Re: Power seat cable?

Posted by Fish'n Jim On 2021/12/6 9:09:38

I warn about this all the time in older cars. And, NO, Packard wiring is not exempt from it. The same company, was sold to GM('30s) and supplied most of the major manufacturers.
You better check way up that line, as there's likely other burns or loss of insulation. And the rest of the car wiring.
Copper oxidizes over time, that reduces the effective wire gauge and the resistance increases. If the insulation is aged/broken that accelerates the oxidation. It also allows for short circuits. So when you power up, they heat up.
Any wiring over ~30 years old, or in rough shape, should be thoroughly inspected, bumper to bumper.
Take this as a "warning shot"/"learning experience" that the whole car didn't catch fire. (I've seen many people post about their beloved car that went up in smoke.)
This condition will extend into areas covered with tape(harness) and you'll never see it happen.
The wiring stds of the period are not the same as today. You'll find all sorts of branch connections, mismatches, etc. that do not meet today's auto electrical code.
If it's a lighter feed, it probably comes off a 20A or larger circuit, so can do lots of heating and sparking before the fuse blows, if at all.
You might(due to burnt condition) be able to look at the electrical diagram and determine the insulation color and wire gauge and then compare to find it's source/endpoint. As far as I know they don't tell the routing. There maybe verbage or by segment info.
When 67 years old, a lot of modifications could've been done/repairs made, so no way to tell for sure. Best to correct the issues, than spend time wondering.