Problems with magic smoke

[alwaysFlOoReD]

1993 ranger. When the headlights are on the magic smoke escapes from under the dash. I pulled the headlight switch and its obvious which wire it is...but I cannot see a color anymore. I do have a parts ranger of the same year but havnt torn into it yet. Here is a couple pics. Can someone tell me where I should look for a short if there is a common problem area? Or do I just unwrap and replace? It looks to be really tight under there. Is it possible to unplug just the loom I need to replace or is that a pipe dream?

 

[RonD]

The larger brown wire should come from the engine fuse box, 40amp fuse, #2 maybe

Tan/white stripe is parking light power from fuse #10 15amp, cab fuse box, its also brake light fuse
It should also have a Red wire with it, to ABS
Looks like these are the shorted wires

Two smaller brown wires are OUT to Parking lights
Blue/red stripe is dash lights

Not sure on the Green/yellow and Black/red?

There is no ground wire in that harness as far as I know

 

[Josh B]

This might be the one yall are talking about. I haven't really used that CD much for electrical. It covers 93-94 Fords

 

[adsm08]

The failure is probably in the switch, and not in the harness, and also not a short.

Those switches were pretty robust, but the contacts would carbon up and cause high resistance inside the switch which will burn the feed wire. This is one of the reasons for switching the headlight system to relays instead of having them controlled directly by the switch.

 

[Drw0392]

Magic Smoke? Please forgive my ignorance...

 

[Uncle Gump]

All electrical components have built in magic smoke that make them work. Once the magic smoke is let out of them... well... they don't work anymore.

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^

As defined here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_smoke

 

[sheep herder]

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm trying to remove the dash from my parts truck so I can see how easy getting at the wiring will be. I have the passenger side loose. the instrement cluster is loose but I cant get my hands in to remove the speedo cable...FML. the hvac controls are loose too. Where the **** is the screw that's holding it in place? It seems to be somewhere in the area of the fuse block but I don't see anything....

 

[4x4junkie]

Maybe this can help? (perhaps step 15 or 20?)

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Thanks....but I did it the hard way. I didn't take the wiring with the dash, I left the wiring while taking out the dash. It will be easier next time now that I see your pics.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm trying to remove the dash from my parts truck so I can see how easy getting at the wiring will be. I have the passenger side loose. the instrement cluster is loose but I cant get my hands in to remove the speedo cable...FML. the hvac controls are loose too. Where the **** is the screw that's holding it in place? It seems to be somewhere in the area of the fuse block but I don't see anything....

So at this point there was 2 screws behind the instrument cluster and 1 screw hiding above the steering column.

 

[Josh B]

Did you get that speedo? I never got mine loose in the Ranger, then after pulling a transmission from a JY Mazda got to tinkering with the gauge cluster, and due to the cable being so loose it almost fell out, then I got a look at the clip that holds it. If I'd only pushed on one side the locking tab would have popped right off the other :/

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Yeah, I got it finally. I knew how, just couldn't get the right angle for my fumble fingers to work.
I think I'm going to retire this truck to snowplow duty for now. I have my 1987 b2600 4x4 to use and it will require less work to get on the road. Eventually this 4.0 needs to go back into the race truck anyway.
I borrowed a 1/2 truck to use in the meantime so I can stock up on firewood.

Thanks to everyone that has tried to help.

Pic of the fuse that didn't work;

 

[4x4junkie]

Was that a Harbor Freight fuse by chance (if you know)?

I've had a couple HF fuses mess up in different ways. I don't trust them anymore.