99_EJ8_TypeR

I have a 99 civic ex and recently all of my instrument lights quit working. I thought it was the fuse so I put a new one and it blue as soon as I tried to turn the lights on. The aftermarket radio and gauge are the only things that light up. I checked the wires from the radio and all the other wires I installed and none of them are touching the frame and the orange wires from the radio are capped. This lead me to believe it was the dimmer switch, I don't have a multimeter so I had someone who had one help me. We checked it and were pretty sure it was broken but we also decided to check the wiring harness for it. He said the fuse would have to be good before we could check it and sense it kept blowing, I put aluminum foil around it real quick ant turned the headlights on so we could check. It was on for around 15-20 seconds before the fuse started smoking.

What I am wondering is what damageccould could have been caused by this. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

I read this a couple of times and I'm not seeing it. What fuse is it exactly?
Something's shorted. Have wires ben hacked? Is anything connected to the dimmer? If so, disconnect it. Are you using the rated fuse?

99_EJ8_TypeR

The fuse I'm talking about is for the instrument lights, the one inside the fuse panel under the dash. No hacked wires and yes, proper rated fuse (7.5). I just used the blown fuse and connected the two prongs with aluminum foil to get a connection. The dimmer I'm talking about is the stock dimmer, under the air vent by the drivers side door. Hope that clarifies.

I'm just trying to figure out if I could have shorted something out since the fuse blows as soon as I put a new one in, but it was not able to because I wrapped it with tin foil.

z-28john

Where I come from, we call that a "smoke-test"!
It's not usually a good idea, unless you have another vehicle to drive, if it tears up anything important, when you do it. BUT, it is the quickest way to find the problem.

You have a dead-short, somewhere in the circuit that your fuse covers. Hopefully it's not a big circuit. (I once bought a '92 Camaro that popped the fuse- instantly- for the interior lights. Unfortunately, it also carried the front/rear marker lights, the hood/trunk lights, the power locks, the cigarette lighter, etc. So, basically from front-to-rear and side-to-side, Lol!)

You can smoke-test it again, using a piece of AWG 12 wire but ONLY if you have another vehicle, and wait until the fault itself starts smoking. (BTW- the '92 Camaro had a shorted cig lighter, where the kid had wired then yanked his stereo. It took a friend and I 12 hours to repair/replace wires, after we found it, because we had to go all the way to the firewall!)

The best way would be to use a DMM (digital multi-meter) to chase the wires, until you find it. It can take lots of time, but doesn't risk your ride!
Good luck!

tony_2018

You "smoke test" it like that again then you better expect some melting wires and more damage. Find out whats running along that circuit first and start by unplugging everything in that circuit, than hook them back up one by one and check the fuse every time you hook it back up. Thats kinda the only way I know how to check it without a multimeter.

andoxviii

iTrader: (1)

WTF are you thinking...? So much fail.

99_EJ8_TypeR

Yah, I don't plan on doing it again, it was just to test the dimmer switch wires. The only thing that fuse controls are the instrument lights, which is why I went ahead and tried it. If it would have contrived anything else I wouldn't have done that. I'm just afraid it might have messed up my fuse box. Is that possible? The rear of the car is fine.

I did figure that was the quickest way to figure out what was wrong, but didn't want to go so far as getting the wire to smoke.

99_EJ8_TypeR

Quick way to find the problem and if you aren't going to contribute quit trolling just leave the convo.

andoxviii

iTrader: (1)

Whatever kid. I couldn't care less if you light your car on fire.

shotoutacc0rd

Do you wanna light my car on fire too? I could use the insurance moneys..

99_EJ8_TypeR

Very minor smoke is nothing close to a fire, I watched the fuse the while time and as soon as it started smoking even a lite, I pulled it. So stop trolling and get a life.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Sorry, but that was a fail move and has to be one of the stupidest things I've heard of to date.
So if you think a fuse smoking is not something to take just as seriously as an actual fire then you need to find another forum to post in.

Now you need to trace all wires to find that short. I'd start by rechecking the wiring to the aftermarket radio.

99_EJ8_TypeR

I have checked and rechecked all the wires and triple checked the radio wires. Yes, I know it's serious which is why I made it a two person job, had someone check the volts while I was under the dash watching the fuse with a fire extinguisher. Running out of options and the wires I needed to check couldn't be unless there was power running to them. The only thing I can think that it could be is the dimmer switch, waiting on a dude to give me a call so I can go buy one from him.

andoxviii

iTrader: (1)

99_EJ8_TypeR

Man, you must really not have a life kid.

I know it's serious cuz it's not working.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

If you want continued help here i strongly advised against the personal attacks. The fact of the matter is, if you do something stupid, you will get called on it. Own it and move on. Lesson learned. Don't do it again. Proceed to get the guidance you need to fix your issue. Lashing out results in bickering and ultimately threads get locked.

andoxviii

iTrader: (1)

The older you get, the wiser you become. I am old enough and wise enough to know not to do stupid **** that will set my car on fire.

Come to think of it, I don't recall myself ever being stupid enough to try something that moronic. The entire purpose of a fuse is protection against things like shorts and fires. You don't bypass it with foil. FFS.

Go to school. I'm done with you.

99_EJ8_TypeR

I've been to school, thanks. Obviously you need to go back and learn some manners. Oh and my moronic method didn't set my car on fire, it did however end up finding the problem. Hopefully you actually are done because the only thing you are doing is wasting people's time. The only thing you have done is throw insults around which says to me you really don't know too much.

99_EJ8_TypeR

grumblemarc, thanks for letting me know about threads getting locked and I get what you're saying, but if I see a post about something someone did, stupid or not, I either post something productive that will help or I don't post at all. Imo when someone posts for help, they have owned whatever they are posting about because they realized they have hit a dead end, need help or an answer, or messed up. I have no patients for people who go around trolling. It just wastes time and shows they are an ***. Nothing helpful or productive comes from it.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

That may be your opinion but remember that there are people who may be ignorant with the workings of their vehicles that will stumble upon this thread later. If there is no mention that methods taken were unwise or even dangerous, they may somehow think that it is acceptable.

Most of the time they have not "owned whatever they are posting about because they realized they have ... messed up". In fact they will do exactly what you are doing in this very thread and defend it, rationalize it, or try and downplay it altogether.

I guess with that logic, if you see someone texting about to step into oncoming traffic you don't say anything because you think they're owning it.

Regardless, if you've found your issue then fine. Unfortunately, I cannot, in all due honesty, say "good job".

99_EJ8_TypeR

If I see a post in which someone is using a dangerous method I will say something. I just won't say it in a way that makes me look like an ***. I would say something like, "Hey, be careful because that method isn't safe because of x or y." not, "That is by far the dumbest thing I have heard of, you're an idiot." Huge difference but both ways let the poster and people reading the thread that said method isn't safe. z-28john's reply is a perfect example. He stated it wasn't a good idea and gave a reason why, then gave advice.

I realize my method wasn't the safest or wisest method by far, which is why I said I had someone up top testing while I was under the dash keeping my eyes on the fuse the whole time ready to pull it and had a fire extinguisher at the ready.

I should have clarified better earlier - I don't say anything if I don't have a helpful answer or suggestion.

I'm not after a good job or anything of the sort, just information given in a helpful polite manner.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Sorry, this is a free and public forum on the internet. You don't get to dictate what kind of responses you get. I wonder what happened to people over the years that they get their feelings so easily hurt? Observe; "Marc, sometimes you can be a real *******." "Yeah. And your point?"

What you and your partner did was just stupid because you BOTH knew that it wasn't the proper way of doing things. Maybe next time you actually catch your car on fire when you aren't swift enough to prevent that fire from starting.

I'm done.

99_EJ8_TypeR

Of course I don't get to detictate what kind of responses I get. Never said I was trying to. Also, my feelings aren't hurt, I just have no patients for trolls. I wonder what happened to people over the years to make them think it's ok to just go around insulting people or purposely trying to cause problems.

With any luck I won't have have a reason to have to do anything like this again. If I do, I will be properly prepared to the best of my ability and if something goes south, which I am always aware could happen, it's my fault and I'll deal.

To clarify anything like this = anything that could cause damage to my car.

OptimisticWay

Alright look, circumventing a safe guard like a fuse is top notch imbesilic. You need to hook up a self resetting circuit breaker in place of the fuse and get a compass. Trace the wire back with the compass while watching the needle. The needle on the compass will shake back and forth from the magnetic field produced by the energized wire. When the compass no longer shakes down the path of a wire, make sure the wire did not make a turn or junction off in another direction, you are within 6 inches of the short to ground.

If you want to thank me, publicly admit that what you have done by circumventing the fuse was stupid and no one should ever try this, ever.

99_EJ8_TypeR

I have never heard of that method, if I ever have to deal with this problem again I'll try it. Thanks for the advice, also I already stated my method wasn't the safest or wisest.