Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives
Yesterday and the day before I was able to operate my car with no problems, but now I can't get my lights to work. I drove off today, tried to turn on my radio, but nothing. Hmm, tried to turn on my dome light, nothing, dammit I blew a fuse. I turned around and when I put on my turn signal, it made a buzzing sound and didn't light, then I pushed the brake, heard a pop, and then had no turn signals either. Hmm, blew another fuse. Got home, checked the two, both were blown, put one in the brake lights, pushed the pedal, it popped. Put a 10A in replacement of the 7.5A for the domelights and it popped right away (I had my door open). What should I check next? I have to go to work now so help me out please. Could it be a relay? I just got done installing underbody neons but the only thing I tapped into was a constant 12V and they still work with both fuses out. Ideas?

BTW: I was driving my car this morning with no problems at all. The only thing I did between was reroute some neon wires to better hide them, all 4 still work though.
Originally posted by 00_HO_Contour:
... I just got done installing underbody neons but the only thing I tapped into was a constant 12V and they still work with both fuses out. Ideas?

BTW: I was driving my car this morning with no problems at all. The only thing I did between was reroute some neon wires to better hide them, all 4 still work though.



Remove these and if it doesn't pop any more fuses, you've found the problem.
Originally posted by Tony2005:
Originally posted by 00_HO_Contour:
... I just got done installing underbody neons but the only thing I tapped into was a constant 12V and they still work with both fuses out. Ideas?

BTW: I was driving my car this morning with no problems at all. The only thing I did between was reroute some neon wires to better hide them, all 4 still work though.



Remove these and if it doesn't pop any more fuses, you've found the problem.



Thats kinda what a coworker of mine just said. He told me to remove the brake lights and dome lights and try to trace it that way.
bump
So a quick update before I run into town and buy more fuses. Everything in the interior fuse compartment works except for:
Interior Lights and Power Mirrors
Brake Lamps
Reverse Lights

And in the under hood fuse compartment:
Turn Signal/Hazard

I'm going to go into town and buy a new flasher and some fuses for underhood. The reverse light fuse only blows when I push on the brake pedal which leads me to think one of the screws that I used to hold up the wiring on the bottom of the car cut into the wiring underneith. Well if any of you have any ideas on what I can try please tell me, I'm going into town now and see what I can come up with.
Don't buy the flasher yet. You might not be able to return it if it is not the problem.
I pulled the flasher, put in a few flasher fuse, then the second the flasher comes into contact with its socket, its starts buzzing, and if I leave it in long enough (2 seconds) the fuse pops. I also don't have brake lights when the flasher is out so either the flasher is really f***ed up, or some line is crossed over somewhere that I have no idea where to start looking which still leaves the slight possibility that one of my mounting screws pierced a couple wires.

BTW tony, I disconnected the neons and nothing changed.
Originally posted by 00_HO_Contour:
...which still leaves the slight possibility that one of my mounting screws pierced a couple wires.

BTW tony, I disconnected the neons and nothing changed.



Did you disconnect it at the constant 12 volt "tap"?
In addition, as you suspected, check where the screws were mounted to remove the possibility of the wires being pierced.
Originally posted by Tony2005:
Originally posted by 00_HO_Contour:
...which still leaves the slight possibility that one of my mounting screws pierced a couple wires.

BTW tony, I disconnected the neons and nothing changed.



Did you disconnect it at the constant 12 volt "tap"?
In addition, as you suspected, check where the screws were mounted to remove the possibility of the wires being pierced.



Yep, right at the fuse. That was my next step, take my lead tester and try to fish around for anything I can find in those 1/8" screw holes
if your blowing a fuse that means you have a short somewhere.

you have to check for continuity to ground at various points in the circuit isololating that part of the circuit first. put the negative lead on a known good ground. if your ohm meter reads like the segment is open then thats not where the problem is. if you get a resistance reading then its in that section.

since its blowing a fuse its obviosly on the power side of the load between the fuse and the load but remember to isolate it. you will need a wiring diagram probably.

if you need any help just let mne know and ill try to help you best i can online
Originally posted by striker2:
if your blowing a fuse that means you have a short somewhere.

you have to check for continuity to ground at various points in the circuit isololating that part of the circuit first. put the negative lead on a known good ground. if your ohm meter reads like the segment is open then thats not where the problem is. if you get a resistance reading then its in that section.

since its blowing a fuse its obviosly on the power side of the load between the fuse and the load but remember to isolate it. you will need a wiring diagram probably.

if you need any help just let mne know and ill try to help you best i can online



How do I go about that if I cant get a fuse to stay good? Tomorrow I'm going to pick up a new flasher and give that a try but for now I'm going to try and find any wires in those 3 little holes I made
Originally posted by 00_HO_Contour:
Originally posted by striker2:
if your blowing a fuse that means you have a short somewhere.

you have to check for continuity to ground at various points in the circuit isololating that part of the circuit first. put the negative lead on a known good ground. if your ohm meter reads like the segment is open then thats not where the problem is. if you get a resistance reading then its in that section.

since its blowing a fuse its obviosly on the power side of the load between the fuse and the load but remember to isolate it. you will need a wiring diagram probably.

if you need any help just let mne know and ill try to help you best i can online



How do I go about that if I cant get a fuse to stay good? Tomorrow I'm going to pick up a new flasher and give that a try but for now I'm going to try and find any wires in those 3 little holes I made




you dont want paower running through the circuit. your testing for continuity to ground with an ohm meter and you have to ISOLATE the individual parts of the circuit.

DONT just through fuses at it. find the short then repair it. once its fixed you can put in a fuse and it should work just fine.
Originally posted by striker2:
Originally posted by 00_HO_Contour:
Originally posted by striker2:
if your blowing a fuse that means you have a short somewhere.

you have to check for continuity to ground at various points in the circuit isololating that part of the circuit first. put the negative lead on a known good ground. if your ohm meter reads like the segment is open then thats not where the problem is. if you get a resistance reading then its in that section.

since its blowing a fuse its obviosly on the power side of the load between the fuse and the load but remember to isolate it. you will need a wiring diagram probably.

if you need any help just let mne know and ill try to help you best i can online



How do I go about that if I cant get a fuse to stay good? Tomorrow I'm going to pick up a new flasher and give that a try but for now I'm going to try and find any wires in those 3 little holes I made




you dont want paower running through the circuit. your testing for continuity to ground with an ohm meter and you have to ISOLATE the individual parts of the circuit.

DONT just through fuses at it. find the short then repair it. once its fixed you can put in a fuse and it should work just fine.



Ok, I have an Ohm meter but am not very good at all at using it. Could you explain to me what I have to do? Or give an example?
ok first you want to remove the fuse and the loads (bulbs)

hook your negative lead to a good ground (the negative terminal of the battery is prefered)

start at the fuse and see if you have any resistance (you should at this point cause your at the begining of the circuit)

start with one circuit (ie turn signals) if you get resistance its in that circuit if not then its in one of the other circuits on that fuse.

move to the next connector on the circuit and disconect it and test on the load side (if you get resistance then its farther down the line if not then its in that first section)

make sure that the bulbs are removed when doing these tests
also make sure that you leave the previous conectors disconected on that circuit until youve isolated it to one section.

once you have found which connectors its between then you can search in that area for the short


if you can post a wiring diagram i can try to show you where to test at.
Please explain what setting to use to test for resistance. And what the meter should read. I'm confused already.

Anyway I couldn't find anything in the holes I made. Here is a picture with the 3 holes circled in yellow. There wouldn't be wires there anyway, especially since my screws were only 1/2 inch long to begin with

you want to use an OHM meter

what kind of meter do you have? analog or digital
digital
if you have continuity to ground (short-bad) you will get something like .1 or .2 ohms maybe a little higher

if you dont (good) then you will get something like OFL, OL, 1 (whatever the meter reads when the leads are not touching

try to get a wiring diagram and connector locations for the circuits that the fuse protects.

if you can get it posted tonight then tomarrow i will go in and edit the images to show you where to probe.
what you might also do is go pick up 2 circuit breakers to replace the fuses while you are diagnosing the problem
Originally posted by striker2:
what you might also do is go pick up 2 circuit breakers to replace the fuses while you are diagnosing the problem



good idea

Another more "qualified" coworker of mine said that it was more than likely the turn switch itself so I picked one up at the junkyard and will give that a try
i was looking at a wiring diagram for the 99 and was thinking since it only happens after you press on the brake it must be after the brake pedal switch. the brake lights go through the turn signal switch so it could be shorted internally. since you already have one you might as well try it.
It wasn't the turn signal switch, did the exact same thing.

However I was showing a friend my car, pushed the lock on my alarm, and my remote said my trunk was open, even though it wasn't. I MUST HAVE pierced some wires with the rerouting of those wires. Tonight I'm gonna pull apart my drivers side interior and see if I can get to that bunch of wires and see if I can see the screws. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be driving my SVT.
i couldnt get the wiring diagrams today but i will have them for sure tomarrow. let me know by about 12:30 CST if you got it fixed or not.
Got everything fixed today. It seems like one of the first few screws I put in was sitting right under a bunch of wires and when I put my foot over it and kinda pushed down, it finally pierced it. After some dremil work and some electrical tape, everything is back to normal. Thank you guys, CEG helps save again.
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