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Thread: Engine electrics burning!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    571

    Default Engine electrics burning!

    On a 3 hour drive today, I smelled a funky burning smell. Later on the trip I noticed the horn and A/C weren't working. Aux fan works but compresser does not engage. 15 amp Fuse 9, for horn was blown so I replaced it. Car was fine for another hour, then the funky burning smell returned, a/c and horn not working, and fuse 9 out. How can I find whatever is shorting out??? Or do I just put a 30amp fuse in place, watch the car burn, and claim insurance for an electrical fire

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Benneton (United Colors of)
    Posts
    3,067

    Default

    i believe that there is some type of resistor on the fan for the cc, IIRC. if that goes bad, its possible that you could start drawing too much current, burning up the motor and smelling smoke, and killing the fuse before damage can be done. have you localised the smell?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan in NZ
    On a 3 hour drive today, I smelled a funky burning smell. Later on the trip I noticed the horn and A/C weren't working. Aux fan works but compresser does not engage. 15 amp Fuse 9, for horn was blown so I replaced it. Car was fine for another hour, then the funky burning smell returned, a/c and horn not working, and fuse 9 out. How can I find whatever is shorting out??? Or do I just put a 30amp fuse in place, watch the car burn, and claim insurance for an electrical fire
    "..Torchinski v. Peterson that it is legal to carry a concealed weapon, so long the weapon is totally slick like a huge ass machine gun that you carry under a trench coat, like in the Matrix."


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Posts
    4,150

    Default Most likely its the magnetic coil in the ac clutch that fried..IF you look at

    the bottom of the compressor and seem some black gook dripping just behind the pulley , smell that and see if thats the buring smell... You probably have a toasted ac clutch.





    Quote Originally Posted by Dan in NZ
    On a 3 hour drive today, I smelled a funky burning smell. Later on the trip I noticed the horn and A/C weren't working. Aux fan works but compresser does not engage. 15 amp Fuse 9, for horn was blown so I replaced it. Car was fine for another hour, then the funky burning smell returned, a/c and horn not working, and fuse 9 out. How can I find whatever is shorting out??? Or do I just put a 30amp fuse in place, watch the car burn, and claim insurance for an electrical fire

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    571

    Default

    I put another fuse in, started the car, and watched for smoke. After a while there was smoke rising between the engine and firewall, beside the heater valve. Couldn't track down where it was coming from, but I assume it's something under there. I've had the smoke and burning smell from this area before, even with the a/c switched off, but no fuses went out, and the smoke stopped. Seems to only burn when starting from a cold engine. Is there an air pump that could be binding??? (Japanese import) I would imagine an air pump would be somewhere in this location???

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    571

    Default I give up... Off to the dealer

    All the a/c bits look fine. 3rd fuse blown in two days, and a/c is now working without the fuse, but horn still isn't. Funny thing is that with a new fuse, it will work fine for a while, yesterday I used the car 3 times before the fuse burned out.

    Dealer is picking it up at 12, I'll let you guys know what was wrong.

  6. #6
    Unregistered Guest

    Default Solved!

    The aux water pump was screwed, and the power from the horn fuse was burning it up. Go figure.

    Dealers report read something like:
    "reconnected fuse and tested all components on fuse #9 (horn, a/c relay, aux water pump). Noticed smoke coming from aux water pump. Disconnected aux water pump.

    For this they charged 1.7 hours!!!

    Moral of the story: If your horn and a/c doesn't work, check your water pump.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    74

    Default

    Hmm....my ac and my horn didn't work..then I started to have a leak in my water pump....I got the water pump replaced....replaced the fuse and now my horn works! BUT MY STUPID AC DOESNT WORK!

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