Don't give up the ship!Today I think I saved mine from burning down in an electrical fire : /
Had an issue this weekend with the starter not turning over and the solenoid staying open. Figured it was low juice in the batts so put in 2x new ones.
Still didnt start and having the issue of the solenoid staying open and just drawing mad juice, to the point that it started to heat the new battery disconnect.
Thinking that the disconnect wasn't giving enough juice (not sure its amp rating) I pulled it out and terminated all the cables directly to the battery studs without any quick disconnect...see where this is going?
Well I try to start it, same issue - solenoid stays open after 1x starting attempt, hit the kill switch and basically an open circuit with batterys discharging load at full bore and no quick way to disconnect power.
Threw on my leather gloves and started pulling the nut off the negative terminal on the battery which was smoking hot at this point. With my gloves starting to flash off and the terminal starting to glow I super quickly got the nut off and ripped the cable off the terminal.
Just as I do the terminal arc's with bright blue flame and then promptly melts out of the top of the battery leaving me with a mess of melted/spattered lead on the batter with no terminal.
Same time I notice smoke from under the hood so I grab my extinguisher from the cab and "quickly" throw open the hood to thankfully no flames but a hot to the touch after 10 minutes cable going to the starter.
Down one brand new battery, likely bad starter, added to some other small Deuce issues (needs windshields, new oil cooler cover, new super-rope and lots of paint) and some big potential expenses on the horizon (1 senior and 1 softmore in highschool) have me contemplating the unthinkable: selling
Talk me down from the ledge someone!
If you sell, that'll be one fewer person in Maryland for me to hang out with. Our community is slim enough! Seriously, once you shake the bugs out it'll be as reliable as your daily driver.