'Hot' smell followed by no brake or turn signal lights

Coupefan

True Classic
So something smelled hot, which was immediately followed by a loss of turn signals and brake lights (I noticed people were braking really close to me for some reason, this is why).

Checked fuse A. It's fine. Started following the terminal wire 1 back as much as I could locally, it looks fine. Pulled the steering column cover, thinking the wires finally toasted themselves...haven't gotten around to this mod or brown wire mod, since I put in headlight relays I figured I bought myself some time. Nothing unusual or crispy, everything looks fine.

Logically, finding a toasted or overheated wire would help direct me to the issue, but none of them look abused. The sun is now shaded by the house in my working area, I'm going back out after I write this. Anyone have an exactly similar situation?
 
Nope, never happened to anyone here, ever. :)

I would have a look at the brake light switch under the dash, it may have toasted itself. This wouldn’t be a reason for the turn signals.

This wouldn’t be a brown wire issue, it sounds like something else.
 
Half solved. The common denominator were the wires under the A fuse. After unseating it and reseating it several times, continuity was restored. Badly tarnished tabs. Maybe time for a fresh or cleaned fuse block. Now about the 'hot' smell, I don't know. Did I imagine it, since everything is now working normally?
 
The hot smell, we won’t debate if it was psychosomatic, indicates an issue exists. Either way losing continuity at the fuse suggests it is likely time to take the fuse box apart and go through each connection to clean and apply some protective grease.

While you are doing so, you might consider changing the fuse assembly to a blade fuse solution to get better reliability and serviceability. It is fully upgradable unlike the units in the late cars that are nearly a black box system (literally and figuratively). This would also be the opportunity to upgrade the power delivery to the relay side of the box and the fuse block. A long and fussy job in close quarters but it would be worth your time.
 
My wife would say it's psychosomatic, and refer me to more specific footnotes at the bottom of the page.

Absolutely thought about the later fuse box. It may become a Christmas vacation project.

Cheers.
 
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