Kenteth

So after finding what was causing all the hesitations, and the no idle for two months, I had a nice fine running car for all of 4 hours.

At work I left my parking lights on. It was only for three hours, and I have an optima red top, so I didn't sweat it much. Coming home though during dusk, seemed strange. Nothing was lit up very well. When I pulled into my drivewayu after the ten mile drive, it was more than dark enough to realise I had no lights.

So... I guess my first place to begin is fuses.

I turned my lights on at work, and the motor popped the lights up. When I got home, turnign the lights off and back on did not move the lights at all (and I did turn the manual switch a couple times to see if that was it.)

What do you guys think.

The high/brights switch doesn't appaer to do anything either (I have no lows or brights, and the bright signal in the gauge cluster doesnt come on)

Kenteth

Ok guys. Fuse in the main fuse block was blown. Stupid 30amp block type . I swapped the retract motor fuse witht eh light fuse and drove to wallyworld to buy some a few spares to replace the blown one. Of course wallmart doesn't cary block fuses

So, I buy some groceries and head out to the car. Start the car up, turn the lights on... no lights.

I think: No worries, I got my toolbox in the back. I put a bolt inbetween the fuse block prongs to make a solid connection, and notice the lights dimly come on. ****.

So then i get back in the car to do something or another, and just when I opent he door, a nice cloud of white smoke and burnt electronics smell comes rushing out. ****

So.. I fortuantely have a pair of relayed fog lights hooked up. I grabbed the relay switch and wired it straight to the + battery post. Instant foglightage. Not much, but it will get me the 10mile drive home.

I take the back roads home... parts I had to go through town I saw 3 cops. Considering I didn't have my lights on (only fogs and parking) at 1:30am, i figured I was lucky that they were speeding off to be someplace and didn't care WTF i was doing.

So.. I got home. Realised how thankful I am that I didn't start a fire. Kinda pissed though too.

That said... questions!!




What is on the "HEAD" circuit. The smoke was coming from the hatch, or very far back of the car. The only thing I could think of was the reverse lights, but they still work-- so not on HEAD circuit.

Other possibility i thought of was the stock FOG light switch (my car never had stock fogs, never used the switch). I'll check that, that would be right after the shifter. Its weird though because i saw smoke coming from the underbody of the car coming up through the shifter-- the back part of the shifter.

Any ideas whats in that area that could cause it? It seems to me that the HEAD circuit wouldn't have anythign that far back...


PING: Icemark!

J-Rat

iTrader: (2)

Oh man... Time to go look for burnt wires.. Thats probably where your short is.

Kenteth

Yeah I know it is... I just didn't think anything on the HEAD circuit would even run that far back... doesn't make sense. Are the schems in the FSM?

I think I'll just pull the switch out tomorrow and wire up relays, it may be the easiest way to solve the problem, as opposed to looking for burries wires.

Irritating though... (damn) I just remembered the retracts are connected to that circuit somehow... I'll have to find some way to wire those

grr...

I finnaly have an idle after 3ish months though. that is *SO* freaking nice. Its almost unbelievable that I don't have to heel/toe at stoplights...

Kenteth

I see nothing that goes that far back? I made a mess of that schem eh?

J-Rat

iTrader: (2)

No the schematic seems to read right... Which fuse blew? I am wondering what the rear defroster has to do with this...

Kenteth

the HEAD fuse in the main fuse block (engine bay) blew. I haven't checked the defroster fuse, i'll do that tonight i guess

Kenteth

BTW its the HEAD fusible link in the engine bay that blew, not just the fuse... if theres a difference

Kenteth

Fixed. Fog-light switch harness (stock foglights were not installed on this car) had somehow grounded itself and toasted itself.

Snipped the burnt wires and taped the ends. Two new fusible links and good to go. Picts in a bit...

Kenteth

Big picture: http://sheepdog.ar2engineering.net/p...s/PICT0025.JPG

SonicRaT

iTrader: (6)

That'd explain the smoke in the cockpit. :-D

Kenteth

lol, its kinda funny, you can't tell in the picture, but that wire had completely burned off all its shea..thing.. errmmm insulation stuff. It melted a good portion of the carpet on the peice that gets covered up by the overlap...