So I've searched on many different forums with people with the same problem, and tried all the solutions others have said to try, and have not solved the problem.
I have a 1994 Civic Dx Hatch, swapped with a d16z6 from an ex coupe, as well as the entire car harness (for power windows, locks, etc. This was completed in August of 2019, and I have had no problems until yesterday.

I went to start my car and notice that the dash lights weren't on, as well as the taillights and front parking lights. So it was obvious that fuse #19 was blown. I replaced it and turned on the lights, and it popped. I tried a couple of times before deciding there must be a short.

- I started by disconnecting the harness leading to the rear lights, located on the driver side behind the driver's seat. Still popped the fuse.
- I removed the bulbs from the front corner lights. Still popped.
- I removed and unplugged the radio. Still popped.
- I removed the clock and hazard light switch. Still popped.
- I removed the gauge cluster. Still popped.
- I unplugged the dimmer switch. Still popped.
- I attached a test light to fuse #19 and turned the light switch to on while I moved the wire harnesses underneath the dash, and the test light remained lit.

I don't know where else to look. The harnesses were wrapped in a fabric tape that is hard to rub through, so I couldn't find obvious cut wires that are grounding themselves.

Theres a junction after fuse #19 called c507, which has a few red/black wires that light up instrument bulbs and other bulbs. Is there a way to test continuity on those wires? If so, how? Anything else I need to check? The interior is pretty much all apart. And I need to find this problem by tuesday because I need to go back to college. Thank you.

 

Use a dmm to test continuity.

 

Have you tried stepping up the amp rating of the fuse? Isn't that one a 15 amp fuse? You using that? Otherwise, seems like you probably have a short somewhere you'll need to search for with a multimeter.

 

Which wires should I test for continuity? The red/black ones? And how do I tell if there's a short through continuity?
It's a 10 amp fuse, but I tried a 20 amp fuse just for the hell of it and it popped also. But if it did work, it's not good for the long run because it can burn out other parts connected to the fuse.

 

Also check the wires for the cigarette lighter or rear window defogger lights.

Maybe somebody reading this thread has the detailed fuse 19 circuit diagram so that useful connectors that could be unplugged for test purposes can be identified.

 

Bad idea as this^ risks an electrical fire.

 

From the 1992-1995 USDM FSM:

 

Thanks, I have those diagrams too. More detailed circuit diagrams showing connectors and their locations in the circuit exist but I don't have them. Members like TomCat and some others may have them.

 

Not I, don't own a 92-95....

 

Unplugged everything going on the #19 fuse, only the wiring harnesses now and it's still popping.

 

unplug dimmer?

 

Did you also unplug the front corner lights? Previously you had only removed the bulbs.

If only wire harnesses remain connected, then (i) the dashboard wire harness, (ii) another wire harness attached to it, or (iii) the dash fuse box has a short to ground in the fuse 19 circuit. If you can disconnect the other wire harnesses from the dashboard wire harness, then you could further pinpoint the short. That's why I am hoping that a member will post the detailed fuse 19 circuit diagrams showing all connectors.

 

Disconnected the rear main harness, as well and the harnesses going to front parking lights.

These are all the plugs for gauge cluster, clock, radio, etc. All visually inspected for shorts or exposed wires, and none found. Still popping the fuse.

 

Looks like you are going to need this more detailed diagram muellersfan is talking about and search for the short with a multimeter. A visual inspection does not seem sufficient. Until you get that diagram you could start testing. It seems like you have nearly eliminated most parts of the #19 circuit, no? Test what is left with the multimeter.

 

Ok made some progress. Thank you all for helping me, it seems like im almost at the source of the problem.
I started disconnecting harnesses plug by plug on the fuse box until my multimeter showed that fuse #19 was no longer grounded.

So when I pulled both of these plugs out, fuse #19 no longer showed as grounded. On the Rear Wire Harness, red/black and red/blue wires on the plug beeped on my multimeter as grounded, as well as red/black and red/blue on the plug for the Main Wire Harness.
Started at the back of the car, and checked if red/black and red/blue were short anywhere, and there were no beeps at the taillight harnesses, or the midway harness by the rear left passenger.
Have yet to find where the short is yet, hopefully I find it soon.

Edit:
Found why the red/blue wire was grounding, bad wire near the driver seat, fixed it. Now the only short there is is on the Main Wire Harness on the red/black wire. This is the harness that goes against the firewall underneath the carpet, not sure where the short could be, but will have to wait until next weekend to find it.

 

Update: Back home for the weekend and started on my car again. Removed the whole interior, and narrowed down the shorts further. As of now, it looks like i have 3 areas that may have shorts.
1. Hatch tailgate:

Tested the red/black wire going to the tailgate to a ground and my multimeter showed it was grounded somewhere.
2. Rear left taillight:

The red/black wire and red/blue wire for the whole rear main harness were both grounded when this was plugged in.
3. Front main harness: No pic because underneath sound deadening.
I unplugged all the plugs in the engine bay just for the heck of it. Red/black and red/blue wire both showed they were grounded somewhere, and this I have no idea yet.

I'm gonna unplug the harness connectors at both doors just in case, but other than that I have no idea where the short could be for the front harness. If anyone has any idea or any techniques to help find it im all ears, and kinda desperate at this point lol.
I just want to put it all together and start driving again ;( Thanks for all your guys help.

 

Does anyone have the wiring diagram for the main harness that plugs into the fuse box and runs along the firewall. Looking to where the red/black and red/blue wires go for that harness.

 

Does the fuse only blow when you turn the headlight/running lights on? Also a test light is not a good way to check for a short.

 

Yes only when the switch is turned on, and I'm using a multimeter to test continuity, where it beeps if the two leads have a connection. So with that i was testing the hot wires by touching one lead to the hot wire and one the ground to see if there is a connection between the two. Of course the car battery is disconnected.

 

A continuity test is also a bad way to test for a short as all circuits working correctly or shorted will eventually connect to ground. You should either use and amp meter in place of the fuse or replace fuses each time they blow. You could test for resistance to ground looking for low resistance indicating a more direct path to ground but i still have my doubts about how effective that would be. That being said ive attracted 2 wiring digrams showing what fuse 19 power (they also have connecter # so you can see what the two main connectors at the fuse block powers.. I would hook the battery back up. Leave everything unplugged like it is and plug in the headlights switch and replace the fuse. If it doesn't blow when the headlight switch is turned on then slowly start plugging stuff back in. Once it blows we can start tracking the short from there.

 

Ok thank you so much lmao. I did as you said and started plugging in everything to see which harness blew the fuse, and it never blew. So i put all the interior back together and did it again with all the harnesses where they should be, and everything worked. Maybe there was a bad connection somewhere, who knows, but the lights now work and the fuse doesn't blow, so now I can drive my car again. Thank you all for your help, even though i never found the exact cause of the problem.

 

Sometime even a blind squirrel finds a nut...