C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

85 Electrical??

Old Feb 15, 2008 | 07:57 AM
  #1  
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Default 85 Electrical??

Ok so im a noobie to the corvettes, and im having some problems with the electrical. I have an 85 and the other day my courtesy lights, stereo, and my ciggaret lighter plug all decided to go out. Well i found the fuse for the courtesy lights, and replaced it, but the fuse blew again. Please help me with this i cant live without music and its hard to get out of the car with no light.
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Old Feb 15, 2008 | 07:58 AM
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a little backround.....aftermarket stereo...stock stereo....what's plugged into the lighter.....did a penny fall in the lighter socket?
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Old Feb 15, 2008 | 08:27 AM
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After market was in the car when bought worked fine for about a week. Phone charger was in the lighter. Hope this helps.
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Old Feb 15, 2008 | 11:40 AM
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FSM for troubleshooting?
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Old Feb 15, 2008 | 11:54 AM
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This isn't a Corvette problem. It is basic electricity. If a fuse blows it is trying to pass more current than the circuit was designed to handle. Just like a fuse or circuit breaker in your house. Either you have a short circuit that requires tracing to find, or someone has added equipment and overloaded the circuit. Be glad the fuse is blowing. Otherwise you could burn your car down. A FSM will make the tracing MUCH easier.

RACE ON!!!
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Old Feb 15, 2008 | 11:55 AM
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The blown fuse means you have a short in that circuit. The first thing I would try is remove the phone adapter and try another fuse. If it still pops unplug the cigarette lighter and try again. If that isn't it, it gets harder. You have to get a manual and see what is on that fuse's circuit and unplug things until the short goes away.

Good luck,Paul
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Old Feb 15, 2008 | 12:07 PM
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Are you using a 15 Fuse? If you are, the power side from the fuse powers the following:
Hood Ctsy Lights/Cluster Pin-D4/Connection Pin D rear harness/ETR Radio Clock(should be pink/wht wire behind radio unit)/Dome Light Timer/Both lower ctsy lights/LH Door /Ctr Cluster Pin 6/Connector Center Console Pin P/Map Lights/L&R Interior Lights/Spare Tire Ctsy Light/Bose Speaker Relay/Glove Box Light/Cig Lighter/Hatch Relay/Ant Relay

As you can see, lots of places to potentially cause "large" draw. However, I would get a good schematic and do most of my checking which would deal with aftermarket radio connections. Are there other things with this radio installation which might be being powered from the radio (that pink/wht wire)?

Good Luck! Try disconnecting the Hood Ctsy Lights as they are a mercury type switch which turns them on when hood is up. Just a thought. If problem stops forever, then maybe your problem is between firewall bulkhead connector to hood lights.
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Old Feb 16, 2008 | 08:18 AM
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Originally Posted by tgtexas02
Good Luck! Try disconnecting the Hood Ctsy Lights as they are a mercury type switch which turns them on when hood is up. Just a thought. If problem stops forever, then maybe your problem is between firewall bulkhead connector to hood lights.

The hood lights havent worked since i bought the car, so it leaves that out.
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Old Jan 3, 2010 | 09:53 PM
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Hey, did you EVER fix this? Was it the aftermarket stereo that did it? "Cause I've got a problem where the PO hooked the radio to this circuit (not just the clock, but the WHOLE stereo system!)
Don't leave a thread hangin' like this!
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Old Jan 3, 2010 | 10:53 PM
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Phone chargers will often blow cigarette fuse-it draws too much electricity/amps.I had same problem with my 1984 vette.It would happen randomly.If you have aftermarket radio,check to make sure wiring is wired correctly & not rubbing anywhere.While center console plate is off check cigarette wiring for rubbing/short to ground.You can also wiggle radio & cigarette wiring while key is in on position to see if fuse blows.Does fuse blow randomly or when going over bumps?Try to narrow it down to when fuse blows to figure out what may be possible cause.You can put a bigger fuse in(example-if it takes a 15 amp you can use a 20 amp,but do NOT use anything over a 20 amp as it may cause a burnt wire somewhere which will be possibly hard to find or may cause a fire).
I just relized this is from 2008(thread)
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Old Jan 4, 2010 | 03:27 AM
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Originally Posted by 94vettelover2
I just relized this is from 2008(thread)
That's OK, there are still some of us out here trying to fix these problems! Guess who one of them is!
And the PO of my '84 had used a 30 amp fuse in the courtesy slot and blown it!! I have found that he has the stereo running off the clock circuit thru the courtesy light fuse. I'm going to try to seperate the darn thing tomorrow. My problem is that I don't know which wire is the clock circuit wire. I did a search (which is where I found this unfinished thread) and found two threads that list two different colors as the clock circuit wire. Guess I will just have to use my trouble light to see which one has power when I plug a new fuse in.
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Old Jan 4, 2010 | 08:54 AM
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My 86 FSM says yellow is radio power and pink/white is clock power.
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