2007 FG Instrument Panel Lights Out

[sprucemonster]

My instrument panel lights, along with rear driving lights went out the other day in my 2007 FG. The dash warning lights all work, as do the headlamps, turn signals, flashers, and brake lights. I replaced the 15 amp fuse in the box located outside behind the cab, driver’s side. This fixed the problem for 2 days, and then the same thing happened while driving at night of course. I replaced the fuse again, and it lasted for a few minutes and blew out. My truck has a commercial box on the rear that I insulated and paneled. All the lights on the box are out as well.

My idea is to disconnect/unplug the box lights (if I can find out how) and then see if the lighting is restored. That will at least let me know if it is something to potentially do with the box and not a part of the standard wiring and allow the truck to be driven safely at least in the dark. If it is the box, I may have damaged a wire causing short during the panel installation.

There is no Mitsubishi Service in AK, so hope to figure this out myself before bringing it to a truck service center. I was wondering if anyone had the wiring diagrams for the rear lights or a source for the 2007 service manual that isn’t outrageously expensive.

Thanks for any help.

Tom

 

[Czechsix]

pm sent

 

[FG Surfari]

Had that happen on my 2004 FG.
Ended up being a wire that had worked it's way between the box and the frame, eventually rubbing the plastic off and causing it to ground.
I repaired it and then re-routed the wires. Never happened again after that.
Hope that helps.

 

[pugslyyy]

yeah definitely sounds like a short somewhere blowing a fuse. Of course it's only going to happen when the light is on.

Those intermittent ones can be such a PITA - good luck!

 

[Czechsix]

Dunno if he'll be back, at least soon - turned out to be a wire issue in the box interior light, but he's got it solved now.

 

[sprucemonster]

FG Surfari - The mechanical shop I took the truck into thought it was something like that, but found wear on the wire that runs on a channel up on the box. They wrapped it and set it outside of the channel. That unfortunately wasn't it. I had to cancel my weekend trip. But on the positive side I did find the answer as Czechsix pointed out. I uncoupled the wire that ran the box internal dome light, co-located with the clearance lights next to the external fuse box. That light was problematic since i bought it. But that seemed to do the trick, at least for now. I will remove that light all together and rewire the switch to run something else, perhaps an LED lamp(s) in the box.

 

[gait]

by some quirk of fate, coincidentally, it was the fuse to the cab dome light that melted but didn't blow, and the insulation on the wire to that light was thoroughly melted full length as part of my near fire in Nepal. It happened when the door was open and presumably light would have been on. I haven't found root cause yet and have to do some serious rewiring when time permits. So useful info for me in this thread. Thanks.

 

[sprucemonster]

Gait,
Re-read your post on the fire. I have since turned my cab dome light to the off position, as it works only intermittently, as did my box dome light. I will check the wiring for wear ASAP. Also, going to look into a starter battery kill switch.

 

[SkiFreak]

Also, going to look into a starter battery kill switch.

You should never disconnect the batteries if the alternator is supplying current, so if you are going to do this, make sure that cannot operate the switch while the engine is running. Doing so could cause a serious voltage spike from the alternator and if you have an ECU it could get damaged.
I have such a system in my truck and the switch (a Blue Sea RBS) is disabled via a changeover relay when there is ignition power. So... in the event of the magic smoke escaping, turn off the engine immediately then hit the panic switch to isolate the entire truck electrical system (not the house system, which is separate).
Just my 2c worth...

 

[gait]

Sorry Owen. I understand the concern, however ..... I'm sure they exist but I can't conceive of an interlock on a safety cutout and can't recall ever having seen one in industrial systems.

I have seen systems that operate when an emergency stop has been activated, mainly associated with preventing the release of stored energy. But never anything that prevented operation of emergency stop.

I understand the RBS can be operated manually.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Gait,
Re-read your post on the fire. I have since turned my cab dome light to the off position, as it works only intermittently, as did my box dome light. I will check the wiring for wear ASAP. Also, going to look into a starter battery kill switch.

This is done on almost every mining vehicle we build at work. Yellow for starter and red for battery. If a vehicle needs to be disabled so no one can start it then the start isolator is thrown and the hazard lighting and other systems can still operate. The emergency stop shuts down the engine only and has nothing to do with the isolators.

 

[SkiFreak]

Unless I am mistaken, unless you include the charge cables as part of the disconnect, power will still be supplied to the truck from the alternator.
Simply disconnecting the batteries will not disable the electrics and everything I have read says you should not disconnect the batteries while an alternator is supplying charge.

 

[SkiFreak]

We posted at the same time John.
What does the emergency stop disconnect?

 

[whatcharterboat]

We posted at the same time John.
What does the emergency stop disconnect?

It goes back up through the ECU / Key switch...btw there is always another on the dash.

 

[gait]

thanks John.

I've never checked but I believe the factory engine emergency stop on my truck is mechanical.

Which makes sense to me. One of the side effects of the near fire was the starter operating with ignition off. Once the electrical system began to fail anything could happen. And did.

This stuff does get complicated, the challenge with safety is to make it simple.