electricals got us stranded

roverBLUE

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2004
140
0
47
Clayton, NC
got the bright idea to wash my truck since there was a pressure washer handy. just the exterior-no engine bay, hood closed. 2 hrs later-drove a total of two miles to grocery store and back and noticed my front defrost light lit and I couldn't get it turn off-so thinking I would prevent a dead battery, I pulled the switch/button out. 4 hrs later I go to pack up the car and load up the fam and truck was completely dead-I attribute it to the windshield defrost switch and get a jump. truck cranks right up. then the oddities begin. dash lights are on and park lights on even with the switch off. I pulled the fuse for park lights under the steering column-but they stay on. then I hear a motor behind the winshield washer tank and see smoke so I unplug the harness to the washer pump. a couple of minutes later more smoke (like where is the extinguisher smoke) coming from same vecinity and smells likes rubber/plastic. I shut the truck off and undo the battery cable. kid is already asleep so we are camping out at a friend's house. I'm 90% sure its coming from the thick wire loom passenger side engine bay that runs to the fuse box in the engine bay and runs into passenger side firewall. I've never had any electrical problems with this 95RRC-except for losing the ability to turn my recycle and ac on and off last fall. did water run down the windshield and cause trouble. engine bay is dry. if you have any insight on this or can point me the right direction I would really appreciate it. We still gotta get home in the am.
 

roverBLUE

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2004
140
0
47
Clayton, NC
Anyone know where the small gauge orange/purple wire leads to in the cabin? It's the one that goes to the hood pin harness/clip. After cutting in the loom, looks like all plugs that go to washer motor,hood pin,enertia switch etc all splice to one ground wire in the loom. But it's the orange/purple wire that has burned.