[Vwdiesel] *HELP! - 93EV electrical ignition fire*

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/21/2006 5:33:37 AM Pacific Daylight Time, rbp at 4u2bu.org 
writes:

> I get click-click-clicking of  
> battery light on dash and one of the wires from the ignition switch  
> to the relay box starts to smoke and the insulation starts to melt (!)
> what's going on?
> an intermittent short, I assume
> no fire yet, and it doesn't always happen
> but this is dangerous, not to mention inconvenient
> 
> how do I track this down?
> 

  First is to identify WHICH wires are smoking and see what all is 
on that circuit from a wiring diagram.  Nearly all connection points 
will be in the front, the back, under the dash or in the engine 
compartment.  Do a cursory "loose wire check."  Hard to use a 
test light to trace it as a normal draw will often make it glow just 
as brightly as a short.
  I chased a tail light short in my work van for several months.  Turned 
out to be the license plate wire. It ran through a close-coiled spring 
from the hinge post through the door, to avoid scuffing.  The wire had 
broken loose and would short against the spring at totally intermittent 
times.
    Loren