Hi all.
That was close one.
Went around the block last night to test some jetting and for some inexplicable reason smoke started spewing out of my console.
That really freaked me out.
NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER!!!!!!!!
U just never know. I didn't need it this time but damn that was a scare.
 
So - under the console there is a coil of wire all taped up into a sausage. (MK2 ghia)
Does anyone know what its for???
 
That was my fire. It kinda looks from the schematic to be for the cig lighter (which i don't have). Have no idea why it shorted or whatever.
For some reason it has knocked out my instrument lights. The instrument lights work but they are no longer geting power from the wiring loom :-( Can't seem to find why at the mo.
 
Thanks, Daz.

Dash light dimming resistor cought fire? pretty common for those to get hot and start to melt insulation and its surroundings, esspecially if you have extra gauges etc. just cut it out and bypass it. who needs to dim escort dash lights anyway lol.

oh. I didn't know escorts had a dim
That would explain why I have none now.
Awesome - thanks heaps.

Hey Rs I have to fix this real fast when i get home if we are to take it to our 6th anniversary dinner tonight. (+the alternator mount which threw the belt off last night making me walk home for tools)
That spool thing is imbedded in a plug that has a black/grey wire and a lightblue/red wire. pluss the coily thing.
What do I bridge? (doesn't help that the plug is a little melted)
 
Thanks.
 

Since it has all melted anyway cut it back as far as necessary so that you are just left with  black/grey and light blue/red wires, then join those 2 wires and insulate, you have succsesfully bypassed the resistor and illumination will run at full voltage. Black grey is power from comination light switch and blue red then feeds all your illumination(dash, cig lighter illum,clock illum etc). by the way you may have popped fuse no3(from memory).
If you find that no3 fuse  is blown and/or it keeps popping after the above mod, you then have a short in the illumination circuit(light blue/red wire), which is probably why the resistor cought alight in the first place.(the resistor tried to act as a globe lol)
The light blue/red wire feeds Dash, heater switch, clock and cig lighter illumination and possibly any other gauges you may have added.
 
 
Cheers 

Wow you do have a good memory - fuse 3 was in fact blown.
I don't understand since i have led's in the dash (which are still ok)
I have gauges but they are on ther own circuit. They pick up on headlights feed and dimm from that.
I wonder if it jiggle into a spot and touched earth !?
Any way - thanks so much for the help - i'll get stuck in when i get home.
I think though Sarah has gone off the idea for tonight. :-P
Can't blame her. A near fire and thrown belt in one night.

well, the no 3 fuse does also feed part of the parking circuit front and rear(either rh or lh can't remember which) and number plate lights.
It could be that it earthed at the resistor but it could be at any one of those illumination places or anywhere in between.
 
Cheers
 

I noticed that.
Last night i cut the resistor off - taped it up, put it all back together and ran the car with the lights on and then ran around checking the license lights and tail light and everything seems ok.
Then drove to petrol station to get fuel - encountered my start prob. Started on about the 6 time. Then the belt came off and it started getting hot.
 
So in all that - it would seem it should be ok with the rest of the electrics.
One funny thing was i took the 10 amp fuses out that i had in (i had 7.5 in no3) and replaced them 7.5 except no1 which is 16a.
Then when i got going again i was driving and when i hit the brakes the first time the alam locks the doors. This with the other electrics was too much for 7.5 and i braked and lost headlights. :-P What a comedy of errors.
Needless to say there is a 10amp back in htat one.
 

Damn it!!
I did what RS said it all looked good - got instrument lights back.
Went for a drive - alls good - got home, closed the grage door for darkness - no instrument lights.
Put a new fuse in again popped it straight away.
What is with my car and warmth!!!????
Grrrrrr!!!!!
Now i gotta pull everything apart looking for a short that only happens when its hot!! - go figure!
Thanks again for your help RS