My 306 (97 xtdt) Seems to have a problem with burning through one particular fuse. its the one for the instrument and fascia display illumination. seems to go about every couple of months, sometimes while driving or sometimes when i start the car and switch on the lights. either way - no dash lights at all! i was wondering if this is best left as it is, fuses cost practically nothing after all, or if it means something is wrong with the wiring/instruments themselves.
BTW it is a 10amp fuse if that helps.
Thanks in advance for any replies. ( unless its about carp french electrics!)
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Does this fuse just run the instrument panel lights? 10 amps sems very big just for this.
Anway, if it just runs the instrument lights, then finding the cause will be a pig. Its a dashboard out job. Dont go there.
I still think it might be somewhere else tho. Find out what else this fuse supplies.
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Thanks for replying RF. I think it runs the instrument panel and the fascia lighting.by that i mean the radio and heater lights too. Does this sound more likely? i will check if it runs more later. It is definatley a 10 tho.
Thanks again
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Duffy
Yes take it out and see what else fails to work. Wouldnt be suprised if its sidelights as well.
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You were right, it runs what i mentioned plus the door open/lights on buzzer and rheostat? whatever that is.
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Rheostat adjusts the brightnes of the dashboard light.
Try turning rheostat down and see if it still blows fuses.
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Thanks for the reply solara. I already set the dimmer at more or less minimum brightness cos i just prefer it that way.(and maybe the dash bulbs will last longer!) any other ideas why it may keep popping?
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I don't know about this car, but one cause of repeatedly blowing fuses is that an initially poor connection at the fuse, eg corrosion, has caused the fuse and holder to get hot. This weakens the springiness of the fuse contacts, and softens the plastic holder, which in turn means the fuse is gripped less firmly, which causes a poor connection, which causes heating ....
I don't know what style of fuse you have, but you could try carefully cleaning the contacts, and if possible bending them to give a bit more pressure.
If all else fails is there a spare fuse position you could use?
A test with a multimeter would help too, to measure the actual current being drawn by each component in turn.
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I think the fuse connection is ok cliff, as the fuse itself clips into place well and no corrosion at all is visible. You actually have to push quite firmly to get the fuse in so thats why i think the connection is good.Could it be a some corroded/faulty wiring elsewhere that is causing this,or perhaps a faulty bulb somehow?
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Wiring? yes specially where it goes thro bulkheads and round body parts. Bulbs? yes a bulb could be drawing too much. Dont be tempted to rip the dash out to find it tho. Asking for trouble, they never go back right.
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Try turning the rheostat up.
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Why would turning the dimmer up matter? (just out of interest)
I not going to rip the dash out just for a possible faulty bulb.I am not sure if i'd do that even for a heater matrix...
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Just noticed there are alot of technical posts for 306's at the minute. maybe i should have bought a renault
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It's *probably* the age-old 306 problem here - the door loom breaks/shorts out between the body and the door.....all contained in a rubber convoluted tube.
Might be worth trying?
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Thanks DL. I have noticed that the door switch which operates the interior light does work intermittently.also the door open/lights on buzzer works only occasionly and this is obviously through the same switch.i suppsoe as the buzzer is on the same fuse as the dash lights then this could be the problem? might be worth a look even for someone of my ability
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Why would turning the dimmer up matter? (just out of interest) I not going to rip the dash out just for a possible faulty bulb.I am not sure if i'd do that even for a heater matrix...
If it was not in circuit then a normal 12v would go to the bulbs. Now depending on its design the rheostat will either limit current or voltage to the bulbs, hence diming them. Either way means disipating energy to the bulbs and could in itself cause the fuse to blow. If you turn it up, (depending on its design again) it could be switched out of the circuit, eliminating it from possible cause.
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Interesting.Thanks RF and everybody else who replied.Just to satisfy my curiosity, does limiting the current/voltage to a bulb (as in the dash) make it last longer? or does it not matter.
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Interesting.Thanks RF and everybody else who replied.Just to satisfy my curiosity, does limiting the current/voltage to a bulb (as in the dash) make it last longer? or does it not matter.
Bulbs are wondrous things. They work best at the rated design. Too much volts and they can burn and blow, too little and they can soot up the inside of the bulb, but generally speaking the
less heat they need to disipate the longer they last. So a voly or two under is good.
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............Whereas a bulb or two over is bad!
I wonder what voltage bulbs are durability tested at?
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