instrument cluster blowing fuse

88"s/c lil"bastard · 02-21-2009, 02:18 PM

25 amp fuse keeps blowing for the instrument cluster i have no speedometer
30 amp fuse blew too.

the fuse goes before the head lights even go up i found the relay once i open the circuit from that point there's no problem , im afraid its a dead short'

anybody know anything about that circuit? i dnt have the book yet and it doesn't effect anything else thats part of it.. the relay was a 22amp, so i at least am pretty sure that the original fuse was sized correctly can any body help?

the car is an 88 s/c mr2

ebouwman · 02-21-2009, 04:29 PM

Don't run a bigger fuse, otherwise you may start frying wires. You might be able to start ripping the dash apart and looking for a frayed wire.

But the headlights are what blows the fuse?

Because if so, then you KNOW which wire it is. The dash isn't too hard to take apart, just don't loose any screws or bits, and try to remember how it goes back together.

I'm not totally sure how you'd go about testing for a short though. Maybe using one of those electric testers, and seeing what kind of amperage that circuit is using , and then pull apart he connectors along the way to isolate it.

ebouwman · 02-21-2009, 04:30 PM

Look at the bright side though, at least it's not frying wires!

And believe me, it can happen, and it stinks

88"s/c lil"bastard · 02-21-2009, 07:36 PM

the circuit wasn,t effecting anything else i isolated the short and now have the instrument cluster back, oh and no the lights weren't doing it it was simply a problem in the circuit i got the wire color from the back of the relay and traced it i don't have the cover to identify the circuits got lost in storage

must of been something i plugged back in cause i pulled a plug apart and walla!

wierd stuff earlier this week i was ripping out the `crazy alarm that kept flashing my lights

ebouwman · 02-21-2009, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88"s/c lil"bastard

the circuit wasn,t effecting anything else i isolated the short and now have the instrument cluster back, oh and no the lights weren't doing it it was simply a problem in the circuit i got the wire color from the back of the relay and traced it i don't have the cover to identify the circuits got lost in storage

must of been something i plugged back in cause i pulled a plug apart and walla!

wierd stuff earlier this week i was ripping out the `crazy alarm that kept flashing my lights

What? i'm not sure i follow what you said. I just had my wisdom teeth pulled and i may still be a bit doped up from it, but you isolated the wire and then you refitted a connector plug and now it's fine?

Or you may have to explain that, lol.

88"s/c lil"bastard · 02-22-2009, 08:26 PM

i traced the wire back so far and found a plug containing the same wires once i pulled it i no longer had the short in the circuit so far nothing else has been effected and i have my cluster back i think that was unplugged from the beginning and earlier in the week i must of plugged it back in when i was removing the alarm wires thanx for the help

i bought this car 5 1/2 yrs ago, i havn't touched it all. This car is a wreck it was beaten alil im guessing by the bondoed quarter panel

not to mention my buddy cracking up the side skirts denting the frame and bending the front sway bar and end link car needs work.
$500 for an mk1 s/c not bad 82,000 on the odometer runs great handling is not safe at the moment

ebouwman · 02-22-2009, 10:34 PM

It's worth more than that just for the engine!

Maybe it was a plug for an accessory your car didn't have.

muffinman · 02-24-2009, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88"s/c lil"bastard

i don't have the cover to identify the circuits got lost in storage

Are you talking about this cover?

DCKilla · 03-01-2009, 10:28 PM

Great troubleshooting!!! A good example of how to do it right.

02-21-2009, 02:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
88"s/c lil"bastard No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: N.J. Posts: 43 Thanks: 10 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	instrument cluster blowing fuse 25 amp fuse keeps blowing for the instrument cluster i have no speedometer 30 amp fuse blew too. the fuse goes before the head lights even go up i found the relay once i open the circuit from that point there's no problem , im afraid its a dead short' anybody know anything about that circuit? i dnt have the book yet and it doesn't effect anything else thats part of it.. the relay was a 22amp, so i at least am pretty sure that the original fuse was sized correctly can any body help? the car is an 88 s/c mr2

02-22-2009, 08:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
88"s/c lil"bastard No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: N.J. Posts: 43 Thanks: 10 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	oh sorry i traced the wire back so far and found a plug containing the same wires once i pulled it i no longer had the short in the circuit so far nothing else has been effected and i have my cluster back i think that was unplugged from the beginning and earlier in the week i must of plugged it back in when i was removing the alarm wires thanx for the help i bought this car 5 1/2 yrs ago, i havn't touched it all. This car is a wreck it was beaten alil im guessing by the bondoed quarter panel not to mention my buddy cracking up the side skirts denting the frame and bending the front sway bar and end link car needs work. $500 for an mk1 s/c not bad 82,000 on the odometer runs great handling is not safe at the moment

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02-21-2009, 04:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
ebouwman Curve Hugger Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 1,390 Thanks: 18 Thanked 48 Times in 48 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Don't run a bigger fuse, otherwise you may start frying wires. You might be able to start ripping the dash apart and looking for a frayed wire. But the headlights are what blows the fuse? Because if so, then you KNOW which wire it is. The dash isn't too hard to take apart, just don't loose any screws or bits, and try to remember how it goes back together. I'm not totally sure how you'd go about testing for a short though. Maybe using one of those electric testers, and seeing what kind of amperage that circuit is using , and then pull apart he connectors along the way to isolate it.

02-21-2009, 04:30 PM	#3 (permalink)
ebouwman Curve Hugger Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 1,390 Thanks: 18 Thanked 48 Times in 48 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Look at the bright side though, at least it's not frying wires! And believe me, it can happen, and it stinks

02-21-2009, 07:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
88"s/c lil"bastard No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: N.J. Posts: 43 Thanks: 10 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	the circuit wasn,t effecting anything else i isolated the short and now have the instrument cluster back, oh and no the lights weren't doing it it was simply a problem in the circuit i got the wire color from the back of the relay and traced it i don't have the cover to identify the circuits got lost in storage must of been something i plugged back in cause i pulled a plug apart and walla! wierd stuff earlier this week i was ripping out the `crazy alarm that kept flashing my lights

02-22-2009, 10:34 PM	#7 (permalink)
ebouwman Curve Hugger Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 1,390 Thanks: 18 Thanked 48 Times in 48 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	It's worth more than that just for the engine! Maybe it was a plug for an accessory your car didn't have.

03-01-2009, 10:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
DCKilla Some Skills Join Date: May 2008 Location: Pearl, MS Posts: 94 Thanks: 1 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Great troubleshooting!!! A good example of how to do it right.