i plugged in a new car charger the other day and it instantly killed my radio...then later that night i realized it killed the horn, dome light, and other interior electronics.....none of my typical block fuses anywhere are blown....i do have an amp and a audio system in the car...but it is seperatelly run..so its not affected...its just id like to have my radio back asap...any help would be greatly appreciated

 

 

its an 86 z28 camaro....i havnt checked for that wire yet but auto store said it could be an inline fuse?? im not sure where to even look for this or where to begin

 

 

yes headlights still work fine...its just the horn,radio,dome light, and cig lighter dont work...so am i just looking for one certain wire or could it be a variety of wire im looking for?

 

I had this exact problem when I used a cell phone charger in my cig lighter.
It was a blown fuse. It's often necessary to remove the fuse and physically test it to determine if it's blown or not. Sometimes a visual inspection isn't enough.

 

i had the exact same issue also ..turned out to be the fuse i believe its a 15amp i was replacing the fuse almost weekly then i replaced with a 20 and didnt have the problem anymore

 

okay thanks ill try that

 

If I recall, the fuse may be a 20 amp.
What I found the problem to be was the device I was plugging in. It made very deep contact inside the lighter and would short out out the circuit.

 

okay everybody so its not any ofthe block fuses or any of the typical fuses uder the dash or in back of radio at all...i just double checked it all...its more than just a fuse....but i haveno idea where to start looking for the problem....where are these fuseable links?? and how do i check them and fix them

 

Quick question. How did you check the fuses?

 

This kind of stuff is difficult to do in a forum like this so you have to eliminate the variables which is why I asked.
The small group of devices you said don't work: horn, dome light, radio, cig lighter are all run off a single fuse. The predominate colour of the wire in the circuit is orange. If someone has hacked into it for other accesories,there could be a break in the wire or a crappy splice has come loose.
If the problem is beyond what items you've listed, like the tail lights or fog lamps you may have lost a feed from the battery. Sometimes this is in the fusible link you're looking for. They come directly from the starter + terminal or the positve battery post.
You can use a continuity tester (ohm meter) or 12vdc test lamp to determine if the wiring/link is intact.
That's just a start.

 

i just unplugged all the fuses again and checked them...as far as other things not working...it is just the things ive listed..everything else works perfectly fine.

 

Take a look behind the lighter. You may find that the power and ground wires have fused.

JamesC

 

the two wires attatched to behind the lighter plate where the lighter wires are..are perfectly fine...they are not burnt or anything or fused together...it all is fine there too

 

Do you have access to a multimeter (voltage and continuity) and or a 12 volt test light?
How do you check a fuse? Often you can't tell by looking at it. The link may appear intact.

 

yes i can get a voltmeter and seek help from a relative hes a retired eletrician..but i didnt know if this was a common problemand there was a simpler fix to it....i have so far just checked all fuses by visually looking at them

 

One suggestion before the voltmeter arrives. The radio fuse is in the center of the fuse block. 2nd row from the left. 3rd from the bottom. If you have a new 20 amp fuse, try replacing the radio fuse with it. Be sure your radio is off and the charger isn't in the lighter socket. You might get lucky.

 

Hi, I've known several people including myself that had a similar problem. Tried checking everywhere, but as soon as I replaced the fuse it popped.
Turns out the lighters have some way of shorting out and taking all the other stuff along for the ride.
Take the connector of the back of the lighter and try replacing the fuse now. If it doesn't pop you may look up to see your dome light on. If that worked now you just need to replace the lighter before you plug it back in. Good luck

 

okay to everyone...not to be rude...and to be extremelly clear MY FUSES ARE NOT POPPING ....fuses are perfect!!!!!!!!!! ...ive tried putting new ones in and thagts just not what seems to be the cause of all this problem to my interior...i repeat...my fuses are fine!!!! currently my cigarette plastic plate is out and so is the actuall lighter as well as my radio is out now too...but the wires are still all plugged into the connector pieces...and none of my fuses are blown at all..not one of them

 

Now that that's cleared up you'll need to trace the wire (should be orange) from the lighter to the source. It will stop at one or two places (possibly three) on the way to the fuse block. If your fuse is fine there will be 12 volts to ground in that wire and at any connector it parallels along the way. If there's no voltage anywhere in the circuit you will have to check at the fuse block on both sides of the fuse holder. If there is no power where the fuse plugs in (it will only be on one side with the fuse out) then the problem will be the feed to the fuse block. Possibly in the firewall bulkhead connector or somewhere under the hood on the way to the large positive terminal on the starter or the battery itself.
My suspicions are that you will find some poor quality splice that come apart. Don't forget that the no power can also be caused by a faulty ground. Be sure to check the other (black) wire from the lighter too.
(My apologies for going on about the fuse however I can't tell you how many times I've made a service call for a no power situation and found a blown fuse or tripped breaker.)

 

okay i will definatelly check all the wires tomorrow afternoon...but being that im trying to balance my schoolwork and my cars i have to get my priorities straight...i have my first car(this 86 z28 thats kicking my butt right now) an 86 iroc, 82 z28 and an 89 rs.....my parents just love me for filling up the driveway (:

 

I had the same problem and it turned out to be a short in the lighter. 6 bucks at Autozone for a new one and I was back in business.

 

Sorry man, I was doing too many things at once and just popped in to see your post and obviously missed all the details. OOPS, well I guess now it's just process of elimination. Good luck !

 

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everybody please i need help...its not the fuses blowing...please read the whole conversation before you put your input in

 

I posted a thread in this exact same forum about this exact same problem. The original cig lighter had a short in it. After I replaced it, same thing. I then found that the orange wire that provides the positive juice was chafed where the harness goes under the dash from the console. I cut out the bad part, spliced it back together, heat shrinked it, and its all good now. I will say this, if you replace your lighter with a new one, be sure to look down inside it and make sure the metal tangs that stick up on the sides are not against the metal shell of the lighter. This will cause a dead short and cause your fuses to blow(sometimes they dont though) and yes, your interior lights,horn,radio,power door locks(if so equipped), and power hatch will also be killed. Here's the link to my thread. It might help you track it down....https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/elec...g-problem.html

On another note, If you dont have a test light, borrow one and probe your fuses. The fuse you want is the "ACC" fuse. It should be a 20 amp one. Check to see that there is power on both legs of the fuse. If there is power there (and there should be), the light will turn on. If it doesn't, then you have no power to the fuse block, or the fuse is toast. Best way to be sure about fuses is to pull it and do a continuity test with a volt/ohm meter.