Just got home from washing my car. As I'm parking, I notice smoke coming from under the hood. Open the hood to see the connector leading from the alternator to the battery on fire. I put it out quickly. The connector burnt through, so now I am wondering do I just need another connector or is this a bigger issue I need to address?

 

I'm not an electrician, but it sound's like you might have had a short...??

 

What car is it.........year, model ??

Any changes to the car.......stereo...other loads?
Might have been a simple loose connection but get it to someone who knows what they're looking at.

Neighbour lost a new (<6 months old) Mazda 6 in his driveway about 3 weeks ago.
Only good part about it is the fact it was outside & not in the garage.
Complete car melted down at the front clip. Not enough evidence to examine after the fact.

 

I have a 98 gs300. I changed the alternator out about 2 months ago. Im thinking the connector was just old and not sealed properly. Thats the only changes in my car in the past few months. Can I just buy a new connector?

 

Check for any shorts and I would aslo have the alternator checked just to be safe. I've see wires melt/burn due to current draw that is higher than the wire can handle.

 

Glad you're safe. I'd say torch the whole thing and get the GSF .. Ask your neighbor how he did it..

 

My rule of thumb - if you wash the engine, always let it dry before starting it ...

And glad it didn't leave you on the side of the road or caused a big accident.

 

The alternator will produce only enough current to supply the demand by the connected loads.
100A unit with a 10A load will only supply 10A until the load increases.
A loose/poor connection can cause what you described.
Loose conductor gets warm from an arcing effect. The arcing causes heat build up causing expansion of the base metals. The expansion will in turn cause more arcing............etc..

Replace the cable but make sure no damage was done at the connection points either end. I use a dab of Vaseline on all connections to battery posts. Keeps corrosion down & ensures a thorough connection.
Once the engine is running check the battery posts with a DC voltmeter or a DC setting on a multimeter. You should see +/- 14.2 - 14.4 V DC at the battery post.

Don't mess with it if you are not comfortable. Too much to risk.

 

Arc = Weld

 

I have a used alternator incase yours is damage email me for price and details. My email is illicitfords@att.net

Thanks

 

I really appreciate all the feedback guys. I plan on taking the car to get the alternator checked in the morning. If the alternator is fine I will just get another cable. Anybody know where I could potentially get a cable from, other than getting one made.

 

Amen to that!!! To the "T"