I have a 1990 Camaro RS. Water got into the CD player and caused a short of some sort(smoke came out of cd player area). The interior lights, door locks, cig lighter, horn, and power rear hatch release are not working. The CD player still works, as do the power windows and gauges.

I changed the Accessories fuse and the interior lights came back on and everything else worked but for the rear powered hatch. It is stuck in the open position and will not go back down. After about 2 minutes the fuse blew again.

What is the problem? Is the their something shorted out in the wiring system? I understand their are control modules in the engine bay that may be related to this problem, but I do not have a service manual to locate and check these.

Any help would be greatly apprecieated. I can deal with no interior lights/horn, but the hatch is stuck partly open.

Thanks.

 

Is the cd player still hooked up? The hatch pull down unit is run off two fuses. One is for the pulldown unit itself and the other is the accessory fuse, which powers the release if so equipped.

 

Yeah the cd player is still hooked up and working.

Which fuse is the latch pulldown? I don't have a manual and couldn't tell by the 3 letter descriptions on the fuse box.

 

I dunno how much this helps but this is the diagram that is in the chiltons manual.


It's a 15 amp fuse.

Try without the radio connected and see if the fuse stays without blowing.

 

I see the accessories fuse(D), but which is the fuse for the rear latch?

 

Hrm, i don't know. Try checking every 15 amp fuse in the block.
Here's a wiring diagram for the hatch motor.

 

Well, I tried changing those fuses, the only one that was fried is the Accessories one. I changed it and after about 1 min it blew(did this 3 times).

I took CD player out and looked for fried wires, didn't see any, but now the cd player isn't working either. It's fuse is not blown.

Any ideas what else the problem might be? I'm guessing a fried wire somewhere in the harness, which is beyond my ability to fix....does anyone have any idea how much time/cash this is going to take to fix at a dearler/repair shop???

 

See if the hatch motor is getting warm with a new fuse installed.
I know a jammed electric motor draws way too much current.
Kinda sounds like your hatch is jammed and the motor is trying to move it but can't.

 

Holly old thread batman.

I ended up selling this car a couple years ago, but I just happened upon 3rd gen because I am looking for a project car and saw my old thread.

83L69, you were right.

I had a jammed hatch motor that was causing the short.

After taking it apart I found the insides all gunked up, changed out the grease in that and everything worked A-OK.

I also had a broken hatch "guide". There are two. If one of these breaks from age/trunk being slammed it can cause the hatch to lower improperly and help jam that motor. Replacments that are stronger than orignial can be had for about $20.

Hopefully this information will serve someone in the future, that's why I posted up upon seeing this in my subscribed threads. I hate when I'm searching a problem and there isn't a resolution, lol.