Hi.

Today a new issue cropped up with my '81 300TD. For some reason, a bunch of electrical systems crapped out all at once...

Break lights
Turn signals
Temperature Gauge
Fuel Gauge
Electric Windows

... all totally non-functional?

Interestingly, the hazard lights still work.

I went through the fuses and everything checks out... no blown fuses.

Then when I was pulling out of the parking lot to drive the car to a place where I could get it off the road, all of a sudden everything worked again, but only for about 3 minutes. Then it conked out again.

I strongly suspect that there is some connector someplace with a loose wire or a corroded connection. I thought I would ask here if this sounded familiar to anyone before I got out my electrical charts and multi-meter and started to dig.

Thanks,

Bill

Sounds liked a poor ground and the one located beneath the instrument cluster area is one to clean and torque up.

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Dionysius

I get a laugh when you fellows always suggest the ground.........and it never turns out to be the problem. And, you all do it without consulting any schematic for the vehicle.

To the OP:

Replace fuse #12 and all will be magically fixed.

Fuse # 12 is conductive... not blown.

That was my first thought.

B

Replace the fuse.

I cannot be any more clear.............

Brian, as an Electrical Engineer and an experienced designer I hold my stand. Let us see who is right!!!!!

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Dionysius

I'm appalled. An engineer spouting off without the data............

The schematic shows every single one of the lost consumers on the same circuit. And, the ground for that circuit is stacked together with the grounds from many other circuits.

Want to change your position...........before you lose?

No....I am learning quite a bit about you.

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Dionysius

OK...........when he changes that fuse we'll see what it does............

Pissing contests break out in the strangest places.
And nobody will bow up faster than an engineer......

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I am OK with that. I had similar problem last month and no....the fuse did not fix it. No....I have not bothered to go through the entire laundry list or looked at the schematic but lets see.

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Dionysius

I look to grounds when there are consumers failing on multiple circuits. When all the consumers are on a single circuit, 99% of the time it's the fuse. I'll grant you the very outside 1% where a broken ground wire rules the day...............if so, I'll eat crow.

You should talk...........TD man...........

check the fuse. i have had them show good and things still not work. when i twisted the fuse it started working. this was with the old aluminum fuses. i have since switched to the all copper type

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

x2 btdt. another believer in the copper fuses.

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'98 E300 turbodiesel