Steering Linkage showing voltage, sparking

[Elktrekker]

Hello,

My 1997 Explorer started smoking from the steering column when my daughter was driving it, blowing a fuse as well as killing the battery (it was old anyway)... lots of burn smell and smoke. I thought it might have been the multifunction switch, so I replaced it, charged the battery and everything seemed fine. In fact, the high beams were not working earlier started working. When I buttoned it up and started driving it, sparks showered on my legs from under the dash. After a dash teardown, I found that the steering linkage showered sparks when the joint would make contact with the other linkage... in other words, when the metal touched, it showered sparks. The steering linkage reads 12v under the dash and under the hood, even when the key is not in the engine. I cannot find a hot wire that is touching the linkage.

Anyone ever experience this? Any ideas?

Thanks,

Elktrekker

 

[my98nnj]

You've got to tare that down more, definitely got a wire shorting.

 

[bobflood]

I suggest that you start pulling fuses, carefully and in sequence, until you find one the removes the voltage from the linkage. This will narrow your search for the short. Good luck.

 

[koda2000]

until you figure this out, don't park in or near your house. i wouldn't even drive it. as you're not blowing fuses you have a dead short on an unfused power source. i'd at least disconnect the battery when not using it.

 

[Elktrekker]

Update:

Turns out to have been a bad positive cable running from the battery that was shorting against the linkage. I didn't find it. I took it to an electrical specialist. $100 later, it's fixed.

Thanks for all your responses.

 

[drdoom]

Thanks for the update, glad you got it repaired.