Club 80-90 Forums

One circuit on my van keeps blowing fuses...my radio/CD player is wired to the brake light circuit. When I press the brakes, it blows the fuse.

I've had two separate auto electricians to look at the van, a total of £200, and it's still not fixed - they say the problem is intermittent. One of the guys replaces a relay near the brake pedal (I think) and two minutes down the road, blew a fuse....grrrrrrr!

I have a sneaky suspicion it's my stereo...

Should the stereo be on a separate circuit? Is it overloading the circuit, which is on a 10amp fuse...

Now something is draining the battery....

Any advice would be a great help.

Many thanks

on my 1990 the stereo is on fuse No3 which also does the clock and internal courtesy lights that come on when you open the doors. Even if yours is a different year/model etc I severely doubt whether the stereo was ever meant to be on the brake light fuse.

There should be an 'in line' fuse on the feed to the stereo which would have blown before the van one if there was a prob with the stereo itself - take that out and have a bit of a run around and try your brakes. I suspect a wiring problem with the brakes is much more likely.

Your stereo should be on a different fuse. But at least you know when your brake lights arnt working.
Fuse 2 should be your brake lights.

The draining of your battery and the blowing fuse are probably unrelated but start (as above) by taking out the stereo connections and testing.

T

thanks, much appreciated...

on a similar note, are there any spare fuses that i could rewire my stereo and also install a cigarette lighter...for my ipod and Sat Nav...have them on the same circuit!

thanks

Depending on the year of your van. If its 1986 and later fuse 3 is also for the ciggie lighter aswell (forgot to mention that in my first post). If its pre '86 fuse 8 is for the ciggie lighter. Fuse rating should be 15A.

why not run it off the leisure battery(presume you have one) and put in a line fuse...

lilly wrote: I've had two separate auto electricians to look at the van, a total of £200, and it's still not fixed - they say the problem is intermittent.

I would say they were fraudsters.....sheesh it's just a radio

Agree lambrettalee wire it to the leisure then it won't drain valuable cranking amps

Take your stereo out and disconnect it. Take your van out fr a spin, if the fuse has not blown then you know that your stereo is fualty. If its still blowing then you know there is a problem with the brake light circuit or whatever else runs off said fuse. 10 amp for a stereo and brake lamps are more than adiquate.