P30 Step Van HELP!!

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BigRichieO

BigRichieO

Colorado Mopar
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
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Location
Arvada, Colorado
Wasn't sure if I should post this in the electrical section cause unfortunately it is not a MOPAR that I am working on, I had to take what I could get though.

I'm having electrical problems with my rig. It keeps blowing the parking light fuse so I end up with no tail lights, no markers and no parking lights. I don't feel very safe driving it without them.

So this week I took out all the light bulbs in the markers and parking lights, I turn on just the parking lights and started adding bulbs back one at a time to see if there was one fixture that was causing the problem. I did end up blowing the fuse on the top center marking light so I left those bulbs out and got everything to come back on. On my way back the the storage facility I hit a pretty big bump in the road and all the lights went out again, the fuse blew. I decided that all the marker lights were just old and that I should just go ahead and replace all the fixtures instead of wasting all the time to try and find another fixture that was bad. So I buy the $30 in lights and replace them, I replace the fuse turn on the lights expecting to see a nicely lit rig and the fuse blows out, I go back and remove all the bulbs again and replace the fuse and it blows again?? So now I have all new lights and I can't get a fuse to stay good even without bulbs?? Anyone out there have any good advice on what I should check now? All help greatly appreciated as I am getting a little frustrated.
 
Hey Rich. Seem like there's always electrical problems with those step vans. I have owned 3 of them since I started in business 22 years ago and I share your frustration. You're on the right track but the bump you hit answered your question. There's a wire or two somewhere that has the insulation rubbed through and it's shorting to ground. The bad thing about it is there's a lot of lights on these things and the problem could be about anywhere. Hopefully you can put a new fuse in and start wiggling and pulling harnesses. Once you blow the fuse again you're close. Good luck. tmm PS nice truck. Looks like a 16' Grumman body with a Chevrolet chassis.
 
I wish I could help, can you use one of the fuses that resets it's self ? until you find the supply wire that is hitting a ground some where..:coffee2:
I am sure you checked your license plate light in the mix
 
toolmanmike said:
Good luck. tmm PS nice truck. Looks like a 16' Grumman body with a Chevrolet chassis.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike..... It is a 1978 Chevrolet, I want to say it is an Olsen?? I think it says that on the wiper motor tag. I'm not sure how exactly they are measured but the total length (bumper to bumper) is 22 ft. the inside box area is 14 ft or so not including the seat area. I made covers for the dash area and an overhead console thing to cover as much aluminum as possible and kind of soften the interior.

I didn't check the license plate MeMike.... I will do that and I think I will try taking out the tail light bulbs as well. The reason I didn't do that this time is cause I got them to come on without doing it last time. I guess I might have more then one problem though.
 

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My best guess based on limited experience with cargo vans... tag light fixture.
 
Get an ohmmeter and try diagnosing it instead of guessing. Just a thought.
 
You've got a chafed wire grounding out where it passes through (or near) sheetmetal. Now you just have to find it!
 
I see that Danny Boy as usual, has a sharp, less than helpful answer. (Must work for Microshit---while your answer was TECHNICALLY correct, it really wasn't very helpful.)


What you need is a "short finder", like this, available at any decent auto parts store

tech61.jpg


What this thing consists of is an auto - reset breaker that operates like a turn signal flasher. Some of them I believe, have a limiting resistor in series to limit excessive current. You hook it across the fuse holder (with fuse removed) and with the short "in progress" it clicks on / off

You can "wiggle" the wiring to uh............."encourage" the short.

The meter thing is sort of like a compass, IE it's a magnetized needle, and you move it along the harness. When you get to a high- current point, hopefully near the short, the needle will deflect wildly. If you move along the harness PAST the short, the needle tapers off to sometimes, nothing.

Sometimes you can also feel the harness for heating near the short.

Check anywhere the harness, or a wire, such as a socket wire lead, goes through a frame, near a sharp object, a clip, hole in the body, etc

(Some newer, more expensive short finders operate differently, more like a "toner" used in telco/ ethernet work. They work by sending a signal downstream of the blown fuse, and you then use a detector device to chase the shorted wire
 
Thanks for all the advice gents.... headed to the auto parts store right now to get one of the short circuit detectors. It looks like they have one at O'Reilly for $39, I figure at $10 an hour I have already wasted more than that in time on the project without a solution.

Thanks again.... as always I knew I could count on the fine members here for some sound advice!!
 
That is one nice Van !!!
If it were mine, I buy small spool of 4 Wire Trailer Wire 25 ft for like $20.00 at your parts stores.You can split it in two wire sections and I would re-wire all the running lights.I would also ground each light individually...
Just me though...
I would suspect the problem to be more at the license plate light area or if someone added trailer connector..That's were I start.
Martin
 
txdart said:
that is one nice van !!!
if it were mine, i buy small spool of 4 wire trailer wire 25 ft for like $20.00 at your parts stores.you can split it in two wire sections and i would re-wire all the running lights.i would also ground each light individually...
Just me though...
I would suspect the problem to be more at the license plate light area or if someone added trailer connector..that's were i start.
Martin
Click to expand...

x2.
 
Get a cheap non contact infrared thermometer and a circuit breaker. When the breaker starts popping, look for the warm wire. Shorted wires get hot. I use it to find shorts on semi trailers all the time.
 
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