this happened when they replaced the battery before and is responsible for it happening again!

[@fluffyblue4006]

Check the lugs. That wrapped cable with the blue tape on it looked very suspicious and should be inspected. Turn on all of the big loads and check again with the thermal cam. Testing these circuits with a multimeter is tricky. It might blow up your meter's fuse. Use some headlight bulbs instead, wired in parallel and use that as an amp meter. If they light up bright, the circuit is drawing lots of current or is shorted.

[@chrismccaskell7156]

Morning Ray hope you're having a Great day. Love your videos

[@ron1584]

Eric O found a bad ground wire from body to the frame causing some issues. You are right about having a loose altinator wire causing the melting at the terminal and battery, the fuse didn't blow because it was on the feed side from the altinator. The nut probably was not tightened enough or it loosens off from vibration or torquing of the engine pulling on the wire.

[@loudelvis610]

As a stereo guy that gets blamed for any issues the car has after I work on a vehicle until the end of time....I feel for the person that removed the DWI lockout devise mentioned in notes at beginning of video...sounded like customer was blaming that person

[@craiglyles4755]

The blame game and alcoholism go hand and hand but someone hacked that thing up…maybe the customer got drunk and started the uninstall himself.

[@michaelpressman7203]

It's the old mentality you touch the vehicle you broke it even if it's a mechanical problem on the other end of the car and it's totally unrelated hey have a nice day bye

[@lukekirkby5304]

@@craiglyles4755 I've had people literally come in and say the unit is faulty and causing false reading with an open beer in the car and half a six pack on the passenger side

[@Rotttman]

High resistance which you overlooked. That truck will be back with the same issue.

[@bobbycasualhaunts]

I was gonna say Eric came across the assisted power steering issue last week on a 2019 model. Turns out it was a badly corroded ground strap behind front passenger wheel.

[@IBenZik]

@2:00, gives a new meaning to burning up the road/highway.

[@shaggyrat2643]

My opinion before starting engine Something that always scares the dickens out me with those batteries Dropping the support bar that goes across the battery terminals causing things to melt Video mark 19:42 That is my educated guess at this mark

[@suecrets5169]

Ray watched South Main Auto Repair LLC video he had a 2019 with a chassis ground problem from rust belt so strap was falling apart. Affected power steering. He was checking voltage drops. I Like how through you guys are.

[@fatguyinalittleshop8196]

My guess, as an engineer for an electric company is the same as yours. Loose connections can wreak havoc on any equipment associated with the loose connection.

[@stevewhite3424]

That absolutely makes sense, once.. To assume the same cause for the 2nd failure which was identical to the 1st is getting perilously close to what we used to call in aircraft troubleshooting "a truth trap" .

[@stevewillard9836]

@@stevewhite3424 the only way a battery, terminal burn like that is if you go positive to negative. its no loose terminal. thats what happens when ur drunk and forget how the wires were hooked up

[@roji556]

@@stevewillard9836 Loose connections cause arcing which cause a lot of heat thus melting things

[@michaelpressman7203]

Maybe it was the same engineer that work for Chrysler

[@111smd]

i agree with you and at this point all you can do is tell the owner that they need to watch it to see if it happens again

[@dropdoc4927]

The second terminal that was mysteriously melted most likely happened as a result of a quick roadside fix. The cable with heat issues was moved to a terminal that was still intact thus causing additional "meltage". Exactly the same as was done @13:25 to cheat an easier way.

[@jameshollingsworth4714]

I=E/R as they say, not just a good idea, its the law. That nice patina of carbon black left on the burnt lug from the first failure, coupled with insufficient torque on the stud during the repair, could easily account for the spiral of events starting with heating to the point of softening then melting the plastic of the block, escalating to total burnout. Great fix, love your videos.

[@spelunkerd]

Yep. The voltage drop across a loose connection can be easy to measure, and similarly you can measure current with an inductive ammeter without touching the connection. The power loss at that point is simply i*V. Those Joules have to go somewhere, they end up as heat, which increases resistance, which increases power loss, spiraling out of control. Worse yet, the downstream device often doesn't do well with reduced downstream voltage, meaning it stays on for longer, increasing energy demand, and maybe even killing downstream connectors and devices. Because current may actually be reduced, no fuse will help that.

[@jameshollingsworth4714]

@@spelunkerd The classic case of the power distribution panel saving the fuse!

[@SimpleLife1971]

Connector loose once I can concur but twice leaves me scratching my head. What's also surprising Ray is the lack of any nuclear trouble codes generated for such a catastrophic electrical event.

[@grahamfowke]

The reason it was twice was likely the stripped nuts, which then didn’t come with the second unit so they used the same stripped nuts, and got the same result!

[@billhennie]

My 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 need a new battery. I had to remove the coolant bottle to get to the battery. That necessitated the removal of the air cleaner box to remove the coolant bottle to change the battery. I am surprised that you removed the battery without removal of all of the above mentioned components.

[@pursang6792]

What's a day with Ray without a Silverado needing saved.

[@MrMustangMan]

exactly....

[@ernest6980]

I have made negative comments about your Channel now that I’ve watched your Channel for several months and I STAND CORRECTED Your a top notch mechanic 👍🏾

[@kenore4003]

Open minds can be changed with new information.

[@markphillips2076]

I just wonder if that loose brace bar could have been flapping about and bounced into the distribution block, causing an intermittent short, just enough to melt the terminal post? Lots of sparks and heat, but not enough current to blow the fuse. That distribution block really needs a plastic cover.

[@Black3ternity]

The brace bar looks insulated enough across that spot. As long as that insulation isn't punctured or moved it should be fine.

[@chrisrann2805]

Hi Ray, the heat has to be a result of high resistance, given the fact the battery is new, the alternator wouldn't have been doing much work. I'd have loaded the alternator whilst observing the heat and also remove the insulation to check the crimps. I'd also consider doing a volt drop test between the alternator post and the post on the distribution board with the engine running of course.

[@spaceflight1019]

Did it smell like booze when you opened the door? What us old-timers did to find which circuit was causing the problem was to connect a 12 volt test light between the battery and one of the main leads. Remove all of the fuses in case there are multiple problems. Replace them one at a time until the light illuminates. Replace the remaining fuses and troubleshoot the ones that light the light.

[@peted5217]

I think ol Ray already had that deal covered.

[@Chris-yy7qc]

I had a similar problem once. It was actually a fault in the starter relay, causing the starter to turn the engine (while the vehicle was off/parked) until the cabling melted. Maybe its some kind of intermittened version of that in this case, too.

[@shadetree6705]

Hope this hasn't been touched on yet. I'd check those large gage cables, specifically the one that was disconnected, for internal corrosion. You may not be able to see it with the insulation so you can just bend the cable around, if you feel any crunching it's probably corroded. Hopefully what you did fixed the issue though.

[@greghostetler8613]

Good video. Battery fuse block also melted down on my 2017. No fuses blown on the block, also. Waiting for the new one. Fortunately did not burn down through the battery. I don't think the new block is going to fix it. Truck starts and runs fine. Dash is dead. I have checked many fuses. Some have mentioned the dimmer switch, but seems like they are usually a little bit older models.

[@jcsopinion3899]

A little off topic but man watching all these “older” cars come in for repair makes me feel old as hell. The youngest vehicle I’ve drove is my Ram 1500 , 03. Never pushed the button to start, no back up cam, no electric power steering etc etc lol. When I ordered her it was for specific reasons like reliability, basic straight forward design as well room to work. Thus making the labor hours less and ease of repair tolerable = savings in future repairs. She’s a 1500 extended cab 8 foot bed small eight 4wd with that 5 speed automatic transmission with 60,000 miles. Had many people trying to get us to sell as well as compliments. Thus when I saw a Jeep out front of my house then this guy lurking around the truck I was like again ? So met the fella and he’s from dodge and brought up the airbag recall. So all things aside next week dodge is coming to the house to replace airbags. Kinda curious how it all works out as well how they deal with the cracked as hell dash dodge refuses to recall. If anyone is curious I’ll shoot some before during and after video. Have a feeling the dash will fall apart during the procedure 🤔 Anyways … another entertaining and great video. Mechanics like Ray are hit or miss.

[@Hoaxer51]

I agree with just about everything you say but I have to add that those backup cameras are pretty handy.

[@HoLeeFuk317]

Cool story I guess

[@frankl.5153]

My guess is the red/y wire was not tightened fully, allowing the alt to send lightning bolts to that loose terminal. You did say that that terminal nut was cross threaded, so they may have thought it was tightened to its fullest.

[@paulfitzgerald1466]

Maybe next time use the ohms setting rather than the continuity setting to check alternator wire? ATM there won’t be much current flow on the alt wire with a fully charged battery, but if the battery is low you could have over 50 amps in the circuit, builds up heat quickly if there is some resistance.

[@TrailRider1200]

"Check for continuity" = measure ohms, and he clearly has the meter set to ohms. He is using the multimeter to determine whether the cable in question is going to where he thinks it is, by using the resistance of the wire (If meter reads OL, he is not completing the circuit i.e. not the same wire)

[@petert24turner71]

Is it possible when the interlock was disconnected not all the terminals were properly tightened. That could cause the problems you encountered.

[@derekhobbs1102]

I've heard of other vehicles catching alight with interlockers.

[@10100rsn]

I would assume the high-current draw that melted the terminal block and battery would be related to the electrical power steering, it is the only thing I can think of that could draw a ton of power like that and not blow a fuse. Could have been a loose connection, but for that to happen twice on two separate terminal blocks seems unlikely _unless_ the wire itself or the connector on the wire is damaged as well causing a higher than normal resistance through the wire. That would mean it is the wire or connector on the wire that is causing the excessive heat that ruined the terminal block and you would only see the heat while the steering wheel is being turned back and forth... Eric O. did a similar one of these recently and it was found to be a grounding issue, sort of the opposite problem. A high-current ground wire to the frame down by the wheel well was corroded and crusty causing a lot of strange issues when the electrical power steering was being driven hard. A hard turn to the left or right would draw a lot of current, what Eric O discovered was a voltage drop whenever the power steering was drawing lots of current.

[@Draxindustries1]

I come here for your superb expertise Ray but the main reason is your phone impressions, even my daughter loves it😊🇬🇧

[@randyanderson4360]

Your vids are addictive and I refuse to work after getting to work until after I've watched your amazing service skills. That being said DOO DOODY DOODY DOO

[@bubbakushingtonIII]

Good day to you sir. Great way to start off a day before work.

[@Sdamb70]

Just wanted to let you know, that watching your videos has given me enough courage to install my own power tailgate in my car. And yes I’m a girl 😉

[@wesgregg6451]

Tailgate? Your car is a station wagon? Don't see many of those any more, seems like everyone wants an SUV (or a hatchback dressed up as an SUV) or a truck. BtW, good for you! Tools are gender-agnostic.

[@Sdamb70]

It’s an SUV. I just call it “my car”

[@wesgregg6451]

@@Sdamb70 Ah. Most of those have liftgates instead of tailgates. I don't know why. Older people have issues with reaching up over their heads. Mom had to tie a short rope to the inside of hers and let it hang down.

[@Sdamb70]

You are correct. Lift gate is the proper term. Well my issue is, I am 5’-1” tall. So……. 🤣

[@wesgregg6451]

@@Sdamb70 Ha ha ha. Mom *used to be* , 35 or 40 years ago. Enjoy it while it lasts, we all lose a slight bit of height as we age. Also (possibly useless fact), most people are taller first thing in the morning when they get out of bed than they are late at night when they're getting ready to return to it. Gravity - not just applicable to the things in Ray's videos ;-).

[@djmjr77]

I would liked to have seen what that alternator wire condition was under that loom and electrical tape 🤔

[@garbo8962]

Many years ago when I was an apprentice a gifted o!d timer had some great sayings: 1) not a good mechanic unless you can take something apart, make repairs , put it back together and have some left over parts. 2) he called left over parts PLO'S. YEP parts left over. Another old timer told me to keep a ratchet, an extension or two, some sockets & combination wrenches just for using on batteries because battery acid will mess up the chrome finish. Wash my battery tools off then wipe them dry after each use and keep them in a plastic container.

[@Hold-my-beer]

Test drive it for a few miles before giving it back to the customer. Had the same issue with the same truck a while ago and it turned out that the alt was sending a burst of volts back while under load(driving) and frying the fuse block after a few miles. It would not replicate the issue while parked so I sent it on its way only to have it come back within the day with the same issue. I thought it might have just been a loose connection as well and my test drive was quick(less than a mile) so I didn’t catch the issue the first time.

[@Random-bm7ho]

That's a nice shiney ring to melt into your skin.

[@MrMustangMan]

it only hurts for a little while.....

[@beausw]

That interlock is wired in between the hot wire and the starter. Check and make sure the wires are all tight down there, and they didn't splice in and its shorting against the frame.

[@MrMustangMan]

1:29 i hear doodily doo in the background.!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jimmeade2976]

I agree with Marius D, and am also an EE. As Ray says, it's pure speculation what happened. My guess is that the interlock was installed on the burned up terminal and wasn't fully tightened, which caused the first module to melt due to arcing on a loose terminal. When the interlock was removed, that was noticed and the module replaced, but the terminal again was not fully tightened, resulting in the 2nd melting, plus the battery melting. The other terminal melting is probably just coincidence ... it's possible that was overloaded because current found it easier to go that way to different modules than through the loose melted terminal. Electrons will follow the least path of resistance.

[@iHelpSolveIt]

On another subject, that's the worst unsafely designed fuse setup, im surprised in the US They've not been sued. It's crazy to see a source of spark on top of a battery acid bomb

[@hunterramsey3132]

While I agree, it likely was safe before some moron started messing with it. Hell it might be a sealed battery so it may be super safe, or was until some moron caused a hole to melt through it lmao. It’s no worse than fuel lines running right next to E-manifolds. They’re safe, unless for some reason they fail. Then they’re super not safe.

[@iHelpSolveIt]

@@hunterramsey3132 rule of thumb. Always assume there's a numpty/idjit to make these kinds of messes. So never put a source of spark on top of a bomb.🤣

[@zBrainlezz]

@@iHelpSolveIt That is a very good point. For that reason, if I were an automotive electrician, I wouldn't let that leave the shop under any circumstances

[@bruticus0875]

@@zBrainlezz Oh? You'll do what exactly? Hold the car hostage from the owner? Do an unrequested repair for free? Don't ride the horse too hard there white knight.

[@iHelpSolveIt]

@@zBrainlezz agreed, however to give Ray a break, i doubt the client in this case would pay to move the fuse plate to the other side. Easy job once you figure out where the fuse plate has to be moved to. Honestly i don't know why the manufacturer didn't put a fuse in-line for safety. That said given they put it on top of a bomb🤦‍♀️🤣🤣🤣.

[@jphvac5725]

Saw KZbin channel other day having same power steering issue. He found the ground wire for body was twisted wire and corroded causing high resistance. Short piece behind wheel well.

[@draconightwalker4964]

1:57 what a lethal setup. no way that passed any form of safety inspection.

[@misbeautifulable]

Florida don’t have safety inspections.

[@craiglyles4755]

As long as state inspections continue paying $10, there will be no inspection.

[@draconightwalker4964]

@@craiglyles4755 i meant at factory. thats dodgy AF

[@woodstk70]

Without the signs of over current like blown fuses or a short being present one could only conclude that someone did not get all the connections tight. That would explain why the original distro block had 2 terminals that showed excessive heat (2 loose connections) and the replacement only had the one. You also found another that was loose when you went to remove it.

[@jonwetherell5214]

I would check the alternator output voltage at high engine rpm. …In fact I would stake my youtube trained mechanic badge on it 😂

[@adampyro834]

i dont think thats it, i think its connected at wrong terminal. alternator power going through that fuse instead of bypassing it directly to battery... ive made a few comments about it, check if i am right. if i am it will blow again

[@zacharyreilly7307]

These HDR videos change my brightness when full screen, really impacts viewing pleasure

[@waylonlingerfeldt1899]

Ray you need to release a doodly doo notification sound and a doodly doo answer the phone ring tone.

[@Clinton_Cann_Media]

Have studied electrical engineering i've wondered why manufacturers Can't add few mm of cement in some fuse boxs to protect the plastic from melting durring a fault. in certain types of high current cables there is powder for the same reason in a fault.

[@boomerhio7445]

I'm kind of a shade tree mechanic but you found that bolt down in the battery tray I'm wondering if that bolt wasn't trapped underneath that that connector plate.. And somehow got missed twice and shorted the The entire plate out ...just a thought

[@MrMustangMan]

good idea.....

[@davide.s.9880]

Besides what you said I'm thinking with the power steering code. That might be the only thing that could draw enough power to melt that distribution block terminal. But what do I know.