I had a fender bender about a month and 1/2 ago.About a week after that I blew my alternator and battery.Now both are dead again.I can jump the car but the alt isnt charging it and it'll die after a few minutes.The only clue is over the weekend I was doing some work to it (cam,intake,timing chain)and when we test started sparks shot from the nose area and there was a wisp of smoke.The fuse to the battery also blew.
Whats the possibility of my accident crushing/grounding part of the wiring harness by the nose?I havnt had it repaired yet so I need to know if I need to contact my insurace company again.

 

the main wireing runs through the pass side fender area, so if you were hit there that might be it.

thanks
anthony

 

You're headlamp harness runs through the nose in front of the core support. You also have the electric fan relay wires that run in that approx. area, and that draws power from the starter terminal. There is a fusable link between the starter and fan, and thn between that and the battery.

Matt

 

Thanx for replying guys.
I was have a dent on the driver side about where the nose and fender meet and a "paint scar"over the drivers side headlights.The headlights on BOTH sides broke their "housing"(sorry,I dont know the correct term)and the turn signal lights on BOTH sides stopped working immediatlly.Exactly one week after the accident my alternator and battery went.And like I said in the original post,they just went again!
Today a mechanic looked at it and said it was the harness.Now I need to show the harness was damaged in the accident for insurance to cover it.
Does anything sound that way to you guys or am I a victem of coicidence?
Hows a harness set up?Is it one big thing of speghetti or a bunch of little groups wired together?Is it possible to just do the damaged part and not the rest?

 

It is a bunch of little harnesses all coming off of a main branch, so it is pretty easy to work with. It can definately be repaired, all you have to do is locate the short and repair it by soldering and insulating it very well. I would ONLY solder, and not use crimp caps or any other methods. Otherwise, you may find yourself going through this in another year

EDIT: The headlight harness passes right through that entire area, so it is very possible that the accident caused the short.

 

when or if you fix it use heat shrink over the solder connections, as this is a more permanent fix than electrical tape. i fix stuff like this on cars all the time as this is my job, and i fix a lot of harnesess damaged in wrecks. this i find is the best way. also put the plastic shething over it like the factory did. makes for a longer lasting and more durable harness.

thanks
anthony