Glow plug relay loom...

[Martin_TD]

Story:
My cav decided it was time to melt the glow plug relay wiring loom while my girlfriend was driving, she said there was a squeal (alternator belt type of squeal) then white smoke started coming from the dash from the driver side mainly. I finished work at 12 and got a lift to the car and noticed the glow plug light wasn't coming on and she wouldn't start I then phoned The AA and when he arrived he found the loom was melted together.

Questions:
How far does this loom go?
Is it behind the dash or into the engine bay?
Will I be able to get another bit of loom from a vectra B or maybe even something newer?
Would it be hard to make a loom up if nothing else but a cavalier fits?
Is it time for a car?

Any other ideas are welcome lol

Cheers!

[Robsey]

You have to ask yourself, what other wires may have been melted.

I would have thought the relay and heavy gauge wiring would have been kept as short as possible - probably just in the engine bay.

It is hard to say what is the best way forward, without doing a ful inspection of all your wiring, including the fuse boxes, and all your wiring looms.

If you have been very lucky, then you may have taken out just a few wires, but you would also need to know if you have fried the alternator.

Being such a high power consuming circuit, it is hard to say what else has been burnt, melted or knocked out by the death of the relay and / or its wiring.

Also - was it the glow-plug circuit, or something else that triggered this episode.

[Martin_TD]

My dad thinks it was old wiring that caused it but I think it was the relay sticking on, when I was sitting in the car I put the ignition and it started smoking slowly...

[Martin_TD]

I had to follow the wire back to see how far they had melted and I've decided I'm gonna try replacing the wires to the glow plug relay and a few other related wires that might have been damaged but I need a bit of advice

This bit is the last of the melted wire(snipped):



What is the yellow relay and the black box in this pic?



Hopefully she'll be up and running for tuesday...!

[planetc]

Glow plug relay and control unit I think, definitely the glow control unit though. Be aware when you reconnect and try to measure the current draw, 20 amps per plug or thereabouts. I have seen control units go pear shaped and cook a set of plugs so it's possible yours could be the cause.

[Martin_TD]

I thought this was the glow plug relay?



(better pic I hope)

[planetc]

If that's a black one then you are probably right, that's why I wasn't certain, I thought they were black. But the box is definitely the glow control unit. If you aren't sure on the other relay you could always follow the thick wires to its load?

[planetc]

I do remember these being an over complicated design, similar to the old Bedford midi, which I used to cut the whole lot out of and replace with an escort diesel glow plug relay. If your control unit is cooked that might be an easier option, it's far simpler.