Engine electrics burning!

[Dan in NZ]

On a 3 hour drive today, I smelled a funky burning smell. Later on the trip I noticed the horn and A/C weren't working. Aux fan works but compresser does not engage. 15 amp Fuse 9, for horn was blown so I replaced it. Car was fine for another hour, then the funky burning smell returned, a/c and horn not working, and fuse 9 out. How can I find whatever is shorting out??? Or do I just put a 30amp fuse in place, watch the car burn, and claim insurance for an electrical fire ;)

[ryan roopnarine]

i believe that there is some type of resistor on the fan for the cc, IIRC. if that goes bad, its possible that you could start drawing too much current, burning up the motor and smelling smoke, and killing the fuse before damage can be done. have you localised the smell?


On a 3 hour drive today, I smelled a funky burning smell. Later on the trip I noticed the horn and A/C weren't working. Aux fan works but compresser does not engage. 15 amp Fuse 9, for horn was blown so I replaced it. Car was fine for another hour, then the funky burning smell returned, a/c and horn not working, and fuse 9 out. How can I find whatever is shorting out??? Or do I just put a 30amp fuse in place, watch the car burn, and claim insurance for an electrical fire ;)

[Bill R.]

the bottom of the compressor and seem some black gook dripping just behind the pulley , smell that and see if thats the buring smell... You probably have a toasted ac clutch.






On a 3 hour drive today, I smelled a funky burning smell. Later on the trip I noticed the horn and A/C weren't working. Aux fan works but compresser does not engage. 15 amp Fuse 9, for horn was blown so I replaced it. Car was fine for another hour, then the funky burning smell returned, a/c and horn not working, and fuse 9 out. How can I find whatever is shorting out??? Or do I just put a 30amp fuse in place, watch the car burn, and claim insurance for an electrical fire ;)

[Dan in NZ]

I put another fuse in, started the car, and watched for smoke. After a while there was smoke rising between the engine and firewall, beside the heater valve. Couldn't track down where it was coming from, but I assume it's something under there. I've had the smoke and burning smell from this area before, even with the a/c switched off, but no fuses went out, and the smoke stopped. Seems to only burn when starting from a cold engine. Is there an air pump that could be binding??? (Japanese import) I would imagine an air pump would be somewhere in this location???

[Dan in NZ]

All the a/c bits look fine. 3rd fuse blown in two days, and a/c is now working without the fuse, but horn still isn't. Funny thing is that with a new fuse, it will work fine for a while, yesterday I used the car 3 times before the fuse burned out.

Dealer is picking it up at 12, I'll let you guys know what was wrong.

[Unregistered]

The aux water pump was screwed, and the power from the horn fuse was burning it up. Go figure.

Dealers report read something like:
"reconnected fuse and tested all components on fuse #9 (horn, a/c relay, aux water pump). Noticed smoke coming from aux water pump. Disconnected aux water pump.

For this they charged 1.7 hours!!!

Moral of the story: If your horn and a/c doesn't work, check your water pump.

[Boggie1688]

Hmm....my ac and my horn didn't work..then I started to have a leak in my water pump....I got the water pump replaced....replaced the fuse and now my horn works! BUT MY STUPID AC DOESNT WORK!