No Brake Lights! Have A Fix-It Ticket!!!

[Bambikiller240]

Sean:

You just lived through what we've been posting here for the past few years.

Enrique

ya beat me to it!

This should be a lesson to everyone who stumbles across this thread in the future. Looking doesn't cut it. Take the fuse out and use your ohmmeter to test it.

[sblake01]

Moral:

If you are checking fuses don't just look at the damned things... Pull 'em out and check for continuity. And walking your way back through the circuit with a DVOM is really the best way to diagnose the problem.Thanks for all your input and support guys.

Sean

Glad you fixed it! Actually you can probe the fuses for continuity with your digital VOM while they're still in the fusebox. One of the ones I have is a little cheapo from Radio Shack but what makes it perfect for that job is that it emits and audible 'beep' when there is continuity.

[DoctorMuffn]

Sean:

You just lived through what we've been posting here for the past few years.

Enrique

I guess I haven't been reading enough... Thanks again guys.

[Bambikiller240]

Glad you fixed it! Actually you can probe the fuses for continuity with your digital VOM while they're still in the fusebox. One of the ones I have is a little cheapo from Radio Shack but what makes it perfect for that job is that it emits and audible 'beep' when there is continuity.

Yes, they can be checked while still in the fuse box, but I still recommend taking them out.

The reason for me taking them out in order to test is that I have encountered several fuses over the years where the end cap was not well connected to the metal strip. The result was that the fuse was intermittantly conducting power. I'd hit a bump and the power through that fuse would be interupted. Pulling the fuse out allows me to examine the fuse for mechanical as well as electrical problems.

[DoctorMuffn]

Pulling the fuse out allows me to not break the fuse in my ohmeter if I happen to be testing a live circuit even though I've already checked for key off voltage. I'm still new to this diagnosing/mechanic thing so I don't trust the results very well.

I won't forget to tell you guys how my court date goes this coming Thursday. Now I just need to find a frigin' sheriff to write off my fix-it citation.

[Bambikiller240]

Now I just need to find a frigin' sheriff to write off my fix-it citation.

Dunkin' Donuts?

Krispy Kreme?

LaMar's Donuts?

Donut Connection?

[DoctorMuffn]

Just a follow up. I'm lazy and I haven't replaced the fuse for my horn that I borrowed to make my brake lights and hazards work; but they still work.

And I just got back from court this morning to find that the judicial system has changed a bit. Apparently you show up at 8am in Southern California courts only to be diverted to another court room where you wait up to 3 hours for your officer to show up. No longer is your case dismissed if your officer doesn't show up at 8am like you did; instead they have the benefit of receiving subpeona and then being appeased at the expense of your time while you cancel your day to wait for a cop to "fit" you in.

Anyway, and needless to say (almost), my officer did show up, but I was still able to get my fine commuted to a lower fee. And the fix-it ticket was addressed yesterday when I showed proof of correction and paid bail.

Just so you know the court system has yet again endured changes to help it become one of the most efficient racketeering organizations for the state known to us; I'm just glad the judge was nicer than the officer.

[Bambikiller240]

In my county (Alameda in Nor Cal), when you show up at 8AM you sign up for court(they will sign up around the first 50 people in line, the rest can wait outside of court to see if there is enough time at the end of the day to be seen) then you wait in the courtroom for your case to be called. At that point you have a choice:

1. You can plead guilty with an explanation (and proof of correction if necessary), and hope for a fee reduction.

OR

2. Fight the ticket which will cause your case to be postponed to another day so that the cop can be notified to appear (he WILL show up most times) and you will loose most of 2 days of work (plus whatever fines you may or may not end up with).

It's as much REVENUE GENERATION as it is LAW ENFORCEMENT around here.

[st0878]

If you don't have a fuse a 22 bullet works good!

[Bambikiller240]

Sorry, but that has got to be the most lame suggestion I've heard in a long time. :stupid" If this is to be done, just make sure the round is pointing toward the person who installed it.

That way we can read about him in the Darwin Awards.

[DoctorMuffn]

If you don't have a fuse a 22 bullet works good!

I definately don't have all that... I live in the O.C. and I'm white... most of us don't know what a 22 is. Besides, if I did use one my dumbass would install it pointing right at my knees. :stupid:

[AChev]

There was an episode of myth-busters like that. They used a 22 cal. round in the fuse, and after a little bit a toying, they got it to fire off, burrowing into the skin of the dummy