Headlights will not shut off even when vehicle ignition is off
fredferrell
15 years ago
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fredferrell
15 years agochad_said
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Huskee electrical issue in ignition circuit
Comments (13)Though I believe kanmkk is a transient, "one hit wonder", I will address the issue in hopes somebody will benefit from it. While the wiring diagram provided by corvetteguy might not be the "same" as for the Huskee in the OP, it is nonetheless "generic enough" to serve as a guide for hunting down a short circuit. If I were doing the search, I would have my camera with me to shoot photos of the configuration of the wiring at each component and/or draw a sketch of the same so I would know exactly how the wires were routed, and how they connected to the component. When checking for a short, it is sometimes neccesary to disconnect a wiring harness section from one or more components so the harness can be brought out into the "open" for a close inspection. So you'll be able to return the harness to its previous location and with the proper routing, photos are great, and a sketch with notes is a good addition or substitute. I do both. In looking for a short, you need to use all due safety precautions, you already know there is some kind of fault in the system, or you wouldn't be doing this. In regard to safety around the battery, you should disconnect the BATTERY NEGATIVE CABLE from the battery BEFORE you begin your search. This way, you will be working with an "inert" electrical system during the process of disconnecting/reconnecting wiring and/or electrical components. The BATTERY NEGATIVE CABLE can be reconnected at any time in the search if you want to check whether the fuse still "blows". On a typical small tractor battery, I use either a small vise grips plier, or an alligator type spring clamp to hold the BATTERY NEGATIVE CABLE in place on the battery post during the search instead of using the normal bolt and nut. The vise grips or alligator clamp allow you to "snatch" the cable away quickly if you need to. To perform the checks by the following method, you will need an ohm meter, or a "continuity" tester. I prefer a continuity tester that has an audible beep or tone indicating continuity because you can use it in confined areas where reading the visual scale may be difficult. Continuity testers that use an LED indicator are good too. Some continuity testers feature both the audible and LED, some have both and an ohm meter as well. All continuity testers and ohm meters have an internal battery for power and should never be used to check continuity with the vehicle battery connected to the electrical system. OK, disconnect the battery negative cable and let's start looking. If the system fues is blown or removed, install a good fuse of the proper Ampacity. Step 1. Beginning at the key switch, disconnect the entire wiring harness from the switch if a single plug connector is used by the OEM. If individual terminals are used, disconnect the terminal that corresponds to the "B" terminal on the key switch in the furnished diagram. Isolating the key switch in this step will test for a short in the wiring between the fuse and the "B" terminal of the key switch. Connect one lead of the continuity tester to the DISCONNECTED battery negative CABLE, or any other good, clean, unpainted metal surface of the frame of tractor. Test the CONTINUITY TESTER by touching a few other surfaces that you know should be "continuous" with the ground system of the tractor. Essentially, if you are connected to a ground surface anywhere on the vehicle, the tester should show continuity whenever you touch any other ground surface of the vehicle. If the tester shows to be working and that the ground system of the vehicle is "sound", we can begin testing some wiring now. Leave one lead of the tester connected to ground and touch the other test lead end to the wire that connects to the "B" terminal of the key switch (touch the wire, not the key switch). If the tester indicates continuity, it means there is a short to ground somewhere in this circuit. To further check for the location of the short, go to the ammeter (if present) and disconnect both wires at the ammeter terminals. Touch the free lead of the continuity tester to either wire terminal on the ammeter, if the tester indicates continuity, the ammeter is shorted internally. If the ammeter shows to be good, touch the tester lead to either of the wires that you disconnected from the ammeter. If one of the wires shows continuity, that wire/circuit is shorted to ground and you will now have to trace that wire physically to locate the short. Logical places to look are where the wire harness bends around a metal surface edge or goes through a hole in a metal surface. If this test does not indicate a short, go to the next step. Step 2. Go to the key switch. Make sure the key switch is in the OFF position. Connect one lead of the continuity tester to the GROUND TERMINAL of the key switch. On the wiring diagram provided, this terminal is "G". This terminal is where the key switch gets furnished with its connection to the vehicle ground, but we don't need for the switch to have an actual connection to ground to do the following tests, the key switch could be tested even if it were removed from the vehicle and placed on a workbench (non metallic bench). First, check the tester by touching the two leads together (you always want to know that the tester works beforehand). With one test lead on "G" terminal, touch the other lead to the "M" terminal on the switch. You SHOULD HAVE continuity between the "G" & "M" terminals at this time because continuity between those two terminals is what "kills" the ignition spark to stop the engine. Leaving one test lead connected to the "G" terminal, touch the other lead to the "B" terminal of the switch. You should NOT HAVE continuity between these two terminals. If you DO HAVE continuity, the key switch is shorted to ground internally. I expect a short to be found in Step 1 or Step 2 if the fuse was blowing with the key switch in the OFF position. If this test does not reveal a short, we will go to Step 3. (to be posted later if the first two tests sessions do not locate a short)....See MoreEngine runs but switches off when put to drive
Comments (9)Do you feel the car try to move before it dies, do you think the transmission is engaging and then the car dies. The torque convertor may be locked up killing the motor, what I do is have a couple of helpers push the car, I start it in Neutral, push the car, pop it in drive and off the car goes, use the brakes, stop, car dies, hopefully I stopped on top of a hill. As was mentioned, run a redundant ground wirefromthe battery negative to the inner fender at some bolt to ground the body and many other items not grounded by the engine tranny combo. A car may start but I have had many a strange things happen by broken bonding wires or blown main fuses and YES, even a locked up torque convertor....See More1997 Ford Explorer headlights won't turn off..HELP
Comments (6)No chad, I'm not gonna keep dragging that around, I think I made my point. :) As far as being holier than thou?, Heck not a chance. I got thirty years worth of scars from learning about cars. Working on cars has a way of teaching you things you never wanted to know, because it gives you the test first, and the lesson (hopefully) afterwards. So when I see certain comments that come across as disrespectful of just how hard auto repair really is, I take them to task. Compare my next short paragraph to virtually anyone elses career. After thirty years of fixing cars, today I have more to learn ahead of me than I ever did at any time in my career. That is how fast the technology is changing. I have spent some $200,000 on tools, equipment, and software to date, and yet I have a greater expense ahead of me, than I have ever had at anytime in my career, if I am to stay fully up to date. Once again, thats because of how fast the technology, and the tools to support it are changing. I just spent the last two evenings, sharing every trick, and detail of knowledge that I have about Ford's 7.3l diesel, with 50 other techs from shops all around mine. These guys are all my competition, and I'm doing everything I can to help them be the best techs they can be for their customers. So I don't need "this" forum, I have one that really counts IMO and it's with my peers in the field. Oh, and if your wondering, I don't cut them any slack at all. If they try and take on work that they haven't been trained for, or don't have the right equipment for, I tell them exactly how it is. I do the same thing here, the motto is "Test, don't guess". Stick around chad, and just watch how someone new will roll in here in the future, and take shots at auto repair technicians out of "the old worn out stereotype". Then sit back and laugh as you see me not only help them figure their car out, but rattle them a bit just as I did you. Trust me when I say, I don't fit the stereotype, and neither do the fifty other techs that I just spent the last two evenings with....See MoreDoors Lock when I Put Key in the Ignition
Comments (13)A number of Dodge cars have had some form of automatic door locking feature since at least 1989. Usually, after a front door has been opened, all four door locks are activated upon passing through 15 mph. This doesn't hamper the front passengers since their doors will unlock upon moving the inside door handle, however, the rear passengers may find themselves locked in depending on the setting of the rear door child locks. Even when the child lock has not been set, the rear passengers may find that they have to manually move the lock button to the unlock position before the door handle will unlatch the door. There are many variations on this theme. For Dodges, there is a routine of on-off-on cycles executed through the ignition switch that can activate or de-activate the auto-locking feature. I suspect you vehicle also has a similar method that won't require a trip to the dealer. However, I have never de-activated this feature in my car since it does not cause an inconvenience and the procedure is not intuitive; 6 mo later, I won't remember the sequence and would have to look it up again. However, in your case, unlocking all doors upon key removal could get to be a nusiance. If you can't find the arm/disarm procedure in your 3rd party repair manual, you may be able to find it on-line at your local library....See Morefredferrell
15 years agojemdandy
15 years agofredferrell
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15 years agojohn_g
15 years agofredferrell
15 years agojohn_g
15 years agoLuther Davis
8 years agoSam Cardinal
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7 years agoKenneth Ogley
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7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoJoe Sorrentino
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