QuestionQUESTION: Thank you for being available to help people.'95 Camaro ig sw repeatededly replaced due to failure w/ burn marks. A shop said voltage loss at a terminal connector & replaced only that which has a red wire & another appears as the start wire to solenoid. Hopefully, the second wire belongs there as well? The red wire is very hot to the touch intermittenly & seemed to be worse when cruise turned on or A/C also w/ ammeter showing drop in voltage.Should be so hot? & drop in voltage was previous indicator of ig sw about to go out. I have it wired under dash & use tool to manually start as key won't turn all the way back to remove. Put it there as easier to replace if burns out again. If a short where is likely cause? & if their connector loosened, is it that touchy so could be loose again? Everything functions now but hot to touch red wire & drop in ammeter. Thanks again. Bill
ANSWER: Bill, If any wire gets to the point that it is hot to the touch, there indeed is a problem. This condition is caused by excessive current flow through the switch and the conductor feeding it. The eventual outcome is a toasted ignition switch and possibly a fire caused by the overheated wire. The problem is brought on by overloading of the circuit, possibly from a high performance sound system wired directly to the ignition output. Other causes include DC Motors and A/C clutch windings that over time, demand more current as bearings wear and winding insulation breaks down. The circuit is protected by a fusible link connected to the battery junction block, I hope for your sake, that yours has not been bypassed. I say this because it sounds like the fusible link is not doing its job. That job is to open the circuit and stop current flow, before the level exceeds the capacity of the conductor. This problem needs to be looked at by a professional with the correct tools and knowledge to ensure against further damage, including fire! I would make sure the fusible link is still intact and at the same time check the current draw of the circuit, under loaded conditions. At that point all branch circuits will need to be tested for current demand to determine where the problem lies. Hope this helps you. Don.
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QUESTION: Thanx but hopeful for more info from original ?,? Is red wire start or must be run wire? True a connector a little loose that touchy to burn ig sw? Should have 2 wires together one as red? Schematic hard to find? Obviously, your answer was needed to prompt me to act as a danger exists & I appreciate that. Thank you. Bill
AnswerBill, the red wire is the feed wire from the battery. It is the one that has the fusible link protecting the circuit. According to the diagram, this also feeds several other circuits including the cigar lighter, horn and power accessories. It all depends on what model Camaro and options that are on it. If this is the wire that is running hot, it could be because of current overload through one of the branch circuits or a combination of circuits. Someone really needs to test the circuit to verify voltage drops and excessive current draw. Don.
