Car trouble

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Hello, I hope some one there has a blackberry or something and gets this and doesn't wait around.

I was on my way and my car blew a fuse and I don't have any instrument cluster.

I have put 4 fuses in and they all blow as soon as I put them in.

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All the Gauges? or just the gauge lighting?If you have trailer wiring? Check that and it is most likely where you will find your problem being a short to ground.

Good luck, PM me what year make & model and I may be able to help.

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Well I drove home and it's not all the gauges or lighting, just my speedometer. But also my radio, power locks & windows, and climate control.

I shined a light under my dash and found the problem. There is a wiring harness and there are about four wires melted together.

Its a 2002 Mercury Sable by the way.

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Pyzik wrote:

Well I drove home and it's not all the gauges or lighting, just my speedometer. But also my radio, power locks & windows, and climate control.

I shined a light under my dash and found the problem. There is a wiring harness and there are about four wires melted together.

Its a 2002 Mercury Sable by the way.

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Had that happen to a '95 Sundance. Twice!

Both times, smoke started coming up from under the dash.

First time I had the wiring harness replaced. Second time it needed a new steering column.


Hope things work out for you.

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ghostrider wrote:

Had that happen to a '95 Sundance. Twice!

Both times, smoke started coming up from under the dash.

First time I had the wiring harness replaced. Second time it needed a new steering column.


Hope things work out for you.

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Yeah, mine smoked too, that's how I knew where to look.

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Many times, perhaps the majority of times, when an electrical problem happens in a car, it can be attributed to the battery. Certainly not always, and maybe not in this case if it just blows the fuses instantly, but I've seen it cause things like this before.

When you have a voltage surge, BOOM, there goes a circuit. The alternator supplies the power, sometimes too much power. In between the alternator and your electrical circuits is the battery. It is the batteries job to regulate current flow through all the electrical circuits in the car. If the battery is a small, cheapo battery, it can't always prevent the alternator from blowing fuses, or even other parts of the electrical circuits.

The moral of my rant is to ALWAYS use the biggest and best battery that will fit in the battery compartment. If you have a used car, or even a brand new car, toss out or give the battery away, and get a new and better one. Don't scrimp on batteries if you can help it, because you won't save any money in the long run.

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Well I did notice some corrosion on the positive terminal today. Before I went poking around at the wires I unhooked the negative wire.

The battery is a year old. Got it at Murray's last spring. I think it was $80.

How long should a battery last?



Wow, this was only my fourth post... Guess I do a lot more reading than talking... Lol.

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I think the last battery I bought had a 36 month warranty. I say had because it was in my poor little Escort that got totaled.

Oh, about that corrosion, they sell those little cans of spray paint for battery terminals, and I definitely recommend using that stuff. It's always worked very well for me.

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Pyzik wrote:

...Wow, this was only my fourth post... Guess I do a lot more reading than talking... Lol.

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Keep hanging with us; we'll have you running the mouth like a pro in no time!