Electric mirrors blowing fuse

[Roy748]

Hello. Could you knowledgeable bunch please share your wisdom.. I have just bought my first bongo and it's a beauty . . Only it did come with a few niggles.. but at 16 years old it's teenage problems..
When I turn on my ignition 2 clicks the mirror (fuse 8 15amp) blows immediately. In my attempt to find the cause I have removed both door cards and disconnected the mirrors plugs, turned ignition on only for the fault to continue, so not the door mirror wires.. I have removed and unplugged the mirror controller in the dash, again turning on the ignition the fault persist. I have traced the "blue live wire" from the under dash fuse box up to the mirror controller and checked that it is ok which it appeared to be, having use a test meter. So to summarise having unplugged both door mirrors and controller I still get a blown fuse upon ignition.
It seems to me that it is shorting out somewhere, I have also checked all the wires from the Aframe to the doors, a common cause of concern i understand, and they appear fine and test ok with the meter.
I did find when I tested the live blue wire in the control plug to the black wire in the control plug (earth I assumed ) I got a positive connection which I thought was my fault. I therefore cut the blue wire and fed a new live from the under dash fuse box thinking this would cut out the main loom which possibly has a short somewhere. Only upon turning on the ignition it blew the fuse again. So alas I am at a loss as to what to do other than find a electrical wiring diagram and completely rewire the mirrors.
My bongo is a 2001 2.0ltr Aero city runner..
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Gasy]

Fuse 8 also has the radio and cigy lighter on it I think

Also gets changed over to the leisure battery quite often so does get played about and modded on quite a few

[Roy748]

Hello. Thanks for your thoughts.. I think that's my next stop is to remove the stereo plug to see If that's helps. Although the previous owner was using the cigarette lighter for charging their phone and the stereo works.. it does not have a lesiure battery installed, although a towing eye with electrics could also be a contributing factor.. it's just a mine field trying to trace the wires..

[Gasy]

You will have to disconect the radio and ciggy lighter and try
Then connect them one by one and try
Bet it's the ciggy lighter

[cmm303]

Also remember the ciggy lighter in the rear.

Have you found the wiring diags published by Geoff. http://www.g8dhe.net/bwm/

[Roy748]

Hello. Thanks for your advice.
Today I disconnected the plug for the cigarette lighter in the dash, turned on the ignition and again it immediately blew the fuse.

The stereo is on a separate fuse and is working fine, regardless of the mirror fuse. Initial testing of the cigarette lighter showed it not to be working so I assume it too is on the mirror fuse.
As for the rear AC/DC cigarette lighter I was unable to remove it from the plastic surrounding, in that the transformer on the back restricted its removal.
Although I cannot see this bring the cause personally as it is untouch.
Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[cmm303]

The bongo as standard comes with a 12v DC cigarette lighter/accessory socket in the rear n/s side tray. If you've got something with AC then this will be related to a conversion and may or may not have anything to do with fuse 8.

As standard the main radio (and navigation system I think) supply is from fuse 8.

If disconnecting working circuits does not help I wonder if tracing these disconnected circuits might eliminate or find the short. It's worth trying to get your head round the wiring diags as they tell you where connectors are located and wire colours as well as the wiring schematics.

[Roy748]

Hello. Thanks for your comments. I had a look at the wiring diagrams as suggested but as my vehicle is 2001 they did not cover my model.
I only have an additional cigarette lighter with both a AC/DC sockets in the rear near side panel which I assume was factory fitted as the AC socket is for a 2 pin plug.
The stereo is definitely on a separate fuse to the mirrors and front cigarette lighter.
Although the seller had a phone charger in the cigarette socket when I purchased it, it didn't work.. I should have checked it...
The cigarette lighter in the dash did contain both the blue and black wires that initially confused me due to getting continuity through them, so at least that helped.
If the short is in the loom somewhere I am in for a long frustrating hunt.. I am considering as a last resort running a new live to both the mirrors and cigarette lighter to bypass the loom..

[Roy748]

So having now spoken with the previous owner I am able to shed a little light on things. Previous seller tells me

"we had a radio issue about a month back, it stopped working so I got it looked at and fixed, they said they change the wire and fuse I think,
he said he had to change something where the fuse for the radio used to be, moved it to another slot,"

So it would seem my problem originated at the radio.. Unfortunately they dI'd not notice the mirrors were not working do could not say whether they were before or after the radio fix.

[Roy748]

Could anyone suggest where and what would I should do next.
Thanks in advance

[Roy748]

Would it be a good idea to cut the blue (live) wire in the fuse box and solder a new wire which I could run directly to the mirror control unit (blue live wire after cutting the old one), then continue this live onto the cigarette lighter and stereo. Thus bypassing the original live wire in the loom.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[cmm303]

First off I'd trace the blue wire from the fuse panel (X-03) to connector X-05, located in similar area to the fuse panel.
See diag:


Connector X-05 is the common factor. It may be possible to isolate the troublesome device feed from this connector as it has the blue wires for:

Radio

Navigation system

Front ciggy lighter (N.B. feed to rear ciggy lighter goes off via a different connector)

Door mirrors


I appreciate these diags aren't for a 2001 Bongo but until somebody chips in otherwise, or you find out (!!), it is worth assuming that this part of the wiring will be the same.

[Roy748]

Hello. Thank you for your suggestion and diagrams. I will give it a try and report back..

[Roy748]

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions.
Today I finally resolved the issue. Having narrowed it down to the blue wire I began at the fuse box and following it to the first connector, x05 on the wiring diagram I unplugged the connector, however turning on the ignition it still blew the fuse.. therefore confirming it was a short in the wiring lume from the fuse box to connector. To confirm I cut the blue wire at the fuse box and at the connector and using crocodile clips bridged a new live connection and hey presto all worked fine with no blowing fuse.
So to finish the job I soldered in a new blue wire and shrink wrapped insulated the joins. The old blue wire was left in situ but fully insulated against any shorts.
I also returned the stereo back to running on the same fuse as the cigarette lighter and mirrors.
All serms to work as it should now, I guess only time will tell.

[Bob]

Well done.