Q:After discovering the reason why my car battery kept dieing, a massive draw on my car battery coming from my IOD (Ignition off Draw) fuse, i was able to start my car reliably once again! However, without this fuse, my turn signals will not work. Is there an easy way to get my turn signals working without having to take out and put back the fuse every time i want to start my car???

First I gotta ask this. No offense to you since I don't know you nor do I kow your technical skills. When you are measuring this draw, do you have your meter connected in SERIES with the negative side with it set to Amps setting? Also, are you allowing the vehicle to power down, most cars will hold a certain amperage draw for a few minutes, up to 10-20 minutes which is normal. Are you allowing for this draw not chasing a ghost? FOR INSTANCE, GM vehicle with Onstar, they want you to wait 20 minutes for Onstar to power down or Go To Sleep so to speak. When you track down the source by removing the fuse, you have to actually go find the source fix it. Not leave the fuse out. This is where factory manuals come in handy to have. That way you can see what all that fuse feeds so you can go to that component unplug it directly see if your draw goes away with the fuse back installed.

Q:I have a 1999 ford escort station wagon 4-cylinder 2 liter engine. i had a problem with the fuse that powers my dash lights and tail lights frying and the wirring to my ASl component are fried. now whenever i touch my brakes it blows multiple fuses so that my transmission locks up,my engine shuts off and will not start back up without new fuses. could my ASL component cause all of this to happen or is it the cars main computer messing up?

Sounds like a loom problem (wiring) , you could start by tracing the wiring back from the tail lights and look for any broken wiring and any wiring that should b bolted to the chassis. Hope this helps

Q:I turned the key once for the electrical components and it worked for a split second then it went dead. Then I tried to jump start it and nothing happened, no clicking or anything. just dead. Then, when I unhooked the jumper cables, there were sparks from the jumper cables which would indicate that the battery isn't dead.

Actually the sparks may indicate that the battery is dead. I think your best bet is to remove the battery (or have someone do it for you) and have it checked at an auto parts store. Batteries are one of the least expensive and the most troublesome parts of your electrical system. There are other things, like a fusible link, that could cause everything to go dead, but it usually is the battery.

Q:1988 Ford F-250 4x4 460, multi port fuel injection. dual gas tanks. Its started with intermittent problem, truck would just die, but start back up after a while, sometimes right away, others almost drain the battery to start it. in finally gave out for good, checked presser at rails nothing, ran alternate power to pump for a second and fuel presser jumped right up to 6lbs. but only ran it for a second. i don't do so well reading wiring diagramms

Have a diagnostic check run.

Q:I have an ICS M4A1 (Carbine: ICS-41 Retractable). Every time I put a 30 amp flat blade fuse in, once I connect the battery the fuse immediately blows. I think there might be a shortage in the wiring somewhere. Does anyone have a quick fix for me? Thank you SO much.

Yes, a blown fuse is always caused by a short (uhnot shortage, but short;-) A quick fix is to throw it away and get a new one, another is take it in to a repair shop, but there is no inexpensive 'quick fix' for a short, usually ever in anything. Electrical shorts or short circuits occur because there is a very low or no resistance connection between the terminals of the power source, i.e. the battery, adapter terminals, wires from the wall. This can be caused by: Two uninsulated conductors touching. A burned out component that failed by shorting. Foreign object that is conductive (pin, paperclip, bread sack tie, screw, etc.) contacting two conductors. Solder bridge on a PC (Printed Circuit) board. Internal short in a multi-cell battery or battery pack. Exposure of a PC board to non-distilled water or other liquids, even after the board is dried. Wire with metal terminal end coming loose and touching another wire or a PC board trace. And I'm sure that I've not listed all the potential causes for a short. (Oh, yeah, forgot PBJ(peanut butter jelly sandwich) in a VCR. Sorry, but there isn't a quick fix. Using a larger fuse may be tempting, but it would only worsen the problem should it NOT blow. Fuses blow to protect the equipment they are used in from permanent damage from shorts. Fuses that DON'T blow DONT protect equipment from shorts. They can, in some cases, do a great job of starting a camp fire;-) Best advice, take it to a repair shop and get it fixed.

Q:I recently started using a component cable to hook up my slim Playstation 2 to the TV and noticed that if I clicked the pull cord to change the setting on the ceiling fan the picture on the TV would go black for a split second.This does not happen with a regular AV cable.What would cause this?

What you describe is unusual, but not unheard of. It's called EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference), or alternatively, depending on the frequency involved, RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). First, if your ceiling fan had a short circuit, it would blow the fuse or circuit breaker (if not, you do have real trouble), but, regardless, it would not operate. So your fan does NOT have a short circuit, and you are not about to burn down your house - relax. See here for all the interesting details about the sorts of things, man-made and natural, that can cause weird things to happen with electricity:

Q:I have a 1999 Mitsubishi Galant ES. The fuel level and RPM gauge will not work at all. I tried changing them out with the same result. The fuse for the gauges is ok. All other lights and the temp gauge works. Thanks

Double check the fuse box. You may have checked the fuse that list the gauges, but there could be a second fuse running those 2 gauges. It might be listed under the fuse but behind some other components that that fuse also runs. If not, I would pull and check all fuses in case they didn't list it right. Also there maybe a second fuse/relay box under the hood. Check that too.

Q:I have a 1987 ninja 750. i bought it and it turned on with an old battery but needed to be jumped to start. i bought a new battery . a duralast the one you add the acid in and charge. but now it wont turn on. a battery before that i added a new battery but i mixed up the terminals (pos on neg and neg on pos) did that mess up the electrical stuff or fuses or am i doing something wrong. hope to hear some help.

Do the ignition lights come on? Will it at least turn over but not start. I think we need more details.

Q:i have determined there is no spark on my sons dirt bike and i have already eliminated the kill button but need to know how to check the coil,stater and CDI box to determine which one has failed.i dont want to go purchase all 3 if i can check these with a simple volt meter or test light.I know the basics of how the system works and know for sure the issue is not with the spark plug or a broken wire since i have traced down all wiring to maks sure it wasent that simple of a fix.

Assuming the chain and sprockets are in stable condition, approximately halfway between the front and rear sprocket the backside portion of the chain ought to circulate vertically between 25-40mm while status immediately without-one sitting on the bike, no rely if it is greater beneficial than that it may be adjusted till the slack is actual. If there is important lateral stream or the adjusters are on the minimize or any tooth are broken on the sprockets the two the sprockets and the chain must be replaced. The marks on the eccentric adjusters are publications in elementary terms and should no longer be depended on as completely precise. to make optimistic the two the wheels are in an analogous direction use 2 parallel planks the two area of the bike.

Q:I have a 1982 Prelude, and everytime I try to connect my battery, the 55 amp main fuse (located in the engine wall by the negative battery cable) blows. Any ideas? Did I get a battery that is too big for the car?

find the short