Melted -ve Battery Cables - Please Help

[spages]

Hmmm Starter motor, I wouldnt have thought about that
but you are right, the starter motor doesnt have a fuse
so if something is wrong there it would nuke the cabling and keep the fuses in tack
and the Starter motor would draw a huge amount of current.
but I started it about 4 times and it seemed to do everything that it is supposed to do.

And typical, the starter motor is a prick to get to underneath the extractors, as I am sure that all you 4k or 5k owners know

[styler]

short circuits will generally melt any wires and thats probably what you got, id say the positive terminal on the battery probably touched the chassis melting the weakest part in the circuit which is the earth wire.

[wagonist]

If the starter motor is difficult to get to, then there is a chance that one of the bolts has come loose over time, or the cable shielding has worn through & is now touching something.

kudos to you spages for posting a well thought out question with enough info for people to be able to help. And seeing as you've done that, people are willing to help.
+ rep
Makes it better than posting up "me battery has fried me wiring"

[LeeRoy]

Starter motors rarely have fuses so I wouldnt go putting one in if theres not one there already.

[SLO-030]

Sorry guys. my bad

Thinking of alternator output

[TERRA Operative]

Definitely check the starter wiring. I would replace the starter and ground with some decent thickness cable (my starter on my 4AGZE pulls 225 amps as measured) probably something like 1 gauge, 2 gauge at a minimum.
Be sure to crimp the wires properly. You could probably get a sparky to crimp the lugs on with the right tool for minimal cost. I got the tool at work, but I'm in Brisbane.....

[BradW]

Also check the cable from B+ to starter motor hasn't melted onto your exhaust or shorted anywhere.

[spages]

Well I checked the starter motor
and the +ve cable was about 2mm away from the extractors
I took it off and sure enough there is a nice weld mark on the extractors
I have fixed the cable and it is ready for another go.
I did a voltage check on the battery and it is now at 5V
so I think it has dropped a cell or 3.

Lets see if Autobarn will accept a warranty replacement
I wish I was a dumb blond
it would be easier to convince them that I dont know what happened, my car just stopped

But a huge thankyou to everyone who has contributed on this post
because you have just saved me a whole heap of time and money diagnosing the problem

[TERRA Operative]

Be sure to tie the cable well out of the way and maybe even use some of that split tubing to help protect the cable.

[BradW]

The split tubing will probably melt or deform with the radiant heat from the extractors but if you get it as far away from them as possible it will be OK. Maybe try fitting some sort of heat sheild to protect the cable and starter motor. This will help prevent any future starting issues too as starter motors don't normally like the heat that radiates from extractors.

[wagonist]

Also, can the cable be bolted on at a different angle to help keep it away from the headers?
Generally there's some play there to help.
You also may want to check whether any brackets that are supposed to be used to hold the cable are missing.

[LeeRoy]

Spages,

As Brad said, these wires are often wrapped with a heat resistant tubing. It can be found at most good auto shops although it's not too cheap. The other option for the more budget conscious toymodder is to get some from the wrecker.

Theyre a common item on FWD corollas (AE82/92) with the starter under the manifold.

[spages]

I have bolted the cable on the other way around and there is about 2-3cm's clearance to the extractors.
A while ago I looked at getting a Heat proof sock for the whole starter motor (after a rebuild of it) but I was quoted $200
But I will go to U pull it and try and find some heat tubing to add additional protection

[LeeRoy]

Have you got a cast manifold or is it pipes? If its the pipe type then I wouldnt worry about any shielding for the starter itself as they don't hold much heat and allow alot of air to flow around/past them. Definately shield the wiring though as heat will make it brittle and it will fail over time.

My starter cable (ae92) runs really close to the extractors (prob a few cm like yours is) but has the shielding and I have never had issues. I also have extractors.

[frostyadonis]

hey spages welcome aboard

im glad you found the problem

somtimes the simplest things can cause many a headache