ghost in the machine
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
ghost in the machine
My Explorer's wiring harness must be posessed. I get close to 12 volts on the brake light and turning signal, and 0.4 v or less on the running lights. I discovered this when my running lights went out going fishing early one morning and I pulled out the multimeter after the trip. I can get my turning signals and break lights to work, but no running lights. I even tried hooking the white and brown wires directly to a light and nothing, but the turn and brake lights worked perfectly. Anybody smarter than me about these things got a clue what's going on?
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,516
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
Not sure on yours, but I think that all your exterior lights are wired thru the multifunction switch in the steering column. I've seen a couple posts where problems in the multifunction switch have been cured by simply removing & reconnecting the electrical connector. Dirty connection I guess.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,995
Likes: 2,741
From: Virginia
Your running lights are fed with a brown wire. This wire comes from the headlight switch. I would pull the headlight switch and test for voltage on the brown wire. Look for a melted plug on the headlight switch. There should also be a tan/white wire going to the headlight switch. This is the power feed to the switch for the running lights(brown wire). See if you have voltage there. The tan/white wire comes from the fuse box.
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
I think mine might be aftermarket. I found an orange wire from the parking light fuse that had a tan and white wire spliced into it. I'll check to see if it goes to the light switch when I get some time off from work. I went the old fashioned route for now and spliced a brown wire from the left tail lights and unscrewed a tie down bolt that I never use and threaded it down through that, then insulated it with rubber tape. It doesn't seem as bright as before but it will do fine on the road. Thanks for your help.
