What would cause the fuse to my gauge cluster/tail lights to blow? Which grounds should I check? The guy before me installed JDM power mirrors...VAFC is also installed. That's the only extra stuff installed...but may not be related to the problem. Any help is appreciated, thanks. I blew the fuse twice already, second time right after I replaced it.

 

Do you have an aftermarket headunit?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Shmaa &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you have an aftermarket headunit?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes. When I bought the car, it had one. Then I bought and installed a new one and fuse goes kaboom.

 

Bump for friend and answer!! New headunit uses all stock wiring, if that makes a difference. I helped install the new headunit, all connections were soldered too.

 

How was that head unit installed?
Hardwired or using factory plug w/ its respective honda wire harness?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Erics R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How was that head unit installed?
Hardwired orusing factory plug w/ its respective honda wire harness? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Used factory plug w/ honda wiring harness. Only had to solder the wire harness for headunit to plug that fits to OEM honda wire harness in the dash. Plug needed was obtained from Myer Emco.

Funny thing is the headunit that came w/ the car had stopped working 2 hours prior to the install of the new headunit. The new headunit also didn't work for appox. the first 10 minutes after install, then with no troubleshooting (just giggling the OEM harness in dash) just all the sudden started working.

Does this just sound like a loose wire behind the dash perhaps shorting out the Gauge cluster and rear light fuse ( i mean the headunit wasn't working then all the sudden started working with some giggling of the OEM harness). Or maybe a loose ground. TIA for all help!!

theres a bump and hopefully some help for ya bro!!


Modified by turboxsi at 12:17 PM 2/8/2004


Modified by turboxsi at 12:23 PM 2/8/2004

 

Like you said, it can be a loose wire or ground, a plug not all the way in, or a short.
I've seen this in very old cars or cars that've been 'touched' by so many ppl.

 

Thats what i thought, we will look at it when my buddy is off work. Thanks for the help.

 

something is grounding out, which is causing the fuses to blow out. i would check your wiring and re-splice/re-solder everything.

 

Ok sorry for the late reply I asked the question because I had a similar problem and fixed it. There is a wire for the headunit that will dim the cd player when you turn the lights on, but if your cd player doesnt have this or it is not hooked up chances are it is just laying back there and might be grounding out which will cause exactly what you are describing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by brads94accord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">something is grounding out, which is causing the fuses to blow out. i would check your wiring and re-splice/re-solder everything.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't think the headunits harness isn't grounding out, there is no exposed wire to ground out and all wiring is exact to the headunit specs. Plus the headunit works w/out problems (besides it not working right when installed, along with old headunit not working prior to the new headunit install) IMO if the headunit works, its wiring elsewhere acting up. But we'll see as soon as we can check it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Shmaa &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ok sorry for the late reply I asked the question because I had a similar problem and fixed it. There is a wire for the headunit that will dim the cd player when you turn the lights on, but if your cd player doesnt have this or it is not hooked up chances are it is just laying back there and might be grounding out which will cause exactly what you are describing.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You know its funny you mention that b/c the headunit's harness had the dimmer wire your speaking of, but the harness that plugs to the OEM harness didn't have that wire. So we just taped up the dimmer wire from the headunit so it wouldn't ground out. Should there have been a wire on the plug to the OEM harness for the dimmer wire?, b/c there wasn't one.

 

What car?

 

'92 GS-R, I think it should have the dimmer wire b/c my '93 ls has it i believe.

 

I'm not for sure, but I think it would. It may have come out of the harnees. Either way that is probably the wire you're looking for. Possibly not the one behind the radio, but the dimmer wire for the car (clock, climate controls, ect. should all have the same wire) is probably grounding somewhere.

 

checking the dimmer is a good place to start. it could be touching ground. You don't have to connect this wire to the stereo. Also check the dimmer wire to your vafc. disconnect and try. The only dimmer problem I had was when hooking up a stereo (hard wire) I put my ground wire on a wire that showed ground, but when you turn on the lights it went hot. what i'm saying is try move the stereo ground. Put it on a bolt under the dash somewhere.

 

Thanks for the replies fellas, I think I got it figured out. There were two wires unused on the adapter, and one was exposed. I taped both of them up, and voila', no more blown fuse.

Now if I can only figure out why the VAFC hack caused my tach to go crazy...