I've already posted this in the Audio section, but it fits here too ...... so ......

Ok, I'm no idiot, but I have a real problem now I can't figure out. I have a '91 RS which I just bought not too long ago. There was what seemed like a factory stereo in the car. I had a Pioneer removable face, 45w per channel, CD player in my old car that I switched over to this one. Upon removing the old stereo I found out that there have been people in there messing around before. The stereo/CD player that was in there was from a '91 Century. I used a meter and found out which wires were from the battery (constant power), the ACC (power when key is turned), the ground, and speakers. There ended up being three different ground wires ... confusion number one. I figured it didn't matter which one I used seeing they were all ground. So anyhow the stereo goes in and is working fine. I go to turn my lights on and I hear a pop and the dash lights (including the ones for the climate control) go out. I checked the fuses and they are all fine ... the stereo is still working too. I was wondering if anyone could give me an explination as to what happened and/or how to fix it.

S.K.

 

OK, I fugured out that it is a fuse. It's a 20 that is located at a terminal for the Tail lights. Go figure. I put another 20 fuse in it and it blew also. Not only are the dash lights out but also the tail lights and turn signals. Is it possable to just put a larger fuse in there?

 

You don't put a bigger fuse in. You fix the problem that's causing the fuse to blow !

Maybe one of those three grounds isn't really a ground ? lol


Seriously... take another look at your wiring behind that stereo and double check everything!

 

The ground was a ground. The guys in the audio section fixed me up. The ground I had it hooked to was the ground for the lights ... hince the fact the fuse kept blowing. That wire was a brown one, the proper ground wire was the black one (should have known that from the start). Crazy GM wiring, why would you have a ground for the lights in the center consol (sp?) I don't know. Still don't know what the other ground is for. But anyhow, all is fixed and working fine now.

PS It's kinda hard to mistake a ground wire when you have a meter hooked up to the thing.

S.K.

 

I didn't think that putting a larger fuse in there would work anyhow ... just a despirate thought at the time. I do a lot of driving at night and the Police don't like it when you ain't got no lights.

S.K.

 

Well that wasn't really a "ground" for the lights. That's a lead that gets power when your lights are on. The reason they do that is because some decks have either a dimming feature or their illumination is controlled by your dash illumination. So when that wire gets 12volts (when your dash lights come on) it would probably get shorted out and blow the fuse.

 

Yeah your totally right and that was what happened.

 

oh, when the lights are not on it reads as a ground on a meter.