fuse keeps blowing (2 Viewers)

[pvaman]

'85 FJ 60.

Just this weekend i have a fuse that keeps blowing. It's the one that controls the dash lights (?and the tail lights i believe). Before i start tracking down where the short is, is this a common problem folks have already nailed?
:dunno: :dunno:

 

[swank60]

My 60 has had electrical issues sort of like that, and have been told it's not really normal. Mine didn't blow fuses, it blew a fusable link...I haven't tracked down the exact problem yet, but the short seems to be around the relay block, which is up under the dash, sort of behind the the fuse box (where your relays for blinkers, horn, etc reside).

It's a weak point, as far as I can tell, and when I blew the fusable link, it also blew out the two front/white parking lights, the dome light, the bulb behind the oil/temp/fuel/amp guage and the horn acted weird too. Why the fuses didn't go, I'll never know.

So, that's what I've dealt with. If you've got any aux lights, check that wiring too. The Toyota harness in the 60 is pretty bullet proof, and tampering with it with extra wiring will possibly compromise it.

 

[crucible]

Pvaman, I have the same exact issue-on the same exact fuse. I've only had my cruiser for a short period of time now, but I've been doing a great deal of work to it in the meanwhile, so I really didn't think much of it blowing a couple of fuses during it all.

Until today: I installed an MSD 6T ignition on a lark (works great thus far btw, idles better and seems more responsive, and I'll test to see if any MPG improvements this weekend with a trip to the beach), and of course I had to disconnect the battery while doing so.

When I went to take a ride this evening, I noticed the dash lights off, again. I installed another fuse, and it blew instantly. Installed another, same thing. Installed a 20amp fuse for test purposes, and it lasted about a second before it blew. Okay now-tried a 30a fuse for last ditch testing and it was okay: the lights were brighter than I've ever seen them (the way they should be methinks as I've thought they were rather dark at thier brightest since I've had it), I heard a spark/pop and it went at 15 seconds or so.

Looks like a definite short; I'm pretty sure I heard an arc/short up in the dash near the fuse panel right before the last one went, and I guess my search will start there tomorrow. (Incidently, have you had any trouble with your dome light? When I bought mine, the plastic cover had a whole in the center of it which I found out the reason a few weeks later when I took it off to replace it and touched the dome light itself: it burned my finger instantly it was so hot and actually left a blister-no wonder it degenerated the cover. I replaced the bulb with another that was smaller but seemed to fit better, and everything works okay. I'd better check that too though for any shorts while I'm at it.)

Sigh-one more thing to tackle.

Cruc

 

[crucible]

Fount it! (I think). I thought I looked for everything obvious, but there's always something one misses isn't there?

In my case, I found after looking through various electrical diagrams (including the one for the fj40 here on this site-tks Woody!) that the taillight circut not only has the tailights and rr marker lights along with the dash lights, but also the front marker lights as well.

I knew my front ones weren't working because the socket for them both had disntegrated and I hadn't gotten around to ordering new ones yet. Lights went off in my head-ding ding! I went out at 10:30 tonight to take a looksee as I knew I wouldn't sleep if I didn't, and low and behold, the harness (err what's left of it) fell into the fender area and the leads were directly touching the fender with bare metal. Doh! Doh!

I cut them off for now and covered their ends with liquid electrical tape (repaired a headlight splice the the PO did that was clearly corroded at the same time-even at 10:30pm, ya gotta right?) until I can get a new harness, put in a new correct amp fuse and woohoo! Everything works. Started her up, turned the lights on/off/on/off/on/off which surely would have blown it before, and everything stayed working now. (Time will tell, but I feel I got it.)

Thanks everyone, tks for the tech docs/resouces here and elsewhere, and Pvaman, check your marker lights while you're looking-gluck! (I love the Internet-it's saved my dopey butt again).

Cruc