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1993 Ford Aerostar Malfunction - Electrical & Lighting Systems
Question: I had a short in my headlight switch and replaced both the switch and plug. All lights now work fine except my dash lights now stay on all the time (even with key off). I pulled it apart checked wire colors, to old plug and all was right. Then put the old light switch onto new plug same problem. Dash lights dim okay and all other functions are good. Is there a fried fuse link or something else that could be the issue?
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Technican: there might be a short in the wire, or it is touching another wire so it isnt turning off. also retape the spots that you missed, then check the plugs for dirt and crossed wires.
Owner: It is a new plug and the wire harness is clean looking from what I can see into the dash. It does not look to be pinched or rubbing. I have already checked all new connections where I replaced the plug (I used an after marked (NAPA) plug that you just clip off the old 9 wires and use a crimp connect). The short was between the plug and the switch on the tail lights.
Technican: it has to be the switch that turns on the dash. Something isn't connected or shorted out, because if it was connected it would turn off. So it's not making the connection to turn it off.
Owner: I get the same results on both the new and old switch. After taking both switches out of the van. I put a continuity tester on the terminal that connects to the rheostat of the dimmer and I found the hot coming into the rheostat. Then when I turn the switch “off” the light of the continuity tester is on on both switches. So, I figure it must turn off from another point in the switch? Both the new and the old switch seem to act the same. Is one of the other wires to the ignition? Is there a fuse link in there?
Technican: How about with the switch unplugged or out of the car/ Are the dash lights on then?
Owner: No, the lights are off when I disconnect the switch. The two things that are killing me is 1.) the lights are dim-able, so it would seem that it is not a short directly on the dash light wire. 2.) On both switches (new and old), there remains continuity on the dash lights. In other words, outside of the car, when I turn the switch “off”, the light of the continuity tester is on on both switches and are dim-able. How does the dash lights turn off if it is not directly the switch?
Technican: The power comes directly from the headlamp switch on the Lt Blue with red wire. It then passes through a fuse before going directly to the bulbs so the dimmer has to be built into the headlamp switch. By it not working when unplugged, you have proven it's getting it's power from the headlamp switch. Either the switch is bad or that harness is shorted to something else being powered when the light switch is plugged in. See which other wires on that plug get powered when the switch is plugged in and then check for a short between them
Owner: With the switch in the OFF position I have power to:
Green W/ yellow stripe [D1] (dome light, power in to the switch?), ---
Black with orange stripe [B1] (head lights, power into the switch?) ---
Tan w/no stripe [R] (park/tail lights, door chime and dash lights power in to switch?) ---
Does this look correct? If I disconnect the Tan w/no stripe [R], the dash lights go out, but so do the tail lights which seems right. It’s killing me that the old switch acts the same as the new one and there was no problem before with the dash lights.
Owner: After taking another look at the switch, I can see that the Tan w/no stripe [R] has a brass terminal that goes directly to the rheostat and then directly to the Light blue w/red stripe [ I ]. So it seem that it if Tan w/no stripe [R] always has power then Light blue w/red stripe [ I ] will also always have power. So how is it switched?
Technican: Are you sure that tan wire doesn''t have a white stripe. It should for the power in on B2. The park lights out should be brown. How about the LtBlu/R? Is that powered coming out if you snip the wire?
Owner: BINGO!
The “after market plug” had a TAN for what should have been BROWN and BROWN w/ white stripe for what should have been TAN w/ white stripe. To make matters worse the original BROWN had rubbed against a white the stripe of the TAN so they both had a partial white stripe. Thanks for sticking with it!
Technican: Did you find the problem?
Owner: The “after market plug” had a TAN for what should have been BROWN and BROWN w/ white stripe for what should have been TAN w/ white stripe. To make matters worse the original BROWN had rubbed against a white the stripe of the TAN so they both had a partial white stripe. Thanks for sticking with it!"
Technican: OK, remember to accept the answer. Here's How To Get Guaranteed Solutions In Minutes
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