'tail' fuse question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: Easton pennsylvania
'tail' fuse question
What else is on the 'tail' fuse on a 74 rag top?
After using the lights for 15 minutes or more, I pop that fuse which leaves me without parking lamps or Gauge lights....
I know that when I look under the dash I see a bunch of wire splices. I am considering buying a new wiring harness for the car. I see 3 different ones. A front, rear and what seems like interior. I see one that is around 450 bucks that includes the fuse box. Can someone explain what wires are included in that wiring?
Thanks
Steve
After using the lights for 15 minutes or more, I pop that fuse which leaves me without parking lamps or Gauge lights....
I know that when I look under the dash I see a bunch of wire splices. I am considering buying a new wiring harness for the car. I see 3 different ones. A front, rear and what seems like interior. I see one that is around 450 bucks that includes the fuse box. Can someone explain what wires are included in that wiring?
Thanks
Steve
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,918
Likes: 27
From: New Hill NC
What else is on the 'tail' fuse on a 74 rag top?
After using the lights for 15 minutes or more, I pop that fuse which leaves me without parking lamps or Gauge lights....
I know that when I look under the dash I see a bunch of wire splices. I am considering buying a new wiring harness for the car. I see 3 different ones. A front, rear and what seems like interior. I see one that is around 450 bucks that includes the fuse box. Can someone explain what wires are included in that wiring?
Thanks
Steve
After using the lights for 15 minutes or more, I pop that fuse which leaves me without parking lamps or Gauge lights....
I know that when I look under the dash I see a bunch of wire splices. I am considering buying a new wiring harness for the car. I see 3 different ones. A front, rear and what seems like interior. I see one that is around 450 bucks that includes the fuse box. Can someone explain what wires are included in that wiring?
Thanks
Steve
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: Easton pennsylvania
So my short could be in the front or rear lights or some where in the gauge cluster. I am banking it's somewhere in all those splices, or a worn wire... what's the chance it is in the switch?
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
with it waiting 15 minutes to pop, could be that fuse is heating up and then finally blowing. no event 15 minutes later causes a short?.. try a higher amp rated fuse.
wiring harnesses may be 450$, but labor will be triple that..
does it blow during the day when the taillights are not on?
wiring harnesses may be 450$, but labor will be triple that..
does it blow during the day when the taillights are not on?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: Easton pennsylvania
Havent had it out enough to say if it pops during the day. I got it on Friday. Drove it home (about an hour) with the parking lamps on. It made it the whole hour just fine. Went to put it in the garage and noticed that the fronts were out. The next day when I went to start digging into it, I saw that the rears were out. Replaced the fuse and it was all good.
Went out last night. Had the lights on for 5 minutes, then off. On again for 5 more minutes, then off. Then on again for the 15 minute ride home. The fuse blew as I pulled onto my road..
I am afraid of running a higher rated fuse. Dont want the car to melt..
Went out last night. Had the lights on for 5 minutes, then off. On again for 5 more minutes, then off. Then on again for the 15 minute ride home. The fuse blew as I pulled onto my road..
I am afraid of running a higher rated fuse. Dont want the car to melt..
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: Easton pennsylvania
Well, I think I might be narrowing it down. Drove the car for 2 hours during the day, lights off, fuse did not blow.
I then drove it for about an hour at night with the lights on, BUT I noticed that my dash lights only work when the headlight switch is in one specific position. So I drove home with the lights on, but with the dash lights out.
With a lot of my dash wiring having splices in them, I am thinking that it is either the headlight switch causing the lights to blow, or one of the many splices under my dash..
I then drove it for about an hour at night with the lights on, BUT I noticed that my dash lights only work when the headlight switch is in one specific position. So I drove home with the lights on, but with the dash lights out.
With a lot of my dash wiring having splices in them, I am thinking that it is either the headlight switch causing the lights to blow, or one of the many splices under my dash..
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
If memory serves, nothing should be on the tail light circuit except the tail lights.
If dash lights will not dim up or down by turning the headlight ****, the rheostat has died and you need a light switch. IP lamps have their own fuse.
If dash lights will not dim up or down by turning the headlight ****, the rheostat has died and you need a light switch. IP lamps have their own fuse.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: Easton pennsylvania
IP Lights? I assume they are parking lights?
I read somewhere else on here that the "TAIL" fuse was for from and read parking lamps and gauge cluster...
Could a bad rheostat cause the fuse to blow?
I read somewhere else on here that the "TAIL" fuse was for from and read parking lamps and gauge cluster...
Could a bad rheostat cause the fuse to blow?
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From: Crossville TN
Check to see if the area around the light switch is getting warm/hot when your lights are turned on. If so, the contacts in the light switch are corroded and are drawing more current than they should. Also, that current is being converted to 'heat', which is not a good thing in the dash area. If it is more than "mildly warm", you need to remove the switch and clean the contacts or replace the switch.