I know I posted this before, but I was wrong in my recounting the events and never really got any solid leads.

I can turn the dash lights on and off as many times as I want when the engine is off.

As soon as I turn on the lights with the engine is on, the fuse blows immediately.

Anyone have any ideas?

I am still trying to find out what else is connected to that particular fuse, but can't find it anything to help.

Thanks, Ken

 

Ken,

AS you know...the ONLY time that the small fuse for your dash lights get 12 volts of power is when you pull the headlight switch. This circuit does JUST THAT...turns on your dash lights ONLY.

It makes NO SENSE that it does not blow the fuse when you pull the switch....because unless someone has gotten in there and messed around with your wiring....this circuit does not care if the engine is running or NOT. Simply because the headlight switch does not need the ignition to be ON in order to operate.

NOW.. your car did have a light in the factory radio...the light gray wire...and often times some people use it not knowing what it does....especially if the radio has been change out. Because testing this wire when the ignition is OFF...it will show as a GROUND

So....if someone connected it when a new radio was installed....thinking it may be a GROUND...when you turn the ignition ON....thus turning ON your radio...it can be allowing a GROUND to be introduced into this wire and THUS...blowing your fuse.

Or they connected to a power antenna wire out of the radio...it is hard for me to truly identify your problem....but I would look around your radio area....if it is NOT a factory radio.

IF you really want to find the problem...if looking at your radio area and can not find it. You will HAVE TO remove ALL of your dash light sockets...and also the BULB for your shifter indicator if you are an automatic along with the light bulb for your AC/HEATER control lighting....cigarette lighter light also Having this circuit removed will make it a DEAD circuit.

SO...when you go and remove the fuse...and test this circuit ( gray wire) it should have NO power or GROUND going to it. Then...when you turn your key on or run the engine...IF this gray wire gets power (12 volts)...you have to find where it is coming in from...and that means that the headlight switch is NOT the source of 12 volts.

DUB

 

Thanks DUB, I do appreciate the help.

I just pulled my center console open to see what is up. I installed the aftermarket radio myself and tapped into the grey wire for the radio's illumination feed. Maybe the problem is this causes the 5 amp fuse to overload.

I found a light blue wire in the center console with a bulb in it. According to the wiring diagram, this tied into the marker lights. Maybe this was the illumination for the original radio. It only works when the head lights are on, not just the running lights. I could tap into this for the radio.

With the fuse blown, I voltage tested the grey wire with the engine off and the engine on. If there was current coming down the line from some other source (like the radio), then the wire should be live with the engine on now. Correct? there was no current either way.

My next step is to disconnect the radio illumination from the dash lights and see if it blows the fuse when I start the engine.

 

I got it.

It was the Illumination lead on the stereo. Once I disconnected it everything worked.
I don't even need this wire anyways, the stereo is lit up without it since it is always on.

Thanks again DUB,

 

GREAT...Some times it is better being lucky than good. I had a feeling that it was an aftermarket radio being the culprit. A ground had to be getting into this circuit some way.

DUB