Everytime I turn on the headlights, the 5th fuse from left blows, then have no tail lights on drivers side. When I first checked it both 5th and 6th fuse were blown, replaced both now 5th keeps blowing. Thx Steve

Dude, I hate problems like this.. sorry i won't be of much help, no manual in front of me to even know what runs off that circuit.. but here's a Bump in hopes someone smarter than I will jump in..

Doug C

Fuses 5 and 6 are parking lights. Look for a short in your parking light wiring.

914 fuses

had the same problem.

did you recently weld up or unplug your sidemarker holes?

i shaved those lights and forgot to tend to the wiring.... i drove and then POP. the 2 terminals for the sidemarkers would short out....


just a though

No I did not recently do anything, but I just got the car, no telling whats been done. I dont see where any of the wires are touching each other, but will try to look closer.
thx again
steve

We had this problem and it was traced to really dirty and corroded light bulb sockets in the rear tail lights...

The outer edge of the light buld for the tail lights is the ground, it touches a metal rint in the socket to complete the circuit...

When they are dirty, you overheat the fuse, because you are drawing to much current.

It is cheap to clean them...

A small bruch, electrical cleaner, and some emery cloth to sand everything clean.

Rich

I had a similar problem a few weeks ago. Traced it down to a loose ground wire on a side marker.

Ok, i cleaned connection on side markers and front blinker, noticed something odd, passegers side blinks much brighter, and the little wires in the bulbs that actually light, on the drivers side the front element ( i think that what they are called) blinks, on the passengers side the back element blinks. Does this help narrow down my problem any? Fuse still blows
Thx steve

I ran out of white fuses, and have been using red, which have been blowing too, but not now, just when I put lights on no side marker on drivers and when blinker on both elements light up on drivers but do no flash, it flashes in rear on both sides

To funny,

We just did this too, putting my sons car together...

My son, not me, actually wired up one side backwards from the other...

In the front, you have two hot wires leading to the front parking light/turn signal.

One of the wires has a double connector splice that goes back to the side marker light...

This is the parking light circuit...

Make sure it is on the same conector on BOTH SIDES of the car on the parking light housing...

Its easy enough to figure out without a drawing.

Take off the front parking light cover..
turn on the parking lights.
If the bigger element is on, you need to switch the two power leads on that parking light...

Once you get all the leads correct, on both front parking lights, and front blinker lights, yoy can tie in the side markers now.

If you still have wierd issues, you need to verify that the rear parking light circuits and blinkers are correct.

If you dont do them all the same, I.e. parking lights run the smaller filament, blinkers run the bigger filament, you will get wierd and sometimes different results every time you test the system...

Just take your time and realize that there is only one correct way to wire these lights.

When wired wrong , you are either drawing to much current for the light circuit (blown fuses) or your blinkers wont work (not enough draw to heat up the blinker relay)

Good luck, be patient, do both sides the same.

Rich

Reversed the wires to front light on drivers side, now they both light up (elements) and the blinker is slow on that side, thinking about putting them back the way they were and reversing the other side.. fuse is not blowing since I cleaned connection where bulbs go in front.

Reversed them back, did nothing to other side yet, and they both (elements) still light up when lights on (drivers side)

Be carefull swapping fuses colors, the colors indicate differenct amperage to blow. If you go too high, your blown fuse problem will end, and your wire harness may start to melt.

White is 8 Amps, Red is 16 Amps, Blue is 25 Amps.

carefully study the tail light wires colors verses position. They can cause all kinds of strange problems when missed wired.

good luck

PS don't have th book in front of me, but I know MOST all of the dozen or so fuses under the dash are supposed to be white, 8 Amps

Yes I have a white one back in there now. Still strange that I put the wires back the way they were to begin with and now both elements are lighting up when I turn the lights on.

Removed wires, replaced wires, and all is better??? Could it be wire end connectors were dirty/corroded, and when you moved them fresh contact metal was exposed, and that was the problem. If so, then go thru each wire, pull it off and put it back on, wiggle it around, to clean up the contact. That needs to be done every quarter century, and hence most all 914's are past due.
maybe you found the problem of a high resistance connection.

glad it's fixxed.

no its not fixed, my fuse does not blow anymore which is good, now when I turn on the lights both elements in the front where the blinker/parking light are come on, still looking at all the wires, but yeah things are better than they were.

Just went for a ride, fuse blew when i turned the lights on..

Could be worse. I have a friend that grounded the tail lights of his bug to his fiberglass fenders!! Doh!
Elliot

I think you have put a power wire on a the ground post.

Take a look at the back of the front parking light.

Each plug has a number, post that here...I will go look at mine and let you know which color is connected to which post.

Rich

I dont see any numbers, I pulled off front wheel on drivers front side, tried the wires every possible way, then put them back the way they were everything worked drove the car about 15 miles with lights on then the next fuse blew #6 and the passengers side is now doing the same thing.. next time Im off will pull wheel on passengers side and look at all those connections.

i can't believe no one has asked this yet ...

let's start with the basics, shall we?

- what year is your car?


fuse panel is different between early and late cars ...
Andy

1974 have not had it long.

QUOTE (ventilator01 @ Jan 13 2006, 03:34 PM)

1974 have not had it long.

ok, '74 and later, 5th fuse from the left ...

#5: Parking Light, Left (Drivers Side), 8 Amp

DO NOT USE anything other than the 8 Amp fuses or you'll run the risk of burning your car to the ground ...
they're called "fuse" for a reason!

also, did you check the wiring in the back? the fuse is for the parking light on the drivers side front AND rear ...

and just to make sure, the sidemarkers are *not* supposed to blink ...

now, it seems like one of the power wires is on the wrong prong or grounding out otherwise. that's why your fuse blows every time you turn on the lights.

i can go and shoot a bunch of pictures, as i have a '74 harness in my car ...
Andy

I pulled every connection off, front and back and cleaned all connections and put electrical tape around the connections in the front. All seems well at the moment. Been out for two rides with lights on. Thx for all the advice.
steve