fuse box location FORD SIERRA 1983 1.G Body Electrical System Workshop Manual

5To find the source of an intermittent wiring
fault (usually due to a poor or dirty
connection, or damaged wiring insulation), an
integrity test can be performed on the wiring,
which involves moving the wiring by hand, to
see if the fault occurs as the wiring is moved.
It should be possible to narrow down the
source of the fault to a particular section of
wiring. This method of testing can be used in
conjunction with any of the tests described in
the following sub-Sections.
6Apart from problems due to poor
connections, two basic types of fault can
occur in an electrical circuit - open-circuit, or
short-circuit.
7Open-circuit faults are caused by a break
somewhere in the circuit, which prevents
current from flowing. An open-circuit fault will
prevent a component from working, but will
not cause the relevant circuit fuse to blow.
8Short-circuit faults are caused by a “short”
somewhere in the circuit, which allows the
current flowing in the circuit to “escape” along
an alternative route, usually to earth. Short-
circuit faults are normally caused by a
breakdown in wiring insulation, which allows a
feed wire to touch either another wire, or an
earthed component such as the bodyshell. A
short-circuit fault will normally cause the
relevant circuit fuse to blow.
Note: A short-circuit that occurs in the wiring
between a circuit’s battery supply and its fuse
will not cause the fuse in that particular circuit
to blow. This part of the circuit is unprotected
- bear this in mind when fault-finding on the
vehicle’s electrical system.
Finding an open-circuit
9To check for an open-circuit, connect one
lead of a circuit tester or voltmeter to either
the negative battery terminal or a known good
earth.
10Connect the other lead to a connector in
the circuit being tested, preferably nearest to
the battery or fuse.
11Switch on the circuit, bearing in mind that
some circuits are live only when the ignition
switch is moved to a particular position.
12If voltage is present (indicated either by
the tester bulb lighting or a voltmeter reading,
as applicable), this means that the section of
the circuit between the relevant connector
and the battery is problem-free.
13Continue to check the remainder of the
circuit in the same fashion.
14When a point is reached at which no
voltage is present, the problem must lie
between that point and the previous test point
with voltage. Most problems can be traced to
a broken, corroded or loose connection.
Finding a short-circuit
15To check for a short-circuit, first
disconnect the load(s) from the circuit (loads
are the components which draw current from
a circuit, such as bulbs, motors, heating
elements, etc).
16Remove the relevant fuse from the circuit,
and connect a circuit tester or voltmeter to the
fuse connections.17Switch on the circuit, bearing in mind that
some circuits are live only when the ignition
switch is moved to a particular position.
18If voltage is present (indicated either by
the tester bulb lighting or a voltmeter reading,
as applicable), this means that there is a
short-circuit.
19If no voltage is present, but the fuse still
blows with the load(s) connected, this
indicates an internal fault in the load(s).
Finding an earth fault
20The battery negative terminal is connected
to “earth” - the metal of the
engine/transmission and the car body - and
most systems are wired so that they only
receive a positive feed, the current returning via
the metal of the car body. This means that the
component mounting and the body form part
of that circuit. Loose or corroded mountings
can therefore cause a range of electrical faults,
ranging from total failure of a circuit, to a
puzzling partial fault. In particular, lights may
shine dimly (especially when another circuit
sharing the same earth point is in operation),
motors (eg wiper motors or the radiator cooling
fan motor) may run slowly, and the operation of
one circuit may have an apparently-unrelated
effect on another. Note that on many vehicles,
earth straps are used between certain
components, such as the engine/transmission
and the body, usually where there is no metal-
to-metal contact between components, due to
flexible rubber mountings, etc.
21To check whether a component is
properly earthed, disconnect the battery, and
connect one lead of an ohmmeter to a known
good earth point. Connect the other lead to
the wire or earth connection being tested. The
resistance reading should be zero; if not,
check the connection as follows.
22If an earth connection is thought to be
faulty, dismantle the connection, and clean
back to bare metal both the bodyshell and the
wire terminal, or the component’s earth
connection mating surface. Be careful to
remove all traces of dirt and corrosion, then
use a knife to trim away any paint, so that a
clean metal-to-metal joint is made. On
reassembly, tighten the joint fasteners
securely; if a wire terminal is being refitted,
use serrated washers between the terminaland the bodyshell, to ensure a clean and
secure connection. When the connection is
remade, prevent the onset of corrosion in the
future by applying a coat of petroleum jelly or
silicone-based grease, or by spraying on (at
regular intervals) a proprietary ignition sealer.Location
1The main fuses and relays are located in a
box in the engine compartment on the right-
hand side of the bulkhead. The circuits
protected are identified by symbols on the
underside of the fusebox cover. On certain
models, additional relays and fuses are located
in various positions beneath the facia panels. If
uncertain of the location of an auxiliary relay or
fuse, it is suggested that a Ford dealer is
consulted, as the relay and fuse locations vary
substantially depending on model.
Renewal
2Always renew a fuse with one of identical
rating and never renew it more than once
without finding the source of the trouble
(usually a short circuit). Always switch off the
ignition before renewing a fuse or relay, and
when renewing the wiper motor fuse keep the
hands clear of the wiper linkage as it may
return to the parked position. Note that the
fuses are colour-coded as follows:
10ARed
15ABlue
20AYellow
25ANatural
10AGreen
3Access to the fuses and relays in the
fusebox is gained by removing the loose
cover and spring clip (if fitted), pulling the
plastic clip and removing the cover. All fuses
and relays are a push fit (see illustrations).
The fuse/relay plate can be released from the
fusebox for access to the wiring by carefully
levering the plastic lugs around the perimeter
of the plate.
4For details of direction indicator/hazard
warning flasher relay removal and refitting,
refer to the relevant Section of this Chapter.
3Fuses and relays - location and
renewal
Body electrical system 13•3
13
3.3b Fusebox cover removed to expose
fuses and relays (1.8 CVH model shown)3.3a Remove the loose cover for access to
the fusebox cover