Qualcom wire fire !!

mouse549 · Jun 4, 2005

Hello Drivers,
I need your help.
The line from my QC to the battery caught fire!!
Luckily no one was hurt, if you don't count my pocket until I can get back on the road again. Yes, literally the wire, on fire!!
Has this every happened to anyone, how did the company handle it, did you have to come out of your pocket for anything, ie..deductible? I have insurance through the company.
I figure since the company put this equipment on, they should be responcible for all the expenses.
Will I get a renter, as this is my only vehicle?
I'm asking you all this now because I have to wait 'til Mon. to talk to someone in the company.
All I've talked to is the ins. agency, and the adjuster can't come and see the vehicle 'til, Mon.

Please give me youe thoughts.

Thanx
Mouse :~}
Van Driver
Oct.'04

terryandrene · Jun 4, 2005

we sure hope your damage to the van was minimal. I've never heard of such a thing. I'd take a bunch of pix and hope that the cause of the fire can be traced to faulty installation whereby the installer might give you some relief. Did a loose hot wire abrade on a grounded area?

This is a wake-up call for the rest of us to take some time tomorrow and check our visible wire runs for soundness.

Good luck with the insuranse guy, Mouse

davekc · Jun 4, 2005

As Terry mentioned, I have never heard of this. It sounds like you have one of the older units with a seperate black box. Sometimes those would cook, but no flames. It does sound like a grounding problem with the unit or the installation. Make sure you document everything. Should be a insurance issue.
Hopefully the damage was minumal and you can be up and running in short order.
Davekc

RichM · Jun 5, 2005

I have never heard of that happening and I have a very old unit with the black box that has been in 3 different trucks. Perhaps the postive wire comiing from the battery was rubbing on the frame somewhere then shorted out.

Lawrence · Jun 5, 2005

Yes - this happened to me about a few years ago!

Fortunately, I was stopped at the Flying J on I-75 south of Atlanta and caught it before it did any serious damage. I just finished my load and went home to repair it. We replaced the wire and never had another issue with it.
I think we had determined it was too small of a wire.

Funny thing as I was putting out this electrical fire right next to me within 10 feet were several police officers - guns drawn on a couple guys who had just robbed one of the other truck stops on the same exit as the J.

I might add this was after a 2 hour delay on S/B I-75 from Downtown Atlanta when they shut the Interstate down when there was a small bomb that went off at the Olympics.

The delay continued as the Vice-Presidents motorcade took to I-75 S'B as well.

It was a night to remember!

Lawrence,
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mcbride · Jun 5, 2005

This also happened to us as well. We were lucky too as we saw the smoke before it burst into flames. We had incidental damage and had to have another QC put in...needless to say we went to another location to have the new QC installed. They indicated to us that the people who installed the original QC wired it incorrectly which is why it over heated.

mcbride-
O/O-D unit-Team-6yrs
--What goes around comes around--
LEGAL NOTICE: The views and opinions expressed in this post are those held by the posting author and do not represent the views or opinions of Expediters Online.com, On Time Media, LLC, it's agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertisers or sponsors.

theoldprof · Jun 6, 2005

Haven't never looked at the wiring of a QC, what should a guy look for in a QC installation?

Thanks. :+ :+

mouse549 · Jun 6, 2005

Thanx all for the replies.
Still waiting for the Ins. adjuster, I'm glad it's not wintertime.

The Company installed the QC, I didn't know I could have it installed any other place, because I pay them to have it in my vehicle.
What do you look for for proper installation, I didn't even know where the wire went until it caught fire.

I've had a better look, and the other wires under hood are burned, because they connected this wire to them, the brake line to brake fluid, and some other stuff I haven't any idea what it is, is bubbled from the flames.

Thanx
Mouse :~}
Van Driver
Oct.'04

LDB · Jun 6, 2005

>I've had a better look, and the other wires under hood are
>burned, because they connected this wire to them, the brake
>line to brake fluid, and some other stuff I haven't any idea
>what it is, is bubbled from the flames.
>
>Thanx
>Mouse :~}
>Van Driver
>Oct.'04

It sounds like it's going to be somewhat involved and somewhat expensive to repair. Whatever you do, don't sign off on anything for the insurance people or the company until you are 100% positive it's repaired correctly and 100% satisfied with the job. Be sure the insurance is aware you will expect repairs on anything subsequently becoming a problem directly due to this cause. I'd also get at least a couple of opinions on the original installation and if that's the cause the original installer needs to pay the deductible so nothing comes out of your pocket. Good luck to you.

Leo
truck 4958

Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

dieseldoctor1 · Jun 6, 2005

If the wire caught fire between the fuse and the unit, either the wire was too small or the fuse too high an amperage. A proper installation will blow the fuse long before the wire gets hot enough to catch on fire. I would be all over the people that installed the unit. UNLESS, of course, someone substituted a bigger fuse or wired something else into that circuit incorrectly. Both the main feed wire and the signal wire(usually wired to the ignition switch "on" position) should have a fuse of a size that will blow before the wire even gets warm. Any wire on any circuit that feels warm when operating is too small for the load it is carrying. Take some load off if possible or replace with a bigger wire.

Dieseldoctor

mouse549 · Jun 12, 2005

UPDATE!!
Finally, got Van to shop/ins. appraiser, they say the QC wire shorted out, by rubbing on other items under the hood. Wire did not have a fuse/circuit breaker on it, so it got hot and the covering caught fire, and caught the other wires and anything close to it on fire.
The damage is extensive, and the shop is currently taking everything out that needs replacing, no estimate on how much it will cost, yet.

Installation negligence. It's being called.
Also, Qualcom could be liable as well, since company bought parts from them and it didn't include a fuse &/or circuit breaker.

No money from my pocket for this incident, however since I'm not working, no money is going into my pocket.

Thanx
Mouse :~}
Van Driver
Oct.'04

terryandrene · Jun 12, 2005

My original Qualcomm was installed by PJ's in akron, OH. The hot wire had in in-line fuse. PJ is a certified QC installer so I suspect the in-line fuse was a QC requirement. Worth checking QC requirements if your hot wire to power source was not fused.

mouse549 · Jun 12, 2005

QC was installed at company I'm leased to.

Thanx
Mouse :~}
Van Driver
Oct.'04

davekc · Jun 12, 2005

I believe I would want to know why there was no fuse on the wire.
Either it was sent from Qualcomm without it (which I doubt) or installer removed it.
It was probably a used unit and the fuse and wire was left with the prior vehicle.
Installer is likely to be the source based on your info.

Davekc

mouse549 · Jun 12, 2005

Yeah,
I think the company installer is at fault, the Insurance Co. is investigating this situation.
In talking to other drivers, it seems most have a fuse on the line.

Thanx
Mouse :~}
Van Driver
Oct.'04

mouse549 · Jun 20, 2005

Update, Update

Well, $1400.+, later I finally got my Van back. Looks good under the hood. In service today.

Thanx for all your replies.

Be Safe out there, drivers.

Mouse :~}
Van Driver
Oct.'04

Loose_Cannon47 · Jun 20, 2005

Their $1400, I hope...

Loose

plumcrazy8 · Jun 22, 2005

I can't help but remember the words at orientation "don't even think about unhooking the power to the QC unit". We all know that OUR companies wouldn't remove a safety feature like a fuse holder just to make it more hard-wired and tamper-resistant. Don't we?