Electrical problems

[Templar]

I have a 1980 Lincoln mark vi with some electrical problems. First I have no rear window defogger, power antenna, trunk release, or power locks. I do still have my power windows. I have checked the fuses and nothing is blown. Second my dome lights stay on almost all the time, now and then they will shut off for a few miles but they come back on. So I have to pull the fuse when I turn the car off. But when I do this it kills power to the electronic message center which then I have to reset. Third my power seat circuit breaker keeps on over heating and that blows also. It gets so hot it almost burns my fingers. Some how I think that all this problems are connected. Thanks Jerry

 

[bmininge]

Hi Jerry. Had a similar problem in my '89 Colony Park wagon awhile back. A bunch of electrical gadgets working intermittently. Went online and bought the Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual for that car. It's one of the Ford shop manuals in the set for '89. Loads of them on ebay and Amazon by year and model. I noticed that in the harness a lot of circuits are controlled by multi function switches. In my case it was the ignition switch. Flipping through my own copy for my 1980 Mk VI it appears to show a similar layout for the ignition switch. Means stuff has no power unless the key is in the acc or run position. Try to imagine 2 circuit boards with exposed contacts, pressed together. The lock mechanism in the steering column is keyed into one of the boards. When you turn the ignition key one board slides over the other and exposed contacts line up closing the circuit. The dome light is a different story. Think it's controlled by the light switch. You might try disconnecting the harness connector at the switch, check for damage and reconnect. Also, check your door switches that control the lights when you open or close the doors. With the Troubleshooting manuals I've tracked down quite a few bad grounds and shorts over the years in my '80, '81 MK VI and '97 Town Car, '91 Country Squire and '89 Colony Park. Have full sets of factory shop manuals for all of them. It's well after midnight or I'd trace the circuits for your failed gear and see where they come out. bmininge1@verizon.net if I can be of any help with your "project". Barry