Nearly had a fire

[T1 PCS]

After 18 years of ownership, nearly lost my car today. Driving along got a few funny smells, then lost all electrics and power. Absolute stinking smell, and coasted to the side of the road. Loads of smoke in footwell, and getting worse.

Go out and shut the door (doh) and ran to the other. Can't open door, no electrics. No tools to get into the boot where my work toolbag is. Drivers window only open a smidge as raining.

Rang 999 while trying to stay calm.

Thumped back window hard to release the struts to get inside hood. Open door from inside, pulled away carpet from battery, and lots of smoke, not sure what exactly. Need toolkit to disconnect battery in some manner, have wire cutters, but are in boot. No power can't open boot. Forgot about the release method for boot, so yanked and yanked on boot till it opened. (The lock came away from fibreglass in the end). Got wire cutters and cut the live main wires off battery.

Fully expecting to loose the car to a fire, but fortunately this stopped it getting worse.

Fire brigade turned up shortly after, and declared it safe (they were very good about it, very kind).

Found the faulty wire was melting onto a terminal - two brown wires going from the battery through some conduit to somewhere - not sure where, and terminating in a crimp which looks like it burnt away. Don't think it is aftermarket as had the car from new, and it isn't the amp wire.

So now waiting for recovery truck to get me home, and then lick my wounds as to how to sort it.

And idea what this wire is / was? I'm wondering if it is the feed to the fuse board?

Next question, on my list of to do jobs was to move the battery and switch to gel and move fuses to create more legroom. Now seems like the obvious time to do it. Any idea who can do this in the south (or anywhere really).

Cheers

Paul

[T1 PCS]

Thanks. Sent an email to him.

[T1 PCS]

Looking at it now, I reckon the wire broke free from the fuse board first then fell onto an earth causing the end of the wire to melt. I cut the brown wires at the battery so stopped the short. Now need to fix this and the boot.

[T1 PCS]

Thanks guys. Hair raising moment but car in one piece and back in my garage just working out what to do next, and how to mend the boot latch! Bit of fibreglassing may be able to bond the shape back together. Definitely moving battery and fuseboard, and will fit a kill switch somewhere accessible without having to destroy the car in an emergency.

My wrists hurt though now!