electrics smoke help!

[tommicraz]

hi guys fitted a second hand cd player about a month ago yesterday noticed my side lights weren't working so checked and was blow fuse, replaced it and lights worked fine then turned on stero and wudnt work with lights on checked wiring seemd ok turned sidelights on smoke pouring from dash so turned lights off disconected stero
and lucky it stoped! the wire I used as earth blue and red one was melted right thru and as far bak as I can trace it!

can someone tell me why this has happened?
I fited one in my friends micra the same way and they had no probs only difference was the earth wire was black in theres.

 

[skymera]

hi guys fitted a second hand cd player about a month ago yesterday noticed my side lights weren't working so checked and was blow fuse, replaced it and lights worked fine then turned on stero and wudnt work with lights on checked wiring seemd ok turned sidelights on smoke pouring from dash so turned lights off disconected stero
and lucky it stoped! the wire I used as earth blue and red one was melted right thru and as far bak as I can trace it!

can someone tell me why this has happened?
I fited one in my friends micra the same way and they had no probs only difference was the earth wire was black in theres.

Was the blue earth wire definitley the earth?
I never earthed mine.

 

[tommicraz]

it wouldn't earth thru the aerial that's why I used the blue red wire,also the aerial connection was hot when wire was smokeing.
am gona recheck that wire now with mulitmeter to make sure earth.

 

[tommicraz]

jst checked and the wire becomes live when turn lights on!
the actuacl earth wire doesn't work that how I made my mistake!
problem I got now is the insulation to the blue/red wire is melted as far bak as I can trace it <to the first heater vent> and the wire is bare in places will it be ok or do I have to take dash out trace the wire and re insulate it??

 

[tomwest]

probably best to cut ouyt the damaged section and solder in some new wire..... sounds like you've been trying to make your micra a positive earth system, no wonder it got hot! i did the same on my last micra with insufficient wire thickness for a battery isolator. it overheated,m melted the plastic sheath and sparked off the floor (no carpets obv!)