Electrical

Tiny
GOLFJEFF73
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 FORD E-SERIES VAN
My van is overloading and blowing fuses, speedometer and odometer won't work, tranny won't shift out of park when key is on, stereo won't work and I can't locate an exposed wire or loose ground. Where do I start to isolate problem?
Sunday, May 19th, 2013 AT 11:39 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,870 POSTS
A simple trick to finding a short is to replace the blown fuse with a pair of spade terminals, then use small jumper wires to connect them to a 12 volt light bulb. A brake light bulb works well. When the circuit is live and the short is present, the bulb will be full brightness and hot so be sure it's not laying on the carpet or against a plastic door panel. Now you can unplug electrical connectors and move things around to see what makes the short go away. When it does, the bulb will get dim or go out.
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Sunday, May 19th, 2013 AT 12:07 PM
Tiny
KINGTOSMAN
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Check the instrument cluster earth wire under the hood
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Thursday, July 25th, 2019 AT 2:52 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,870 POSTS
What do you suspect is wrong with a ground wire? If it's corroded or broken off, that will cause a drop in current flow because it can't find a path to travel. Fuses blow from too much current flow. If the wire is rubbed through and touching bare metal, that will just provide an alternate path for current to get to ground, which the wire is already doing. Is there something else I'm not aware of?
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Thursday, July 25th, 2019 AT 5:46 PM

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