1997 Fuse Question / Insight (2 Viewers)

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Last time I was at the shop, they pointed out the BIG fuse in the center of the pic and indicated, “Yeah, we don’t know what that is or why it’s there,”

So…can someone tell me what this big (BUSS) fuse is? Or what it’s for?

Also, does it matter if fuses are inserted upside down?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: In looking at the diagram:

#15 (currently a 7.5A) shouldn't be there.

#7 (Currently the comment from member of it being an "Auto Reset Circuit Breaker") should be 10A

EDIT #2
So, I went out to my rig and pulled #15...didn't change anything (that I can see) and that's to be expected?

I pulled the Auto Reset Circuit Breaker from #7 and replaced it with a 10A and...my HVAC controls no longer worked. As in, AC/Heat didn't blow...in fact, the lower didn't blow any air, hot OR cold, at all. The defroster didn't work...I don't think anything that stems from that fuse worked. Dash lights such as the seatbelt indicator, Parking Brake indicator, etc., also didn't work.

So the "Auto Reset Circuit Breaker" is now back in place.

Weird.
Thoughts?


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Fuses are non direction, they don't care if they're right side up or upside down.
 
That's not a fuse, it's an auto-reset circuit breaker:
It's a sign the previous owner had recurring problems with a short/overload on that circuit, got tired of replacing blown fuses, and rather than diagnose and fix the cause, decided to put a bandaid on it and fit an auto reset breaker instead. Consider that circuit suspect, you should investigate further.
 
That's not a fuse, it's an auto-reset circuit breaker:
It's a sign the previous owner had recurring problems with a short/overload on that circuit, got tired of replacing blown fuses, and rather than diagnose and fix the cause, decided to put a bandaid on it and fit an auto reset breaker instead. Consider that circuit suspect, you should investigate further.
Then this might be the cause/culprit/point me in the right starting stages of all of my electrical gremlins from the PO:
  • Sunroof not opening (not even a sound of an attempt when depressing the button)
  • Cigarette port not working
  • Light in ashtray not working
  • All windows not working
  • Clock not working
  • Stereo not working
  • Rear dome light not working (but middle and front map light DO work)
  • Antenna not working
  • Instrument panel / dash lights do not work
  • Side mirror controls do not work
  • Green ring around ignition stays on ALL THE TIME and I know it shouldn't

And yes, all the fuses have been checked - nothing wrong there - none of them have blown. But if this "Auto Reset Circuit Breaker" is like a Dam, hoilding back a problem, then I'll need to get some MORE electrical troubleshooting done.

What does work?
  • Door locks work - except the rear hatch (I was unsure if it was electrical but have since been informed the rear lock IS electric)
  • Door lights (lower) work
  • All exterior lights work
  • Electrical seats move (forward, up, down, reclining, and lumbar, but won't move BACKWARDS - on both, but that could be a bad worm drive)
  • All gauges work - verified against ODB2 reader
  • AC / heater / defroster all work (and all lights on the AC control panel work)


Thanks,
 
Have you been behind the driver's side kick panel, the panel below the steering column, and the dash panel to catalog what, if any, modifications have been made to the wiring?
 
Have you been behind the driver's side kick panel, the panel below the steering column, and the dash panel to catalog what, if any, modifications have been made to the

Aren't the 2 pictures of the fuse panel in the first post, below the steering wheel?
 
Last time I was at the shop, they pointed out the BIG fuse in the center of the pic and indicated, “Yeah, we don’t know what that is or why it’s there,”


Thoughts?
Find someone else to work on your wiring?
 
Aren't the 2 pictures of the fuse panel in the first post, below the steering wheel?

That's just the fuse panel. I'm talking about the wiring, some of which goes to that fuse panel. There's a fat bundle of wires running behind the driver's side kick panel, a bunch under the steering column, and likely a rat's nest behind the dash if it's suffered at the hands of an aftermarket stereo installer.
 
Have you been behind the driver's side kick panel, the panel below the steering column, and the dash panel to catalog what, if any, modifications have been made to the wiring?
The foot panel where your left foot goes? The shop was (and from under the hood also), and pulled out A BUNCH of excess wiring which they suspect the PO had from a big box store stereo installation.

I haven’t made any modifications…the PO had a single din Kenwood stereo installed, a 150 watt Kenwood 4 channel receiver under the DS seat, and a Kenwood Sirius receiver under the floor of the passenger side. Apparently they liked Kenwood.

Those are the only items that I’ve found…other than those, the truck is wholly stock. And over the last handful of years since owning her, I haven’t done anything since I didn’t have the extra $$$

A month ago, the shop I go to spent three different days chasing electrical gremlins to get my AC to work as it stopped working. They got it going but everything else I listed above still isn’t working.

And chasing electrical issues is expensive.

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Aren't the 2 pictures of the fuse panel in the first post, below the steering wheel?
Below and just off to the left, under where the Diff lock switch would be if she were triple locked.
 
That's just the fuse panel. I'm talking about the wiring, some of which goes to that fuse panel. There's a fat bundle of wires running behind the driver's side kick panel, a bunch under the steering column, and likely a rat's nest behind the dash if it's suffered at the hands of an aftermarket stereo installer.
The LC shop I go to pulled the entire dash apart to troubleshoot an electrical issue of the AC not working…thankfully, there wasn’t a rats nest. Everything was tidy looking.

It was under the foot panel area where most of the crappy and janky wiring was found.

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The foot panel where your left foot goes?
Yep. Directly to the left seems to be the most common area to tap into things like door locks. On mine, a bunch of the wires were broken from someone using those horrible Scotch Lock things.

Do you have any LEDs added to the system? I ask because, being directional, they can cause interesting side effects in wiring systems.

What year is your 80?
 
Do you have a multimeter?

Are you comfortable tracing these issues yourself?

If the answer to either of these is "no" what you need to do is find an experienced auto electrician, explain you want things "back to stock" and working, and have the bank balance to pay for it.

If you want to proceed by yourself, you need a decent multimeter to do anything. You'll be measuring ohms to check for continuity, and volts to check for live power and complete circuits.

You'll also need the wiring diagram for your year model of vehicle, which if you don't have, you can find here for any year model:

You have a lot of issues. Chances are most or all are related (possibly grounding issue), but the thing to do is think of this in terms of circuits rather than devices, pick the simplest circuit, and start diagnosing it.

By my reading, this is your simplest circuit:
  • Cigarette port not working
I'd attack that first. Yank the known suspect gauge circuit with that auto-reset breaker. Leave it removed. Check your 15a cig fuse to make sure it's not blown. Check for 12v between the cig fuse port and a known working ground. Check for power at your cig port. If you don't have it, check continuity from the 12v feed at the cig port to the cig fuse block. Check continuity to ground from the port. Somewhere, one of these will fail. From there you'll be chasing wires from the fuse up to the battery, from the fuse to the cig port, or from the port to ground. If the problem explains the others you're seeing, and fixing it fixes them all, you're done. If not, pick the next easiest circuit that's still mucking up, and start again with that one.
 
Yep. Directly to the left seems to be the most common area to tap into things like door locks. On mine, a bunch of the wires were broken from someone using those horrible Scotch Lock things.

Do you have any LEDs added to the system? I ask because, being directional, they can cause interesting side effects in wiring systems.

What year is your 80?
No LEDs at all.
She’s a 1997.

With something like the windows, I figured it was JUST the window control (buttons) but the more I talked to the shop and look at other things not working, the more I realized I have an electrical issue…and I think it stems from the PO and the sound system they installed…which was probably an attempt to add value to the sale because they were the second owner and had it for less than a month.

At the time of the sale, he wanted $5k and I got him down to $2300 - I probably could have picked it up for less, looking back.
 
The rear dome light not working is probably an issue with a door switch/rear hatch switch or wiring in the left rear quarter panel; considering the front dome light is working.

10X on getting a multi meter and learn to use it. You'll also want to pick up some alligator clamp leads and needle probes.
just putting it out there, Do not check Ohms or look for continuity on live circuits. You'll kill your new tool.
 
BUSS 711041 appears to be a fuse, not a breaker according to a quick search. It is in place of your 10 amp GAUGE fuse.
EDIT: 1 site calls it a fuse. Another calls it a breaker. Not sure now.
Considering the number of items that aren't working and the number of circuits that the GAUGE fuse has a hand in, I suspect it's blown.

You might want to download the factory service manual and electronic wiring diagrams (FSM and EWD) from the resources section. All question will be answered.


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The rear dome light not working is probably an issue with a door switch/rear hatch switch or wiring in the left rear quarter panel; considering the front dome light is working.

10X on getting a multi meter and learn to use it. You'll also want to pick up some alligator clamp leads and needle probes.
just putting it out there, Do not check Ohms or look for continuity on live circuits. You'll kill your new tool.
Thanks for the heads up.

I know how to read one MARGINALLY, thanks to my dad and being a kid (then) in the garage but being a programmer/Systems Admin for near 20 years (now in finance) , I didn't focus on electronics...but it looks like I'll need to learn how/get a refresh!
 
BUSS 711041 appears to be a fuse, not a breaker according to a quick search. It is in place of your 10 amp GAUGE fuse.
EDIT: 1 site calls it a fuse. Another calls it a breaker. Not sure now.
Considering the number of items that aren't working and the number of circuits that the GAUGE fuse has a hand in, I suspect it's blown.

You might want to download the factory service manual and electronic wiring diagrams (FSM and EWD) from the resources section. All question will be answered.


View attachment 3168590
Will do, thanks!

I think I have the actual, physical FSM...I'll have to check. If not, I have the digital version from here on MUD.
 
Do you have a multimeter?

Are you comfortable tracing these issues yourself?

If the answer to either of these is "no" what you need to do is find an experienced auto electrician, explain you want things "back to stock" and working, and have the bank balance to pay for it.

If you want to proceed by yourself, you need a decent multimeter to do anything. You'll be measuring ohms to check for continuity, and volts to check for live power and complete circuits.

You'll also need the wiring diagram for your year model of vehicle, which if you don't have, you can find here for any year model:

You have a lot of issues. Chances are most or all are related (possibly grounding issue), but the thing to do is think of this in terms of circuits rather than devices, pick the simplest circuit, and start diagnosing it.

By my reading, this is your simplest circuit:
  • Cigarette port not working
I'd attack that first. Yank the known suspect gauge circuit with that auto-reset breaker. Leave it removed. Check your 15a cig fuse to make sure it's not blown. Check for 12v between the cig fuse port and a known working ground. Check for power at your cig port. If you don't have it, check continuity from the 12v feed at the cig port to the cig fuse block. Check continuity to ground from the port. Somewhere, one of these will fail. From there you'll be chasing wires from the fuse up to the battery, from the fuse to the cig port, or from the port to ground. If the problem explains the others you're seeing, and fixing it fixes them all, you're done. If not, pick the next easiest circuit that's still mucking up, and start again with that one.

Thank you for the advice! I'll take a look.
I'm 100% sure I have a multimeter of my dads put away in a box out at the house. He was an I&C Tech in Nuclear Power and I doubt he'd mind my learning how to use it again (He passed away in 2016) - I'll look for it the next time I head that way.


I have the bank balance but, damn, chasing electrical issues is super expensive. I dropped $1800 on the electrical getting my AC working again; they had to chase wires and find where ONE damn wire lost continuity, mixed in with the AC control panel going out.

That bill was not expected, but, it is what it is. Had to be done.
Just like the gasket on my windshield.
And new tires.
And baselining everything.

But that's part of the fun!
 
BUSS 711041 appears to be a fuse, not a breaker according to a quick search. It is in place of your 10 amp GAUGE fuse.
EDIT: 1 site calls it a fuse. Another calls it a breaker. Not sure now.
It's a UCB-10 "type I" circuit breaker, auto-resetting. I found it in a Cooper Bussmann catalog hosted on Mouser:

UCBTypeI.png

AutomotiveCircuitBreakerTypes.png
 

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