pisgahnf

About a year ago my radio worked now and then. About 2 weeks ago the winshield wipers blew a fuse, replaced the fuse and it blew as soon as I turned them on. Hard wired the wipers directly to the battery and they worked fine. Yesterday I started the truck and the windows won't work. I hit the switch and the dash light cluster with the ( water in fuel, wait to start, park brake) lights come on. When I turn on the heater the same lights come on yet the blower does not work.
I have no heater blower, electric windows, radio, and only have wipers when I hook up the hard wire to the battery... I could use some ideas on how to check this... I'm not a mechanic but could remove the dash or do most anything with instruction
Thanks for any ideas

Hemi Cat

You most likely have more than one problem. Start out by checking the grounds. The batt cables at the batts and the block. The cable from the cab to the block , the ground from the fender to the batt. Check the volts at the main fuse box and the fuses. Check the main harness bulkhead connector at the firewall. Check the ignition switch. I don't know what year your truck is, but some years had a recall for the ign switch and heater relay. The dealer has to do that for the recall or you can buy the parts and do it yourself. Check the harnesses for bare spots to the wipers causing the fuse problem.

neveragain

Does anyone have the year of maintance manual for this year of truck that would narrow it down to look where for the wiring tree.Copper cote any of your ground connections this lasts longer than the others and is better at the same time. Wipe some vaseline the plug connections as well.

natstayl

Rereading your post, l need to know, when you wired your wipers direct where did you connect the hot lead? If there was short downstream of the wiper switch as I believe, you probably cooked the resistor(s) that control wiper speed, blower motor speed, cooling fan speed and probably others.
What year truck? Is it a diesel? and BTW Welcome aboard.
Nat

pisgahnf

Hey Nat where is that resistor located and how do I check it.
Thanks, by the way sorry I havent got back to you but I was out of town then Christmas came. My truck is a 1991 disel ( Cummins)

Mark

natstayl

I sent you a PM.
Nat
I thought wipers used a circuit breaker, but perhaps not. If the wiper fuse shot due to a short circuit downstream of the wiper switch and you ran a wire directly to the wiper motor with a new toggle switch and left the factory wire connected to the wiper motor, each time you power on the toggle switch, voltage runs backwards through that factory wire and ultimately to the short circuit without being fused. This can cause a fire but most likely instead shoots the resistor/thyristor or melts the fusible link. Perhaps someone with the same year truck can tell you where to look for the fusible links.
If you did not disconnect the factory wiper wire a new +12VDC buss is created where many accessories will now get power without being fused. Depending on the gauge wire of the short circuit, the blower motor speed would decrease or increase as the voltage regulator compensated for the short, instrument panel lites brighten and then shoot. So I would say you definitely have multiple problems now.
At this point, I would disconnect my new wire from the wiper motor and any other non factory wiring you may have added. Check each fuse and circuit breaker by pulling them one at a time and check them with an Ohm meter. Reinstall the good fuses and replace the questionable ones. Pay close attention to the fuse filaments, short circuits create a smoked place on the fuse next to the filament. Overloads cause the filament to melt without arcing. Make sure the fuse is the proper weight for the circuit based on the owners manual.
Next troubleshoot the instrument panel lites, if they still do not work, remove a couple and Ohm them out or try them in a test socket. Find the problem with them before moving to the other accessories.
Hope this helps,
Nat

pisgahnf

Hi Nat

Ok did as you specified I found low amps to the heater and window motors...checked the continuity< I think thats how you spell it... and it was dead at the ignition switch. Went down to the dodge place and picked up a new switch and installed it and I have all electrical back on line now. Except the Radio.

Windows, wipers, heater, all are a go now, I think the radio is just not working as it must have been somthing else that caused it.

All non factory wireing has been removed.

Listen Nat For a Guy who dosen't know me you sure have been a big help. I had no idea where to start and you pointed me in the right direction... Oh I got to tell you that all my eletronics actually work better like the Headlights are brighter, dash lights too. Door locks are crisp and the turn signals are faster. Thats a result of cleaning all the grounds and contacts. All Fuseable links were ok.

If you ever need any carpentry advise give me a holler!
Thanks ver much
Mark

pisgahnf

I would also like to thank Hemi Cat for his advise and time, good advise can save you time and money thanks Hemi
Mark