Using a welder on your Ranger

[Kowboy]

Anyone ever heard of this? I was researching about welders on the web as my El-Cheapo Campbell Hausfield dumped on me Friday. I was reading where your vehicles computer / electrics can be damaged if the neg. ground on the battery is not disconnected. I am familiar w/ electro-static discharge and how it can cause all kinds of ghosting / come and go problems to circuit boards. These troubles can be a bear to diagnose.

 

[bigfatloser]

Heard of it happening, never actually seen it first hand. Regardless, anytime I do any work on any vehicle, I disconnect the battery. Not being a safety Nazi. If todays "modern" computer controlled vehicles can be caused to run like crap or not run at all simply due to a bad ground or loose connector. I assume the computer can be damaged from any wayward voltage from a welder.

 

[scotts90ranger]

yep, disconnect the battery if you are welding on a vehicle, probably ok if you keep the ground close to the work (that's what I usually do) but better safe by unplugging the battery

 

[adsm08]

It is possible to damage the computer by welding improperly. While not always safe to leave the battery hooked up and just keep your ground very close to the work, it will drastically increase the odd of hurting the computer if it is in the the direct path of the welding current.

It's always best to unhook the battery, and even unplug the computer if the plugs are easily accessed.

 

[Destroyer000]

ive seen it happen a few times on our trucks... i work for a bus company as a welder for them an anytime we have to weld on the bus we have to power it down disconnect all the modules before we even think about strking an arc