Arcing and Sparking

Yekim · 10-31-2006

Hey Guys!! I have just purchased a 1970 Opel GTand in need of some help. Every so often as I make a turn I get some Arcing and Sparking from behind the steering wheel can any one help me out. what can I do to stop this from burning my car up.

guyopel · 10-31-2006

Time to look under the dash , at the fuse box and wiring
for the ing. switch .
Where in Atl. are you ?

baz · 10-31-2006

sounds like some horn wire insulation has worn through on the column or the switch for the turn signal time to get the screw drivers out and play

2 Fast 4 U · 10-31-2006

Originally Posted by baz

sounds like some horn wire insulation has worn through on the column or the switch for the turn signal time to get the screw drivers out and play

if it was the horn wire the horn would honk the horn is ground switched

baz · 10-31-2006

true

namba209 · 10-31-2006

You didn't say if the turn signals were on at the time of the arcing and sparking, but I'll say there are 3 hot wires in the steering column with the key on and any of those could have the insulation worn enuff that you're grounding one of them by turning the wheel. Best bet is to pull the steering wheel. Here you have to be very careful, the steering column is soft metal and the threaded part can be damaged. Use the search function and read up on steering wheel pullers, you'll have to make a set of adapters for the hub, fairly easy to do, and use extreme care using the puller. I made mine out of a couple of long bolts and filed the heads of the bolts to match the oval slots in the hub. Once you get the wheel off you can ohm out the wires in the harness and find out which one(s) are grounding out and insulate them. HTH.

timemachine · 10-31-2006

Previous post is right, the turn signal and horn are low potential circuits with fuses that would blow under minimal arcing, so I'd suspect something connected to the ignition switch as well.

I recently pulled the wheel on my Manta with a generic (GM) wheel puller I bought at Pep Boys for $15. Apparently, most other GM cars have threaded holes in the wheel you can just screw right into, but for my Opel all I had to do was buy a couple 5/16 nuts which fit handily into hex recesses in the back of the wheel and the puller work just fine. Without the puller, the wheel feels like it is on tighter than a drum and you'd be tempted to use a hammer, but don't!

Jim

10-31-2006	#1 (permalink)
Yekim Yekim Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 16	Unanswered: Arcing and Sparking Hey Guys!! I have just purchased a 1970 Opel GTand in need of some help. Every so often as I make a turn I get some Arcing and Sparking from behind the steering wheel can any one help me out. what can I do to stop this from burning my car up. __________________ Cruising through the streets of Atlanta

10-31-2006	#2 (permalink)
guyopel Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Duluth,Ga. Posts: 649 Real Name: John Provided Answers: 2	Time to look under the dash , at the fuse box and wiring for the ing. switch . Where in Atl. are you ? __________________ Guyopel I have not failed - I've merely found 10,000 ways that won't work." ---Thomas Edison It's amazing what God lets man get away with when lightning is so cheap. Mark Twain

10-31-2006	#3 (permalink)
baz opel free after 26 years Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: sunderland england Posts: 4,941 Real Name: barry williams Provided Answers: 4	sounds like some horn wire insulation has worn through on the column or the switch for the turn signal time to get the screw drivers out and play __________________ Copyright © 2003-2009 barry williams All Rights Reserved save praying to God for sunday today we pray to Nike and run like hell

10-31-2006	#5 (permalink)
baz opel free after 26 years Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: sunderland england Posts: 4,941 Real Name: barry williams Provided Answers: 4	true __________________ Copyright © 2003-2009 barry williams All Rights Reserved save praying to God for sunday today we pray to Nike and run like hell

10-31-2006	#6 (permalink)
namba209 6,000 Post Club Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Imperial Beach, CA South of San Diego Posts: 6,054 Provided Answers: 6	You didn't say if the turn signals were on at the time of the arcing and sparking, but I'll say there are 3 hot wires in the steering column with the key on and any of those could have the insulation worn enuff that you're grounding one of them by turning the wheel. Best bet is to pull the steering wheel. Here you have to be very careful, the steering column is soft metal and the threaded part can be damaged. Use the search function and read up on steering wheel pullers, you'll have to make a set of adapters for the hub, fairly easy to do, and use extreme care using the puller. I made mine out of a couple of long bolts and filed the heads of the bolts to match the oval slots in the hub. Once you get the wheel off you can ohm out the wires in the harness and find out which one(s) are grounding out and insulate them. HTH. __________________ Ron 72 GT 3.4L V-6/T-5/ZF posi - almost done - Just need AC installed. 75 Chevy monza 5.7L/TH350/Auburn 3.08 posi - Next

10-31-2006	#7 (permalink)
timemachine Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Swarthmore, PA Posts: 871 Real Name: Jim Provided Answers: 7	Previous post is right, the turn signal and horn are low potential circuits with fuses that would blow under minimal arcing, so I'd suspect something connected to the ignition switch as well. I recently pulled the wheel on my Manta with a generic (GM) wheel puller I bought at Pep Boys for $15. Apparently, most other GM cars have threaded holes in the wheel you can just screw right into, but for my Opel all I had to do was buy a couple 5/16 nuts which fit handily into hex recesses in the back of the wheel and the puller work just fine. Without the puller, the wheel feels like it is on tighter than a drum and you'd be tempted to use a hammer, but don't! Jim __________________ '74 Manta ("Sig") '75 Sportwagon (project) '72 GT (whenever I get to it) Sold or wrecked: '72 Manta Rallye '73 Manta '74 Luxus

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