[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]My RV wouldn’t start so we jumped it and 2 wires started smoking. Bought a new battery it turns over but seems like it’s not getting gas. The RV and been sitting for about a year and was occasionally started up. I put a couple gallons of gas in. It didn’t help. I’m including pics of the wires that were smoking. I out electrical tape around them. Please help me figure out what to do. [/font]
I’m new and need help!
- Thread starter Meowmeow
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bigsallysmom
Well-known member
16 views and no replies to this point. My advice is to call a mechanic. You can't afford to burn down your home.
I am not seeing the pictures. We need the year chassis /make of the vehicle to begin with. Can you follow the burnt wires to good wire and let us know the colors. If you can remove or disconnect the battery and have it charged or checked as large current loads are hard on old batteries. Start checking for rodent damage or grounded bare wires as many times mice chew off the insulation when a vehicle sets long periods of time.
Malamute
Well-known member
Good advice above, but are you certain the jumper wires were connected to the correct terminals on your battery? The wire color isnt always correct, double check the pos+ and neg - terminals are what you think they are compared to the same on the jumping vehicle. Neg - will have normally have a wire going directly to the body or frame.
Lets hope the smoking wires were fusible links....
If the pics are too large (or too high resolution) they may get rejected by the forum software.
highdesertranger
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I hope that is not the starting battery.
if it is, where is the main battery cable?
also what is the year make and model of this RV?
highdesertranger
if it is, where is the main battery cable?
also what is the year make and model of this RV?
highdesertranger
Malamute
Well-known member
I cant make the picture larger, Im logged in but the software keeps telling me Im not when I click on it, then if I try to log in when it tells me that it then says my code is mismatched or some such. So,...I cant see the picture in enough detail to tell anything. 
highdesertranger
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here is what I can see from the picture,
real small battery
real small battery cables
junk battery terminals
the red one is broken and it appears the cables are not even tight.
both types of those battery terminals are not very good, they are low end cheap terminals. however to say for sure that is the problem over an internet picture is impossible.
highdesertranger
real small battery
real small battery cables
junk battery terminals
the red one is broken and it appears the cables are not even tight.
both types of those battery terminals are not very good, they are low end cheap terminals. however to say for sure that is the problem over an internet picture is impossible.
highdesertranger
Red usually denotes a positive 12 volt terminal. There is usually a + molded into the battery case next to the terminal. It looks like someone in the past has replaced the terminal. Be very careful as batteries can and do explode when discharged rapidly especially if a spark occurs while removing or attaching terminals or jumpers. Those melted cables and the terminal need to be replaced in my opinion. They melted because of too high an electrical current passed through them causing them to get hot. There are several reasons this could happen. With your apparent lack of experience with vehicle electrical systems I would highly recommend you have a professional mechanic trouble shoot and repair it. It could be simply the way you attached the jumper cables all the way to a locked up motor but melted wiring and overloading a battery usually results in a fire and terrible personal injury if not death. You are very lucky those didn’t happen! A professional mechanic is much cheaper than a hospital stay will cost. Did this happen just as you attached the jumper cables, was there a big spark? Did you turn the key then and what happened? Did you hear a clicking sound? Did the motor turn over? When did you notice the melting cables? Again do not attempt to try anything with out professional help at this point.
