Weird electrical problem...

[minimonster17]

Today, while I was listening to my car stereo in my 96 Taurus G, it suddenly turned off, the radio's screen went blank, and would not turn back on. I can say that I never had listened to music that loud before with the new speakers... Initially, I thought I had blown out the factory amp, but the speedometer ceased to work, and the odometer stopped tracking mileage. I checked the fuses, both under the hood and in the car, and they looked okay. Do you guys think it may be a fuse and that I missed it, or a relay or something else? I'd really appreciate your guys' input...

[shorod]

Hmmm, it appears that there is a fuse common to the Integrated Control Panel (radio head unit) and the instrument cluster/speedometer. I think it's fuse 24 in the interior fuse panel. It will listed as a 5A fuse and powers the Integrated Control Panel, Remote Climate Control, and Instrument Cluster.

There is a system control line between the Integrated Control Panel radio head unit and the Rear Control Unit. The control line is called the ASYSON line. If this line is not being activated by the head unit, the Rear Control Unit probably will not turn on.

-Rod

[minimonster17]

The climate controls work, and I can read the rpm's. I'm assuming that the gas gauge works as well. I'll check over that fuse again. Thanks.

[shorod]

I'm not familiar with the "G" designation. Is your Taurus an FFV? If so, the Distance To Empty module is also on fuse 24, otherwise it appears only the speedo in the instrument cluster is on that circuit.

Also, does your Taurus have the Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (EATC)? If you have manual controls, fuse 24 won't effect the climate control. In other words, if you don't have an FFV Taurus with EATC, fuse 24 only supplies power to the speedometer and the radio head unit. An interesting experiment might be to remove the fuse and see if anything else stops working (assuming the fuse tests okay).

-Rod

[brokenantimatter]

You are most likely looking at a blown fuse.

Under the dash check fuses:

8, 5amp, Radio Mute
24, 5amp, Radio

[drdisque]

I guarantee that it is a fuse from personal experience those 2 things are on the same fuse.