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I have a 99 Ranger and am experiencing a recurring fuse relay problem. Under the hood in the Power Distribution Box, my number 11 (parking and running lights) 15A fuse keeps blowing out. What could be contributing to it?
Especially if it is immediate, see what else is on that fuse circuit, and start disconnecting as many components as possible. If the short dissappears when you disconnect a section of the circuit, then you'll know which section you need to look closer at.
Happy hunting
BTW... your owner's manual should bne helpful in letting you know what is on that circuit, and then a wiring diagram in a Haynes or Chilton's manual will be helpful, you may also find on online at autozone.com
good luck
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BroncoJoe19
2006 Alt Fuel Jeep (electric)
'98 windstar 3.8L
'99 Crown Vic 4.6L
'90 Full Size Bronco 5.0L
I'm not a professional mechanic, take my suggestions with a grain of salt, or a cup of coffee
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Yes, it blows almost immediately. Within a minute at least. I just replaced the wiper/turn signal switch because I also had a problem with that for a long time. It had rained quite a bit and the fuse blew shortly thereafter. It got to the point where I would put the brakes on and the left turn signal light would stay on. I never had that happen to me before and it has blown every time since. The left turn signal no longer comes on when the brakes are applied but the fuse blows every time I turn on the parking lights. I do have a Haynes book that I picked up to use to install the new turn signal/wiper switch, a known issue with my model. So I'll hunt down all the circuits in it to see what might be causing this short.
Did the instructions I give in the other post make sense to you?
Please give it a critical read, and let me know where I should be more clear, as I'll likely use it again and again, and I would like it to be as helpful as I reasonably can.
next:
without looking at a diagram and reading your response above. I suspect that the hazards and the directional flasher are on different circuits, yet share some common wireing.
You may want to pull the directional flasher as a starting point to reduce the locations of the problem. Also if your hazards work, without a short, you may be able to eliminate the wires from it to the bulbs that it uses. Get my drift?
Also a culprit, may be the directional flasher unit.
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BroncoJoe19
2006 Alt Fuel Jeep (electric)
'98 windstar 3.8L
'99 Crown Vic 4.6L
'90 Full Size Bronco 5.0L
I'm not a professional mechanic, take my suggestions with a grain of salt, or a cup of coffee
At the bottom of each post there is a little icon
Clicking it gives feedback to the moderators, and poster regarding which posts are most helpful.
Yes I will have to follow your instructions to pinpoint the short. I also bought a new flasher but haven't installed it yet. I'm running out of fuses so I think I could exhaust my solutions quickly after going through the exterior lights as they are the only things connected to the switch and instrumentation cluster. And like you say, the turn signal switch is somehow connected to the brights and hazard lights. So, having just replaced that switch, I don't know what else could be shorted except a wire rubbing somewhere.
In the power distribution box, look at the park lamp relay, and the washer pump relay, see if they have the same numbers on them, if they do swap them as a way to test the park lamp relay.
THey are relay numbers 13 and 14
__________________
BroncoJoe19
2006 Alt Fuel Jeep (electric)
'98 windstar 3.8L
'99 Crown Vic 4.6L
'90 Full Size Bronco 5.0L
I'm not a professional mechanic, take my suggestions with a grain of salt, or a cup of coffee
At the bottom of each post there is a little icon
Clicking it gives feedback to the moderators, and poster regarding which posts are most helpful.
Does fuse number 35 inside passenger compartment fuse panel also blow?
__________________
BroncoJoe19
2006 Alt Fuel Jeep (electric)
'98 windstar 3.8L
'99 Crown Vic 4.6L
'90 Full Size Bronco 5.0L
I'm not a professional mechanic, take my suggestions with a grain of salt, or a cup of coffee
At the bottom of each post there is a little icon
Clicking it gives feedback to the moderators, and poster regarding which posts are most helpful.
Here is a diagram of fuse 11 circuit that does not appear to be in the owner's manual. I am posting it here so that you can see what components may need to be eliminated as a source of the short.
FYI the RABS stands for Rear Antilocking Braking..
Your best resource for something like this will be a combination of the Haynes manual, and a Ford EVTM Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting manual for your year truck. You'll probably be able to find one on ebay.
__________________
BroncoJoe19
2006 Alt Fuel Jeep (electric)
'98 windstar 3.8L
'99 Crown Vic 4.6L
'90 Full Size Bronco 5.0L
I'm not a professional mechanic, take my suggestions with a grain of salt, or a cup of coffee
At the bottom of each post there is a little icon
Clicking it gives feedback to the moderators, and poster regarding which posts are most helpful.
Last edited by BroncoJoe19; 11-22-2008 at 09:55 PM..
OK, here is what has happened since my problem. First of all, the problem is fixed. But, I didn't do it myself. As I had suspected though, it turned out to be the trailer pigtail module. I had that happen to me on another truck but it never burned out fuses. I actually tried to remove it on Saturday but it was located so high up under the rear bumper that I gave up the whole thing. I was going to start with the license lights and couldn't get to them so I tried the trailer harness next and couldn't go any further unless I remove the bumper. So, $200 later I have a new trailer module (at least a good one) not one of those cheaper units. It was worth it for me since I didn't want to through the whole scratching my head over it. I've already fixed another electrical problem that is a known issue with these Fords. Namely, the left turn signal/wiper turning itself on for no reason. Thanks for all of you ideas. I knew it couldn't be that hard to pinpoint. It was just too hard to physically replace myself.
Did you just buy this vehicle? Or owned it a while? I was having trouble with mine and discovered whoever owned it, messed up the tail for the trailer towing. It is tied into the tail lights but when they reassembled it, the wire harness was caught in between the bomper and frame. All I did was raise the ass end up until I could release the wire pinched under it. there was damage so i repaired it and the short was cued. He sold it to me because they couldn't find the short. This might not be it, but it might be worth a shot to post it.
Explorerfan
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Power Distribution Box 
Linear Mode
