hey guys im tryin to find the short i have somewhere in the circuit that powers the radio/map/courtesy lights. trouble is im really bad at reading diagrams and i need to find out all the accessories that are on this circuit. please help!

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It would help to know why you think there is a short in that circuit. Are the lights staying on? Not turning on at all? Radio not working? Radio has power but no audio? Does one thing have power and not another? Have you checked the crtsy and radio fuses?

 

fuse blows literally 2 seconds after i replace it

 

I am assuming that happens before you can turn anything on or off? Most likely you have a power wire pinched or rubbed through and grounding out somewhere.

The fuse you're talking about is the 20 Amp Crtsy fuse, right? Hope you have a lot of 20 Amp fuses . Have you added or removed anything relating to the lights, doors, or radio lately? New speakers or amp?

First, I would check the cigarette lighter and make sure there is nothing stuck in it. Next, I would disconnect the driver's doorjamb switch. I am going to assume that you have the driver's door hanging wide open when you are replacing the fuse? It's a really difficult spot to reach if the door is shut. If it still blows the fuse, I would disconnect all the dome/courtesy bulbs and try it again.

In the first wiring diagram you posted, the fuse gets a constant +12 volts and then feeds/protects all the interior lights in the passenger compartment. Then flows through the headlight switch to a ground. Both door jamb switches also provide it with a ground which is why the lights turn on when you open the door. Think of a wiring diagram as a diagram of how the electricity flows through the system. Since cars use a DC or Direct Current system, the electricity essentially flows from point A(+) to point B(-). In this case, the power flows through the fuse, through the bulbs, then through either the door jamb switches or the headlight switch to ground. If you have the key in the ignition, then an additional ground is provided through the convenience center to operate that annoying buzzer that tells you that you either forgot to remove the key or to turn the headlights off.

 

when i bought the car last year the dome light bracket was broken, leavin the dome light hanging down...blocking my rear view mirror. so the next day i removed it, electrical taped the wires and never had a problem.

nothing else new added/removed

ive never touched that fuse b4 and a 25amp was in there when the 1st one blew.

 

What were you doing when it blew? Does it blow with just a small pop, or with a loud snapping sound and a flash of light? What kind of electrical testing tools do you have? Test light or an analog/digital multimeter?

 

i had same problem and fixed it 3 days ago, i had to rebuild half the steering column

beside the fuses under steering column there is a plastic cover, unscrew it and then there are 3 clips hooking up with many wires, all are steering column, i believe its: turn signals (medium sized), windshield wipers thin 2 or 3 wire), and the big long one which has everything else, horn, ignition lights and all, if you unplug these and you still have short means its somewhere else, but if you unplug, put fuse in and it doesnt blow, means its in column and then i can help you more from there.

and yes, for me too, i lost around 5-7 fuses, they would blow before inserting it fully, u would get a spark and bam its dead.
goodluck

 

Which circuit was the short in? From looking at the wiring diagram, there shouldn't be anything in the column that runs through that fuse, IIRC.

 

they blew just like that guy said..except right after the fuse was fully inserted. emailed my dad back home he suggested this:

1. Remove all the light bulbs listed in that circuit.
2. Make sure you keep track of which bulb goes where because you want to put them back later in the same location. Keep the radio in place.
3. Replace the fuse. If it blows, then remove the radio and replace the fuse. If it blows again then the problem is elsewhere.
4. If after #1 above you replace the fuse and it does not blow, then start replacing the bulbs one at a time and check the fuse. If the fuse blows after replacing one of the bulbs, then it is likely that bulb has created a short. Get a replacement bulb and try it. If after replacing the fuse the fuse does not blow then that may be the problem. Continue replacing the bulbs one at a time and checking the fuse.

no i dont have/know how to use a voltmeter

 

Sounds like good advice. It may not necessarily be the bulb of course, it could be the wiring to that light. But at least that will tell you what wires to check. If it's a light you don't need/use then you can just leave the bulb out and it should be fine. If it is, you'll have to follow the wires and see if they are kinked/pinched/bent/broken/rubbed through anywhere between the back of the fuse panel and that bulb socket.

I would also add this to what he said. After #3, if it still blows, remove the headlight switch and test again.

#4 - If it still blows then remove the buzzer/chime from the convenience center under the driver's side dash against the trans tunnel. If it doesn't blow, you probably have a bad headlight switch.

#5 - If it still blows after removing the buzzer/chime, your problem is in the wiring itself, most likely you have a wire with broken/bad insulation and that is a pain to find. If it doesnt blow after removing the buzzer/chime then that piece is most likely the culprit.

 

ok thanx.

if i had a bad headlight switch wouldnt that mean my headlights wouldnt work. and they work fine

 

Not necessarily. Depending on what was wrong with it, your headlights could work just fine and yet its still bad. If you follow the diagram you posted, you'll see that after the courtesy and dome lamps, there is a wire going to the headlight switch. If there is a short inside the headlight switch that is letting that connection touch a ground inside the switch then your fuse would blow but your headlights would still work.

 

removing bulbs might help, but what happens if wire is frayed and touching something to ground right before the bulb? u take out bulb and yet it would still short.

I will tell you one thing, most electrical problems will occur steering column. If you tried pulling out everything and still no go, try unplugging the 2 clips of wires under steering column beside the fuse box and plug a fuse in, if it works well then, there was the problem

Goodluck!

 

ok looks like its the driver side courtesy light socket. everything else works fine

 

Are you just gonna leave the bulb out of it?

 

check the wiring around the socket, could have some issues

 

ya i'll look at it another day its too dark out now