1991 Escort GT with weird electrical problem

Asked by cookooooo Dec 01, 2014 at 09:06 PM about the 1991 Ford Escort 2 Dr GT Hatchback

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I'he had a strange electrical problem lately:
when the headlights AND the rear defrost are on, the engine won't
shut off. I turn the key to the off position, I get it out of the
ignition switch and the engine, the headlights and the defrost are
still on. At that point, if I turn either the headlights, OR the
defrost off, everything shuts off. It is only the combination
headlights-defrost that does that. If I turn the headlights,defrost
and heater-blower on, and I turn the key to the off position,
the heater-blower will shut off but not engine-headlights-defrost.
Headlights-heater-blower, defrost-heater-blower everything shuts
off fine. I replaced the ignition switch & lock cylinder.  What to check now?

1 Answer
30,895

Tom answered 9 years ago

Sounds like you lost a ground connection Duplicate the condition and with a good digital meter check the voltage from the - battery terminal to the engine ... you should have less than 1 volt. Now check the voltage from the ground wire at the headlight to the - battery terminal. Finally check the voltage from the headlight ground to the engine All this is done with the key off and the engine running as you described

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