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[Weds]

After quite a few hours I've finally tracked down the cause of the blowing fuse 15

I started by putting in in-line fuses to  the heated front seats and the memory supply which seemed favourite down by the seat connection next to the sill.

Whilst messing about checking something else the main 20amp blew, didn't check at the time but later noticed the driver seat fuse had also gone, so out came the seat...

Found the feed around to the heater module which is a constant feed had rubbed against the metal frame of the seat and worn through the insulation.

The heater module looks like its pushed down inside the foam of the seat.

I did try taking a photo but the cable is right behind one of the seat motors, (and it was getting dark) also a bit of a pain to tape up. There was also a piece of sticky back plastic which looked as if it should have been wrapped around the seat frame to protect the cable but it hadn't been stuck down properly.

I think I'll leave the in-line fuses there, just in case :-)

[Andy B]

Well done!!! 

The intermittant electrickery faults are always the hardest to sort.

[PhilRich]

It's a nice feeling when you fettle a fault yourself isn't it?

[Dave DND]

Well diagnosed.

I must confess that none of us here would ever have thought of the use of in-lne fuses for a problem such as this, but we certainly shall now.

Such a simple and effective trick.

 

[Weds]

Well diagnosed.

I must confess that none of us here would ever have thought of the use of in-lne fuses for a problem such as this, but we certainly shall now.

Such a simple and effective trick.

 

It was one of those lying in bed thinking about it moments ;-) Just trying to isolate the different parts of the circuit and narrow the fault down a bit.

What confused (ha ha) me a bit was that both fuses blew, I was expecting just the 10amp that I put in for the seat heating and not the main 20amp as well.

And aren't the seats heavy !

And I've now got £30 of fuel to use up in a F**d F*ocus before I hand it back.. I swapped my insurance over when I borrowed the car and topped it up with fuel the day before I fixed the Omega. The fuel consumption (compared to the Omega) is about the only redeeming feature of the Focus.

[jonnycool]

God, this was a long-standing problem wasn't it? I remember you calling for help when you were on holiday last summer I think. You must be glad you got that one sorted! 

[Weds]

God, this was a long-standing problem wasn't it? I remember you calling for help when you were on holiday last summer I think. You must be glad you got that one sorted! 

Yes glad its sorted, but when the fault only happens about once every six months it can be hard to pin down.  Problem is its always in the back of your mind whilst driving.

I blame my brother in law whose somewhat heavier than me and aggravated the fault when he was driving the car last time. Or perhaps I should thank him for making it fault so many times that I was able to sort it. I might have to buy him a beer :-) I think he's nearly recovered after the car cut out on the outside lane of the M25 :-)

[jonnycool]

God, this was a long-standing problem wasn't it? I remember you calling for help when you were on holiday last summer I think. You must be glad you got that one sorted! 

Yes glad its sorted, but when the fault only happens about once every six months it can be hard to pin down.  Problem is its always in the back of your mind whilst driving.

I blame my brother in law whose somewhat heavier than me and aggravated the fault when he was driving the car last time. Or perhaps I should thank him for making it fault so many times that I was able to sort it. I might have to buy him a beer :-) I think he's nearly recovered after the car cut out on the outside lane of the M25 :-)

Oh shite!

[Weds]

God, this was a long-standing problem wasn't it? I remember you calling for help when you were on holiday last summer I think. You must be glad you got that one sorted! 

Yes glad its sorted, but when the fault only happens about once every six months it can be hard to pin down.  Problem is its always in the back of your mind whilst driving.

I blame my brother in law whose somewhat heavier than me and aggravated the fault when he was driving the car last time. Or perhaps I should thank him for making it fault so many times that I was able to sort it. I might have to buy him a beer :-) I think he's nearly recovered after the car cut out on the outside lane of the M25 :-)

Oh shite!

I got a phone call from the wife sitting on the hard shoulder telling me the car had broken down. I knew immediately what it was, fortunately I had a piece of tape on the fuse to indicate which one it was, so a swap over and away it went.  Till it got home and it then started to blow a fuse every time.

[KW]

God, this was a long-standing problem wasn't it? I remember you calling for help when you were on holiday last summer I think. You must be glad you got that one sorted! 

Yes glad its sorted, but when the fault only happens about once every six months it can be hard to pin down.  Problem is its always in the back of your mind whilst driving.

I blame my brother in law whose somewhat heavier than me and aggravated the fault when he was driving the car last time. Or perhaps I should thank him for making it fault so many times that I was able to sort it. I might have to buy him a beer :-) I think he's nearly recovered after the car cut out on the outside lane of the M25 :-)

Oh shite!

Why "oh shite"?

[Kevin Wood]

Well done. That will certainly be one to bear in mind in case it happens to someone else.

Kevin

[jonnycool]

God, this was a long-standing problem wasn't it? I remember you calling for help when you were on holiday last summer I think. You must be glad you got that one sorted! 

Yes glad its sorted, but when the fault only happens about once every six months it can be hard to pin down.  Problem is its always in the back of your mind whilst driving.

I blame my brother in law whose somewhat heavier than me and aggravated the fault when he was driving the car last time. Or perhaps I should thank him for making it fault so many times that I was able to sort it. I might have to buy him a beer :-) I think he's nearly recovered after the car cut out on the outside lane of the M25 :-)

Oh shite!

Why "oh shite"?

Because cutting out on the outside lane of the M25 is a big deal seeing as you're probably going more than 70, have to make it across 2 lanes of heavy traffic with no power, and in a very dangerous place if you can't make it there

[KW]

God, this was a long-standing problem wasn't it? I remember you calling for help when you were on holiday last summer I think. You must be glad you got that one sorted! 

Yes glad its sorted, but when the fault only happens about once every six months it can be hard to pin down.  Problem is its always in the back of your mind whilst driving.

I blame my brother in law whose somewhat heavier than me and aggravated the fault when he was driving the car last time. Or perhaps I should thank him for making it fault so many times that I was able to sort it. I might have to buy him a beer :-) I think he's nearly recovered after the car cut out on the outside lane of the M25 :-)

Oh shite!

Why "oh shite"?

Because cutting out on the outside lane of the M25 is a big deal seeing as you're probably going more than 70, have to make it across 2 lanes of heavy traffic with no power, and in a very dangerous place if you can't make it there

If the traffic is heavy then you won't be doing anywhere near 70 on the M25, trust me on that one. In fact, trying to reach 70 at any time of day on that particular road is a job in itself.

That aside though, 70mph is more than enough momentum to make it from lane 3 to the shoulder so long as the driver has basic spatial awareness skills and doesn't panic.

[jonnycool]

God, this was a long-standing problem wasn't it? I remember you calling for help when you were on holiday last summer I think. You must be glad you got that one sorted! 

Yes glad its sorted, but when the fault only happens about once every six months it can be hard to pin down.  Problem is its always in the back of your mind whilst driving.

I blame my brother in law whose somewhat heavier than me and aggravated the fault when he was driving the car last time. Or perhaps I should thank him for making it fault so many times that I was able to sort it. I might have to buy him a beer :-) I think he's nearly recovered after the car cut out on the outside lane of the M25 :-)

Oh shite!

Why "oh shite"?

Because cutting out on the outside lane of the M25 is a big deal seeing as you're probably going more than 70, have to make it across 2 lanes of heavy traffic with no power, and in a very dangerous place if you can't make it there

If the traffic is heavy then you won't be doing anywhere near 70 on the M25, trust me on that one. In fact, trying to reach 70 at any time of day on that particular road is a job in itself.

That aside though, 70mph is more than enough momentum to make it from lane 3 to the shoulder so long as the driver has basic spatial awareness skills and doesn't panic.

Add to that the fact that you won't have much in the way of brakes, you may be going uphill and travelling at much less than 70, as you said, still a scary experience IMHO

[KW]

Add to that the fact that you won't have much in the way of brakes, you may be going uphill and travelling at much less than 70, as you said, still a scary experience IMHO

You will have brakes, you just have to exert more pressure on the brake pedal once you exhaust the vacuum in the servo.

As far as scary goes, try L3 of the M6 at 5pm in December with no engine, no electrics whatsoever (and I do mean NO electrics), and flames licking out between the bonnet and the wing