Johnny McDoofus strikes again (electrical issue)
#1
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Johnny McDoofus strikes again (electrical issue)
In my crusade against the doings of an unnamed repo man, (here on referred to as "JmD,") I have stumbled upon several disconnected buses:
This first one is in the empty space that the radio went into. (whose non-fused power lines caught fire and filled my truck with smoke) I am not sure what these lines go to, I assume the larger one likely goes to the original radio. Is there anything else they might go to?
This bus here is under the dash, near the steering shaft. It had a hackshawed wire shoved into one of the prongs, and while I was attempting to fix the cigarette lighter, which was not working as a result of his grade A+ electrical work, (15a fuse burned out? Replace it with a 30a! Ignore the charred plastic it's k) the other end of the wire (connected to nothing, how about that) touched a ground and a light on my gauge cluster came on. So I was wondering, what does this bus go to? Where is the other end that it plugs in to?
My blower motor doesn't blow as hard as it used to, I imagine probably also due to good old JmD and his wonderful time bombs.
This is episode No. 3 of the JmD series. Also watch "How to Destroy an Alternator," or the direct-to-VHS film, "How to Light Any Truck on Fire." Or you could check out the tutorial: "How to Make a Time Bomb with a Pair of Pliers and an IQ of 9."
No but really guys, if anyone could tell me what these buses are and where their female ends are, I'd appreciate it. This is on a 1987 pickup.
Thanks.
This first one is in the empty space that the radio went into. (whose non-fused power lines caught fire and filled my truck with smoke) I am not sure what these lines go to, I assume the larger one likely goes to the original radio. Is there anything else they might go to?
This bus here is under the dash, near the steering shaft. It had a hackshawed wire shoved into one of the prongs, and while I was attempting to fix the cigarette lighter, which was not working as a result of his grade A+ electrical work, (15a fuse burned out? Replace it with a 30a! Ignore the charred plastic it's k) the other end of the wire (connected to nothing, how about that) touched a ground and a light on my gauge cluster came on. So I was wondering, what does this bus go to? Where is the other end that it plugs in to?
My blower motor doesn't blow as hard as it used to, I imagine probably also due to good old JmD and his wonderful time bombs.
This is episode No. 3 of the JmD series. Also watch "How to Destroy an Alternator," or the direct-to-VHS film, "How to Light Any Truck on Fire." Or you could check out the tutorial: "How to Make a Time Bomb with a Pair of Pliers and an IQ of 9."
No but really guys, if anyone could tell me what these buses are and where their female ends are, I'd appreciate it. This is on a 1987 pickup.
Thanks.
Last edited by Johnsoline; 04-16-2017 at 06:13 PM.
#2
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The one by the steering column could go to the gauge cluster. And the one near the radio bezel probably goes to the radio. I can't think of what else they would go to that's back there. But if your radio plug isn't plugged in to a radio and it's catching on fire you have other electrical demons there.
#3
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I'm not sure if the line is long enough to reach the gauge cluster. Maybe another bus is supposed to be there, connecting from it to the cluster?
I fixed the fire demons. JmD's wiring was composed of bare wire ends shoved into fuse slots and then the fuses put back on top, as well as the fuse amperage doubled so they didn't blow, just charring some plastic on the fuse block (that's k am I right?) With the wires going around some sharp metal edges, hanging loose so they rubbed and eventually made contact with ground, welding themselves to it, and catching fire.
Now that I think of it, I took off my gauge cluster recently while I was stripping out JmD's immaculate wiring job, and I made certain all buses were connected. There were no empty slots. But since grounding one of those lines on that bus lights up a lamp on the cluster, that would mean that the bus that is dangling is connected to the gauge cluster on the other side of the line. It must go to something else.
I fixed the fire demons. JmD's wiring was composed of bare wire ends shoved into fuse slots and then the fuses put back on top, as well as the fuse amperage doubled so they didn't blow, just charring some plastic on the fuse block (that's k am I right?) With the wires going around some sharp metal edges, hanging loose so they rubbed and eventually made contact with ground, welding themselves to it, and catching fire.
Now that I think of it, I took off my gauge cluster recently while I was stripping out JmD's immaculate wiring job, and I made certain all buses were connected. There were no empty slots. But since grounding one of those lines on that bus lights up a lamp on the cluster, that would mean that the bus that is dangling is connected to the gauge cluster on the other side of the line. It must go to something else.
#5
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Thread Starter
The seatbelt lamp is the one that lights up.
Where does the bus connect to?
There are also "brake," "battery" and "low fuel" lamps that don't light up. I assume this bus is also involved with them. I do also have a "back door" light, but it of course doesn't apply in my model.
Where does the bus connect to?
There are also "brake," "battery" and "low fuel" lamps that don't light up. I assume this bus is also involved with them. I do also have a "back door" light, but it of course doesn't apply in my model.
#6
There's a module that plugs into that harness by the steering column. I don't have the schematic in front of me, but as far as I know, all it controls is the dash light for the seatbelt warning/buzzer and the dome light(for the driver side only on some models). It often gets removed when people get tired of hearing the buzzer or it malfunctions. Yours is MIA.