wiring short |
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wiring short |
jdlmodelt |
Jan 28 2013, 07:39 AM
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#1
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James D. Lane Group: Members Posts: 345 Joined: 30-November 12 From: Colorado Member No.: 15,210 Region Association: Southwest Region |
So, I've been finalizing wiring on my recently acquired 914. I had all the wiring except the license plate lights hooked up. I got my license plates last week and was checking the lighting last night. I could smell something and I saw a whisp of smoke coming from the three wires that go to the engine compartment light. I immediately pulled the battery positive cable off. I could feel the heat on the cable shield going to the engine compartment light. I could feel some minor heat going back through the bundle of wiring to the rear tail lights and ultimately to the license plate lights. Is there a particular place in this that others have experience this wiring short? I guess I need to remove the protective sheathing from the bundle to make sure wires didn't get melted together along the heat path. I was disappointed to see that the fuse feeding those wires did not blow, It just started melting the plastic fuse body? It was an 8 Amp fuse and I'll have to look at my printout to see what position it was in. Approximately a middle fuse in the fuse block.
Any ideas? thanks, James |
JStroud |
Jan 28 2013, 08:46 AM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,463 Joined: 15-January 11 From: Galt, California Member No.: 12,594 Region Association: Northern California |
Check where the wires go through the body, might have a wire with damaged insulation grounding on the body.
Good luck, electrical troubleshooting can be challenging. Jeff |
underdog |
Jan 28 2013, 09:08 AM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 82 Joined: 20-September 11 From: Mountain Home, AR Member No.: 13,579 Region Association: None |
I had this happen when I reversed the + and - to the interior light. I had to open the harness and replace a burned section of the ground wire. two of the other wires were damaged also but repairable. Good luck.
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76-914 |
Jan 28 2013, 09:41 AM
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#4
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Repeat Offender & Resident Subaru Antagonist Group: Members Posts: 13,611 Joined: 23-January 09 From: Temecula, CA Member No.: 9,964 Region Association: Southern California |
That's a common area for shorts. Check the small loom that feeds the backup lights. It's exposed and suffers a lot of abuse.
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JeffBowlsby |
Jan 28 2013, 10:08 AM
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#5
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914 Wiring Harnesses Group: Members Posts: 8,663 Joined: 7-January 03 From: San Ramon CA Member No.: 104 Region Association: None |
Did you get the license plate lights hooked up correctly? If you reversed them its a direct short to ground.
Attached thumbnail(s) |
Dave_Darling |
Jan 28 2013, 06:36 PM
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#6
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914 Idiot Group: Members Posts: 15,048 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Silicon Valley / Kailua-Kona Member No.: 121 Region Association: Northern California |
Yup, it's easy to get the wires to the LP lights switched. It's not obvious that one of the terminals gets grounded, but it does. Through one of the mounting screws, to the bumper pad frame, to the bumper, to the chassis.
--DD |
chasrolex69 |
Jan 28 2013, 07:13 PM
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#7
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 9 Joined: 19-December 12 From: rockford illinois Member No.: 15,269 Region Association: Upper MidWest |
Same thing here, just last night I replaced my 74 rear lic. lights, both arched-sparked when i went to screw in. so I just have the wrong female ends on the wrong male terminal?
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Kirmizi |
Jan 28 2013, 08:13 PM
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#8
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 836 Joined: 12-February 06 From: Wyoming, US Member No.: 5,568 Region Association: None |
Yup, it's easy to get the wires to the LP lights switched. It's not obvious that one of the terminals gets grounded, but it does. Through one of the mounting screws, to the bumper pad frame, to the bumper, to the chassis. --DD (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Found this out when we back-dated my rear bumper and switched on the lights to test. |
falconfp2001 |
Jan 29 2013, 01:01 AM
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#9
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Pancho Pantera Group: Members Posts: 451 Joined: 5-December 10 From: Downey, CA Member No.: 12,456 Region Association: Southwest Region |
Yup, it's easy to get the wires to the LP lights switched. It's not obvious that one of the terminals gets grounded, but it does. Through one of the mounting screws, to the bumper pad frame, to the bumper, to the chassis. --DD (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Found this out when we back-dated my rear bumper and switched on the lights to test. You should also buy the porcelain fuses instead of the plastic type. They don't melt. |
jdlmodelt |
Jan 29 2013, 07:39 AM
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#10
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James D. Lane Group: Members Posts: 345 Joined: 30-November 12 From: Colorado Member No.: 15,210 Region Association: Southwest Region |
Did you get the license plate lights hooked up correctly? If you reversed them its a direct short to ground. Yep! That's exactly what happened. Silly me to think that the license plate lights were isolated from ground! It didn't damage any other wires in the harness that I could determine and license plate light now works. Well, one of them. the other one is burned out. I'm having problems determining why the fuel tank sending unit won't work. j |
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