Automotive Wire Harness Burnout Phenomenon and Its Causes
There are two common combustion characteristics of wire harnesses: One is when an external ignition source causes the wire harness to burn, in which case the harness is visibly covered with charred carbon black, and the burning progresses from the outside inward. The other occurs when an electrical circuit overload causes the wires to heat up intensely, melting the fabric and resulting in burning that starts from the inside out. The damage to wire harnesses is primarily caused by the following conditions.
Release time:
2022-11-15
There are two common combustion characteristics of wire harnesses: One is when an external ignition source causes the wire harness to burn, in which case the harness is visibly covered with charred carbon black, and the burning progresses from the outside inward. The other is when an electrical circuit overload causes the wires to heat up intensely, melting the fabric and resulting in burning that starts from the inside outward. The damage to wire harnesses is primarily caused by the following conditions.
The two terminals of the ammeter are often fitted with plastic insulating sleeves. Since plastic has poor thermal conductivity, the ammeter must not only withstand high currents but also endure bumps and vibrations. If the wiring becomes loose or the contact deteriorates, causing the temperature to rise, the plastic is prone to burning and melting, which can in turn lead to the power harness grounding and subsequent arcing and damage.
Power harnesses are often secured with thin metal clips that have sharp edges resembling blades. Since the surface of these metal clips is not insulated, prolonged vibrations and bumps during vehicle operation will inevitably cause the power harness to wear through or get cut, leading to ground faults and subsequent damage to the harness.
When temporarily connecting electrical equipment, if you don't know the direction of current flow through the fuse, randomly pulling out the power cord or, after a fuse has blown, failing to replace it with an identical fuse according to regulations—or substituting the fuse with a thick copper wire—can disable the fuse's protective function and cause damage to the wiring harness. If terminal connections are unreliable, significant voltage drops may occur, generating heat. Over time, this can degrade the insulating gaskets and lead to ground shorts. In particular, terminals behind ammeters and other instruments must be securely connected. Additionally, the screw used to fasten the lead wires onto the frame-mounted terminal block should not be excessively long, as this could result in unintended grounding.
When replacing the wires, the wrong type was selected as required—the wires were too thin. As a result, the voltage drop caused by the high current became significant, and the wire insulation gradually aged and deteriorated.
Improper installation of the battery—such as connecting the positive and negative terminals incorrectly, causing a short circuit in the silicon rectifier generator, or inadvertently connecting the magnetic field wire of the silicon rectifier generator to the ground wire—can all lead to damage or burning of the wiring harness.
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