Ok guy's, now I need someones help, or to pick someones brain, here goes:

My 2004 F150 died coming home from work yesterday. Just had gotten on the Hy-way when all of a sudden all my gauges in the dash lossed power and the engine died. I was able to pull to the side of the road without power steering, came to a stop, put it in park, turned the key to see if the engine would crank, nothing, nada, zip. Checked the fuse panel found the ignition fuse blown 20 amp, feeds the ignition switch. All the lights work, head lights as well. I can not shift into any gear since I shifted into park. I know for a fact the battery is good. Changed the fuse, it blew again. Any ideas what could be causing the short? Anyone have a wiring diagram or schematic of my truck?

Quote from Jeff Nading on January 8th, 2014, 06:34 PM

Ok guy's, now I need someones help, or to pick someones brain, here goes:

My 2004 F150 died coming home from work yesterday. Just had gotten on the Hy-way when all of a sudden all my gauges in the dash lossed power and the engine died. I was able to pull to the side of the road without power steering, came to a stop, put it in park, turned the key to see if the engine would crank, nothing, nada, zip. Checked the fuse panel found the ignition fuse blown 20 amp, feeds the ignition switch. All the lights work, head lights as well. I can not shift into any gear since I shifted into park. I know for a fact the battery is good. Changed the fuse, it blew again. Any ideas what could be causing the short? Anyone have a wiring diagram or schematic of my truck?

hi Jeff check the alternator for shorts also the starter motor in case they got stuck in the start position these two items are the favorites as they can draw plenty of current
if not check for any shorts to ground again look for heavy duty wires as 20 amps  is a large current to draw when not cranking the motor also for the wiring diagram try auto zone they have all kinds on their website hope this helps if not let me know and ill try and help some more
peter

Quote from seamus on January 8th, 2014, 06:51 PM

Quote from Jeff Nading on January 8th, 2014, 06:34 PM

Ok guy's, now I need someones help, or to pick someones brain, here goes:

My 2004 F150 died coming home from work yesterday. Just had gotten on the Hy-way when all of a sudden all my gauges in the dash lossed power and the engine died. I was able to pull to the side of the road without power steering, came to a stop, put it in park, turned the key to see if the engine would crank, nothing, nada, zip. Checked the fuse panel found the ignition fuse blown 20 amp, feeds the ignition switch. All the lights work, head lights as well. I can not shift into any gear since I shifted into park. I know for a fact the battery is good. Changed the fuse, it blew again. Any ideas what could be causing the short? Anyone have a wiring diagram or schematic of my truck?

hi Jeff check the alternator for shorts also the starter motor in case they got stuck in the start position these two items are the favorites as they can draw plenty of current
if not check for any shorts to ground again look for heavy duty wires as 20 amps  is a large current to draw when not cranking the motor also for the wiring diagram try auto zone they have all kinds on their website hope this helps if not let me know and ill try and help some more
peter

I'll check it out, thanks Peter. I just hope it's not the computer control $$$$.

Hey Jeff,
I'm not sure how they do it on the trucks now days, but on newer cars there is a little square panel in the dash that can be pried up with a small screw driver to release the park.  On my car it is next to the shifter which is between the seats and not on the steering column.

That sure seems strange to blow a fuse like that just driving.  
I found this forum with a guy having the same problem back in '08 with no resolution:
http://www.f150online.com/forums/electrical-systems/343508-ignition-fuse-blowing-04-f150.html

.. also found this one which may be what happened to yours:
http://www.f150forum.com/f4/help-im-blowing-ignition-switch-fuse-86855/

Quote

Finally took my truck to a local electrical shop. Took them two and a half days of going through wiring schematics, and then the short was intermittent after moving wiring around, but the culprit was........a wiring issue leading to the number 5 coil on plug coil. He said the coil was good, but there was an issue leading up to it.

So I would check under the hood for wires getting scuffed or melted.  With it being ignition, I would check the coil packs first.

Quote from firepinto on January 9th, 2014, 10:07 AM

Hey Jeff,
I'm not sure how they do it on the trucks now days, but on newer cars there is a little square panel in the dash that can be pried up with a small screw driver to release the park.  On my car it is next to the shifter which is between the seats and not on the steering column.

That sure seems strange to blow a fuse like that just driving.  
I found this forum with a guy having the same problem back in '08 with no resolution:
http://www.f150online.com/forums/electrical-systems/343508-ignition-fuse-blowing-04-f150.html

.. also found this one which may be what happened to yours:
http://www.f150forum.com/f4/help-im-blowing-ignition-switch-fuse-86855/

Quote

Finally took my truck to a local electrical shop. Took them two and a half days of going through wiring schematics, and then the short was intermittent after moving wiring around, but the culprit was........a wiring issue leading to the number 5 coil on plug coil. He said the coil was good, but there was an issue leading up to it.

So I would check under the hood for wires getting scuffed or melted.  With it being ignition, I would check the coil packs first.

Thanks so much Nate, I just got home 7:30. Did some checks, #5 coil looks to have something melted on top of it, I can see a pipe manifold over it and looks as if it could be leaking, won't be able to check this further until tomorrow.

Wow, same #5, seems like ford might have some design issues there.  I hope it's an easy fix for ya. :)

Quote from firepinto on January 9th, 2014, 06:01 PM

Wow, same #5, seems like ford might have some design issues there.  I hope it's an easy fix for ya. :)

Yes it looks to me as if  hot gasses are leaking from the manifold pipe onto the #5 coil. I've done all the obvious and could be scenario's, I hope this is the problem and nothing else is wrong, as the other possibilities could be very costly.

Quote from Jeff Nading on January 9th, 2014, 06:43 PM

Quote from firepinto on January 9th, 2014, 06:01 PM

Wow, same #5, seems like ford might have some design issues there.  I hope it's an easy fix for ya. :)

Yes it looks to me as if  hot gasses are leaking from the manifold pipe onto the #5 coil. I've done all the obvious and could be scenario's, I hope this is the problem and nothing else is wrong, as the other possibilities could be very costly.

hi Jeff it most unlikely that the computer will blow a 20 amp fuse also the same goes for the coil as it would short out and stop the motor running but i never seen the main fuse blow as a result quick test remove the positive wire from the coil and turn the ignition on and see if it blows the fuse without running the engine the do the same with the other parts that could draw that kind of current until you find the fault hope this helps you .just a thought does this fuse blow with the ignition off or only when it is switched on as this will narrow down the circuits involved and remember that at 20 amps it would not be anything that has small gauge wire or it would melt when trying to pass that kind of current also does the fuse blow with a flash instantly or slowly?

Quote from seamus on January 10th, 2014, 11:17 AM

Quote from Jeff Nading on January 9th, 2014, 06:43 PM

Quote from firepinto on January 9th, 2014, 06:01 PM

Wow, same #5, seems like ford might have some design issues there.  I hope it's an easy fix for ya. :)

Yes it looks to me as if  hot gasses are leaking from the manifold pipe onto the #5 coil. I've done all the obvious and could be scenario's, I hope this is the problem and nothing else is wrong, as the other possibilities could be very costly.

hi Jeff it most unlikely that the computer will blow a 20 amp fuse also the same goes for the coil as it would short out and stop the motor running but i never seen the main fuse blow as a result quick test remove the positive wire from the coil and turn the ignition on and see if it blows the fuse without running the engine the do the same with the other parts that could draw that kind of current until you find the fault hope this helps you .just a thought does this fuse blow with the ignition off or only when it is switched on as this will narrow down the circuits involved and remember that at 20 amps it would not be anything that has small gauge wire or it would melt when trying to pass that kind of current also does the fuse blow with a flash instantly or slowly?

Well guy's I found the problem, I had a small 20 amp aircraft circuit breaker, I rigged up to replace the 20 amp fuse, those fuses are $5.00 a piece, so the breaker I had saved me some money. Plugged in the breaker where the fuse would go, turned the ignition switch on, my truck came to life.
Disconnected the coil on #3 cylinder, because this is the one I thought was #5 cylinder [I had forgotten  Ford changed there numeric cylinder arrangement], cranked the engine over, it started, ran ruff though, only 7 cylinders firing.
Turned the engine off,  Plugged #3 wire back onto the coil, guess what happened, the engine started, it did not pop the breaker, but the engine was still running on 7 cylinders, replaced the #3 coil and I was good to go.
What a headache this was. The good aspect of this all, my boss was the one who rescued me from being stranded, helped me through the whole ordeal, stayed with me till 8:00 the evening I was stranded and until the tow truck came, said to have my truck towed to the shop, as I live 40 miles from where I work and was only 6 miles from there, then he takes me to his home gives me the keys to his spare truck and say's don't be late to work tomorrow :P:P, what a guy, sure is a joy to have a boss like this and good people on this forum to help in my hour of need, Thanks Nate and Peter.:cool::D:P:P:P

Good deal Jeff :cool: glad to see it was just a coil pack.  Your boss is dying breed, ya found a nice place to work. :)  

So, I wonder if it would be a good modification to put individual fuses at the coil pack terminals?  Sure seems safer to limp home on 7 cylinders than being stranded in today's world.  

Quote from firepinto on January 10th, 2014, 10:19 PM

Good deal Jeff :cool: glad to see it was just a coil pack.  Your boss is dying breed, ya found a nice place to work. :)  

So, I wonder if it would be a good modification to put individual fuses at the coil pack terminals?  Sure seems safer to limp home on 7 cylinders than being stranded in today's world.

That would be a very good idea, sure was an unnerving experience to be stranded on the side of the Hy-way in hi volume traffic.