Re: Blowing Backup Light Fuse

[Brendan Rudack <rudack@ucsub.Colorado.EDU>]

Not sure how the trunk lid wiring goes in the 5k but I had a similar
prollum in my 90.  Turns out the wires going to the trunk harness had
broken inside the outer sheath where it has to flex everytime the trunk is
opened or closed.  Often times after replacing the fuse I would go quite a
while until everything went dead.  I finally relized it when a buddy
opened the trunk while I was in the car!  It is definately worth checking.

Brendan Rudack			rudack@ucsub.Colorado.EDU
88' 90Q
Boulder, Colorado 

On Wed, 4 Sep 1996 LCSCHADT@aol.com wrote:

> I keep blowing the fuse for my backup light, instruments (tach/fuel guage, &)
> on my '87-5ksq.  Some times go a week between events, other times 2-3 times
> in one day.  One and only time I've actually noticed the guages go as I
> watched, it was as I put it into reverse, and another time (before that) I
> replaced the fuse,  started the car, had the guages,  put it into reverse,
> off the parking break,  started to back out of the drive, and had lost them
> by the time I looked back at the guages.  But it doesn't happen every time I
> put it into reverse.  As the "ABS off" light comes on for about a minute
> after the fuse blows (and every time one restarts the car until the fuse is
> replaced) I think I would have noticed had it blown during initial startup
> (when I always check the guages), or if it went while driving - so I'm pretty
> sure it is somewhere in the backup light circuit.  I've looked for obvious
> frayed wires near backup lights, and near the switch at the manual
> transmission and haven't noted any.
> 
> Any experience with this one - how likely is it the switch at the
> transmission, compared to running all of the wires behind the dash and hidden
> in the frame, it seems like a quick and simple thing to try (but how likely
> is it to be the source of the problem, how simple, how expensive?).
>  Suggestions as to other sources for the problem are welcome - there's alot
> on that circuit (fuse #12) involved with instrument guages, warning lights,
> and the self-test circuitry.
> 
> Sorry if this one's been covered before, couldn't find anything in the
> archives through the web site.
> 
> Thanks, Larry at lcschadt@aol.com
>