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levi
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2005
Posts: 5522
Location: Las Vegas
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 Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:20 pm Post subject: Electrical short process of discovery |
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This is on my 1985, out in the desert Southwest, middle of nowhere.
In the last 48 hours I have a cascading short ( I think) but the electrical system is my Achilles heel.
First I blew the fuse #8, ( this is 8 amp and controls the cigarette lighter, stop lights, and interior lights).
Replaced the fuse and after a few hours I blew fuse #2 ( this is a 8 amp and controls right tail parking lights, right side marker lights and front side marker light, and license light.
Noticed at that point that the #8 was also blown again.
As I was pulling over I also caught a very brief whiff of what I thought was a burning wire smell.
This made me think I would find a section of easily identifiable burnt wire under the dash, but it visually looks fine.
Driving a little further, looking for a place to pull off to safely dig some more instead of being on the hiway, I now also have a flashing red indicator for the coolant level / coolant temp, even though both are fine.
I'm wondering if these suggest to anybody a particular area I should be looking in?
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bluebus86
Banned
Joined: September 02, 2010
Posts: 11075
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: Electrical short process of discovery |
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id disconnect tbe battery except for test purposes at this point.
once disconnected, drop the fuse panel and inspect tbe wires and connections on back side. also examine the tail lights, as both fuses that blew are associated with the tail light housing.
good luck
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dobryan
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Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16501
Location: Brookeville, MD
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levi
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2005
Posts: 5522
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: Electrical short process of discovery |
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Thanks guys, I appreciate that.
Good ideas!
I WILL get this sorted
_________________
One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way
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borninabus
Samba R&D Dept.
Joined: May 18, 2006
Posts: 4536
Location: Arizona Highways
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 6:45 pm Post subject: Re: Electrical short process of discovery |
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i would be willing to bet that you have corroded bulb sockets in one or more of the lights you mentioned.
the wiring @ the housings is next in line when it gets real bad.
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levi
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2005
Posts: 5522
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 3:50 pm Post subject: Re: Electrical short process of discovery |
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| borninabus wrote: |
i would be willing to bet that you have corroded bulb sockets in one or more of the lights you mentioned.
the wiring @ the housings is next in line when it gets real bad. |
Thank you! This targeted the area.
But you were born in a bus so you know the electrical systems much better than I do.
I'd replaced both of the front turn signal housings before and remember how they were corroded, but since they were new took off the rear housings first. Remembering the fronts gave me hope this was the problem but, they looked brand new. 
Figured I'd just try to trace the harness forward mostly because I didn't want to enter the wiring madness up front again, ha ha.
And I didn't have to go far... the right rear harness, near the license plate door, was not secured and had been rubbing against the body.
Rubbed through the heavy harness and 3 of the 4 wires were in contact with the body.
This did not take care of the flashing red coolant light but I suspect that I caused that myself during my initial foray into the under-dash wiring, and there's tons of posts here about that.
Thanks to everyone for suggestions.
Back on the road.
_________________
One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way
https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40 |
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