Outlaw376
New Member
- Joined
- March 30, 2025
- Messages
- 4
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- City, State
- South Burlington, VT
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 97’ Explorer XLT 4x4 Auto
I’ve got a 1997 Explorer 4x4 Auto that keeps blowing fuse #10 and I am having trouble diagnosing where the short is. I’ve found the helms wiring diagrams online for a 1999 explorer and i imagine they are pretty similar if not exactly the same. Ive also followed along with several other posts on here with similar problems with fuse 10 just blowing every time you pop in a new fuse and one user found that it was the rear blower and another found that it was the message center. The symptoms in mine most align with bcgreens problems in this thread.
www.explorerforum.com
The car was passed to me from my brother and when i got it fuse 10 was blown, there was no display from the overhead console and it wouldn’t shift into 4x4. So a week or so into owning I replaced the fuse and it kept blowing them so i dove a little deeper suspecting something with the GEM module so i dove in and disconected it, removed it, inspected it and found nothing out of the ordinary so I put it back in and replaced the fuse and this time the fuse didn’t pop. This held for a majority of this past winter up until a few weeks ago when it blew again (no display and no 4x4). From when i got it as well the front blower would work but it wouldn’t only turn on when i had the setting set to just upper vents and motor speed set to 3 (super weird but it would work every time). In addition to this the rear blower would work but it would only turn on if the front blower was set to off. Now since The fuse blew I’ve had no response from either blower motor, every so often the front will kick on randomly but nothing in particular seems to get it going and the rear wont go at all. In addition to this now when i replace the fuse and turn the key to on it just burns the fuse out immediately.
So my gut reaction to all of this has been that there is a short somewhere from fuse 10 in the aux box to one of the accessories that it controls, so I’ve gone through and disconnected the speed control servo, the overhead console, the steering rate sensor, the function selector switch(according to wiring diagrams this is the climate control on ones not equipped with EATC), The Turn Signal Flasher, The GEM module, The shift lock actuator and the Wiring harness under where the message center would be if mine had one. With all of these disconnected i still blow fuses when they’re replaced and the key is turned on. So my thought is that somewhere along the line the wire has rubbed through and is making contact with a ground. In addition to this Ive used my multimeter to do a continuity test from the out side of the fuse slot in the panel to the hot wire in each of these connectors and it rings out like it should but it will also ring out on wires that I assume are grounds as well.
So i guess my big question is do my diagnostic methods seem like they make sense or is there something im missing? I am at a loss here and have done enough head scratching for one weekend so i figured id make a post to hopefully have someone here point me in the right direction.
Cheers and thanks in advance hopefully we can find the problem.
Is there a fuse for cruise control?
I have a 96 Explorer with a V8 and the cruise control doesn't work anymore, not even the light on the dash, and was wondering if there is a fuse for this function, as that would seem to be the simplest solution? Thanks
The car was passed to me from my brother and when i got it fuse 10 was blown, there was no display from the overhead console and it wouldn’t shift into 4x4. So a week or so into owning I replaced the fuse and it kept blowing them so i dove a little deeper suspecting something with the GEM module so i dove in and disconected it, removed it, inspected it and found nothing out of the ordinary so I put it back in and replaced the fuse and this time the fuse didn’t pop. This held for a majority of this past winter up until a few weeks ago when it blew again (no display and no 4x4). From when i got it as well the front blower would work but it wouldn’t only turn on when i had the setting set to just upper vents and motor speed set to 3 (super weird but it would work every time). In addition to this the rear blower would work but it would only turn on if the front blower was set to off. Now since The fuse blew I’ve had no response from either blower motor, every so often the front will kick on randomly but nothing in particular seems to get it going and the rear wont go at all. In addition to this now when i replace the fuse and turn the key to on it just burns the fuse out immediately.
So my gut reaction to all of this has been that there is a short somewhere from fuse 10 in the aux box to one of the accessories that it controls, so I’ve gone through and disconnected the speed control servo, the overhead console, the steering rate sensor, the function selector switch(according to wiring diagrams this is the climate control on ones not equipped with EATC), The Turn Signal Flasher, The GEM module, The shift lock actuator and the Wiring harness under where the message center would be if mine had one. With all of these disconnected i still blow fuses when they’re replaced and the key is turned on. So my thought is that somewhere along the line the wire has rubbed through and is making contact with a ground. In addition to this Ive used my multimeter to do a continuity test from the out side of the fuse slot in the panel to the hot wire in each of these connectors and it rings out like it should but it will also ring out on wires that I assume are grounds as well.
So i guess my big question is do my diagnostic methods seem like they make sense or is there something im missing? I am at a loss here and have done enough head scratching for one weekend so i figured id make a post to hopefully have someone here point me in the right direction.
Cheers and thanks in advance hopefully we can find the problem.
