MACS Service Reports - 2016 - DEC8

BECs are a form of F.R.E.D by the way - their fiber
board multi layered printed circuit board construction tends to hate incorrect polarities / too much
current in the wrong places. 10 amps was too much
current for reverse polarity on one of this B.E.C.'s
starter relay terminals. Way too much current.
Flames and smoke were shooting everywhere from
the B.E.C. for what seemed like 10 minutes (actually
about 10 seconds). By the time I was able to find my
10mm to get the battery cable off the shop's owner
/ fellow instructor grabbed a fire extinguisher and
put the fire out. The whole experience cost considerable time and money. Time wise there was a week
of waiting for parts, several days of clean up, repair and restoration work including 84 wire splices.
Cost totaled over $700 dollars ($300 for parts and

$400 to put the owner in a rental vehicle). All just
to get the Sonic back to normal in order to resume
the original diagnostics. A new starter fixed the no
start problem and the overheating issue never resurfaced. Maybe the fire fixed it! Was there a lesson
learned? Of course! I learned to not stop testing,
probing and measuring when applying 'free style'
diagnostics. I did learn (actually relearned) the concept of stopping and listening to time honored and
proven words of advice that go through my head
when things don't add up. Slow down, take a break
from it, and think it out. Impatience when working
with electronics can be disastrous. Most of us try
our best to avoid being a model for one of those demotivational series posters. And no one, I mean NO
one wants to splice 84 wires in 95 degree weather! ■

MACS has big plans for 2017
In 2017, the MACS Training
Event and Trade Show will take place
at the Marriott hotel in Anaheim, CA,
February 15 to 18.

MACS Service Reports is published monthly by the Mobile Air Conditioning Society
Worldwide. It is distributed to members of MACS Worldwide and is intended for
the educational use of members of the automotive air conditioning service and
repair industry. Suggestions for articles will be considered for publication, however,
MACS Worldwide reserves the right to choose and edit all submissions.

Editors:
Elvis Hoffpauir, Steve Schaeber
Production Designer:
Laina Forcey
Manager of Service Training:
Steve Schaeber
Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide
P.O. Box 88, Lansdale, PA 19446
Phone: (215) 631-7020 * Fax: (215) 631-7017
Email: membership@macsw.org * Website: www.macsw.org

Unless otherwise noted, all photos/art by author.

December 2016

MACS Service Reports

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