Electrical Problem

[Willy26]

I've got an 1992 Escort wagon that decided to have lighting problems. One morning I was going to do my run and I noticed that my radio had shut off and so I put it on and it was deprogrammed and as if the battery was disconnected and so I set the one station and left it at that. Next thing I know, off goes the radio again and again back to square one with it. Got to where I had to and started playing with the radio and no matter what I did nothing happened.

Scratching head I didn't know what to think and since it was dark still, I decided to check my back lights against the window behind me and I noticed that when I hit the break lights the dash lights went off???? All back lights checked out ok so then I went back to the bake light problem and every time I hit the brakes the dash lights would go off and then they went off and stayed off.

Let's see the all dash lights are gone, the radio, dome and map lights. When I put the headlights on, only the headlights come on both, high and low beam and none of the outside lights come on period. No brake lights and I have turn signals, but not fourways????

I have checked all the fuses both under the dash and under the hood and everything checks out ok. Could I be missing a fuse or maybe fuseable link somewhere or could it be a relay??? Probably not tho. Has me stumped and the car runs and drives great, just no lights other than headlights and turn signals. Any guesses

Thanks in advance for your help and consideration in this matter.

Willy

[Selectron]

Although it was the radio which first brought this to your attention, I'd forget about the radio for the moment and start looking for a short-circuit at the rear of the vehicle. I think there's a short-circuit between the 12V feed to one or more of the rear lights, and the chassis. Unfortunately I don't have a wiring diagram, but apparently the rear lights and dash lights share the same fuse ( I gleaned that info from reading some old threads here on the forum).

I'd make a close visual inspection of the wiring harness back at the rear lights, paying special attention to any points where it enters/exits the bodywork via rubber grommets, and also any flexible sections, such as the flexible conduit running from the main bodywork to the tailgate/trunk lid. I'd also inspect the rear light clusters and connectors, looking for dampness and corrosion, which could cause a short-circuit path.

Finally, have you replaced any rear light bulbs recently? Apparently, you can get bizarre fault symptoms if a single-filament bulb is inadvertently fitted instead of a dual-filament - see the following thread, especially post # 7 onwards:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=577335

I'm fairly sure that your problem is a short-circuit though, and although it could be up front in the vicinity of the dash, I think the rear of the vehicle is more likely, because the wiring back there is more exposed to chafing and bumps and dampness.