foundvettelifeisgood

This morning I'm driving my trim-stripped 72 to the shop to get media blasted. About 20 minutes from home with my dad following me, and going 65mph, I turned on the heater. Sparks fly out from under the passenger side dash panel, followed by some smoke and I can see in a piece of chrome grill laying on the passenger floor that it's still glowing or flaming.

I take a look to the rear and swoop 3 lanes over to the berm. Grab my extinguisher and debate whether to unload it. I had my electric screw driver on board, so I could pull the remaining tail light lens once I got to the stripper. I unscrewed the passenger panel and couldn't find the source of the spark, so I didn't have to trash my interior with the extinguisher. I noticed my power windows were dead, as well as my turn signals.

My dad followed me to a parking lot where I could get a look at the fuse panel. I happened to have my fuse puller and assorted fuses. I didn't have a flash light though, so I just pulled every fuse and replaced it with a fresh one. Only one was bad. It was the 20A close to the bottom right of the panel. It had a 30A that was blown convincingly. Bubba must have put it there. I've had the car since 9/2001 and never bothered to do this drill. I highly recommend taking a look at yours.

Here's were it gets wierd. I notice what looks like dirty oil dripping out of the heater duct onto my right shoe and carpet near the gas pedal. Total amount that rained onto my shoe on the way home was about a 1/4 cup. What the hell is this?

My engine oil is so clean it's almost clear. If it's the heater core springing a leak, it should be orange and clean. Is it oil from a ruptured blower motor? Is it from the pipe that feeds the oil pressure gauge, which BTW is operating as it should?

What caused the spark? The only new thing to the electrical load was that I put a fresh bulb in the passenger footwell courtesy light socket. There looks to be a capacitor or something near this piece of the harness. Could it have been the source of the spark? BTW, my passenger window is now extremely slow. I had to help it down. Did this somehow fry the motor?

There have been hints of bubba in the car's wiring. What's involved with a re-wire?

GDaina

if it's oil, the plastic oil line to oil pressure gauge melted/sprung a leak...

What caused the spark...more than likely a short in the wiring...maybe a piece of bare wire touching metal...

Z-man

The oil dripping on your shoe might be the old stuff that's been in the tube for 30 years...or not.

majic1984

Yep.. and that would probably explain why there was only about 1/4 of a cup leaking - it cleaned that line out!

codestar7

I believe you hit the cause your self. My Car is a 73. The previous car I had was a 69. One of the funny things I've noticed in rebuilding the heater duct system in the 73 is the curtesy light holders are made of plastic. In my 69 the courtesy light holders were metal. Now all these 30 year old cars have brittle insulation on the factory wireing. I'm sure you changed the light bulb and brushed your hand on the wireing moving it just enough to bring the positive lug allmost into contact with the mount. The vibration of moving down the road did the trick, caused the spark and away you went! They guessed the oil thing.....

foundvettelifeisgood

Need another cause on the oil issue. I just checked out the "pipe" wire between the sender and the gauge, and I don't think it's the source.

The oil came out of the floor duct.

Is there a blower motor in the duct and does it have oil in it?

Also, I gave another look to the wiring on the passenger side and could find nothing fried or synged. It really happened, honest.

GDaina

The only source for oil is the oil tube....check the fitting, maybe it's loose.

page62

Does your car have A/C by any chance?

1970 Dave

You need to remember that when the engine is running there is oil pressure-- the pressure fitting came loose on mine and oil was sprayed and I do mean sprayed--it dripped down the heater duct and displayed the same symtoms as you are describing.

SEMPER FI--1970 Dave

foundvettelifeisgood

How many fittings are there? I see one on the block near the distributor and one at the gauge. Is there another one in between at the firewall?

The one at the gauge is directly above the radio. The top of the radio is spotless. There's no sign of spray, and the gauge is working normally.

I can't understand how oil from this pipe could get inside the heater box.

No a/c.

GDaina

only two fittings...the motor and gague, unless the previous owners used a compression fitting to remove a damaged portion. The lines are plastic, and become brittle over time with the hot oil flowing through them. It is not uncommon for the plastic line to develop a crack. I would remove the line and inspect it...replace it with a new line. The 1/8" lines are cheap and at this stage, should be replaced.

vettfixr

You've got mail Jay.