Short in wiring

[graham_fuller]

Hi All,
Can anyone tell me what the orange cable feeds that's in the wiring harness that appears to go up into the headlining area? This wire appeared to have a short in it until I gave it a tug and then it cleared. Both brake light and indicator fuses blew.
Cheers,
Graham

[Stewy]

FE wiring diagram shows orange wire coming fuse box to double connector at stop lamp switch and then on up to dome lamp.

[graham_fuller]

Thanks Stewy,
I suspected thats where it went as it didn't appear in the boot area.
cheers,
Graham

[ardiesse]

Graham,

Unplug the orange wire and leave it disconnected.  Better than blowing fuses or letting the smoke out.
Replacing the dome lamp wire is really only possible if the headlining is out of the vehicle.

Rob

[Harv]

The dome light wire (at least on the FB/EKs) is a nasty one. It's hot all the time, not just when the ignition is on. Current goes up to the light, then back down the door to the little plastic switches in the door frame. Any shorts and you end up with the dome light on unexpectedly. If you are lucky, the fuse blows. If you are unlucky, the battery flattens. If you are really unlucky, the bayonet bulb generates enough heat to smoulder the hoodlining (they get hot enough that you can't touch them). Connections that are crimped over bullet connectors. Replacing the dome light bayonet bulb with an LED is not a bad investment - brighter, draws less amps to flatten the battery and runs cold.

Cheers,
Harv

[graham_fuller]

Thanks guys. I think I will leave it disconnected as you suggest. I thought it was the Dome lamp wire.
Cheers,
Thanks for your replies.
Graham

[hsv-001]

Might be worth taking the interior light out to see if you can find the other end .It may have simply have fallen out of the light switch . You might even be able to run a new wire by soldering a new wire on the end and pulling it through .Haydn

[fcwrangler]

I'm with Haydn, I think you will find there is also a white wire, so you can put a trace wire on the socket end and pull that back through. Then hook up a new orange wire and pull them both back through. It would be a bit easier to have someone feed the wires through while the trace is being pulled through.
Jim

[colt]

Graham, weve just finished assembling a "new" FC. The interior light we were using blew the fuse every time we opened a door. It turned out that the switch on the light itself was shorting out,. Took that out of the equation and everything is now fine. Make sure it's your wiring before attempting something drastic.

Colin.

[graham_fuller]

Thanks Col,
I have disconnected the light just for now. I will do some more testing over the weekend. Thanks for the tip though.
It's a bit frustrating at this point to have this sort of problem.

Cheers,
Graham

[Geoff_K]

Graham,
Very carefully quarter turn the dome light securing tangs, and drop out light assembly.
Check wire ends and take switch to bench and (all a bit agricultural) get it all working.
At this point you have access to both ends of orange wire, check for continuity / shorts etc.
The other wire(s) all go back to earth (door switches) and you gan check them all out as well.
(This switch was probally removed when your roof/headlining was fixed a few year back)
Geoff