Aerostar electrical nightmare...please help!
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New User
Joined: Dec 2004
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Aerostar electrical nightmare...please help!
Hi,
New member. Own a 93 aerostar, 79 F150 4x4 and a 70 Cougar.
I'm having a strange problem with the aerostar.. Electrical bug somewhere. Here's what's happening;
-when you press the brake pedal, the dash lights come on...go off when you release the pedal.
-without key in, with the door open; -you hit the brakes, and the "door open" chime goes...stops when you release the brake pedal.
-with headlights off; -you hit the brakes and the front parking lights come on. All 3 brake lights DO work, but only come on as bright as parking lights.
-with headlights on; -the 3 brake lights stay on at all times, still only as bright as parking lights.. No change in brightness at all when you hit the brakes, which is pretty dangerous. Just asking to get rear-ended..lol..
Any ideas? Bad ground?.... and if so, where do I find them?
Thanx!
Joe.
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New member. Own a 93 aerostar, 79 F150 4x4 and a 70 Cougar.
I'm having a strange problem with the aerostar.. Electrical bug somewhere. Here's what's happening;
-when you press the brake pedal, the dash lights come on...go off when you release the pedal.
-without key in, with the door open; -you hit the brakes, and the "door open" chime goes...stops when you release the brake pedal.
-with headlights off; -you hit the brakes and the front parking lights come on. All 3 brake lights DO work, but only come on as bright as parking lights.
-with headlights on; -the 3 brake lights stay on at all times, still only as bright as parking lights.. No change in brightness at all when you hit the brakes, which is pretty dangerous. Just asking to get rear-ended..lol..
Any ideas? Bad ground?.... and if so, where do I find them?
Thanx!
Joe.
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 178
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From: Winnipeg
This could be what happened to my Aerostar, well one of the things. There is a loom crossing the front of the radiator, about 1" about the transmission cooling tube, this has 13 wires in it. These wires can ground out very easy on the sharp edges of the panel each side of radiator, or can burn through if they contact that cooling tube. Weird things happen then like what you are describing. I would also look up under the dashboard to see if some wires have dropped down and are getting caught in the works.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 624
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From: Georgia
My first guess would be a bad ground. The first place I'd check is for continuiety to ground from the brake lights. When the ground on one circuits opens, sometimes it will find a ground back through another circuit causing unexpected results. Since applying the brakes seems to be common to all your strange results, I'd start there.
I might have a better idea if I had a wiring diagram in front of me. It could also be that a lead that powers the brake lights is shorted onto another one. Apply the pedal and get power where you don't expect it. Let us know what you find.
I might have a better idea if I had a wiring diagram in front of me. It could also be that a lead that powers the brake lights is shorted onto another one. Apply the pedal and get power where you don't expect it. Let us know what you find.
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 120
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From: Vandenberg Air Force Base
Corona, these guys are leading you in the right direction. It sounds like a bad ground. Trace the brake light circuit and make sure it has a good ground. Also check your body grounds and make sure they are good.
Look in the steering collumn for a twisted or crushed harness.
Let us know what you find.
Look in the steering collumn for a twisted or crushed harness.
Let us know what you find.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 154
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Hey I am not saying this is what is wrong BUT you may want to check. I had a car one time that did the same sort of things. Step on the brake dash lights on, ect, ect. Anyway after looking for days checking grounds and wires and everything one could imagine turns out a brake light bulb had burned out and the filimint for the brake light shorted accross the tail light filiment and was back feeding through the whole system. New bulb no more problems. This is the truth, believe it or not!
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New User
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I believe I believe!!
You nailed it on the head....saved me many hours of pain and suffering...lol...I never even thought of starting there, as all the lights worked (not when they should though)...so I thought they were ok.
Anyway, thank you very much, and to all who responded...everything is working as it should now.
Happy new year!
Joe
You nailed it on the head....saved me many hours of pain and suffering...lol...I never even thought of starting there, as all the lights worked (not when they should though)...so I thought they were ok.
Anyway, thank you very much, and to all who responded...everything is working as it should now.
Happy new year!
Joe
