2004 F350 6.0- Smoke coming from light switch

[deiter5262]

Hey all,

Its been a long while since I posted. Long story short my family and I run a small truck sales business. We have a 2004 6.0L that I thought had just a bad fuse for the interior dash lights, blinker/ marker lights, and taillights. So i replaced the fuse and all lights worked for about two weeks.

I take a short night trip to pick up some other truck parts about 120 miles one way. On the way home my interior lights just quit and markers, taillights. I pull fuse box, sure enough bad fuse. Now I replaced the fuse. NO lights. Hmm.

I then saw smoke rolling out of the headlight switch right at the dimmer part of the switch. Popped the switch out and saw smoking pretty good. I thought must be bad headlight switch.

I ordered a new ford Motorcraft headlight switch and sure enough same thing just smoking at the switch. Something is up on this electrical for the lights. Fuse i replaced is still good, not blown.

Anyone have any ideas? Is there a relay or where can i trace the wires to see if one is touching to cause this issue. :doh:

PS- not sure if it is related but my power door locks aren't working at all. I have power all the way to switch though. Not even trying to move up and down. Haven't worked since we bought the truck though.


Appreciate the help!!

 

[deiter5262]

Update- everything works now except the dash lights. I replaced headlight switch assembly and all fuses. Traced wires from blinker switch on steering column down to fuse box looking for pinched wire. Don't see any pinched wires going to headlight switch and brown wire does have power all way to headlight switch.

I pulled down fuse box checked wires going into fuse box, no issues there. No exposed wires I can see.

Also - traced wire harness along frame rail all the way back to trailer light harness. No pinched or broken wires that I can see. And pulled tailights, other than a burnt light bulb no signs of wires touching or a short.

After a lot of research I spend two hours tracking down everything yesterday to no avail....all is now fixed except no dash lights. They were working then a fuse popped and i replaced fuse but no now dash lights. All other lights functioning properly as normal.

Have any ideas???

 

[deiter5262]

bump- no interior lights at all...

 

[deiter5262]

bump!

 

[TyCorr]

I dont know man. It sounds like something is shorted out...keeps popping a fuse of.burning up the switch.

 

[ThreeFitty]

Have the correct fuse size on there back when they all were working? Reason I asked is because my truck kept popping the fuse for headlight switch shutting everything down as you experienced. Got it all to work if I put in larger fuse (Ran out of 20's I think so threw in a 25), ran down the road to the gas station and come back into truck to find switch blowing smoke. Got a new switch install but forgot about fuse, ruined that switch but everything else worked except my dash lights. Another switch and the correct fuse and im all set.

Hope that all makes sense.

 

[deiter5262]

Perfect sense, that is exactly what happened to me. I replaced with a 25 fuse when the headlights popped, then I noticed smoke coming from the headlight switch and we had no dash lights. I replaced the headlight switch and new 25 fuse. I didn't put back in the 20 or the 15 that was in it originally perhaps I popped the new headlight switch by supplying it too much power already. Darn it! Good call ThreeFitty let me try this.....

thanks guys.

Have the correct fuse size on there back when they all were working? Reason I asked is because my truck kept popping the fuse for headlight switch shutting everything down as you experienced. Got it all to work if I put in larger fuse (Ran out of 20's I think so threw in a 25), ran down the road to the gas station and come back into truck to find switch blowing smoke. Got a new switch install but forgot about fuse, ruined that switch but everything else worked except my dash lights. Another switch and the correct fuse and im all set.

Hope that all makes sense.