Blowing fuse

[muzila]

After having an altinator poop itself, My forgetting to put oil cap back on (Dont even go there lol) and a radiator cook and blow rusty colored water everywhere, one would understand the gooey mess that my engine and engine bay might look like.

So today after work I decided it was time to clean it. We have a truckwash water blaster at work so I used that.
It sprays soap, then flick a switch and straight water. I soaped the bay and motor down and then washed it off being very careful not to use too much pressure.

Now its nice and shiney. well 95% shiney. Got about 10km down the road and guess what.

It died.

Found that the ignition fuse blew. Replaced it and got 50 meters and pop again. Replaced it again and just turning the key to start and it blows.

All the other electrical stuff works fine. It just keeps blowing that 1 fuse.

Its a 91 2.8TD MU. Any ideas b4 I drag its sorry ass home and pull it to bits???

[mulover]

Spraying all around your fuse box with a water dispersant (CRC I think) may help???

[muzila]

Spraying all around your fuse box with a water dispersant (CRC I think) may help???

The one under the bonnet??

The Ignition fuse is in the fuseholder under the dash.

[sprey]

Yes but something in the engine bay that is say wet could be shorting out and popping that fuse. instead of burning out or doing other stuff?

[muzila]

So far no joy finding the fault with my truck.
I have found out that the motor turns over ok when the fuse is blowen and everything else works.

It just wont fire up with that blowen fuse and it just blows when I try to start the motor.

[muzila]

well after pulling the dash apart and mucking around under the bonnet I havn;t found what is wrong.

But its going now. strange.

[mulover]

The insulation on a wire may have rubbed through and it could have been shorting out. In pulling the dash apart you may have moved the wire away from what it was touching and now its not shorting out.
Good luck finding it though, its a bit of a jungle under there!!

[muzila]

Yes a jungle would be a polite word for it. lol.

I am planing on pulling it off the road next winter for a lot of work. wiring being just 1 thing.
If it keeps playing up it may not last that long.

[JamesW]

In fault situations like this it is always good to ask, 'What has changed to cause this".. more often than not it's a recent change rather than some old historic problem... and that change is water.. and soap... try and dry it out... if it was something smaller I would suggest warming it under a lamp for a day... but kinda big for that, try a fan heater.. but be carefull to not melt something.

[muzila]

Update time.

Ok I was working on it 2nyte and poped the fuse yet again. this time I had the bonnet up and saw a puff of smoke drift from the engine bay. it was from somewhere near the center of the motor as I was sitting in the drivers seat. And now my water temp gauage don't work at all.

So now I just have to work out the ignition wiring under there and what goes where. There must be a shorting wire or a faulty part somewhere under there.

As for the temp gauage I recon its the sensors by the thermostat housing. Is there any way that could be shorting the ignition out?? A long shot but gotta ask.

[geeves]

Im leaning towards alternator wireing from the smoke

[muzila]

Oh no I have just replaced the alternator. I hope I dont fry the new one.

I have decided to park it up in the garage and start pulling it apart to do some work that I want to do so will get onto this problem first and get it sorted.

I report back when I find the fault.

[geeves]

Might be a loose terminal on alternator

[Dazza]

Or an alternator full of water ...
Get an air hose and blow out all the electrical bits under the bonnet
As for the water temp gauge if its like the '89 Bighorns the meter set has voltage control components on the back of the meter set - the short that is blowing the fuse could have spiked the meter set

[muzila]

Update time:

So far aircon and alt has been pulled out. Going to have alt tested (It does have a crack in the body of it.) but so far no joy finding faulty wires.
Going to pull intake off and check the wiring on that side. (blank off the EGR's at the same time.)

If anyone knows what vacume hoses can be removed and what ones need to stay a DIY would be handy pls. as I want to get rid of all that stuff while I am at it.

[mulover]

I'm pretty sure there is a thread on here that talks about whats needed, but its manily just the one off the injector pump and the ones that go to the brake booster, and i think there is another one too. Just trace them as most go to the egr system, and keep any that look like they go to anything important.

[muzila]

Time for yet another update.

I have the motor all back together now and running again. after a few weeks of tracing wires I have found only 1 that I am hoping is the problem.

Its a yellow wire comming from a sensor in the thermostat housing. Top right looking at the motor from the front. It goes into the loom that runs down between the intake manafold and the injectors. It has a bad kink in it and exposed wires.

I take it that this must be a water temp sensor? I sure hope so as my temp gauge still isnt working. I replace this wire today and hope that fixes it.

Cheers for all the help and suggestions.

[geeves]

I think your correct on this wire

Dont run without the temp guage. I did that many years age in an old cortina and when the bottom hose split the first warning was the head cracking.

[muzila]

Image0011.jpg

You can see the wire I have repaired.
I am hoping that the sensor down there is the temp 1?

What are the other 2??

[geeves]

The one at right front is the sensor for cold start. It activates about 5C Remove the wire on this one and it simulates cold weather advancing the injection timing and extending glow plug time.