BEWARE OF WIRING PROBLEMS!

I HAVE RECENTLY GONE THROUGH AN ORDEAL THAT NO ONE SHOULD EVER GO THROUGH! I HAD A CUSTOMER TOW AN 89 VOLVO 240 INTO MY SHOP BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING SO POORLY THAT SHE WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. RIGHTLY SO! UPON CHECKING THE CAR I FOUND THAT IT DID NOT WANT TO REV UP BUT WOULD START JUST FINE. I ALSO FOUND THAT AFTER STARTING I COULD REMOVE FUEL PUMP FUSES,COMPUTER FUSE AND ALL OTHER FUSES INSIDE THE FUSE BOX IN THE CAR. THE CAR WOULD STILL RUN!UPON FURTHER CHECKING I DECIDE TO TRY A COMPUTER FROM A 93 WHICH WAS THE SAME. I PUT IT IN AND ALL WAS WELL. I DROVE THE CAR. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I TOLD THE WOMAN TO PICK THE CAR UP. SHE DID NOT TAKE THE CAR BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT GET A RIDE. IT SAT ALL WEEKEND AND ON MONDAY I DECIDED TO DRIVE AGAIN. UPON DRIVING ALL SEEMED WELL FOR ABOUT 4 MILES AND THEN I NOTICED A SLIGHT HESITATION THEN IT WOULD NOT ACCELLERATE.I HAPPENED TO LOOK IN REAR VIEW MIRROR, I HAD SMOKE BILLOWING FROM THE REAR ON BOTH SIDES, I PUSHED THE BRAKES,NO BRAKES! STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND I WAS AT THE TOP OF A HILL, THE CAR STALLED AND THEN STARTED CRANKING ON ITS OWN. WHILE TRYING NOT TO PANIC A TRIED THE E BRAKE, BUT IT DID NOT WORK.I HAD ABOUT A MILE TO GO DOWN HILL,IN TRAFFIC. I TURNED THE KEY OFF TO SEE IF ENGINE CRANKING WOULD STOP, IT DID NOT. SO HERE I GO ABOUT 35 TO 40 DOWN HILL,NO BRAKES,NO POWER STEERING,AND ON FIRE! WHAT A DAY!AFTER LOCKING THE E BRAKE IN UP POSITION,AND PUMPING THE BRAKES HOPING FOR SOMETHING , I COULD SEE THAT TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING FOR A RED LIGHT AHEAD. AT THE LAST SECOND I SAW A ROAD TO THE LEFT WITH NO CARS IN THE WAY AND WAS ABLE TO CUT LEFT,DRAG AGAINST THE CURB AND THROW IT INTO PARK. AT THIS POINT THICK SMOKE WAS COMING UP AROUND ALL EDGES OF HOOD AND I DID NOT CARE IF TRANSMISSION GOT RUINED.I QUICKLEY GRABBED THE HOOD RELEASE,OPENED THE HOOD AND WATCHED THE FLAMES REACH ABOUT 20 FEET. IT WAS SO HOT THAT ALL ALUMINUM UNDER THE HOOD MELTED AND RAN AS LIQUID DOWN THE STREET. THE ENGINE DROPPED BELOW THE FRAME, TIRES EXPLODED,AND WINDSHIELD MELTED
IT BURNED FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND DESTROYED EVERYTHING FROM STEERING WHEEL FORWARD, BEFORE FIRE COMPANY GOT THERE. THE NEXT DAY UPON STUDYING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT I NOTICED THAT THE WIRE FROM THE STARTER TO THE ALTERNATOR PASSES THROUGH A "HOLDDOWN EYELET" UNDER THE INTAKE WHICH WAS NOW GONE MAKING IT VERY EASY TO SEE,THE MULTI STRAND WIRE HAD SHORTED AGAINST THE EYELET WHICH IS GROUNDED TO ENGINE. THE WIRE LOOKED AS THOUGH ONE END HAD BEEN MELTED TOGETHER TO FORM A BALL ON THE END, THE OTHER SIDE HAD FUSED TOGETHER FOR ABOUT 2 INCHES.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS RUBBED THROUGH, CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS BURNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE PLASTIC BRAKE SWITCH IN THE BRAKE JUNCTION BLOCK WAS GONE, POSSIBLY FROM THE HEAT AND PROBABLY EVERYTIME I PUSHED THE BRAKE I SQUIRTED BRAKE FLUID ONTO THE FIRE, FUELING IT UNTIL FUEL LINES WENT, AND TURNING THE WHOLE ORDEAL INTO A MAJOR NIGHTMARE. SO IF YOU HAVE AN 89 OR NEWER 240, I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO CHECK THE HARNESS AT THE POINT OF HOLD DOWN UNDER THE INTAKE. I HAVE CHECKED THE OLDER ONES AND THEY ARE ROUTED DIFFERENTLY.

BOB FROM PITTSBURGH