N/S fuse keeps blowing...any ideas welcome

[Bazz182]

Hi,


I've had this problem for a while now..my near side (left) side light fuse keeps blowing as soon as I switch on the sidelights. I also have no illumination on the speedo dials, radio backing lights or rear number plate light...I guess these are all related?

I've disconnected all side light bulbs, and the number plate light holder...but to no avail. Is there anything else I could try? Anyone else experienced similar issues- how did you resolve them?


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MicKPM]

Simple - you have a short to + somewhere on that line. Done anything to it recently?

 

[Bazz182]

Hi MicKPM - Nothing has been changed since I've owned it in terms of electrics, apart from a rear number plate bulb and holder - which I've disconnected to check if it was at fault. Are there any common earths on this line that I could check? Or how would you recommend diagnosing further?

 

[MicKPM]

It's a short to + so nothing to do with the earth. You need to find where on that live feed is touching metal (Thus blowing the fuse) or which component is pulling too much current. To do this you will have to do some old fashioned work i'm afraid.

 

[Dan The Top Bloke]

ive just got the same problem on mine all havent touched it car at all in any way just happend, found the fuse was blown was a 10 amp so put a 15 in and it blew so i figured why not try a 20 amp all the lights worked again but i smelt burning so quickly whiped it out now sat here clueless.

 

[Bazz182]

Ah Ok, so in that case do I need to check the wiring for the speedo dials/radio illumination, reverse light and both N/S side lights? .. do you know if they all run off the same fuse?

 

[MicKPM]

If you have Xenon lights unplug the ballast pack, replace the fuse and see if it blows after that. It still sounds like a live is going to ground though rather than a component fault.

 

[Bazz182]

For anyone else this may help...

Took the upper and lower dash off, traced the N/S sidelight wire from the fuse board into the loom, there were about 8 different components running from the same circuit, I cut the join and tested for continuity on each line using a multimeter, the culprit was the cigarette lighter led illumination was shorting it out after all that!