Will a very hot engine burn the wiring?
2 Answers
An extremely hot engine can burn the wiring. Insufficient engine power: When the engine temperature is too high, the temperature of the air entering the engine also rises, resulting in a reduced actual air intake. This lowers the engine's volumetric efficiency, leading to a decrease in the engine's power and torque, manifesting as insufficient engine power. Early damage to components: When the engine temperature is excessively high, the temperature inside the combustion chamber becomes very high, easily reaching the ignition point of gasoline and igniting the air-fuel mixture, causing knocking. This results in strong engine impacts and vibrations, subjecting components to additional impact loads and causing early damage.
I've been driving for twenty years and enjoy doing minor repairs myself. It's true that an engine can get hot enough to damage wiring, but it depends on the situation. New cars are designed with heat-resistant materials wrapping the wiring, and temperatures near heat sources are generally tolerable. However, if the engine runs under prolonged high load or the cooling system fails—like a broken fan or insufficient coolant—temperatures can spike above 100 degrees, causing the insulation on low-quality wiring to melt, leading to short circuits or even smoke and fire. Older cars are especially at risk due to faster wiring degradation, compounded by poor-quality aftermarket wiring harnesses. I once saw a friend's car neglected to the point where a minor issue escalated into a fire accident—it was terrifying. So, always check if the cooling system is functioning properly, avoid cluttering the engine bay to ensure proper heat dissipation, and keep wiring connections clean and corrosion-free.
