I have an 86 Caprice that keeps blowing the gauges fuse (fuel, volts, engine temp... all not working), head light buzzer stays on while the car is running and lights are on, Wipers (they work, tested good, fuse not blown) are not working. I'd not started the car for about 2 weeks, the battery (econo battery/cheap, really cold weather) ran down. I replaced the battery, replaced the gauges fuse and started the car and all started working again: gauges, wipers, no buzzer when I engaged the head lights. Everything was right for about 5 or less minutes. Right around the time the seat belt buzzer went off the fuse popped again and everything went dead again. I tried disconnecting the battery again (not over night when I replaced the battery, just for a minute of 2). No change

Just speculating, things could have gone south not because of the seat belt buzzer, but because the car heated up and a wire relaxed and touched something again.

I have a PowerProbe 3000B, when I plug it into the out side of the gauges fuse I get a open circuit. When I turn the key (acc) it quickly goes from short back to open circuit.

I recently had an after market alarm (viper) put in.

Anybody?

Thanks

Suge

 

Gauge fuse ’80-’86: Cruise Control, Rear Window Defogger, Gauges, Closed Loop, Warning Lamps, Buzzers, Rear Deck Lid Release, TCC, VSS

 

Hi suggie, I'm not telling you this to scold you, I'm telling you this so you'll know why, if no one here has any answers for you ;

This website is dedicated exclusively to 1982 through 1992 Chevy Camaro / Pontiac Firebird cars, which were the third generation of GM's "F body" car, hence the name "TGO.ORG". Now being as such, there may not be many people here with exact knowledge of your car that would be able to offer much more than general advice, such as checking near that recently installed Viper alarm carefully and hope to find something shorted that way. Most of those have a harness connector on the unit itself, try unplugging the viper unit and see of the fuse still blows, if nothing visual with the wires turns up. If nothing is found that way you may want to obtain a real set of factory service manuals for it including the electrical manual (Not the "Chiltons" or "Haynes" crap but the real deal = somewhat pricey GM factory service manuals for your specific make & model) , to begin your troubleshooting. Using those manuals you will find the locations where all of the stuff on that fuse ties into the circuit and disconnect them, put in a good fuse and one by each hook the different units back up and see which one blows the fuse, then follow it from there .

I wish you luck....................

 

Thanks for your help, just ordered a repair manual. Site states it the one they use at the dealerships. It's a CD though. Sorry bout the misplaced post.

 

I understand this is not the correct forum for my car, but what I found has nothing to do with any model or year car.
What I did not mention (did not think it had anything to do with the the fuse and wipers.), the engine would not kick down to a normal idle regardless of how warm the engine got or how many times I hit the peddle. I had bout given up and decided to use my new PowerProbe Open/Short finder one more time. The probe led me toward the passenger side of the car around the ashtray. I decided to actually take a good look in that area. I saw a wad of green sticky paper. I ran my hand up in that area and found whatever that was pictured below. I took a video and found it was jacked into the choke heater fuse, and (I guess) grounded to the dash board. I removed the end jacked into the choke heater fuse and started the car. No more fuses blown, car dropped down into a normal idle and purrs like a kitten.

As for as the wipers are concerned I cleaned the connector of green stuff and they work (no washer fluid though). It's my belief someone placed that thing under my dash to cause a number of issues.

For the record, I just purchased the car in mid December off of Ebay

Can someone tell me what this is?

 

No, I do not believe it was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the car, I believe it was a VERY ham fisted attempt to measure the current something was drawing, that something being anybody's guess.

The three facts we know are; It is a meter that measures current, it doesn't belong there, and the car runs a lot better without it.

Beyond that, I'm far too old to waste brain cells trying to figure out what some idiot was attempting with that, and I congratulate you on your successful diagnosis and repair.......

 

I have not had to much luck with finding honest mechanics. I often find mechanics like the owner in this youtube.

 

 

 

Tools used:

1. Power Probe Short/Open Circuit Finder (ECT3000B), Amazon
   1. Used to tone the short/open circuit
2. , Power Probe Test Probe Adapter Kit (PPTK0005), Amazon
   1. Used to jack into the gauges fuse port, (ground or out side).

 

Wow!

I have not come across an Ammeter that appears to be a Pre-1980s Instrument...
Let alone EVER seen one "Jerry-Rigged" into a Vehicle!

I could imagine someone connecting an Ammeter temporarily, for testing purposes...
But NOT actually INSTALL the Instrument into the Vehicle/ Dash-Board!

I have absolutely seen far crazier things done to/ with Vehicles ...but this is a new one for me!
Not to mention that it ONLY reads up to 1mA (0.001 Amps)... 30mA is where the Draw will usually drain down the Battery in a few Days.

 

This (the pictured device) was installed underneath the dash board (out of site, covert). As stated above I was about to take the car to a mechanic, but searched one more time and happened to find it.