ABS computer plug melted
 

Hi all. I hope all are well in these trying times. Last night I hooked a good quality battery charger on automatic setting to the wife's 2005 X-type so I could open the trunk. Quick back story: The car has sat for a few months because the clamp on the transmission cooler line rusted and the line blew off. The car was stopped right away and towed the 2 miles home. (2 days later I had back surgery with a major infection and lost a few months.)

The line has been repaired and the other checked and repaired as needed. I needed into the trunk to get the new synthetic transmission fluid out so I could fill the transmission. I connected the charger and walked away to continue cleaning my garage up. About 3 minutes later I smelled something electrical burning. Turned around and saw smoke billowing from the front passenger side. Ran over and removed charger, disconnected battery. ( I should have before charging in hindsight) and then tried to remove ABS plug from computer. Needless to say, that did not go well. I did manage to separate the burnt plug from the module. The plug is obviously bad, as is the module (1 Pin missing). The center of the plug is where it was the hottest. I can load pics if needed.

My question is what caused the fire. Sh*t happens, especially in this awful year, but I have strived to fix things properly, fairly, and at a reasonable price all my life. I am a retired mechanic. From before the days of technicians, lol. The only code the car had before this was for the rear speed sensors. Tone rings are too rusted. I have new half shafts with rings to install. (Thanks Detroit Axle) Just had not gotten there yet. Nor am I looking forward to that. LOL. The only thing worse on an X is changing the fuel pumps IMO.

Thanks in advance to any and all with thoughts/ideas.

3jaguars, the only thing I can think of is that a critter got up under the hood and chewed on a few wires, leading to a short. Unfortunately, I think your fix is going to be getting a new harness and ABS module. I cannot advise cutting the plug off and then finding a donor car to get the plug from and then splicing all those wires together. I see more problems in the future with that project. If you do go down this road, I recommend soldering the wires together and then covering them with a product called "Raychem WCSF-050". This is heat shrink on steroids. I use it at my work to survive a nuclear reactor meltdown (literally). If it can survive that, it can survive under the hood of your car. The big thing with the Raychem is properly applying it. If you do go this route, let me know and I will go into detail. Just need a good heat gun for shrinking the tubing.

Thermo, Thank you for the reply. Your thought about a critter was all I could come up with also. I do live out in the country. I have found a used module with harness end and I was planning to solder the wires and heat shrink them. I have some good heat shrink but would be happy to try the Raychem. Any chance you can advise on the best place to find it? I am in the Pittsburgh area. I have a good adjustable heat gun 100-1300 degrees. I would think that to be enough. But if not, please advise me.
Thanks Again

3Jaguars, I would say with this day and age to look on E-bay. I see it there all the time. Just keep in mind that you will see numbers associated with all the heat shrink. You are wanting the WCSF-050 (or shrinks to 0.050"). If you get say WCSF-200, that is not going to shrink enough to do what you need. The benefit of the Raychem product is it has a heat activated glue on the inside. So, if you leave an inch of the raychem beyond where you solder the wires (so, most of your pieces of Raychem will be about 3" long - 1" for each side, 1" in the middle for your solder joint), that will give you sufficient overlap to not let water into your solder joint. Staggering the joints will also help keep the bulk of the harness to a minimum. When you shrink the tubing, you simply watch the end of the raychem and you will see a little orange "donut" appear where some of the glue is getting squeezed out the end. You see this donut appear, you have things warm enough.

Here is a listing on E-bay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/RAYCHEM-WCS...IAAOSwG0hZ4ObY

Thermo, Thank you so very much. Maybe one day this older guy can help you. I will order some Raychem. Thank you for the numbering explanation.