Electrical nightmare in my '98 D - Please HELP P:(

Naz98D · Sep 26, 2004

I went to hook up my boat trailer today and plugged in the flat 4 plug. I had my kid sit in the car as I tested the trailer lights. I noticed the running/parking lights weren't working. The brake, and blinker lights worked just fine. So I disconnected the trailer plug and started to troubleshoot. Then I noticed all of my parking/running lights (under headlights and rears) weren't working. Then I noticed my dash/cluster lights were out.

Lights that don't work:

1. All parking/running lights.
2. intertior dash/cluster and and all lights that light up controls on the dash.
3. license plate light
4. running head lights (when your head lights are off)
5. reverse lights

So when I go down the road at night the only lights that are illuminated are the head lights, blinkers and brake lights (when I step on the brakes.) A lot of people were looking at me tonight as I was going down the freeway about 30 minutes ago. I have to fix this.

I went thru every fuse and relay. The fuse block as you open the driver side door and the fuse/relay block under the hood. Nothing is blown! I actually bought 2 brand new relays at $13/piece and 3 40amp fuses. I switched out various fuses and relays with no luck. I looked at the small license plate light and it isn't burned out. I thought maybe all of the lights burned out when I hooked up the trailer? But that doesn't appear to be the problem. It looks like I have a wiring problem in the boat trailer and it screwed something up in my electrical system in my D?

I'm stumped and I don't want to pay big money to have somebody electrical troubleshoot this. They charge a lot for doing that.

Any help with your past expereince or knowledge would be very appreciated here. Thanks.

FSTDANGO3 · Sep 26, 2004

First thing you should check is how the Ground is on the trailer. Clean all spots where grounds are attached. If the lights work without the trailer it's a load to ground issue?not a short a load. If You lose a ground on a 12 volt auto system and you have increased the lighting load(plugging in treailer) without enough ground the lights will dim or go off. the fuse wouldn't blow because it isn't shorted. This works very similar to an open Neutral in your home electrical system.
Now if the trucks light don't work after disconnecting then there was a short in trailer and a Fuse had to blow inside. I'm not sure on a 98 butthere may be another small fuse box somewhere else look up under dash by e brake pedal it's the courtesy /parking light circuit also check other accessories to see if they're out they may share a central circuit.
Hope this helps
Steve Events Guy DOC

Naz98D · Sep 26, 2004

Re: GROUND

FSTDANGO3 said:
First thing you should check is how the Ground is on the trailer. Clean all spots where grounds are attached. If the lights work without the trailer it's a load to ground issue?not a short a load. If You lose a ground on a 12 volt auto system and you have increased the lighting load(plugging in treailer) without enough ground the lights will dim or go off. the fuse wouldn't blow because it isn't shorted. This works very similar to an open Neutral in your home electrical system.
Now if the trucks light don't work after disconnecting then there was a short in trailer and a Fuse had to blow inside. I'm not sure on a 98 butthere may be another small fuse box somewhere else look up under dash by e brake pedal it's the courtesy /parking light circuit also check other accessories to see if they're out they may share a central circuit.
Hope this helps
Steve Events Guy DOC

Thanks Steve. I got the same info about this other fuse box under the dash from another great D owner at another forum:

rockadaous
Posted: Today, 07:47 AM

Libby hunter

Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,295
Location: Pope AFB
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Post #6
there's also a secret fuse bank straight up from your emergency brake pedal. just opposite of your fuse block by the door. Try there.

Do you know what fuses are under there? You're right, it should be a blown fuse somewhere. That's why it drove me crazy since I couldn't find a blown one.

I'm going outside now to check it out. Thanks a lot for your very helpful post. I think I'm going to fix this today on this info.

Naz98D · Sep 26, 2004

***Problem fixed!***

Steve,

Ok, I feel stupid here.When I was checking fuses yesterday I was using a flashlight while looking at the fuses in the block and everything appeared "not blown". I did pull the parking light fuse and thought it was fine. I was looking at that same fuse this morning and I noticed a very small seperation in the link thru the casing. Now it blew at the very bottom with no black discoloration on the plastic casing where it separated. I pulled the fuse again and looked it at very closely and saw the seperation. Put another cheap 15A fuse in there and wah-la, everything works again.

Jeez, I'm a idiot! I can't believe created a thread for a simple, blown fuse? Arghhhh, sorry bro. Thanks for all of your help.

I do know I need to troubleshoot my boat trailer to figure out why it's blowing the parking light fuse in my D. It's never did that before. Any suggestions?

FSTDANGO3 · Sep 26, 2004

No Problemo

Glad you solved your immediate problem There are no stupid or silly thing here. Anything at all just keep posting
Steve Events Guy DOC

tomk · Sep 26, 2004

when looking for fuses..

remember that Gen1 D's have two or (on earlier models) three "fuse blocks".

There's the one on the side of the dash "Fuse Access", which has the bulk of the fuses.

There's the "PDC" (Power Distribution Center) under the hood, where a lot of the important stuff is.

And, on earlier models, there's the super top-secret fuse block up under the dash behind the "fuse access" block.

I *think* the owner's manual calls out what's in each of these, though I never actually looked (that's what happens when you get the FSM.)

Maybe if we get a really big snowstorm this winter I'll do a fuse FAQ for the club FAQ. I have an early and a late Gen1 FSM on hand, just don't have any round tuits.

?tom

Electrical nightmare in my '98 D - Please HELP P:(

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