freshinXR

hi guys, i have posted a thread about this a few weeks back in the classic section but now need more info. basically i am 98% sure that the dash is wired up correctly. however if it isnt and i start the car, what damage would i be looking at, will it just be a matter of things not working or is there a chance of an electrical fire. The earth on my horn wasnt done right and it nearly happened then so i am a bit concerend about it.

XWish Ute

Sort of a how long is a piece of string question - you can't say. If something is shorting there is certainly the chance of some nasty sparks and smoke occurring! However, what you should do is power up the car using a battery charger rather than the battery. although you won't be able to start the car, a battery charger is equipped with a cutout which trips if too much current is drawn. Chargers are seldom rated above 10 Amps, but this is enough to drive each of your circuits one at a time. Batteries punch out up to 500A, which WILL fry wiring if there is a fault. With using the charger, if there is a problem, the charger should just trip and cut the power without damage to your wiring. If this checks out ok, should be no problem connecting a battery!

One other thing - recommend you use a modern fusible link between the battery and the rest of the vehicle wiring - cheap insurance if a fault develops later on!

TruBlu351

Yep, you'll have to watch it.

Are there any specific circuits that you think may be on the dodgy side?

I've fried the wiring in my steering column fixing my horn too! Stoooopid me bypassed the relay doing some fault finding, whilst I gaffa taped the horn switch on!!...there was plenty of current flowing despite the horn not working and after a few minutes, HOLY COW, my steering column is billowing smoke! Now I have a poxy switch zip-tied to my horn button to remind me every day!

You have a fuse box that most "dash" circuits will be flowing thru. You'll almost always blow the fuse first if you have a big short circuit.

Trying to find the short can take a few minutes or go into weeks!! Sometimes they're a needle in a hey stack. In the meantime you can pull the fuse.

Big ticket items.....
Always ensure you have fuses on all your accessories.
Never ditch a relay and have big current flowing in small wiring.
Get a $10 multimeter, they're a must for working with gremlin electrons.

If you decide to start it up, just keep a real keen eye and nose out for smells and smoke. Just turn your ignition to "on" for a few minutes without starting the car and see how it goes.

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XE Falcon
393 Tremec TKO 9"