Need help with fuse that keeps blowing

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BRog

BRog

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I have a '71 Swinger and the fuse that runs the dash panel light, gear shift light and tail lights keeps blowing. When I put in a new fuse everything works for a while. However, when I turn on the headlights, both green turn signal lights in the panel light up (they don't blink - they just light up). When I turn on the right or left signal, the aftermarket radio (installed by a previous owner) hesitates for a second and then starts playing again, and the turn signal clicks, but very slowly. Shortly after, the fuse blows again. Weird stuff going on. I'm guessing the problem stems from the person who installed the stereo, but not sure what to look for to fix it???
 
also since radio was installed ,look for a wire that might not be taped good close to steering wheel that migth arch when turnning wheel,tim
 
Bad ground, but my first guess was the mi- installed radio. Unplug the radio and see if it still does it. A power lead was hooked into a ground I'll bet. tmm
 
Great, thanks guys. Tim, I'll check for wire near steering column to see if that's why fuse is blowing. But would that also cause turn signal lights in dash to come on (and stay on) when I turn on headlights?
 
Radios have a wire that hooks into the instrument panel light harness and the wrong wire was hooked up or connected to the ground instead of the power side.
 
I believe in starting with the easiest possibilities first, and since Mike has an idea about the radio wire that's a great start.

Chk the fiber plates under the light bulbs.

On that note...
Does the fuse only blow when you have the lights on, or any time and you just notice when the lights don't work?
 
BRog, you have a factory manual?

Visit this thread and download one, free

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1970088617

As I recall, the 71 chassis manual is Plymouth, which comes from the site below:

More here

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

here

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/servicemanuals/1971_Plymouth_Chassis_Service_Manual.zip

This manual is page numbered consecutively, not with the proper "dash" page numbering, so you'll have to play with page numbers

The fuse list is about page 347 (8-126)

Notice that the tail fuse also feeds the cigar lighter

About 382 (8-161) shows fuse panel wiring diagram

Make certain the instrument fuse is the proper rating, as the tail circuit feeds the dash lamp dimmer through the light switch, then goes back to the inst. fuse.

You can separate the rear harness (lights) at the connector in the left kick panel. This might tell you if there is a short in the rear harness.

You MAY have more than one problem, IE the fuse problem may not have anything to do with the indicators lighting up.
 
Usually when you blow fuses it's from too much load, Ie. a positive wire grounding and then overloading the circuit until the fuse blows.

I would start looking at the radio wiring to see if a positive wire could be crossed to a ground.

FYI: The orange wire for the radio is the circuit for the dash lights. I tap into that one to run the gauge lights for my aftermarket mechanical gauges so they will come on and dim with the dash lights.
 
Anytime, most any vehicle with combined front fixtures ( 1157 bulbs )...
If the green turn indicators inside come on with the park lamps,
The fault is lost chassis ground at those front park-turn fixtures.
One could hunt this fault inside until the end of days.
The orange illumination circuit is very often shorted at the radio or ash tray lamp when aftermarket radios are installed.
 
Forgot to add, there is ONE MORE troublesome cause of fuses blowing, especially with the older cartridge fuses in these cars. If you get a fuseholder where the clip is loose, rusty, or in some fuseholders, the electrical connection becomes loose (riveted) to the fuse clip,

THIS GENERATES HEAT

And that heat melts the solder in the cap of the fuse, "blowing" the fuse.
 
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