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Electric fans not working.

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MattP

MattP

Jedi Knight
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Both the fans and the horn are misbehaving, and if I read the manual correctly, they operate on the same fuse. So, I replaced what I thought was the fuse, and still no luck. I still have the stock wiring, so the fuse block and all the inlines are the same. Anyone know which specifically is the right one?
 
Ahh Prince Lucas. If you’ve replaced the fuse and it still doesn’t work – it sounds like the circuit has some high resistance and/or is open.

If you have the schematic and a multimeter (Radio Shack $10 to $20) that reads ohms (resistance) and voltage you should be able measure the voltage throughout the circuit to detect where in the circuit you are losing your power to drive the components. Following the flow of the current you should be able to detect any voltage drops & high resistance points in the circuit. Dirt & Corrosion = Resistance. Check to see if you see any significant voltage drop of more than a two or three volts across the circuit.

A few years back I discovered that my fuse block was the cause of a similar problem. The quick fix is to get some contact cleaner (again Radio Shack) and a component cleaning brush (old tooth brush will do) and have at it. A quick check is to measure the voltage on both sides of the fuse with the meter mentioned above, should point to where you're circuit's problem is.

The problem is once you have the problem located it’ll return again & again, each time more & more frequently. So once you’ve identified the culprit plan on eventually replacing the item next chance you get. I ended up replacing my fuse block after having to clean my old one a couple of times. Heck it was a cheap investment given the contact cleaner ain’t that cheap either.

Good luck!
 
Thanks.

If I replace the fuse box, I might go to one of those more modern ones with the blade fuses. Anybody have experience along those lines?
 
There is a difference between the UK fuses that came in the car and US fuses that you can buy at local parts stores. The correct Lucas fuse was listed as 35 amp (the fuse's surge limit). By US standards it had a constant load capacity of 17 amp. Your choice with US fuses is limited to 15 amp or 20 amp.

Look at a wiring diagram, you will notice that the top two fuses are bridged (lighting circuits). You may have to make a jumber wire to use a generic fuse box.
 
[ QUOTE ]

Look at a wiring diagram, you will notice that the top two fuses are bridged (lighting circuits). You may have to make a jumber wire to use a generic fuse box.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point. That’s exactly what I did with the replacement I got. Looks just like the old fuse block, but didn’t have the built in bridge - so I made a jumper.

A friend of mine thought the world had come to an end when he actually removed his old unit to clean it up on his work bench but didn’t know about the bridge & re-installed it upside down.
 
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