Electrical Problems

[jse51599]

I was installing cab lights today, and when I was using a test light on the plug that's on the pass. side kick panel, I accidentally grounded the hot and I thought I blew a fuse. After a visual inspection, I couldn't find any blown fuses. I (carefully) used the test light on the fuse block under the hood and all of them worked. In the fuse panel under the dash, it seemed as if the bottom half of the fuse block wasn't powered according to the test light. So now my park lights, headlights, etc. don't work. Also, when I turn the key on (without starting) the idiot lights come on but then some go off and the others go dim and the wipers go on (the switch is not on). It's late and I haven't checked anything else so I'm pretty frustrated with it anyway (I found 2 holes in my intercooler while trying to do the header panel for the 05 headlight swap; but that's another story). Thanks for any help.

[NoRalPh]

OH that Sucks!!

Hard to know where to start, but let me say first-off, it's time to put away the Test Light!

We don't use lights anymore except on trailer lights

You can't just go around putting the load of the bulb safely on every circuit. Get a good Multi-Meter and a "pin"....

What year is your truck? If half the fusepanel is dead then you have a good lead There are Fuesable Links that supply that panel and, although they can handle a lot of current (how big was that spark?) maybe one of them blew.

It's time for a wiring diagram and some detective work

[ToMang07]

Originally Posted by NoRalPh

OH that Sucks!!

Hard to know where to start, but let me say first-off, it's time to put away the Test Light!

We don't use lights anymore except on trailer lights

You can't just go around putting the load of the bulb safely on every circuit. Get a good Multi-Meter and a "pin"....

What year is your truck? If half the fusepanel is dead then you have a good lead There are Fuesable Links that supply that panel and, although they can handle a lot of current (how big was that spark?) maybe one of them blew.

It's time for a wiring diagram and some detective work

Good luck getting a wiring diagram. I searched forever and I couldn't find one.

[pablito]

Some headlight fuses don't get power till the lights are on. What connector were you working on when it shorted? If we know that we can look up where that power comes from and start from there? There is a GEM module that sends power to some stuff, it could have been damaged?

[NoRalPh]

Originally Posted by ToMang07

Good luck getting a wiring diagram. I searched forever and I couldn't find one.

There are Many sources for a Wiring Diagram....

Alldata has them (if you subscribe of course ) I have a Ford Factory Repair DVD that covers everything about our trucks with them (probably available on torrent sites)

It's all out there, this is the Information Super Highway ya know

Here's a Basic one....

[ToMang07]

Originally Posted by NoRalPh

There are Many sources for a Wiring Diagram....

Alldata has them (if you subscribe of course ) I have a Ford Factory Repair DVD that covers everything about our trucks with them (probably available on torrent sites)

It's all out there, this is the Information Super Highway ya know

Here's a Basic one....

I should have added "for free."

I actually had asked for a wiring diagram a bit back, no one had one, and I couldn't find one. Good catch, tho! (Saves to file....)

[jse51599]

Originally Posted by NoRalPh

OH that Sucks!!

Hard to know where to start, but let me say first-off, it's time to put away the Test Light!

We don't use lights anymore except on trailer lights

You can't just go around putting the load of the bulb safely on every circuit. Get a good Multi-Meter and a "pin"....

What year is your truck? If half the fusepanel is dead then you have a good lead There are Fuesable Links that supply that panel and, although they can handle a lot of current (how big was that spark?) maybe one of them blew.

It's time for a wiring diagram and some detective work

It's a late 99. I don't rememberseeing a spark, just test light went out and so did the parking lights (I was testing the for the parking light hot).

Originally Posted by pablito

Some headlight fuses don't get power till the lights are on. What connector were you working on when it shorted? If we know that we can look up where that power comes from and start from there? There is a GEM module that sends power to some stuff, it could have been damaged?

The headlight fuses in the engine compartment had power when I turned the switch on. I was working on the connector located behind the passenger side kick panel. Last night I disconnected the battery hoping a miracle would happen and it would 'reset'. Going to check that now....

[jse51599]

I found a 15 amp fuse in location 30 on the fuse panel under the dash. It's supposed to be 30 amp. When I removed the 15 amp and turned the key on, the dash lights went back to normal and the wipers didn't come on by themselves. I also noticed the spot where I removed the 15A fuse from looked like it had been popped before(looks like burn marks on the plastic).

[ToMang07]

Originally Posted by jse51599

I found a 15 amp fuse in location 30 on the fuse panel under the dash. It's supposed to be 30 amp. When I removed the 15 amp and turned the key on, the dash lights went back to normal and the wipers didn't come on by themselves. I also noticed the spot where I removed the 15A fuse from looked like it had been popped before(looks like burn marks on the plastic).

Thats really not good... I would double check ALL the fuses, make sure they are the right amperage, and amke sure theyre good. Too hight a fuse and you could burn up the wiring itself.

[jse51599]

Now I have noticed w/o the 30A fuse in slot 30 on the fuse panel, and when the ignition is on, if I press the horn or window switch or seat switch the lights go dim, the radio goes silent.... with the fuse in the dash lights go crazy, and there is a lot of buzzing and clicking sounds. By the way I found the blown fuse for the parking lights.