1800 FUSE BLOWING

[jimmyjam]

Hello, was wondering if anyone could kindly help me,

I have a Volvo P1800 s 1964 and one of my fuses keep blowing. The fuse as far as I know controls the fan heater and the interior dash lights. When I looked at the fuse there was a 5 amp fuse in place, this kept blowing. I spoke to a man in a car shop and he said 5 amp sounds quite small for something as powerful as the heater fan, so I replaced it with a 10 amp fuse. Got in the car the interior dash lights came on and I tried the heater fan it started and then cut out. I tried with a new fuse 10 amp again. Again this blew stopping the dash lights from working and the heater fan. I then read in the manual and it said that the electrics in the car consisted of 3 35 amp fuses, so I went and bought a packet of 35 amp fuses and put that in place as the other two fuses were 35 amp already. Again the dash lights came on, I turned them off and tried the heater fan again, this time i dont think it started and then the fan or the lights did not work again. Checked the fuse and it was blown again.

Please Please help me before the car end up on the end of my foot.

Thank you so much.

Jimmy

[mike gilbert]

You obviously have a short circuit somewhere. The fuse your referring to runs the cars external lights, not just the dashboard lights. you should not be able just to turn on the dash lights without at least the side lights coming on as well. I'm no electrician so all I can advise is that you replace the fuse and try the different circuits that go through it one by one to find out which one is the culprit. Get someone to closely watch the fuse as you turn on each circuit to see exactly when it blows. When you have found out whether its the lights or the fan or whatever you will have to follow that wiring along to see where the fault lies. The wiring could be shorting in the engine bay or quite likely under the dash. Try removing the offending switch from the dash, re-attach the wires to it and use it away from the dash. If everything then works your switch or the wriring to it - was obviously shorting to the metal dash - quite common. Can't help any further I'm afraid.
Mike Gilbert.