electrical lighting problems please help

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Aug 15, 2002 | 02:53 PM

Ian Poush

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electrical lighting problems please help

1991 eddie baur edition explorer

as soon as i press the brakes the fuse for the lights blows, and when i use my directionals the left will work, but the right will blow the fuse just as fast as the brakes do. Any suggestions.

Aug 15, 2002 | 03:29 PM

Dialtone

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electrical lighting problems please help

You have a short to ground on the power lead supplying the right side turn signal/stop lamp circuit. Could be a blown bulb that shorted internally or a lead insulation cut thru somewhere. I would start by removing all the bulbs on the right side circuit and check for ground on the power supply lead to the bulbs with a volt/ohm meter. If meter shows no short, then check bulbs one at a time till you find shorted one (shows very low resistance, if in doubt what is low, compare two or three for a baseline reading).

Dialtone

Aug 16, 2002 | 07:59 PM

Opera House Works

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electrical lighting problems please help

When I have to diagnose shorts, I replace the fuse with a headlight bulb. I always have a couple of these lamps around with one section blown out. Wire it up to a couple of 1/4 inch spade connectors. These fit easily in the connectors for the fuse tangs. Place the lamp(s) where it can be seen. With a complete short, the lamp will be full brightness and the wiring will be protected. You can then wiggle and unplug things till you see a change in lamp brightness. I've even used two, three or four lamps in parallel to run windshield wiper motors. Figure 5A for each lamp. Sure saves on the fuses!