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        General >> Problems >> Electrics + Water = Some Myths
        
(Message started by: MouthOfTheUmber on May 6^th, 2012, 9:12pm)

Title: Electrics + Water = Some Myths
Post by MouthOfTheUmber on May 6^th, 2012, 9:12pm

Hopefully I've attracted some attention, particularly of Scorpio electrics gurus.

I've had a Scorpio Ultima for about three years and for but a fortnight I've run without "that" plastic cover with no problems.

I recently had some time on my hands, a new drivers side fusebox that need fitting, some instrument lights and other things electric to do.

Not having a garage the job was done in the garden and as you need to be part outside the car to get to the multi-pin plugs under the d/s fusebox, I didn't do any work when it was raining. Which was quite often.

New fusebox is now fitted with petroleum jelly liberally applied.

Q1. - Can somebody confirm that the multi-pin plugs will only go in one position and they can't be mixed/muddled?

I now wanted to different power supplies, one when the radio is able to run and the other when the engine is able to run - I think that is Postion I & Position II.

Reconnected the battery and the starter motor started to turn - no key in ignition (even did it with auto lever in reverse and drive) and the hazards flashed - Having read a lot about Scorpios I assumed water in Aux Fusebox, which was removed and Water Displacing oil (WD 40) was used to drive any water from cables and between layers in fusebox. This was replaced and the same problem remained.

Next day, removed Aux Fusebox and stripped. This is easier than expected as copper strips fit into recesses in plastic insulators. Reassembly just meant holding sub-assembly above fusebox and letting conductors drop into place.

{note to Ford, put recesses for conductors in both bottom and top of insulator - half and half - so fusebox can be reassembled either way up/down}

I've not tested this yet, but I expect the results to be the same. I've also opened up the Ignition Lock relay [R21] and this is operating properly.

Q2 - where is the flasher relay? I assume the same one is used for hazards and indication, but where is it located? Yes, I've checked the web site.

The conductors in the aux fusebox are 1.6mm 1/16" thick and won't burn out because of a bit of moisture. What might happen is that dirty water might cause a shorting, but the WD 40 should have resolved that. As the starter relay is okay; something has got to be energising it. It is possible that water has travelled down inside the cables that go from the aux fusebox inside the passenger compartment. There's an electric fan heater in the drivers footwell.

Q3 - Where else should I look for problems?

Sometime ago I spoke to a Ford Workshop Supervisor and he told me that water can travel down cabling, both due to capillary effect and an e.m.f/electrolosis effect as the water is dirty, which makes it a better conductor.

Q4 - Will WD 40 and an electric fan heater resolve this ?

To get an idea of where to look in the wiring harness I tried to download the wiring diagrams on SkyDrive, I tried; Firefox, IE9(32) & IE9(64) but none of them worked.

Q5 - Does anybody have these PDFs RAR'd, I'm limited to 10Mb E-mails ?

It is likely that a common fault is causing both problems, if I can find a commonality, I should hopefully be able to find the problem and resolve it

Title: Re: Electrics + Water = Some Myths
Post by Matt on May 6^th, 2012, 9:48pm

Hiya mate

sounds like you may of got some of the multiplugs on the underside of the off side fuse box. they should be coded but the tend to go in colour groups to but not all sockets have plugs in

Also the top multiplug accesssble from the engine bay can offten be miss fitted without realising its on wrong. we have a saying on here reguards that "if it went on first time it went on wrong"

The battery side fuse box takes all the power and feeds the other one, if you have no cover id say its soaking wet, it needs to be stripped layer by layer to dry it.

Check the bulk head drains to, water can collect and then run down the cable and on to the ecu

Flasher relay is under the steering colum shroud

Title: Re: Electrics + Water = Some Myths
Post by MouthOfTheUmber on May 7^th, 2012, 9:31pm

I think the fron two rows of the main fusebox are colour coded; blue, green, white & black from the wing towards the centre.

The final row is just black and white, but I'm sure each multi-pin goes in one socket.

I'll have another look and also look at the top side multi-pin, but that was a b#gg@r to get on as was the cover.

I've stripped and re-built the battery side fusebox.

I'll also look at the ECU for water.

Anyway of getting the wiring diagrams without using Skydrive?

Title: Re: Electrics + Water = Some Myths
Post by Simmo on May 8^th, 2012, 7:43am

The multi plug can, as has been said, be a problem. The details are explained Here (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=admin;action=display;num=1267895931) in How to do Things. :)

Title: Re: Electrics + Water = Some Myths
Post by MouthOfTheUmber on May 9^th, 2012, 10:51am

Double checked the top multi-pin on the main fuse box (driver's side) and it appeared to be in the correct position. But I removed it and replaced it, making sure those pins/lugs were correctly located and it seemed as if extra petroleum jelly was forced out. Suggesting it is now properly located.

Will this solve the problem with the hazards and starter?

The wet weather hasn't helped, so I've got a fan heater blowing air around the ECU and wiring on passenger side - fan in passenger footwell - and I could give wiring a dose of Water Displacing spray (WD-40).