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  • Major electric issue - Please help

    This is my best guess of the facts related.

    Three days ago I left the lights on and the battery died. Being on a hill, I popped the clutch to start the car. However the next time to start, I had to pop the clutch to start. It would then start fine afterward as I drove farther to charge the battery.

    The next day when I went to start the car when putting the key in the ignition and turning the key nothing electrical came on the dash and there was no response to the car. I thought that potentially buy fluke and chance that the ignition lock cylinder had finally broken because before this point the key would fit Loosely into the ignition. However, as I just had an opportunity to go out now, during the day, 2 start the car I noticed that when opening the door the in-cab light does not work whether manually turning it on, or trying to open and close the door. The flashers, radio, or turn signals do not work. The only thing I can get to work on the car is when I turn the knob the headlights come on.

    I don't know where to start to investigate this. Begin with the fuses understandable. Check the battery terminal connections- they're great. I looked under the hood to see if something was unplugged but I do not see anything. And if in the event that the ignition was not reading that the key was in since the tumblers are not really tight holding to the key I sprayed a bit of lock cylinder lubricant into the lock cylinder ignition. It works better than what it did.

    Please help if you have any idea.

  • #2
    Did you buy a new battery or try a different one? A complete drain can kill an older battery.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    • #3
      Fusible Links?

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      • #4
        + on fusible link. That's the first thing I would suspect.
        In the past I have temporarily used a large paper clip as a link.
        That fusible link holder can get really corroded after a while. It really should be removed occasionally
        and cleaned thoroughly with a small brass wire brush or dremel tool.

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        • #5
          I cleaned the battery terminals but initially didn't think of the battery as the headlights came on. - It's a few bolts and I live two miles from Autozone. I will do that. Thanks!

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          • #6
            What is a fuseable link, 1990New? Or, I know what a link with an inline fuse is, but what would effect flashers, dome light, and things not on the same box fuse? - Is there an inline fuse from the positive battery line that could have popped when popping the clutch to start? A main line fuse would effect several items which have separate fuse box fuses I would think.

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            • #7
              Yes you have them on your 1990 and newer. When I left Ralph's place last fall my 91 Festiva would not start at the gas station, the battery appeared to be dead but the headlights still worked. For no reason the car started and ran like the little champ that it is. The next time I stopped for gas the same thing happened. I recalled BraveKozak's thread on the fusible links so I checked them. Sure enough the one in the middle was bad. I walked to an O'Reilly and bought the cartridge type fuses that Kozak suggests, installed them and have never had another problem with it.

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              • #8
                http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...hlight=fusible

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                • #9
                  I did a Google Image search for 1990 Ford Festiva fuseable link and I see an image that I recall seeing. Over by driver shock head there is a small, thumb size, block which has three wires jumping left to right. I guestimate this is it from the pic, but in the link here to show me the fuses they are bulky. I would guess that someone a LONG time ago someone jumped them as the wires look symetrical, more factory/professional done than somebody just making a generic fit wire jump, and evenly patina.

                  Am I looking at the right thing? I'll get a pic n a few hours

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                  • #10
                    61395_Graphic_115.jpg
                    Last edited by meyek91974; 03-11-2016, 07:18 PM.

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                    • #11
                      That is correct. Those are the factory fusible links. What has been recommended is replacing them with the long leg PAL fuses.
                      Ian
                      Calgary AB, Canada
                      93 L B6T: June 2016 FOTM
                      59 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite

                      "It's infinitely better to fail with courage than to sit idle with fear...." Chip Gaines (pg 167 of Capital Gaines, Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff)

                      Link to the "Road Trip Starting Points" page of my Econobox Café blog

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                      • #12
                        20160312_120101-1.jpg 20160312_115923-1.jpg 20160312_120116-1.jpg

                        Is the middle one blown? I haven't touched them yet and the guy at Auto zone doesn't know

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                        • #13
                          Looks blown to me.

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                          • #14
                            Where do I find this? The people at Autozone don't know what it is and I trying to find it in the autozone website. - Hey, battery tested good though

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                            • #15
                              At Autozone I find FLM, FLF, FL and other fusible likks. Is there a "PAL fusible link"?

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