It weird but it's not the Twilight zone.......just a crazy ground.....

[Toploader]

So a few years ago under duress I had a local service station(owned by a friend of the family) change my battery cables on the '86 MGM Tudor.
The fool was too lazy to put the car on the lift and attach the negative cable back on the block.........so he drapes the cable around and attaches it to one of the water pump front bolts. Ok so it worked. At the time the cable had an extra wire coming out of it for something to do with the EEC system.......one can never have enough grounds so I told him to just run the cable to the fender and be done with it.
Three years pass.........this past Weds I attempt to start the car .....turn the key nothing.....jiggle the selector a little and she starts........but at the same time I see a plume of smoke rise from under the hood.......for some reason the car was looking for a ground and 300 amps passed into that shit thin wire........and completely melted it and the crimp connector.
Once was too much........brought the car to my buds place put it on the lift and put the stupid cable where it should have been three years ago.......bolted to the block. Live and learn, if you feel something is not correct speak up...........even if family is involved. the last thing I needed was a fire:-(

[Mainemantom]

I hate lazy "mechanics". They are not lazy to take our money though. I really hate the ones that throw parts at the problem at the customer's expense.

[DerekTheGreat]

This is also why I wouldn't want "family" to work on my cars or why I don't like to work on family's stuff. Over a decade ago I put a K&N cold air intake set-up on Dad's Z28 and now that has been responsible for every problem he's had with the car, despite that not actually being at fault...

[Mainemantom]

This is also why I wouldn't want "family" to work on my cars or why I don't like to work on family's stuff. Over a decade ago I put a K&N cold air intake set-up on Dad's Z28 and now that has been responsible for every problem he's had with the car, despite that not actually being at fault...

Correct ! Amazing how a family repair now becomes connected to anything that that goes wrong with that vehicle. "Uncle John replaced my tail light two years ago. Now my car won't start. What did Uncle John do to my car? " It does not stop there though. That is repeated to other relatives. My comment is " I work only on MY cars "

[sly]

Thankfully my family isn't full of idiots. Of course, the ones that want my help, know I won't make other stuff break. They have less faith in their local shops.