Electrical Problems AHHHHHH (1 Viewer)

[lonelydriver]

Had recently installed my iron man lift and was enjoying the ride when suddenly my dome light turned on and my radio started to get all scratchy sounding and distorted at elevated volumes. And today I noticed my brake lights wouldn't come on. I check the brake light fuse and it was blown so I swapped it, pushed the brakes and poof it keeps blowing the fuse.... So I have no brake lights any more.

I've tried searching but haven't come up with much. Maybe fuseable link? How can I check?

This is driving me nuts , I hate electrical work because I'm such a dolt when it comes to it.

So to sum it up, dome light won't turn off when it's set to door.
Radio sounds horrible at higher volumes.. after market radio.

and brake light fuse keeps burning out.


HELLLLP

-Kevin

 

[corsair23]

Kevin,

I am a class A dolt when it comes to electrical troubleshooting as well BUT, I would look for a broken ground wire / short. Might just be coincidence with the lift install but who knows, maybe somewhere along the line a ground wire got whacked or pull off. I'd start near the door switches for the dome light and go from there. A good electrical schematic may also show you where they might all have a common lead or ground as well.

This probably isn't worth the space it is taking up on the server but you never know...

 

[Pin_Head]

Sounds like you have a short somewhere in the brake light circuit after the fuse block. This would rule out a problem with your fusible link or a bad ground. It may also short to your dome light wire which would explain why it goes on randomly. Start by checking where the brake wire loom contacts any metal. If you don't find it easily, it might be easier to run a new wire from the brake light switch back to the lights and disconnect the original wire.

 

[toynut]

I vote for a bad ground wire , when i had a bad ground wire problem with my 60 i had all kinds of electrical problems because the circuit tries to ground out through another .

 

[lonelydriver]

Where should I start looking for the bad ground? Near the tail lights? Engine compartment? Sorry for dumb questions.

-K

 

[Dynosoar]

Quick Fix

Quick Fix

1. Set dome light to OFF position.

2. Turn radio down.

3. Replace the fuse that keeps blowing with a .22 cal bullet.



It sounds like you have two problems. I would check the grounds, then look and see if there is some old trailer wiring. I have seen bad trailer wiring cause a zillion problems.

P.S. don't put the bullet in the fuse holder! (this would only work on 81's and 82's I believe in 83 Toyopta went to blade fuses.) regardless of the year DONT PUT THE BULLET IN THE FUSE HOLDER!!!!!!



Dynosoar

 

[Dynosoar]

I dont know where my post went!!!!


Check for old and messed up trailer wiring and remove it.

Dynosoar

 

[lonelydriver]

no trailer on my beast. I hope there isn't a rat in there chewing on stuff.

 

[Pin_Head]

A bad ground will never cause a fuse to blow.

 

[jb welda]

but a short would.

strange about the radio, ive had the same problem. starts sounding like crap especially bass notes but for some reason let the car sit a bit and start it up and it sounds great. often it seems to go to distorto land when i turn on the headlights but only about 10% of the time.

this "ground wire" everyone refers to...which one? do you mean the main ground from the battery? or the one from the transmission to chassis? or specifically the ground in the circuit that seems to be having problems?

one love
jah bill

 

[corsair23]

I probably have my terminology all screwed up ...Remember my earlier statement about being a dolt re: electrical. However, it was mentioned that his dome light will NOT go off when it is in the door position and the doors are closed. To me that would be the FIRST problem I would tackle as it appears to be the first one noticed and could be causing other issues.

So, maybe a bad 'ground' is the wrong word? How about a short or open? If the light won't go off when you close your doors with the dome light in the door position wouldn't that indicate you have an 'open' or short in that wiring? It would seem to me that could lead to other issues as well.

I'd start there, checking each door 'switch', from the switch and tracing backwards as far as possible on each one.

 

[lonelydriver]

Thanks for everyone's inputs. I"ll have to take a look at it this weekend, and hopefully by God's grace , I'll find it.

-K

 

[corsair23]

Good luck!

Don't have to worry about this on my '74 FJ40

Although I do have all sorts of other electrical issues I'm dealing with...Such as my battery being slowly drained, when I turn on my signals to turn left all the signals blink (aka like when the hazards are on) but doesn't do it when I signal right, guages that work intermittently, etc.

30+ years of old rotten wire not to mention many POs and their home brewed fixes to deal with ;p

 

[lonelydriver]

So after following all the wires today, I went under the back of the car near the exhaust pipe and found a melted loom of wiring. Seems like it was connected with the install of the lift. During the install, the exhaust was blocking the way of the spring pin in the rear so after after some frustrating moments, I pretty much tore off 2 feet of the rear exhaust pipe. It was easy since it was rusty. I didn't care much as a new exhaust was on my list of things to do. Turns out since the exhaust wasn't routed out from under the car, the heat of the exhaust melted the loom together. I haven't had a chance to seperate all the wires from one another and tape them up yet.

However I'm wondering after I do so, are there any chances of permanent damage? Or after patching the wire up should I be good to go?

Gonna fix it this weekend.

thanks for all your help mud.

You've saved me literally hundreds of dollars on this rig. Now where do I go to buy a star. I can't find it.. am I blind?

-Kevin

 

[Pin_Head]

However I'm wondering after I do so, are there any chances of permanent damage? Or after patching the wire up should I be good to go?

\
Not likely to be any further damage as the fuse protects the upstream circuits.

Just replace the bad wires and you are good to go. Use solder and heat shrink insulation for a permanent fix. Don't use crimp type connectors on automotive where they may get wet.

 

[Pin_Head]

Although I do have all sorts of other electrical issues I'm dealing with... when I turn on my signals to turn left all the signals blink (aka like when the hazards are on

This is a classic symptom of a "floating ground". The running lights share the same ground in the lamp housing as the turn light, and if the housing isn't grounded to the chassis, then the current to the turn lamp goes out the running light bulb until it finds a good ground at the other running lights and lights them all up. Run a test jumper from the lamp housing to a known good ground to find which housing on the left side is not grounded. When you ground it the problem will disappear.

 

[corsair23]

Pin Head,

Thanks! I'll check it out. Might be awhile but I'll get it checked. I noticed the other night my front left side marker light flickered on, them off. Appears my hot water shower heat exchanger has been hitting the lead into the lamp under the hood and causing an open? Might start with that and see what happens, after I fix the heat exchange bracket...Will it ever end? LOL