Bought a '93 Civic DX with a D16Y7 swapped in for $800 with only minor issues. Current issue I'm tackling is the 12V plug. It was rusted out so I bought a new one and installed it. Now it's blowing fuses left and right. Left it uninstalled for now so I can use my new head unit (it had a dead OEM unit). My phone could really use a good charger so what could be going wrong? Can provide pics if necessary.

 

Post pictures of the plug, its wires, and the fuse that is blowing in the box.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5nyohmv9k3...35.09.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ub95d9iw11...34.43.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/g9ltvjtpub...31.39.jpg?dl=0

I go out and get a pic of the fusebox. Temporarily using a higher rated fuse and will be getting the proper one tomorrow. It blows only when the 12V is installed and immediately when I turn the key to accessory.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lzixpl7v15...46.32.jpg?dl=0

It's the yellow 20 fuse. Ran out of 15s because of this problem.

 

sounds like a short. OP I would verify that the wires running to the plug are not touching each other, also, make sure any connections or joined wires have heat shrink or insulated connectors around them.

 

The hot wire for the cigarette lighter should be Yel/Red, which is missing in your picture. Please clarify.

In addition, you have spliced a white plug to the modified wires. This extra plug has a Wht/Blu wire, which looks burned. This burning suggests the location of the short that is blowing fuse 23.

 

I was figuring that is the issue. This is how the harness looked when I first opened it up. I thought the wire was burned but it just wiped off with my finger. I have a cheap multimeter I got from Harbor Freight. What should I do to verify if all the wires are functioning properly?

 

Do you use or plan to use both the white plug and the cigarette lighter plug?

Not sure because I can't see both ends of the Red/Blk and Blk wires, but the plugs appear to be connected in series, which is unusual. Can you post additional pictures that make the wires more visible?

 

Disconnect all the wires to that 12v outlet, put the fuse back in, then probe wires with a test light to find which one is getting power. I suspect you have power/ground mixed up in your connection.

 

The plug connects to the main dash harness. Red/black goes to that bulb that goes into the ashtray.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1y2pp1ksvd...26.52.jpg?dl=0

 

I suspect that whole setup was custom rigged by the previous owner.

If you install a new fuse into the 23 slot with that set up in your picture left unplugged, does fuse 23 no longer blow?

Also, can you post a picture of the male plug that connects to the plug in the setup and also show its wire colors?

 

This does confuse me. See the first pic? Red/yellow wire plugs into white/blue on my small harness. I am getting a light up from the r/y wire but the black and b/r one give nothing. Accidentally let the black connector touch the white/blue connector and it blew the fuse again. I can't let the white/blue touch anything metal while the car is on or it kills the fuse.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/qub05cun6mxoxom/AACJm3tVuathgNPSRA5ktGn-a
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/caqmb2dtvi6r00a/AABqA2k_kCOLJ0_LTuZ1kt4Na

 

Will the two pics in my previous post do?

 

Yes^

Okay. I see the problem. The previous owner rigged the added light to share ground with the cigarette lighter. That won't work.

Spliced into the Blk wire between the bulb and white plug is a metal female connector that was connected to the cigarette lighter. Remove that metal female connector. The splice/shrink wrap the Blk wire at that point. Save the removed connector.

 

I have no need for that light. Is it as simple as just removing that connection? What is this supposed to look like out of the factory?

 

See added text in my previous post. Keep the light as it probably was illuminating something in a different location originally. Try to find its original home.

Solder the removed metal female connector to a fresh separate Blk ground. Plug the metal female connector into its original male connector on the cigarette lighter. Either find a screw in the metal frame under the dash to ground the other end of the Blk wire or drill a hole in the metal frame to add a screw to affix the Blk wire.

Now the light and cigarette lighter should both work.

 

I need a bit more slack for the ground connector I removed. Can I use the illumination orange wire from my head unit? It has zero use in this car. I can just cut that off and connect it from a screw to the ground wire.

 

1) What do you want to use the orange wire for? Does the orange wire connect to a Red/Blk wire in the Civic wire harness? If so, that's a hot wire.

2) It looks like the bulb in your picture is actually stock for the Civic cigarette lighter. Does it work? If so, does it dim and brighten with the dimmer switch or is it constant full bright?

 

I've never seen it turn on to be honest. And the orange wire connects to nothing. It's for the head unit illumination that my car doesn't have. I'm about to screw in the new ground connector now.

 

So it's just an extra piece of wire? If so, that's fine.

 

Did you do this^ important test?

 

We have light! It's constant bright, no dimming.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/wtgqh4a6dbab2kd/AABRApmgECp7qdQqNoKGN50ga

And here is where I placed the new ground. Haven't plugged in the 12V plug yet. Hope it doesn't blow another fuse.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/xokhvhjiwri3nc0/AACvvFND_Yq4uYSBVdBr-wIka

 

Indeed I did. My stereo is on the same fuse and works fine without the 12V plugged in.

 

Not sure but I may see another potential issue. See diagram below. In post #6, the Wht/Blu wire may not be connected correctly. Shouldn't it attach to the nearest male prong below?

The orange ground wire should attach to the lower side prong where the Blk wire was connected.

 

It's the only place it can fit, as the other places are too large. The grounds are officially separated. Fuse still blew. Unplugged the white/blue and installed a new fuse and it's functional again.