electrical issues (possible fusible link)

[kurt-o]

Ok... I've done some research and it sounds like my issue is the fusible link. However I have a couple things that don't add up...

So when this started... I was noticing the check engine light was flickering on and off repeatedly and then I noticed the radio was going on and off. Later that day I noticed the driver side telescoping steering wheel and the driver side power seat wouldn't work.

The problem was intermittent... when the check engine light stopped flickering the previously faulty electronics started to work.. This repeated on and off and seems like hitting the brakes hard made it come back or turning off the car and restarted reset everything.

Today I was driving and suddenly I got choked by this smell that I can't quite describe... Its almost like plastic burning, I got home started looking for the smell and I just couldn't locate it. I'm not sure where to look and I don't know I could afford the hit of just telling my mechanic to find the problem.

If this the fusible link going bad, I will be jumping for joy....

So finally, my question is.. If the fusible link fails do my symptoms occur?

[632 Regal]

sounds like a few things to me, check all grounds for corrosion. If somewhere its corroded it will backfeed and create total havoc with electronics....find it before you go on or you might be in for a lot of troubles ahead.

[uscharalph]

Ok... I've done some research and it sounds like my issue is the fusible link. However I have a couple things that don't add up...

So when this started... I was noticing the check engine light was flickering on and off repeatedly and then I noticed the radio was going on and off. Later that day I noticed the driver side telescoping steering wheel and the driver side power seat wouldn't work.

The problem was intermittent... when the check engine light stopped flickering the previously faulty electronics started to work.. This repeated on and off and seems like hitting the brakes hard made it come back or turning off the car and restarted reset everything.

Today I was driving and suddenly I got choked by this smell that I can't quite describe... Its almost like plastic burning, I got home started looking for the smell and I just couldn't locate it. I'm not sure where to look and I don't know I could afford the hit of just telling my mechanic to find the problem.

If this the fusible link going bad, I will be jumping for joy....

So finally, my question is.. If the fusible link fails do my symptoms occur?
Hopefully that burning smell wasn't coming from inside of your car.

[Dan in NZ]

Start by changing the fusible link. It's a 5 minute job and costs less than a dollar. The burning smell could have been the fusible link arcing over a break and melting the plastic, it's located under the back seat. If your battery is under the hood, you have one there, and one under the back seat.

Get it sorted before your car goes up in smoke...

[Torque]

Yes, it could be your fusible link. They usually just split down the middle, but the pieces usually still touch enough to make contact ... sometimes -- intermittent like you said. It's easy to check. It's in a little black box right on the front of the passenger side strut tower.

As for the burning smell: are you sure you're not smelling coolant (if you've had the heat on and this happened) ? If so, you probably need a new heater core.

[kurt-o]

I'm going out with a flashlight to take a peek....

I can't place where the smell is coming from precisely.. Its really faint and it makes me cough... I think I detected a little bit of the odor coming from under the rear seat earlier.

I am utterly disgusted by the butchering of the wiring by the previous owner. It makes absolutely -0- sense. After lifting the rear seat I've seen a few butchered connections.

[zygoteer]

... I noticed the driver side telescoping steering wheel and the ...OK ... my passenger side telescoping steering wheel is missing on my car ... anyone know the part number ?

:D (sorry could'nt resist)

[kurt-o]

OK ... my passenger side telescoping steering wheel is missing on my car ... anyone know the part number ?

:D (sorry could'nt resist)


har har... anyhow.. I finally looked at the fusible link and it doesn't appear cracked... I took a cursory drive and nobody had one in stock, tomorrow the car goes into the local bmw shop for an oil change anyhow.. Maybe I can ask them to just change it anyways...

I hope this is the problem as I've been racking my brain trying to figure this problem out..

[kurt-o]

One more quicky... So I put the fusible link back in the car.. and now I can only adjust my seats when the engine isn't running. The radio seems to consistantly work when the engine is off too..

[kurt-o]

Latest update...

It appears that my battery has exploded, I feel dumb that i didn't recognize the smell as battery acid... Anyhow, I should find out shortly what caused it. Ironically I just had the charging system checked last saturday and everything was a-ok. Its in the shop now getting some other work done, so here's to hoping it was just a battery gone wrong...