66 El Camino blowing fuses

My Elky started blowing fuses, seemingly out of the blue. I have tried to figure out exactly what happens prior to it blowing, but haven't been able to isolate it.

The fuse handles:

-Interior lights

-Radio

-Rear running lights

-Dash lights

-Brake lights (but not rear turn signal lights)

I turned on the radio and left the door open without the engine running for some time, nothing happens. I do the same with the engine started and the lights on, same.

Any idea how to troubleshoot this? I'd hate to take the dash apart trying to find a short. I drove it for two days without a problem and thought I was home free, just to be let down.

The wiring harness is original.

Thanks in advance for any help.

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat
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Tail lights are probably the same fuse as the dash lights on a 66. Radio should be seperate fuse, brake lights another seperate fuse, and interior lights usually on its own fuse as well.

Sounds to me like someone did some creative splicing of all those circuits.

If you are not comfortable with electrical work you are going to hate this job but I would start by looking for some non original wiring that has been spliced and added to the factory harness. It sounds like everything you mentioned is all drawing off the one fuse rather than a short. Good luck.

The fuse handles:

-Interior lights

-Radio

-Rear running lights

-Dash lights

-Brake lights (but not rear turn signal lights)

I turned on the radio and left the door open without the engine running for some time, nothing happens. I do the same with the engine started and the lights on, same.

Any idea how to troubleshoot this? I'd hate to take the dash apart trying to find a short. I drove it for two days without a problem and thought I was home free, just to be let down.

The wiring harness is original.

Thanks in advance for any help.

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
Rufus T. Firefly

Also:

As an addendum to the response from Rufus, sheck at the rear near the license plate lamp. Which is subject to the road dirt and water from the rear tires in the rain all the time. The bulbe pop, and short.

You might also want to check while as Rufus suggested looking for added spliced wires, looking for current on both sides of the fuses that are labled "Tail Lamps, Radio, Ins Panel" with a test lamp. When the fuse you mentioned burns, because someone might have bypassed them due to their not working.

Refinish King

Reply to
Refinish King

On Wed, 07 Apr 2004 20:58:56 GMT, "Rufus T. Firefly" puked:

I installed the radio on that fuse, but I did it with a spade clip direct to the fuse panel. It has been in for months before the problem came up, but I switched it to another spade just to be sure.

Same thing. I'm not ruling out creative wiring, but it doesn't seem like there is anything else wired in. I hate the idea of pulling the dash apart, but I've done it before, and there are a few projects back there that are on my list.

I'm gonna recheck my assembly manual to see what exactly is supposed to be on that circuit. Thanks for the idea.

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat

On Wed, 7 Apr 2004 19:24:23 -0400, "Refinish King" puked:

Heh, yeah, I think I'll start there before dissecting the dash. Thanks.

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat

You'd expect this sort of response from somebody who is accustomed to having to deal with the (often dirty) details of a car. I'd have had the dash apart by now.

Thanks, King!

Reply to
myford100

My pleasure to both of you!

I can't wait to get MS Office reinstalled, so I get spellcheck back and won't look like an illiterate anymore either!

LOL

Refinish King

Reply to
Refinish King

Reply to
myford100

I found that the wiring going under the carpet gets corroded and shorts out randomly. That's usually the wires that go to the dome light. The wire track is usually along the drivers door kick plate.

Tinker

Reply to
Tinker

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 19:58:01 -0600, "Tinker" puked:

Mine is a flat 'ribbon cable' that runs under the driver's foot space. I suspected that first, and checked it out. It appears it had been replaced when some work had been done to the floor pans.

I haven't had a short out in over a week, and have come to the conclusion that it only does it after I reprogram my radio presets :)

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat

| >

| >I found that the wiring going under the carpet gets corroded and shorts out | >randomly. That's usually the wires that go to the dome light. The wire track | >is usually along the drivers door kick plate. | >

| | Mine is a flat 'ribbon cable' that runs under the driver's foot space. | I suspected that first, and checked it out. It appears it had been | replaced when some work had been done to the floor pans. | | I haven't had a short out in over a week, and have come to the | conclusion that it only does it after I reprogram my radio presets :) | -- | lab~rat >:-) | Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Are you running any sort of amp or something that could draw extra power thru the radio ? Could there be a power antenna lead that could be shorting out under the dash because it's not hooked to anything ? Those are my next guesses without seeing the truck.

Tinker

Reply to
Tinker

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 09:08:39 -0600, "Tinker" puked:

Just a follow up. I solved the problem last night. After over a month, I finally realized that the fuse blew when I shifted hard (it's a three on the tree). There was a bare wire coming down the steering shaft.

I hate things that should be obvious but aren't just because they're overlooked...

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat

We've all been there and had exactly the same feeling. Enjoy it. You'll be there again--I have, but usually the things I overlooked had already pointed themselves out and I rejected them because they were too easy..

Reply to
myford100

Congratulations! I'm glad you found the short, because sometimes as a technician. I don't have the luxury of waiting till an intermittent problem rears it's ugly head, so even though as a professional I don't like it.

I have to start throwing parts at the job!

Again, congratulations, and many, many more miles of motoring that El Camino.

Refinish King

Reply to
Refinish King

On Fri, 28 May 2004 21:02:19 -0400, "Refinish King" puked:

Thanks. Now I can leave the spare fuses at home. Funny how you always seem to learn something when you don't expect to...

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Reply to
lab~rat

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