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Electric, not so bad after all.

Submitted: Saturday, Jul 02, 2005 at 18:26

Member - Jeff M (WA)

After a hard day of moving my sister in law into their new house, towing a big steel loaded up furniture trailer around the city it was time to take the old clunker of a trailer back to the yard. I pulled in and whacked the old girl in reverse. A weird thing happened, the factory fitted reverse (in cab) beeper made this pathetic yelp and then stopped along with just about everything else electrical in the car!! Speedo, tacho, oil pressure, temp, all warning lights, electric windows, I couldn't even put the car in gear ( I guess because it couldn't tell my foot was on the brake). I pushed the emergency overide button in and got it into gear, put the trailer away and hoped out to find out WTF!?

I checked the obvious fuses etc and couldn't find anything wrong, so hoped back in and drove home.

It ended up being one of the main fuses that had blown... I replaced it and all is good again, but I'm concerned as I have no idea as to why it blew in the first place?? I had been reversing the trailer all day without any problems, so it's a little weird...

But the up side and the main reason for the post is that with all the electrics out the engine didn't stop and it drove just fine, all beit only a 3 speed auto instead of a 4 speed and some slightly more hesitant than usual gear changes (I can only assume the gearbox computer reverted to safe mode of some kind, as the overdrive button didn't do anything, nor did the ECU power/economy switch). But it's good to know that the old girl doesn't just fall in a heap when something goes wrong!

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#1 - I'm not telling :-)
#2 Yellowdine National Park
#3 Powerline Trek - Saywers Valley
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AnswerID: 118566   Submitted: Saturday, Jul 02, 2005 at 18:29

Member - Jeff M (WA) replied:

Oh yeah, I'll just add (for all those who accuse me of dogy autoelectrics, you know who you are!!) ;-)

All MY stuff still worked, CB, Stereo, Fridge, GPS, Volt/Temp Guage etc etc LOL

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#1 - I'm not telling :-)
#2 Yellowdine National Park
#3 Powerline Trek - Saywers Valley
#4 Near Hyden WA
#5 Pinjar Pines
Reply 1 of 2
AnswerID: 118592   Submitted: Saturday, Jul 02, 2005 at 22:47

Trekkie replied:

Hi Jeff
The same thing happened to my 100s several months ago. Driving along Canning Highway to work when radio went off along with instruments etc and reduced power. "Safe Mode"

My auto electrician found the main fuse had blown. He also told me several lights were out and that could cause the main fuse to blow. He told me he had seen this happen when trailers were connected.
That Would Be Bad
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Trekkie
Beam me up Scottie !!!
Reply 2 of 2
FollowupID: 373803   Submitted: Sunday, Jul 03, 2005 at 15:43

Member - Jeff M (WA) posted:

Well there you go, how bizzare... The trailers lights were not very bright and I reckon it was probally 20 years old at least so there was probally a heap of resistance in it's cabling etc, probally over the day it heated up the fuses and 30 seconds before I unplug it, BANG. What timing eh??!! Oh well I I've probally got nothing to worry about then, thanks for that!

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#1 - I'm not telling :-)
#2 Yellowdine National Park
#3 Powerline Trek - Saywers Valley
#4 Near Hyden WA
#5 Pinjar Pines
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