electrical dilema

[terry slaney]

Hey guys, have a bit of an electrical gremlin going on with my 03 ranger 4x4 xlt.

Fuse number 2(DRL's, HVAC, dash lights) in the interior fuse box keeps blowing and fuse number 33 in the power distribution block keeps blowing. It seems odd because looking at the wireing diagram these seem to be 2 different circuits.

It doesn't pop the fuse right away like a constant short to ground somewhere, sometimes will pop after 5 minutes of driving sometimes after a half hour. Completely at random.

Spent the day fooling with it trying to narrow it down, tried unplugging DRL module. Still pops fuse. Cleaned all my ground's up, removed power distribution box and cleaned any corrosion from it to no avail. checked all my DRL's for loose connections.

Only other thing I can think of may be the dimmer switch or headlight switch. Does this sounds like a possibility? how would I go about testing both, I own a multimeter but I am by no means an electrical guru.

Thanks in advance guys.


- Terry

 

[the_gunslinger]

Electrical gremlins are very tough to diagnose without putting hands on it. Sounds like you went through it pretty good. What diagrams are you using? I would start by looking in the prints for some sort of common ground. If you could post pics or pm them to me I can run through them and see if anything pop out at me. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is all you need.

 

[Andy D]

WAG, If DRLs is day time running lights. I would be checking where the harness goes through the front of the body. Fuses pop because a bare hot wire touches a ground. Often , it is contact with the body. With the fuse blown, you can use the ohmmeter function on the circuit to isolate the trouble. It is a PITA job. You will need a wiring diagram and the ability to read it. At the very least you need to know what is on the circuit to fix it. Good luck

 

[terry slaney]

I am using mitchell/shopkey diagrams. I work on a parts counter and have access to shopkey5 repair information. This has me totally stumped, I dont usually let myself be defeated by electrical issues but this has me boggled

I can post up a diagram later today if you would like! in a rush to make it to school this morning lol.

Andy D, By the front of the body do you mean where the harness goes through the firewall or up into the rad support?

 

[terry slaney]

here is the wiring diagram i am looking at

 

[the_gunslinger]

Ok. Looking at your print, your fogs and headlamps share the same ground. So if something is causing it to blow, it would be something shared. The prints you posted are hard to read. They're all blurry. I knowit may be a tall order, but is there any way i can get a pic that i can read and determine what each component is?

 

[terry slaney]

See that's what I was thinking also but I don't have fogs from the factory. Lost my brake lights and turn signal lights coming home from work last night also.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Intermittent indirect shorts are allways the worst. Was trailer wiring added on? The wiggle test can be helpful in locating a short. A VOM with a buzzer helps if you dont have someone to watch the meter. If your persistent you will be able to isolate the fault/s. Your approach is good dont give up it`s usually something simple easy to overlook.

 

[the_gunslinger]

Dang! Your gremlin is hungry!
Even though you don't have fogs from the factory, the wiring and all the connectors are still there.