86ttopbird

Well where do i start here. I let my wife take my 86 Firebird to her hometown to visit for a weekend and she told me she was having trouble getting her phone charger to work in the cigarette lighter and that she wiggled it around a bit and then she said sparks came out of it and now NOTHING works on the interior except for the dash lights. No interior lighting, no horn, no radio, no power doorlocks, NOTHING. I got a new lighter and installed it, checked the wires for broken insulation and they are good. Then I noticed a 20 amp fuse that blows the instant i put it in as well as a 3 amp fuse thats located towards the top of the fuse block. Would anyone know what the hell is going on here? All this stuff worked before her trip now it dont.

s10devil

Sorry I can't help you, but I have the exact same problem, I can't figure it out either. Hope you don't mind I'm piggy backing your post for ideas. Just curious, does your accessory slot (aftermarket wiring) on the fuse block still work or did you lose that as well?

86ttopbird

No nothing works except the dash lights. Absolutely NOTHING in the interior works at all. All this started from the cigar lighter throwing sparks now it blows fuses instantly.I should add that I repalced the cigar lighter with a brand new replacement and the same crap happens.

s10devil

I plan on getting under the dash this weekend, if my truck decides to work, with a gremlin finder. I'll fill you in on any odd insights I may come across.

86ttopbird

Please do as this is pissing me off.

s10devil

Brother, I got bad news. I found my issue, but it isn't gonna help you cause I'm not the dumazz that wired your gauges. I just did a full autometer set up, made a central ground and grounded it somewhere I shouldn't outta grounded it. But in a wild shot in the dark, I'd start by tracing the lighter wires down a little ways not just the visual part, it may have fused them together. Wish I could help you out more.

87IROC-DAN61

Hello 86ttopbird!!

Start by taking the electrical connector off of the back of the cigar lighter!! Replace your 20 amp, and the 3 amp fuse, see if they blow again!! It's possible that the cigar lighter base socket is "welded" into the heat mode from all that sparking!!

Also your power windows should be on a 30 amp circuit breaker "silver thing" in the fuse block!!

86ttopbird

i replaced the lighter with a brand new one. Power windows work, its the power door locks and everything else. I guess Ill rip apart the console and check the wires for the lighter to see if they are welded together. I'm not sure what other action to take here. And yes the fuses pop right away.

87IROC-DAN61

Hello 86ttopbird!!

I meant the power door locks .............anyways the power door locks work off of a 25? amp circuit breaker "silver thing" also!!

It's not the lighter that has the problem, it's the socket that it fits into!! The lighter completes the circuit when pushed in, and pops out after it's done heating up!!

When your wife wiggled the phone charger it's possible that something broke off (in the socket or from the phone charger plug), and welded it's self to the lighter socket, completing the circuit, and causing it to short!!

If you take the connector off of the back of the lighter socket, and replace the fuses/circuit breaker, and it doesn't pop them, then you've isolated the problem to that lighter socket!!

If it still pops them after you do this, you have a bigger problem!!!

Try it, you have nothing to lose!!

86ttopbird

i replaced the entire lighter assembly with a new one. The fuses still blow. I am starting to think my only recourse is to start ripping apart the entire interior wiring harness and that is something i really do not wish to do. Those silver breakers control the power windows and they work fine as does the headlights,dash lights, wipers. The things that are inop are, the horn,dome light/courtesy lights,power door locks,power hatch motor,cigar lighter,radio.

87IROC-DAN61

Hello 86ttopbird!!

There should be a 35 amp circuit breaker for the power door locks, and the rear window defogger, also the radio is a 10 amp fuse beside this 35 amp circuit breaker, and there should be a 20 amp fuse beside the 30 amp circuit breaker for the power windows that controls the horn, the interior lights, and cigar lighter!!!

Your problem seems to be in one area of the fuse block!!

Is it possible that the wiring at the fuse block has shorted????



I believe that it is possible to pivot the fuse block down, so that you will be able to see the back of it!!!!

702musclecarfan

If your cigar lighter has a plug that the wires are in you may have a short in the plug. Since you have replaced the cigar lighter it is safe to assume that the part is not the problem. If the 2 wires that plug in to the lighter are in a molded plug the contacts inside the plug may be shorted together. unplug the the lighter and pull out some of the wire leave your self enough room to be able to splice the wires back together and cut the positive wire and replce the fuse. if the fuse does not blow then the problem is in the plug. If it does blow then leave that fuse out and replce the other fuses and see if you can get the other components to work. With elecrical issues you need to devide and conquer. Try to find the half way point. Unplug other compnents it may be coinsidence but something else may have shorted at the sametime as the sparks happening.

Hope this helps.

86ttopbird

I checked the wiring in the back of the fuse block, nothing charred or burned to suggest any shorting there. Is it possible that some of the wiring in the hatch pull-down has shorted? If so with no power to the hatch, if i pop it to check, i wont be able to get it closed again. Any ideas on how i could check that area and get the hatch closed again if the problem does not lie there?

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Doubtful this has anything to do with the hatch. Go back to the known problem with the cigg lighter socket

As its been discussed, its just a two wire deal, 12v fused and ground. Unplug these wires from the back of the lighter and see if it blows the fuse again. If it does, youve got a short between the fuseblock and the chassis. I recall an 89 I fixed where some fool ran an amp out of the cigg lighter and it melted the wire all the way back to the fuse block and melted together with every adjoining wire. Lets hope yours isnt that severe

Once you get the fuseblock to stop popping fuses you can begin to trace your problem circuits. If you dont have a multimeter, borrow one and test both sides of the problem circuits for continuity with the chassis as a ground. All should be open circuits. If it shows up any sort of resistance, then youve got a short and are in for a very long day

86ttopbird

I tore the console out and unwrapped the harness back through to where it goes under the dash. The wires were not fused or melted in any way. Pulled down the fuse block, and checked out the wires on the back of it. Nothing crispy there. Ill hook an ohm meter to the wires and check for continuity. Not sure where else to look. As i have said, this whole thing makes no sense whatsoever.

redfox

had the same problem and i was messing around and came across some fuses where the door ching thing is. lol sorry i dont know the proper name and 30s in all of them lol. never used my lighter for the car and all my lights stayed on

redfox

well got me thinking and i went out and looked at mine, behinde that box for the door chime is there is a place for two fuses and i pulled mine out and the fuse that was poping i put a higher one in it. every thing works from the inside lights to my rear defrost. but that lighter

702musclecarfan

Try this link it was sent to me when I had a mirror issue. The problem is probably stairing you right in the face you have just been looking at the ame thing for too long. If you have a budy there that can help have him take a look sometimes two heads are better than one. Since you have the fuse block pulled loose try this. Take the fuse out of the holder. with the key in the run position find which side of the fuse is hot. Then turn the key off and on the side of the fuse that did not have power use an ohm meter and test for continuity to ground your meter should read infinity. If it reads any continuity then you have a short to ground or a component that is shorted to ground. Leave your meter hooked up and start unplugging components (ie. radio, hatch motor, dome lights) if you get all of the compents unplugged and you still have continuity to ground then you have a wire that is chafed or pinched somewhere. Unfortunately there is not a lot than can be done other than to open the wire harness a trace down the wire to find the short. when you're tracing the wire if it splits cut one of the wires at the split and test for continuity there on both halves of the split. The side that has continuity is the side that you need to trace further. It will probably take you a while, but just me patient and you will find the problem. Hope the link helps.

http://www.austinthirdgen.org/mkport..._continued.gif

86ttopbird

Thanks for the link although, it is for a 1992 and god knows what they changed between my 86 and the 92. I guess i am in for some long hours on the ohm meter. I am trying to think of what components on that circuit would cause the cigar lighter to throw sparks and kill the entire circuit. I have yet to find a schematic for a 1986 Firebird online although i keep looking.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Most of the circuits were the same or very similar to the 90-92 stuff posted above. Dont take it as the gospel, but let it be a general guide so you dont have to remake the wheel for everything

If you dont have the 86 service manual, you are wasting your time searching. Its taken me over a year to find just the C100 pinouts from 82-92 and Ive got a few gaps. Thats one connector

702musclecarfan

I have found that the only differance is the color code of the wire. Everything that I have seen though is that the circuit and the components on the circuit are the same. Like the above posting use it as a general layout of where to look.

Good luck and happy hunting (haha ha ha ha).

smeds

iTrader: (1)

See if this will help you, I would disconnect each item on the circut one at a time and it will narrow down you problem.

good luck

hatemail72

you need to replace with a 20 amp fuse there is too much current running through all that system. once you do this you will have everything working. before this relace your lighter and socket

86ttopbird

i already did replace the whole lighter assembly. Ok i have a new 20 amp fuse in and so far its not popping and the radio,horn, etc is working EXCEPT when i try and use the cigar lighter then the fuse pops immediately. I checked the wires for cracks and breaks and there were none. Now that was only up to the dash where i unwrapped the harness and checked all the wires in it and found nothing wrong there. I'm confused as according to all the schematics i have seen here, there should not be a problem.

NINÅ

NEW stands for Never Ever Worked.

You can put a 10 amp fuse in series with the lighter socket, close to the socket.

Now, when you use the socket if the 10 amp fuse blows you know that the socket, or the device you’re plugging in, is at fault.

◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Happy Racing!

86ttopbird

I guess I have to trace the wiring back further and rip part of the dash apart to have a look. The whole thing makes no sense whatsoever.

87IROC-DAN61

Hello 86ttopbird!!


So......did you get it fixed yet????

aremy10

iTrader: (3)

ok the cigar lighter, glove box light, dome light, map light, and the main light switch all splice together and go into the same fuse. also all the grounds with the exception of the map light are all spliced together and or grounded in the same spot.

if you say everything works until you use the lighter then it can only be a couple of things. 1 the orange wire from the lighter splices into all the other acc. listed. and then goes into the fuse block. witch obviously is why none of those things work when the cig lighter pops the fuse. so it could be the wire going just up to the splice. or the ground is touching a hot wire. (doubt that) or the plug goin to the lighter is shot . or the bad wire or plug messed up your new lighter and putting you back right where you were. all there is to the lighter is the one ground spliced into the others. and the orange or hot wire spliced into the other hot wires of the other accesories. so these are the only things that can be causing the problem. with the very rare possibility that when you put the lighter in place its touching something its not suppose to (or the wires are) if you have to, run new wire with a new plug , and maybe an entire new lighter ( the lighter and the base ) cause you may have messed up your new one using it with the short....

good luck hope ya get it workin

86ttopbird

Problem is fixed!! I found that the hot wire from the lighter had missing insulation and was contacting a metal dash brace. I cut out the bad part and spliced it back together and heat shrinked it. I have been using the lighter and everything else and no blown fuses. Thanks to all who helped.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Glad it was simple. Shorts are usually pretty difficult to track down

86ttopbird

I found it by just ohming out the wires. I did the hot one first, glad i did

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Finding the culprit is done just like you did. Finding exactly where along the wire its shorted is the trick

702musclecarfan

Like I said patience and persistance. Glad you found the problem.

86ttopbird

OMG!! you have no idea how much I have been doing over this and the darn wire was chafed and grounded out under the dash. I just thank god i can ask questions like this here and get knowledgeable answers.

87IROC-DAN61

Hello 86ttopbird!!

Glad that you found it first, before a fire found you!!!

86ttopbird

You know i was scared as hell that my 'Bird would go up in smoke because of a dead short. My wife had an 87 Grand Am that had a faulty headlight switch. We didnt know what was causing the electrical problem at hand. She sold the car and it was probably 4 days later that the dashboard caught on fire because that switch had dead-shorted and started burning.