electrical malfunctions
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Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 37
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From: NYC USA
electrical malfunctions
Hi all...I was hoping someone could help me...I was driving home tonite & out of nowhere my radio goes dead..my interior lights go dead my dash gauges went out of whack & my head & tail lights dimmed to where they almost went dead...all the while my seat belt buzzer remained buzzing. Any ideas on what may be the cause... Thanks....
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,242
Likes: 3
From: Joliet, Illinois
electrical malfunctions
Where do all these systems come together at one place?
Ether the fuse box, or a wiring harness.
Check there and look for over heated (several wires melted together) or loose/worn through wires touching something they should not be touching.
To have so many things go wrong at the same time, and they all are not on the same fuse, so something happened to them all together.
Lights out = blown fuse.
Quickly dimming lights = heavy draw on the circuit.
Buzzer going off when it should not = power supplied to the circuit past the switch turning it off.
Sounds like a BIG short that might have heated a wire enough to melt it to some others then twisted as it heated ( or you hit a bump in the road) and then (unshorted) itself after the damage to it's neighboring wires was done.
Just something I saw before more than once.
Ether the fuse box, or a wiring harness.
Check there and look for over heated (several wires melted together) or loose/worn through wires touching something they should not be touching.
To have so many things go wrong at the same time, and they all are not on the same fuse, so something happened to them all together.
Lights out = blown fuse.
Quickly dimming lights = heavy draw on the circuit.
Buzzer going off when it should not = power supplied to the circuit past the switch turning it off.
Sounds like a BIG short that might have heated a wire enough to melt it to some others then twisted as it heated ( or you hit a bump in the road) and then (unshorted) itself after the damage to it's neighboring wires was done.
Just something I saw before more than once.
Last edited by archangel; Jul 10, 2003 at 01:25 AM.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 37
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From: NYC USA
electrical malfunctions
Thanks guys...I'll open the hood to look for any melting wires...the first thing I did was to smell for any burning smell when all this happened...didnt smell anything. I hope its not too bad..
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Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 37
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From: NYC USA
electrical malfunctions
Well I looked under the hood & found out what caused the damage...
I have a wire for my plow lights that connects to the pos. battery, well when I just recently put in my new K&N air filter I forgot to tie the wires for my plow lights & they got tangled in the radiator fan chopping the wire that goes to the pos battery terminal.
I have no knowledge of electricity whatsoever, but im guessing its not too good what happend.
Where do I go from here???
I checked all fuses all checked out good...now what???
Thanks.....
I have a wire for my plow lights that connects to the pos. battery, well when I just recently put in my new K&N air filter I forgot to tie the wires for my plow lights & they got tangled in the radiator fan chopping the wire that goes to the pos battery terminal.
I have no knowledge of electricity whatsoever, but im guessing its not too good what happend.
Where do I go from here???
I checked all fuses all checked out good...now what???
Thanks.....
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,242
Likes: 3
From: Joliet, Illinois
electrical malfunctions
Fix that damaged wire and check everything else in the area once again,
see if it all works (watch carefuly).
What does not work,
list them,
then fix them one at a time,
what you can't fix,
hold off untill you can get some help.
see if it all works (watch carefuly).
What does not work,
list them,
then fix them one at a time,
what you can't fix,
hold off untill you can get some help.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: NYC USA
electrical malfunctions
Now nothing works ...the truck wont even start...I turn the key but she wont crank....
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,987
Likes: 7
From: Memphis, TN
electrical malfunctions
You must have blown a fusible link wire near the starter relay. Pull on them to see which one stretches - the wire inside is melted through, and should only be replaced with a new fusible link of the same rating. They come with instructions on how to splice them in. Check a few parts stores.
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Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,242
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From: Joliet, Illinois
electrical malfunctions
Check the battery for power as it might have drained it with the (power wire) shorted to ground.
You will have to fix that short first before attempting to jump start it if the battery is dead.
You will have to fix that short first before attempting to jump start it if the battery is dead.