Smoking wires ohhh my

BRIAN WALTER

Registered User
So after replacing the 10A turn signal fuse they work again. The 15A run fuse continues to blow. Now...I turned on the dome light with the headlight switch and it was barely illuminated. Before I even took it out I smelled burning wires, further inspection revealed it was the harness coming up from the carpet on the driverside going to the plastic connector. Now what the heck is going on here???:(

The arc doesnt work at all
The power mirrors dont work
The rear defrost doesnt work
The VMM doesnt work
The interior map lights dont work

The a/c compressor is unplugged already since the removal of the condenser.
 
wires

You need to remove the drivers seat, and look for melted shorted wires under the carpet. No tellin what wires are melted together. You might start by disconnecting the under hood light near the brake master cylinder. Look very close for bare wires at the connector.
 
FIRST - disconnect your battery.

Then....check your fuse box too. I've seen a couple of SC's that for some reason the fuse box totally melted. But if you have melted wires, you're shorted somewhere, whether it be in the device or the wiring itself.

I didn't quite understand your post....did you replace the 10A fuse with a 15A fuse somewhere? If so - DON'T DO THAT! The fuses are to protect the wiring! :)

Make sure you find the initial problem before fixing all the melted wires, etc. If your fuses are not over-sized, the problem should be either before the fuse box, or on an unprotected (no fuse) circuit.

When exactly did the fuses blow?
 
You might have a bad splice in the wiring under the DS carpet.....

Remove the plastic strip that goes along side the seat and pull the carpet up....

You will see two wire bundles.....

I think the bad splice will be on the inside wire bundle.....
 
update

The fuses were not swapped with a higher amp replacement. I had an issue with the blinkers the other day, and a blown 10A fuse was the problem. The 15A "run" fuse will blow if replaced right away.

The burnt up wires are located about 4 inches before the big plastic connector under the dash (to the left of the fuse box). The dome light did not light up unless using the headlight switch.....then the smoking started. Aside from repairing the wires.....what items are tied into the 15A "run" circuit I should looking at?

THanks

PS:the car still burns out excellent:D
 
Brian,
We are not going to be able to pinpoint this for you. Your going to have to find the short. You need an Evtm to do this, so you know what and where to look. Sounds to me like the Green/Yellow illumination circuit. That circuit runs all over the car. Circuit #54. I am speculating here though, I cant tell you with out seeing the car. Anyone else will be guessing as well. There are a ton of things that run off that 15A/run circuit. Pages 36-38 of the Evtm to be exact. It may be worth it for you to take it to an Automotive electrical shop to find the short. I know what there going to do though. There going to put 40 amps to the circuit and look for smoke, instead of taking the entire car apart and finding it the hard way.
 
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time for a 30 pack

I'll tearing up the drivers side carpet area tommowrow and start by fixing the melted wires. Then I'm on to tracing out the short which I have a feeling is in the same general area.
Does anyone hate cars that have been screwed with before you?:rolleyes:
 
Almost every one that I have has been "worked on" by somebody.....:rolleyes:

It's almost like trying to solve a mystery puzzle after 3 or 4 mechanics have worked on one and in the end couldn't get her fixed.....;)

Wiring problems can be anywhere on the car.....

I know from experience that there are some electrical problems in the area near the DS A pillar....

I found some melted purple / black wires that go to the door switch....

They had gotten so hot for so long that they had melted into the other wires in the bundle.....:eek:
 
I'll tearing up the drivers side carpet area tommowrow and start by fixing the melted wires. Then I'm on to tracing out the short which I have a feeling is in the same general area.
Does anyone hate cars that have been screwed with before you?:rolleyes:

You better keep it under 12 beers or there is no telling what you will have when you wake up on Saturday.
Had a friend of mine that was being a wise arse one time. He jacked my F-350 up off the ground out in front of my house. He only jacked it up about an inch off the ground though so I couldnt tell until I got in and put it in reverse and nothing. Open the door and look back and the wheels are just a spinning. So I went to his house the nxt evening and wired his Brakelamps to his horn relay. Everytime he hit the brakes, the horn would blow on his Jeep. He called me cursing at work the next morning. He said it was pretty funny till he was in line to get on the Master Jet Base/ Oceana and they started questioning him. Made him disable the horn before they would let him on Base to go to work!! He didnt mess with my vehicles anymore after that.
 
wow ~~~!

:eek::eek::eek:I pulled the carpet up and wahlaaaa! My entire freaking harness is burnt up in several spots and there is a golf ball size rust hole. If someone can post pics for me I will email them to you. Importkilla06489@yahoo.com Its so cool I put 6 miles on the car since I got it in Feb 08!
Also now in search of the harness that runs down the drivers side. The car is a 89 XR7 5 speed, keyless entry, autodim, no sunroof. THanks
 
rusto

chances are it isnt just going to be golf ball sized but good luck with that, my passenger seat was wobbly....cuz the pass seat trac had gone through the floor, but big e cut a nice panel out for me and I am getting it welded in right now.
 
this is what I got so far......

Both floorpan "channels" have to be repaced....little more than I figured but not terrible. The harness is absolutely toast. Dash needs to be replaced as well (typical cracks). :pSomehow the car even puts a smile on my face completely ripped apart:D
 
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