I'm in the dark here..
11-28-2005, 11:38 AM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 39
Okay this is my first time posting anything on this site. I had an unusual experience the other day which has ended with me being left in the dark.
The occurrence:
I was driving down town at night in my 1986 RX-7 and when the RPM’s reached over 3500 my lights went out and when the RPMs dropped my lights came back on. This happened 3-4 times till the lights just failed, I smelt burning plastic for a second coming from behind the dash so I shut the car off but couldn’t find the source of the smell and everything seemed fine.
What I’ve done:
I thought that maybe it was the fuse but they were okay, I replaced them any way just incase, and nothing I’ve gone over the wires and wasn’t able to find any chaffing, I’ve removed the switch and replaced it with the one from my 1988 RX-7 which I know works and still nothing!! I find it strange that this would occure with out the fuse blowing but it’s a RX so I expect the unexpected.
Has anyone else had this happen to them and if so what was the issue? Any ideas? Anything I’m contemplating the use of a shotgun and gasoline!!
Thanks.
The occurrence:
I was driving down town at night in my 1986 RX-7 and when the RPM’s reached over 3500 my lights went out and when the RPMs dropped my lights came back on. This happened 3-4 times till the lights just failed, I smelt burning plastic for a second coming from behind the dash so I shut the car off but couldn’t find the source of the smell and everything seemed fine.
What I’ve done:
I thought that maybe it was the fuse but they were okay, I replaced them any way just incase, and nothing I’ve gone over the wires and wasn’t able to find any chaffing, I’ve removed the switch and replaced it with the one from my 1988 RX-7 which I know works and still nothing!! I find it strange that this would occure with out the fuse blowing but it’s a RX so I expect the unexpected.
Has anyone else had this happen to them and if so what was the issue? Any ideas? Anything I’m contemplating the use of a shotgun and gasoline!!
Thanks.
11-28-2005, 12:09 PM
#3
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 39
Originally Posted by j9fd3s' post='782009' date='Nov 28 2005, 10:01 AM
headlight switch!
That's what I thought too but I tried the one from my other RX-7 and still nothing and I know that this switch is good.
11-28-2005, 01:14 PM
#5
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Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Originally Posted by j9fd3s' post='782025' date='Nov 28 2005, 11:10 AM
the harness for the switch burns out too
Yep pulled out the harness cleaned it and checked over everything and she looks okay! I thought it could be a chaffing issue but was unable to find anything.
11-28-2005, 01:15 PM
#6
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: California
Posts: 22,465
Originally Posted by 88 REW' post='782029' date='Nov 28 2005, 11:14 AM
Yep pulled out the harness cleaned it and checked over everything and she looks okay! I thought it could be a chaffing issue but was unable to find anything.
its not melted then? i dunno what else is in that circuit, lol the rest of the stuff never goes bad
11-28-2005, 01:18 PM
#7
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Originally Posted by j9fd3s' post='782030' date='Nov 28 2005, 11:15 AM
its not melted then? i dunno what else is in that circuit, lol the rest of the stuff never goes bad
11-28-2005, 02:14 PM
#8
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 248
i had the same problem, though i think the cuase of mine was much different. i installed my cd player in my car and by accident i grounded the head unit ground wire to the factory illumination wire... so my tailights and interior lights didnt work, couldnt figure out why for a while becuase the fuse kept blowing, its a 15 amp fuse and i only had a 20 at the time... so i put it in and turned everyitng on and then smoke started coming out from behind the headlight switch and smelled like burning plastick, burned up my headlight switch and wiring... yours is probly just a short somewhere, a hot wire contacting metal somewhere
11-28-2005, 02:41 PM
#9
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 39
Originally Posted by 86fc3sMatt' post='782044' date='Nov 28 2005, 12:14 PM
i had the same problem, though i think the cuase of mine was much different. i installed my cd player in my car and by accident i grounded the head unit ground wire to the factory illumination wire... so my tailights and interior lights didnt work, couldnt figure out why for a while becuase the fuse kept blowing, its a 15 amp fuse and i only had a 20 at the time... so i put it in and turned everyitng on and then smoke started coming out from behind the headlight switch and smelled like burning plastick, burned up my headlight switch and wiring... yours is probly just a short somewhere, a hot wire contacting metal somewhere
Yeah I read your posting but this car is totally standard.
