Couple days ago i turned my lights on and noticed that my instrument panel wasn't lite up, as well as my ac ***** and 4 wheel drive ****. i replaced the fuse today (#18 5A) and i turned on the lights but the fuse blew after only a few seconds after turning them on. its a 1999 f150 4.6 v8 any answers? i put in a pioneer cd player a month ago. may have something to do with that? any suggestions would be awesome. thanks

 

Pull your radio back out and inspect the illumination wire connection - it may be exposed and shorting to chassis.

 

so.. i've tried several different things.

took the cd player out, unhooked the illumination wire.

put a new fuse it. it blew as soon as i turned over the motor.

tried a new ground. blew the fuse.

its driving me insane. dont want to take it to the dealership for something for simple..

thanks for the advice!

 

Where's the cig lighter at on the truck??? Do you keep change in the truck????

Also double check all the connections for the radio!!!! Make sure the switched power source isnt connected to the wrong power source?????

If you keep change in the truck check the cig lighter hole for a penny, nickle , dime??

 

The strange part is the fuse only blows after starting the truck, which the fuse you are replacing is fed from BJB ( Battery Junction Box , under hood fuse panel ) fuse # 7 which is hot at all times.
- Quick supposition is there is an issue with the instrument cluster itself causing it, but need to test.

Pull the main headlamps switch and unplug the connector C246 on the back ( smaller of the 2 connectors, should be behind the dimmer ).

Replace the fuse, start the truck. If it the fuse does not blow this time, you know it is something after the dimmer.

Turn the truck off, get a meter and one at a time, check the resistance of each of the leads to ground. There will be resistance on the ones with a bulb inline ( as normal ) and the lead that has a short will show little or no resistance.





Once you find out which one has a short to ground, that is the wire you need to track back, and find the chaffing on the wire.

If it is the cluster, remove the cluster and change the bulbs with new ones.
- You might have a bulb that blew and it is a dead short on the element holders, vs when a bulb normally blows the element is open and the supports are not touching.

 

After you do what mr scully suggest. Did it happened after the radio install. try uninstalling the new radio,, replace the fuse that blows or atleast make sure it is good. then see if it stills blows when you turn on the electrcity to start the truck.


good luck marc

 

My instrument cluster lights kept blowing fuses. I went through the whole fuse panel and found 3 fuses blown. after replacing them my lights work but only if the motor is running and the over head light is on. Not with the key off or the overhead is off. Weird,...anyone have a suggestion? Thanx