Alrighty, I've been going through every possible thread to get as much information as I can for the past 2 weeks, cant find a solution.. I just bought the car and this wasn't an issue when I first had it..

My problem, Fuse #19 keeps blowing, please help me... If I put in a new fuse while the car is OFF, everything works fine. I checked the aftermarket radio Illumination wire and its taped off correctly. I even disconnected the harness to make sure it wasn't the issue..

If I turn the car completely on, and turn the taillights and cluster on, the fuse blows after a few seconds.

I used a jumper wire for the dimmer switch. checked sockets on the taillights and front parkers, etc. and the fuse still blows. Even checked for bare wires and can't seem to see any.

Thanks in advance to whomever helps me with this issue..

 

Bad multi-function switch???

 

I havent checked the multi-function switch, but I dont think it would be that since it works when the car is off...

 

No takers?...

 

check the radio if it is aftermarket and miss wired the illumination wire will show as a ground. but when the car is on and you turn on the lights it can blow fuses, trip out the light all kinds of different things from car to car but i might be your problem. check the wiring is correct at the link below.

http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/vehicles.html

 

--EDIT---

The stock illumination wire color is RED/BLACK for people who are lazy like me to look it up

hmm...i think the guy that did the wiring harness didn't do it correctly, before I look at the link that you've given me do you know the stock color "illumination" wire off the top of your head? (Not orange)

BTW 260 people looked at this post....but no one joins in on the convo lol

 

I double checked the radio wiring and everything seemed okay......

would a blown bulb on the CC console cause the fuse to blow? i wouldnt think so since its just a bulb...

i checked all the bulbs and sockets, nothing seems to be rotted..

any suggestions???

 

Find what's grounding out, would be my suggestion

 

I tried lol.. I wasted 25 10amp fuses so far....

I figured out the fuse blew every time I would "move" the car, any sort of wobble. So I thought that there were 2 wires somewhere that could be NEARLY touching, and causing a short. I put the car in a completely dark garage to see if I could see the spark from the short in the engine bay, interior, and the trunk, but I only hear the spark from the engine bay underneath the distributor or somewhere under the valvecover/head. But also I think the sound could just be an echo from the fuse box into the engine bay....

I even took apart the steering column and whatnot(all plastics) so see if the light switch was causing a short but it was not....

I need some serious help please...

 

Try using a short finder instead of using tons of fuses, here's one that I haven't personally used but has great reviews on amazon. The tool acts like a circuit breaker and also will let you trace down a wire to find the short in it.

 

Holy crap...Thanks, you probably saved me about 40$ lmfao
ill see if I can find one cheaper or something. didnt know these existed for some reason.... thought of using a dial tone or wire mapper lmfao

 

So you totally disconnected the radio, and it did the exact same thing?

It sounds like something is shorting to something else, or grounding to the body. Wire, light socket, etc. What if you put on the brakes instead of turning on the lights with the switch?

Do you have the wiring diagram, a meter, and know how to use them?

I had a tail light socket get too much rain, and the connectors were shorting. When you check them, they should be isolated from each other, the resistance should be infinite, on the meter it is the Ohms.

That's what I would do.

Also check if the wiring is shorted to ground, I mean, any metal like the frame.

You might try to see where any connectors to each leg of tail light wiring might be. If they exist you can maybe disconnect each side or something. But that's mainly a suggestion if you don't use a multimeter.


EDIT: Just clicked the link to that tool on Amazon. Wow, lets you find the direction of the short, cool. Could be worth it! Multimeter at Harbor Freight $4 or so.

Edit: A broken bulb COULD cause a short. Take all in the circuit OUT, and check again. Or get the short tester, lol.

 

Hey which car is it exactly?

See it could be any of this (on the No. 19 circuit)...lots of light potentially:

 

Car is 1994 Honda Del Sol SI maybe? Says so on the title...
Engine d16z6

Hmm..I took out the entire interior lmao... basically stripped
Anyways, first thing I did were I took out all bulbs....that didnt work, and since I stripped the entire interior, I disconnected plenty of wiring harnesses...

BTW THANKS FOR THE DIAGRAM... I was looking for the color codes on the wires to the backlights.

I found a kill switch to the fuel pump which was weird...

MOST of the wiring inside the car is stock except for the removable NRG steeringwheel, kill switch, and LED front parker lights...

I checked the continuity on the switch and its all good...

I did find out there is a short somewhere...

Any suggestions on where to find the harness that goes to the backlights?(location its in? passenger floorboard, etc.)

 

Check for shorted bulb sockets, or did you?

 

I should tell you, my book is for the 92-95 Civic US domestic market for DX through Si made in US and Canada, but the info should be very similar for the Del Sol. Here is a picture for the back of a Civic. Many connectors are the same number on the Hatch and Sedan, like C571 and C572 the tail lights. Not sure about yours.

 

Hey I was looking at the tail light replacement in the book, and at each tail light should be a sub-connector right at the light before it branches out to the bulb sockets. Maybe try disconnected these connectors at the tail lights and see if you don't blow the fuse. That's what the C571 and C572 connectors are I think. It doesn't show the bulb sockets on that diagram above.

Here is a diagram of the dash-light dimmer circuit, also on fuse 19:

 

It can blow the fuse, how to test:

 

But, as you can see from the first diagram, that is only about 1 out of about 10 different sub-circuits on fuse 19. But hopefully less connectors to disconnect and isolate.

On my '95 civic the wires run under the carpet along the inside. You can kinda see from that diagram. I know because my carpet is gone from that car, lol.

 

Oh jeeze guys, so much useful information

1) I took out the dimmer switch etc. still a short

2) I disconnected the 3 harnesses that lead to the Cluster, Climate Control, and Stereo. Still blows the fuse

3) I disconnected the harness midway behind the seat that leads towards the baclights. Still blows a fuse.

Next plan is since I have all the interior completely naked, and its pitch black outside, I bought another 25 fuses, and going to see if I can hopefully see the ground spark...and go from there, it was only 8$ and if I run out of fuses ill just drive the car during the day and buy the short finder...

I cant take off the carpet completely because for some damn reason, when they installed the S2000 seats, they stapled the carpet back down?...or put the carpet of an integra...F*K$*KSD I hate jobs that are half ***-ed...

hopefullyy i can find this damn short

 

Possible that the 3 main body grounds could be rigged somehow....

I made sure I did disconnect the 3 main wire harnesses and the fuse still pops....

What is middle of rear shelf? behind the seats in the middle under the main back window?

I dont think the diagram is close to the same as my car....

The wires go behind hidden into the frame, underside of the driver side somewhere, then a main ground harness near the hood lever, but I followed the wires and none are messed up or anything....

Another set of wires goes up into the cluster which I disconnected

Then another harness goes through the middle console and disappear after the harness for the climate control lights which i also disconnected...

IDK what I did..but now the fuse blows IMMEDIATELY the second I turn the switch on...it went from taking hours to minutes to seconds...

I saw on another forum that somehow the second O2 sensor made the fuse blow? If the wires were loose or something, from the diagram it doesnt look like it... And on the meter its showing the ground is somewhere going along the circuit inside the car and not power circuit that comes from the battery...Im just getting more lost and lost now...

 

Could be since it is under less load ( less light bulbs on the circuit, etc) then there is less resistance therefore higher current to the remaining circuit. Make sure you leave something for the current to power. It needs some load.

At least you can make a list of what isn't the cause and keep searching...

Anyway, it sounds rough. Good luck! I will write more if I have another idea or info.

 

Well guys...I after 3 weeks I think I haven't found the issue to why my sh*t keeps shorting out. And now for some damn reason my effin headlights don't turn on anymore...I opened up the multifunction switch and everythings okay, nice and lubed up and what not.... I'm getting fed up with this crap....I should have just bought the short circuit finder from the beginning....its gonna be a pain to put everything back together and what not.....

anyone got anymore useful information? or ideas?

 

94 Del Sol? Is 40A hood fuse #40 blown?

Do you have a multimeter?

Have you tested the combination light switch for a short?

Do you have an aftermarket radio?

Have you inspected the bulb receptacles for both front parking lights?

 

94 Del Sol Si

#40A hood fuse is good.

Multimeter, Yes

I have tested the combination light switch for a short and its good.

Yes I have an aftermarket radio, but the stock wiring is still intact.

I have inspected all bulb receptacle and all are good and look new