Wiring problem

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Dec 13, 2010 | 02:35 PM

AG's Pops

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Wiring problem

Hey everybody. New here and hope I'm doing this right. Two weeks ago I was in my 02 F250 and smoke came out of my steering column radio and dash lights dimmed. Came home and pulled covers off column and dropped column. Had found somewhere that the od cutoff wire could be chaffed and shorted. Did not find any burned or chaffed wires. Put the column back up. Have driven for two weeks with no problem. Went out and started this morning to warm up heater. Looked out house window and noticed the park lights and backup lights were on. Got to truck and smelled wires again. Drove it about half mile and no smoke. Radio light is dim again but I can operate light switch back and forth and it will brighten and the dim back. Hate to be long-winded but this has me puzzeled. Any help would be appreciated. Steve

Dec 13, 2010 | 06:04 PM

Franklin2

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From: Virginia

There should be some wiring plugs inside the column. These are famous for getting loose and pulling half-way apart, especially if you use the tilt column a lot. Some people use wire-ties to hold the plugs together.

Dec 13, 2010 | 08:19 PM

AG's Pops

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Dave, thanks for your reply. I may sound dumb but what area of the column are thes plugs on? Are they the ones to the switches on top of the column? Steve

Dec 13, 2010 | 08:49 PM

Franklin2

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From: Virginia

Here's a picture.
AutoZone.com Repair Guide Image)

Dec 14, 2010 | 06:14 AM

AG's Pops

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Thanks for the picture Dave. I'll check it out and let you know. Steve

Dec 15, 2010 | 06:38 PM

AG's Pops

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Found the culprit now I'm lost. Plug melted in back of the fuse panel. 7 wires pink, brown/yellow, green yellow, black/pink, black/green, brown, orange/green. Some of the pins came from the fuse panel with the plug. Now I've got to find what is shorted plus a new fuse block I'm sure. Can't find a 7 pin plug in Haynes manual nor on Auto Zone. Unpluged it and now I have no tail lights nor backup. Also when I turn on lights the light in the radio gets real dim. Any help would be appreciated. Steve

Dec 15, 2010 | 09:47 PM

Franklin2

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From: Virginia

I suspect someone may have wired in a trailer plug in the rear. I am not sure, but this is usually why people start having problems with these circuits, poor wiring from a previous owner. I would look back there and any non-stock wiring would be my first suspect. Also any type of running boards added with lights would be suspect.

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Dec 16, 2010 | 12:30 PM

AG's Pops

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Gonna have to to replace the fuse panel for sure. Does anybody know if you can get the plug and pins that plug into the back of fuse box. Still got to find the short that caused this and I still can't believe it did not blow a fuse. Ford guy said the blank fuse panel is $454.

Dec 16, 2010 | 01:06 PM

#10

BPofMD

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From: Millersville, MD

Hit the junkyards......

Dec 16, 2010 | 01:25 PM

#11

Franklin2

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From: Virginia

I looked up a 2002 diesel with a automatic on Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market and got these hits in Alabama. I looked up a speedo cluster, since most don't list small electrical parts like fuse boxes and such. But that's good for you, since they usually don't want too much for them either. If you have a different engine, just go back to the site and plug it in. Use a speedo like I did, or a fender or something to see what they have in the yard that you might be able to get parts from.

2002
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Truck F350 Super Duty 07G560 $250 431 Auto Parts USA-AL(Alexandria) E-mail 1-800-621-3788
2002
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Truck F250 Super Duty 174,000 10L735 $150 431 Auto Parts USA-AL(Alexandria) E-mail 1-800-621-3788
2002
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Truck F250 Super Duty LARIAT,7.3,A.T,4x4,8-01 B 090232 $150 LKQ - Mitchell USA-AL(Ranburne) E-mail 1-800-981-5887
2002
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Truck F250 Super Duty XLT,7.3,A.T,4x4 B 100228 $150 LKQ - Mitchell USA-AL(Ranburne) E-mail 1-800-981-5887
2003
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Truck F250 Super Duty 10/02 7.3DSL AT 2C3F-HK,STOCK NO. #50312 #50312 $100 Peek Auto Parts USA-AL(Cullman) E-mail 1-800-963-9599
2002
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Excursion 12/01,7.3L,AT-4,WHT,SW,LE,4x4,CL M B 100319 $100 Luxury Auto Parts USA-AL(Lincoln) E-mail 1-205-763-1084 1-888-LUXPART
2003
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Truck F250 Super Duty 4SUPER,ABS,5.4,AOD3.73,LARIT,9 02 A HC6565 $Call Fagan Auto Parts USA-AL(Piedmont) E-mail 1-800-331-5282
2003
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Truck F250 Super Duty 4D,ABS,7.3,AOD4X4,LARIAT,10-02 HG6785 $Call Fagan Auto Parts USA-AL(Piedmont) E-mail 1-800-331-5282
2003
Speedometer(See also Instr. Cluster)
Ford Truck F250 Super Duty CK DATE----XLT,7.3L,AT,4X4,GREY,TIL T 208239 $Call Nolan England Auto Parts, Inc. USA-AL(Florence) E-mail 1-256-764-1888 / 1-800-678-1888

Dec 16, 2010 | 03:17 PM

#12

AG's Pops

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Thanks guys. We have been from one end of my truck to the other and can't find a shorted wire anywhere. Is it possible my fuse panel shorted out to cause this? Got me scrathing my head. Thanks for the replies, Steve

Feb 2, 2011 | 12:48 PM

#13

AG's Pops

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Bit the bullet after checking all I knew to check and took my truck to a local Ford dealer. $831 and four weeks later it's fixed. They found nothing wrong except it shorted in the fuse panel. Looks like that might have been a poor design. No sign of water intrusion or anything else. Anybody else had this problem?