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Help with electrical problem

bbgtcs

Member
Joined
May 17, 2004
Messages
6
I have recently purchased a GT/CS. The brake lights were not working among other things. Looking at the brake light switch I could see that one of the two wires that connect to it was off. It's a tight spot and there was an after market temp gauge mounted under the dash below the ignition switch. I took it off to get better access to the brake switch. I tired touching the wire to the connection and wasn't having any luck. At some point I set of the car alarm someone previously had installed. I turned it off with the key fob and tried to start the car. This is when I found out the screw that was holding the temp gauge in place also holds the ignition switch in place. The switch twisted around part way before I realized what was going on. I put the screw back in place and tried to start the car again. Nothing. Opened the door, no dome light, no juice at all. I hooked my battery charger thinking I may have drained the battery with the doors open for a while. The charger burned up. I put in a new battery and when I tryed to connect the negative, got sparks so I stopped. What the heck did I do?
 

darb

Well-known member
Joined
May 10, 2003
Messages
200
Electrical problems are always hard to detect - so you'll have to setup a good weekend when you'll have some time.

Start with the known: You have a short somewhere - something is grounded out.

The problem occured after you started tinkering under the dash - so...start there.

I'd pull out the switches and replace them...the wires not attached is a bad thing anyway, and you'll want to get new ones...not fix it yourself.

Check the areas where the screw and such were - this is where you caused a short...something is bare, stripped, cut, mis connected under there. I'd remove the after market equipment and check the wiring there.

Start at the instrument cluster, and work your way back - follow the wires to the fuse box. How's that look? Any fuses blown? A blown fuse will be a direct indication to which circuit is messed up. Pull out the shop manual, look at what fuse means what and then detect from there.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

-Brad
 

-=MUSTANG=-

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2002
Messages
118
Or find a good shop that specializes in this type of repair. There is a possibility that an incorrect repair or the current boondogle the previous owner left you could start a fire. I have had shorts traced in the past (not in my mustangs) by a local company called Specmo and it wasn't very expensive and the problem was fixed right away. I would leave this to the pros. Good luck.

Jay
 
OP
OP
B

bbgtcs

Member
Joined
May 17, 2004
Messages
6
Checked the fuses, all 5 are okay. Disconnected the add on temp gauge and hooked up the good battery. Car alarm starting going off. Couldn't get it to shut off with the key fob, so I unhooked the siren. Silence. Turned the key and the engine fired up. Now, however the driver side fron turn signal is blinking (but not the dash indicator light) even with the ignition off. If I turn that signal on, it stays blinking and the indicatior light on the dash starts to blink as it should. Any futher thoughts?
 
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