CivicVtec23

Hey there,

Im currently working on a 96 civic hatchback dx and everytime I turn the ignition to the II position it will blow two fuses necessary for it to start.

1) FI. 15A fuse located at the top left of the fuse box under the hood.
2) SRS 10A fuse located at the top left of the fuse box under the dash.

Im thinking that there is a harness inside the dash that is shorting out...when the issue happened the car cut off and I saw a small "PUFF" of smoke come out of the center bezels air vents.

Immediately those two fuses will blow as soon as the ignition is turned to the 2nd position.

Is there a diagram of the wiring harness behind the dash....the main dash harness looks fine and so does the engine harness. Maybe also a chart of what wires are what in the harnesses?

Thanks browsed the faq and couldn't find any info on this particular problem.

slyda24

Any smoke from vents will ALWAYS indicate burning/melting wires.(Trust me, I know.) You need to take some steps back and check what was recently added to the car or what wires were recently tapped into, Also double check ALL fuses to make sure they are of the proper amperage rating.

CivicVtec23

Yea it was a small amount of smoke...im thinking there is a harness that runs behind the plastic ductwork of the center vents...I guess I have to take damn near the whole dash apart to find out...the lower main harness is fine as I mentioned. And all of the fuses are the correct amp.

I need a pictured diagram of harnesses that run behind the dash. So I can continue to check each harness and narrow them down. Oddly enough I feel the srs and fuel harness are linked in the same harness since the fuel pump fuse has (srs) on it also...but this fuse doesn't blow as it originally did. There was a missing srs relay on the dash fuse box and I've installed one so it no longer blows....there must be some wires shorting out in a harness causing the fuses to blow.

Thanks im trying to locate this issue asap to get the car running again..thanks in advanced everyone!

NVturbo

Check at the steering column. The wires leading up to the ignition switch/keyhole run from the right side of the underdash fusebox and alongside the metal steering column. The wires may have been moved or altered by the previous owner and is now pinched against metal.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Remove your seats if you have to but get on your back with a flashlight and start inspecting everything. If you get smoke now you could get fire later. I've seen a couple of cars in my lifetime catch ablaze while waiting for a light to turn green. Not a pretty sight.

CivicVtec23

That particular harness is fine...I've driven the car for a good year or so.

slyda24

As NVturbo stated, a wire may be pinching somewhere if not under the dash then definitely somewhere else, Double check everything.. Look for burn marks on the body of your car.. sometimes the wire can be sitting right in front of you. if worst come to worst you're gonna have to pull your dash to find out eventually what that smoke was that came out the vent.. Either way that doesn't sound like something to ignore because you WILL have to change the ENTIRE harness of the car if left to keep burning. I had a service manual link for your car, if i come across it i will update you with it.

CivicVtec23

So this issue is still an ongoing thing..updating situation

The car hasn't been driven since it will not start, and continues to blow the F/I fuse needed in order for it to receive fuel from the pump.

I've pretty much taken off every panel on the dash to examine the harnesses, but they all appear fine....I've been trying to look at the honda service manual I have for this vehicle, and its very confusing to look at the wiring diagrams.

I believe that there is a harness that runs behind the center vent area, and the only way to inspect it would be to remove the dash completely.

I'll keep updating with any progression!

Former User

Hood fuse blowing -- check the ECU and main relay, their connectors and wires for signs damage.

Dash SRS fuse blowing - Check the SRS control unit and its connector and wires.

CivicVtec23

Thanks for the response...good info! Tried a different ecu, still same issue, need to try another main relay also before I tackle the dash removal.

i'm thinking that there are some wires fused together in a harness somewhere causing this. I've got to remove the dash to inspect where I suspect the harness is damaged....not looking forward to it

Former User

Does unplugging all 4 fuel injectors and the IACV prevent the hood fuse from blowing?

Does unplugging the SRS control unit prevent dash fuse from blowing?

laxplayermjd

unplug any component that you know is powered by those fuses before tearing things apart. if it still blows narrows it for sure to a wire problem

CivicVtec23

Thanks to everyone advice....I'm going to try and do those things asap toward the begining of this week.

I'll keep everyone posted!! Thanks again!

Sloth's_civs

Did you figure it out? Havin a short problem with my ek as well