Taurus electrical gremlins

[colintrax]

Sorry if this isn't the right spot, but I'm trying to help a friend with her taurus and since she's a delivery driver. It's fairly urgent.
2002 Taurus SES, column shift, 3.0 vulcan

I went to her house today to check out the car. Speedometer, tachometer, and odometer quit altogether after working intermittently the past two weeks. I pulled the gauge cluster out and couldn't find any problems. No corrosion, damage, or any signs of a problem. So I threw it back together. Accidently hit the hazards and got met with a god awful sound, before the hazards, turn signals, power windows, interior lights, and maybe more quit working. Found fuses 16 and 31? Blown. Replaced the fuses and told her to not use her hazards for now. Drove the car... still no odometer, tachometer, or speedometer. Another 15 minutes of driving and now the turn signals are out again. Everything else still works.
Any ideas where to start looking? There must be a short with the turn signals but where? And what about the gauge cluster? I'm at a loss since it looks fine.

I'm a side note, I noticed after blowing the 2 fuses and nothing working anymore. That the high beam indicator light was lightly glowing. It quit glowing after replacing the fuses. However the check transaxle light is now lightly glowing. Did ford design those lights to point to other faults by dimly glowing? Never seen that before
Thanks!

 

[2000StreetRod]

electronic flasher module?

Fuse 16 provides power to the electronic flasher module which is used for hazard flashing and turn signals.

Fuse 16 also provides power to the speedometer, high beam indicator and the anti-theft indicator.

Fuse 27 also provides power to the speedometer, tachometer, transaxle indicator, and numerous other indicators.
The electronic flasher module is prone to failure and often in a shorted mode. I suggest replacing it and then checking fuse 16 and fuse 27 to see if either is blown.

 

[colintrax]

Fuse 16 provides power to the electronic flasher module which is used for hazard flashing and turn signals.
View attachment 85955
Fuse 16 also provides power to the speedometer, high beam indicator and the anti-theft indicator.
View attachment 85956
Fuse 27 also provides power to the speedometer, tachometer, transaxle indicator, and numerous other indicators.
The electronic flasher module is prone to failure and often in a shorted mode. I suggest replacing it and then checking fuse 16 and fuse 27 to see if either is blown.

Found fuse 36 blown, so replaced the fuse and relay. Turn signals got in a couple blinks before blowing the fuse again. I guess the next step is to test the MFS, any suggestions for doing this? $120 is alot to just throw parts at it. Fuses 16 and 27 are fine.
I'm also guessing the cluster issues are a different problem so any suggestions on where to look there?

 

[2000StreetRod]

wiring short?

It could be a wire shorted to ground for one of the exterior turn signals. Does fuse 36 blow for left turns, right turns or both?

Edit: Does fuse 36 only blow when reverse is selected? It provides power to the backup lights.

 

[colintrax]

It could be a wire shorted to ground for one of the exterior turn signals. Does fuse 36 blow for left turns, right turns or both?

Edit: Does fuse 36 only blow when reverse is selected? It provides power to the backup lights.

It's the turn signals blowing it, but I'll have her check. Not gonna be able to look at it again until Friday

 

[colintrax]

So the issue is with the left turn signal. Which means I don't have to test the MFS immediately!

 

[colintrax]

Fixed the turn signals, fuse 27 had a high resistance. But the gauge cluster is still inop. Pulled the speedometer and applying 12 volts to the power and ground pins does nothing. Is this the correct way to test the speedo?

 

[colintrax]

Moving wires on the back of the cluster fixes the issue. So what should I do? Replace the faulty connector? Try to fix the pin? They look ok but obviously there's an issue

 

[lindastacy1]

So the issue is with the left turn signal. Which means I don't have to test the MFS immediately!

I also think that the issue is with the left turn signal.