gretzky99

ok, I'm gonna try the arduous task of tackling my out fog lights tomorrow...they're out & the fuse blows everytime I replace it...I've had a couple of suggestions ..any of you wizards care to give me more advice , I'm game! need help...there is miles of line in that shark!
thanks
gretz99
91 928GT <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" />

WallyP

Get one of your blown fuses, six feet of lamp cord (two-conductor 18 gage fine-stranded electrical wire), and a tail ight bulb.
On one end of the wire, solder one conductor to the center contact of the bulb and one conductor to the base.
On the other end of the wire, solder one conductor to each leg of the blown fuse.
Plug the fuse into the fog light circuit. The bulb will light when you put power on the circuit, but will limit the current to a safe amount so that the wire won't burn.
Pull both fog light bulbs - if there is a short to ground, the bulb will continue to burn when power is applied.
Put the bulb up in the windshield where you can see it, and start shaking wires - when you disconnect the short, the bulb will go out.

Donald

WallyP-
Thank you, thank you, thank you! <img src="graemlins/r.gif" border="0" alt="[king]" />
This afternoon I pulled the dash & spent several enjoyable (not) hours on my '69 Mach I in a doomed & vain effort to 'let there be light in the dash'. Thanks for the methodology.
Cheers,
Donald

gretzky99

(I've had this prob before) I checked my old paperwork for when this happened 1 yr 1/2 ago & found that the mechanic found that there was no power getting to fog lights when he checked the circuit...I had him continue & he traced it to wiring prob somewhere between the rear of fuse box & the lights & he also replaced the fog light relay? So I'm guessing there is another short in the wire somewhere...is this ripping apart the dash or seriously difficult to trace? thanks

91GT
gretz99

Incendier

Shouldn't be seriously difficult to trace.

When Wally says to "put the light up in the windshield", I believe his presumption is that you will be working on the front of the car, i.e. pull the fog light bulbs and hit the FL switch. Then, work your magic on the connectors to the fog bulbs and watch the jumper bulb; if no luck, follow them on back into the engine compartment. They're all wrapped into one trunk that runs (at least on mine) from the headlight area along the passenger's side of the engine compartment and into the cabin on the lower left of the firewall.

Odds are good that the short is up front with the bulbs and not back behind the central power panel.

If no results up front, grab yourself a wiring diagram and find the where the fog lights terminate at the central power panel, and check those, together with all rear connections to the relay.

Good luck.

gretzky99

Wally's plan scares me...I need a more laymens terms plan..like pull out the fog lights & start looking for frayed ends..!! thanks for the help though..any other thoughts!

gretz99 <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" />

Incendier

Ok, pull the fog lights and look for frayed ends. It's not a bad start.

If you are shorting to ground, something has dropped off or rubbed through. Those should be your start points.

BTW Wally's plan shouldn't frighten - if anyone here knows what he's doing, it's Wally.

Randy V

Perhaps you missed the beauty of Wally's plan - by using that light for a visual indicator all you need to do is shake the wires one at a time. When the light flickers or goes out, closely examine that wire run.

Beautifully simple!

gretzky99

<img src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" border="0" alt="[blabla]" /> I know Wally is cool...I'm just not an expert mechanic & not sure if I can pull of his plan <img src="graemlins/oops.gif" border="0" alt="[oops]" /> ...any other tips....keep em comin as simplistic as possible..

Randy V

Do nothing.

Simple.

Max

gretzky99, I'm with Wally on this one. Take a look at Mechanical 1 at the link below.

<a href="http://photos.yahoo.com/max928s4" target="_blank">http://photos.yahoo.com/max928s4</a>

Wally, if I misunderstood you on this let me know.

HTH

Max <img src="graemlins/sleep.gif" border="0" alt="[sleep]" />