87 with dead short
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: WI
87 with dead short
My wifes 87 has a dead short in circuit 60 power seat and door locks. The short is so strong that fire comes of the circuit breaker if you put it in. Circuit breaker was hot with everything shut down. I have tried a new breaker with the same results. Any idea's broke wire? I have the breaker pulled so that battery does not go dead or fire in fuse box...
Thanks, Railman17
Thanks, Railman17
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,493
Likes: 94
From: Westfield MA
I had a short in my blazer, I bought a small buzzer from radio shack and put it across the fuse that was blowing. As long as there was a short, the buzzer buzzed, then I went around moving wires until the buzzer stopped buzzing to find the short. Others have done the same using a headlight, for me the buzzer was easier. My short was a piece of interior molding by the rear courtesy light that I had removed a few months earlier. Stands to reason that the cause of the short was something I did and not something GM did.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
You will need to trace the wire/s from the circuit breaker to the power seats and to the door locks and look for frayed insulation, pinching and possible connection with ground which is causing your short.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: WI
In the morning I am going to start by pulling the connectors under the drivers seat and try putting the circuit breaker back in. If it does not short I will take the seat out and look for frayed or broken wires. My wife said the problem started after she started to move the drivers seat back to get out of car while in the garage.
Thanks will give an update tommorow.
Thanks will give an update tommorow.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 393
Likes: 0
From: Bartonville Illinois
Unhook battery and get a cheap meter and try to find it that way and not risk burning anything up.
You may have a bare wire under the carpet, you should be able to troubleshoot a dead short without power. Hook up ohmeter to fuse socket and check for low resistance to ground. Start moving wires and unplugging seat connectors till reading shows open.
If its doing what you said you will probably find a burn mark where this is going on. You may even have a wire caught in the seat track, people work on this stuff and don't get wires tucked back in right or leave harnesses off the mounting place.
You may have a bare wire under the carpet, you should be able to troubleshoot a dead short without power. Hook up ohmeter to fuse socket and check for low resistance to ground. Start moving wires and unplugging seat connectors till reading shows open.
If its doing what you said you will probably find a burn mark where this is going on. You may even have a wire caught in the seat track, people work on this stuff and don't get wires tucked back in right or leave harnesses off the mounting place.
Last edited by RACER 1993; May 16, 2008 at 07:06 PM.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: WI
Well, I have taken the seats out, door exteriors off, unplugged every connector, have the dash pulled so that I could look at the back side of the fuse block. Still a hard short. I just put everything back and have left the circuit breaker out for the time being. About the only thing left is to cut the wire lum open and boy I don't want to do that.
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Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,816
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From: :45 minutes from everywhere / E-I-E-I-O
So you've got 12V goin' directly to ground. ???
This is UN-switched power (always on; NOT on only with key on). ???
???
Do like skybolt did - get a buzzer, or get a 12v lightbulb from the taillight or turn signal, and straightwire the bulb from the fuse (circuit) connectors.
Damn - I don't know which would be worse... listening to a buzzer for 30 minutes, or checkin' to see if the light is still on with every pull..
This is UN-switched power (always on; NOT on only with key on). ???
???
Do like skybolt did - get a buzzer, or get a 12v lightbulb from the taillight or turn signal, and straightwire the bulb from the fuse (circuit) connectors.
Damn - I don't know which would be worse... listening to a buzzer for 30 minutes, or checkin' to see if the light is still on with every pull..
Last edited by schrade; May 24, 2008 at 01:04 AM.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: WI
I had my multimeter plugged in to the fuse holder with the battery pulled never could get it to go open. This has not been any fun! I did not find any thing that looked pinched or out of the ordinary. I do have the factory manuals and have traced the wiring Orange and Black into the center past the shifter into the seat controls. I even pulled the conectors on them.
We are going on the Hot Rod Power tour with my C5 so this may not get done unitl we get back. Thanks for the help, any other ideas's are sure welcome.........
We are going on the Hot Rod Power tour with my C5 so this may not get done unitl we get back. Thanks for the help, any other ideas's are sure welcome.........
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 393
Likes: 0
From: Bartonville Illinois
If you have disconnected the seats and everything else on the circuit and still have the problem then a positive wire is pinched somewhere or broken and going to ground. This is no doubt happening between the fuse and the seat connectors. I thought the fuse was only for the power seats. Some of the wires for the seats run under the carpet.
The reason I mentioned using an ohmeter to find the problem was to save the firery sparks issue. If you have the prints it would be a big help. You can see what all gets power from this fuse and start wiggling wires.
I had an Impala once that a wire got frayed under the carpet and was blowing fuses.
Be careful when you put this stuff back together and not put any trim screws into any wires yourself. Its very easy to make a mistake like this.
Anyway, Good luck.
The reason I mentioned using an ohmeter to find the problem was to save the firery sparks issue. If you have the prints it would be a big help. You can see what all gets power from this fuse and start wiggling wires.
I had an Impala once that a wire got frayed under the carpet and was blowing fuses.
Be careful when you put this stuff back together and not put any trim screws into any wires yourself. Its very easy to make a mistake like this.
Anyway, Good luck.