Electrical Problems!?!?!?!

[medicbro2000]

Hey everyone,
I have to vent my frustrations I guess, in hopes that maybe 1) some else has experienced the same problems and can relate or 2) has an idea of the cause of the problem.....

HERE's the problem....

It seems my Reverse lights/Overdrive button fuse keeps blowing... At this point I have checked the connections, changed the bulbs, followed the harness back as far as I can see, and cannot see any pattern to any series of events that occur at the same time to cause the fuse to blow. It works, then after a while, blows. :thumbdwn:

Anyone have any ideas?? I didn't find any pinched wires, but I will be taking another look through the harness routing.

Advice suggestions etc.. HELPFUL...

Thanks in advance!

Andy

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! What else is on this line? Did you check the ground connections in the rear where the taillights are?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Is this on the Ranger or on the Explorer?

 

[n5mjmike]

andy,

I'm new here, but have spent a few years in electrical work... Here's a few places to look, from easiest to hardest. First off...

Turn your parking lamps and 4-ways (emergency flashers) on and do a walk-around of the vehicle. Are all the lamps working? If not... get it working one circuit at a time.

Check and see if sometime in the past another load was spliced into the circuit. CB radios, XM receivers, aftermarket stereos, I've even seen a radar detector power cord glommed onto any wire that is hot when the car is on. Then the car gets sold, the extra wiring is left on the circuit but stuffed out of sight behind the dash or a kick panel, only to become a fuse blower for a subsequent owner months or years later....

Check the reverse light sockets. Pull the bulbs out and check that the right kind of bulb is in there. Depending on the year, the vehicle might have an 1156, or 3156. An 1157 or 3157 will fit, but it won't work right. Check the trailer connector if applicable. Have seen lots of boogered up trailer connectors glommed and butt-spliced into harness that turn into fuse-blowers months or years afterwards...

If that doesn't apply, is the O/D button working? If so, is there any correlation between using the O/D off function and the blowing of the fuse? If so... was there any recent tranny work? There is a solenoid in the tranny that is powered (on late model vehicles) by the computer. If the harness wasn't properly positioned, it could be chafing on the valve body. The pan will have to come off (again) to check for harness chafing.

Hope some of that helps. Good luck!

Mike

 

[medicbro2000]

Hey you guys have been helpful with the input. I haven't gotten a chance to check anything since my post. work has been a *****! Go figure right? But in any case- this is on the Ranger. I know that the OD Off button and reverse lights are on the same circuit. That is the only relevance I have to both those systems- however- I have found that in any occasion, whether the OD was off- or I was in reverse, at any given combonation the fuse would blow.

I never thought that a bad ground would cause a short out... I guess now that I think about it - its very possible. I will be checking the trailer lights and the sockets. I only noticed this problem when I went to change the bulbs and found the new bulbs didn't work either....

As I sit here typing this reply I just had something pop into my hear. Scary, but the other day after washing the truck, I found what looked like a body type of ground wire- that attached from the back of the bed on the passengers side to the frame. The wire looked like something that had the appearance of steel wool- one of those kind of grounds. I noticed that it had been ripped apart- probably from a rock or branch on a trail. I didn't put too much thought to it and just kind of twisted it back together, but it wasn't a "good fix" if you know what i mean.

Having this in mind, I think I will replace it and see if that makes a differance. You guys made me think of options, and I very much appreciate your help. I am hoping that it is not a problem in the tranny- as we all know how much of a pain in the ^&%& that would be. I haven't dont anything else to the wiring in the rear of the truck that SHOULD have affected the reverse lights. Everything has been pretty much stock on that end since I bought it (had 40,000 now has 90,000miles)

Again, much appreciated. I will post something if this works out. THANKS EVERYONE!!

If anyone else has any suggestions or comments on my latest insight let me know- also- if you think I am on to something here.....

THANKS!

 

[rwenzing]

Another possibility: Remove the upper trim from the steering column and check the condition of the two wires that go through the shifter stalk to the TCS (OD Cancel switch). Over time, these wires sometimes chafe through or break, causing a short that blows fuse 6.