Elec. Diag.-where To Start?

**aralfa8589** · #1 (**permalink**) 10-14-2007, 05:49 AM

Hi guys-
I'm drinking coffee while waiting for the parts store to open, and thought I'd get opinions from the board. My turn signals and emergency flashers quit on my 89 spider. I replaced blown fuse #1 and the right turn signals worked fine. When I tried the left turn signals, the fuse blew instantly. Where would YOU start looking for the short?
Thanks!

**Tifosi** · #2 (**permalink**) 10-14-2007, 05:54 AM

If everything worked up 'til X time ago, then I'd be looking to the turn signal relay 1st myself, then chasing for shorts if that didn't do it.

Where to specifically look for shorts for that circut is beyond me, but I can say that if you've had the steerign column clamshell off recently, it's worth pulling again as it's certainly not beyond the possibility that a wire got crushed and shorted to the column proper during reinstall of the clamshell halves.

**Roadtrip** · #3 (**permalink**) 10-14-2007, 08:41 AM

Chasing electrical shorts is really pretty simple. Just try and isolate sections of the circuit, then use a voltmeter or test light to determine which wire is shorted to ground. I'd start by disconnecting the wire bundle connector that goes to the turn signal switch (switch in the left turn position) and test the applicable wire for a short to ground.

**aralfa8589** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-14-2007, 10:19 AM

Here's what I did after buying some more fuses:
Disconnected left rear tail light. Right lights still worked, obviously, but now the left front worked. Removed left rear light housing and found where hot wire was pinched by a mounting bolt when car was reassembled after paint job. I finally shorted after about 4 months.
I would have continued by disconnecting left front if short not located above.
As a side note, the relay was very loose in its socket so that if I wiggled it the lights would all quit. Had to do some fiddling to get things snugged up. Relay looks like new inside.
Regards,