1973 Torino Tribute Restoration

Might be a dumb question, but why would you be burning 25 Amp fuses on a 20 AMP Circuit breaker? Hmmm...

I thought the CB was specific to the tailgate. Funny that the one on the Starter would control the tailgate. I understand that it it would be on the main circuit, since you use the key to wind it up or down but way up front at the starter seems like a lot of lost current to me. Just thinking out loud.

My window and lock relays used to be under the inner kick panel on the passenger side. Ford moved them to under the hood and changed them to plastic from the tin-can type, because the older ones rusted out (the Fairmonts had the freshair duct above them, and they used to leak after a few years, right on top of the old CBs.

I can't see why you'd have a 25 AMP fuse with a 20 AMP circuit breaker, honestly. Get the parts guys to dig deeper for you.

 

To be honest I'm sure you know more about ALL this than I do. I am just going by what the shop manual said and I'm hoping the circuit breaker is the problem. I may have to scan in a few pages of the manual because I may be misunderstanding something.

 

I'll bet you two gallon cans of tomatillos (used in green Mexican salsas) that there's other circuit breakers or relays in that car.

Especially on a 1975 model. Ford used relays for convertible tops even before GM. Maybe check out at the main library for an EVTM (Electrical and Vacuum Trouble Shooting Manual) by Ford, or some older local Ford Mercury dealer's resources. 20 AMP or 25 AMPs is a lot of juice to go wild, enough to start a fire or burn up other stuff.

I vaguely recall some starters with CBs, but that seems like such an odd location, exposed to water and sand and oil. Weird.

 

Ok here we go. This is a photo of the solenoid (starter relay) on the inner fender BELOW. And the other is the silver rectangle circuit breaker, I think.

When I get back to work I'll scan in the pages from the manual that talk about the 20 amp circuit breaker and 25 amp fuse.


Also what exactly does that box with a the red button just to the left of the solenoid do in the BELOW photo?

 

Here is the scanned page from the 75-76 Ford Shop Manual. I hope you can make some sense of it.

Would a faulty curcuit breaker cause the fuse to blew when the switch is activated?

 

No idea on the Red Button unit. Never seen one before now, but it looks like its resettable, like a house breaker. The top one is more like a small voltage regulator for a special circuit, like dash lights. On mine, they call them IVR (Internal Voltage Regulator). The relays have blade-type prongs for the usual Ford electric connectors. That one looks like it could be a CB or equivalent to Ford's later fuse links or an IVR.

Your tailgate would need all 12 volts, not some reduced voltage like an IVR would do.

Sorry, I can't be more help.

 

Whale-Oil-Beef-Hooked (say it fast, no faster!)

I'll be a son-of-a-gun!

Not logical, does not compute, circuits collapsing... Or, as we say in French, "Shut my mouth!"

Check out the wires from that CB to see if they're grounding somewhere too.

 

Click on the photo and it'll take ya to the Autozone link for the circuit breaker...Is that the same as what is on the starter relay (solenoid), ya think?

I really wish I would have paid more attention to my Dad when he used to work on the old wagon or even on any other FORD we had. :banghead3:

 

Looks the same for sure. From your PDF, the 25 AMP fuse handles all kinds of other accessories. Is the tailgate harness in good shape? If the 20 AMP CB is still feeding the other accessories, then its working, and there's a broken wire or a bad tailgate switch?

 

Im sorry Norm, but I feel like I am killing this poor horse.

Fuse number 9 (25amp) says its for accessory feed, tailgate, and power windows. Well I don't have power windows other than the tailgate window and no power seats either. What other accesories could it be talking about?

I may just owe ya the 2 gallon can of tomatillos after all just for keeping you online for so long. This is starting to turn into "invoice" time, huh?

Also. the harness and wiring from the switch to the talgate is all in very good shape. Connections back there were all good as well as if never disconnected.

 

If the harness broke near the hinge, inside the wire loom...

Other accessories: Rear Defog or fan, AC, radio or tape or amplifier? Power antenna usually runs on the radio (stock unit), heater has its own? Any trailer lights? Front cornering lights?

1) What else can you turn on/off without the key in the ignition?
2) What else only works when the key is in the Accessory position on the ignition switch? Or no longer works, after you blow the fuse?

I'd pull the fuse and see what works or doesn't, and then snoop around on the harness near where the tailgate and other inoperable device are. Then try it with a new fuse, on the other accessory (ies) to see if they (it) also blows the fuse. Too bad that description isn't more detailed.

How about making up a wire tester with an old 12 volt socket and bulb and testing it out?

Try the new CB at the solenoid and work back, I guess.

AND, check if there aren't any old wires from the regulator to the solenoid.

I go back to the 25 AMP fuse. It takes a major short for that to blow.

 

Just looked at that Red Button thingy. And noticed that you do have FUSE LINKS running to the solenoid. They should be OK, but the red and blue wire looks like its awful close to the post on the CB.

Does that Red Button work to reset it?

 

What other Dealer gadgets get added on, at the dealer?

 

What does the blue wire go to? On mine the power windows and locks have yellow/black stripe (locks) and red/pink wires. The blue one usually goes to the horn or the wipers. Have you got intermittent wipers on yours? Somebody might have jimmy-rigged the wiring to overcome a wiper issue?

 

Ok, well ......DUD! I changed out the solenoid, circuit breaker, and positive battery cable (Battery cable just for asthetics) and nothing.I'm still blowing a fuse.

There is a blue wire that plugs up under the no. 9 fuse and over the number 4 fuse. I'm assuming that is an accesory wire, but I'm not sure where it goes? Maybe the dome light?

I don't currently have a dome light hooked up. Would that cause the fuse to blow when the switch is activated?

I did unplug the blue wire from the fuse box and then hit the tailgate switch (both dash switch and tailgate key switch) and nothing, but I did not blow a fuse either.

Thanks for all the help none the less. I'll keep at it and eventually figure it out.

Norm, just FYI I currently don't have a radio or any other extra accesories and after spending a good part of this afternoon under the dash nothing looks "hacked" in too either.

More to follow...:confused: