84 CTSY/CLK Short
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Joined: Dec 2008
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84 CTSY/CLK Short
Can anyone help in finding where the short is? I cannot put a fuse in the CTSY/CLK socket without blowing it immediately. It is suppose to be a 15 amp fuse, but 30s blow also. The courtesy lights, radio, and horn do not work. I have disconnected the radio, removed the horn contact, and removed all the courtesy lights except the two in back of the seats. The fuse still blows immediately when it is installed. Any help would be appreciated.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,830
Likes: 147
From: Gainesville FL
30a!
Can anyone help in finding where the short is? I cannot put a fuse in the CTSY/CLK socket without blowing it immediately. It is suppose to be a 15 amp fuse, but 30s blow also. The courtesy lights, radio, and horn do not work. I have disconnected the radio, removed the horn contact, and removed all the courtesy lights except the two in back of the seats. The fuse still blows immediately when it is installed. Any help would be appreciated.
If it's not the items that are connected to the circuit then there must be a short to ground on one of the wires.
Do you have a DVOM?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
^^Oh yeah!! that's right!!
My old School GPS plugs into the Cig lighter. One day the tip unscrewed and came apart when I was unplugging it.....bits and pieces fell into the Cig lighter and as I was trying to fish them out.....driving 50 mph of course...who pulls over for something like that.....a pop and a fizzle and a whiff of ozone and the radio was dead.....
Good times.....
Popped in a new fuse and off we went...
My old School GPS plugs into the Cig lighter. One day the tip unscrewed and came apart when I was unplugging it.....bits and pieces fell into the Cig lighter and as I was trying to fish them out.....driving 50 mph of course...who pulls over for something like that.....a pop and a fizzle and a whiff of ozone and the radio was dead.....
Good times.....
Popped in a new fuse and off we went...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
^^Oh yeah!! that's right!!
My old School GPS plugs into the Cig lighter. One day the tip unscrewed and came apart when I was unplugging it.....bits and pieces fell into the Cig lighter and as I was trying to fish them out.....driving 50 mph of course...who pulls over for something like that.....a pop and a fizzle and a whiff of ozone and the radio was dead.....
Good times.....
Popped in a new fuse and off we went...
My old School GPS plugs into the Cig lighter. One day the tip unscrewed and came apart when I was unplugging it.....bits and pieces fell into the Cig lighter and as I was trying to fish them out.....driving 50 mph of course...who pulls over for something like that.....a pop and a fizzle and a whiff of ozone and the radio was dead.....
Good times.....
Popped in a new fuse and off we went...
You let the magic smoke out. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
You can replace the fuse with a 12v lamp which will light if the circuits are shorted, then you start disconnecting devices one at a time on that circuit and see if the light goes out. It may not, indicating that somewhere in the wiring harness, a wire is abraded or pinched and shorted to ground.
NEVER put a larger fuse in place of a burned out fuse!!!!!!!!!!!
NEVER put a larger fuse in place of a burned out fuse!!!!!!!!!!!
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Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Summerland B.C. Canada
You can replace the fuse with a 12v lamp which will light if the circuits are shorted, then you start disconnecting devices one at a time on that circuit and see if the light goes out. It may not, indicating that somewhere in the wiring harness, a wire is abraded or pinched and shorted to ground.
NEVER put a larger fuse in place of a burned out fuse!!!!!!!!!!!
NEVER put a larger fuse in place of a burned out fuse!!!!!!!!!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Clearly you have a short circuit, your circuit instantly blows fuses.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 82
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Thanks for all the replies and advice. I have an electronic shop manual for the 84. It is remarkable all the devices on that circuit. The resistance between the 12v wire and ground was 1000 ohms. I think this gives a current of 0.012 amps; not enough to blow 5 amp fuse. After this confusing piece of information I started disconnecting devices on the circuit. Fortunately I had gotten rid of the "breadbox" which made it easy to access what is behind it. After diconnecting several lights, radio, and the horn relay and more blown fuses, I unplugged the connector that feeds the vanity mirror lights and the fuse didn't blow. I have not investigated exactly where the short is but am happy to have things back together.
During my investigations, I noticed a yellow liquid on the floor under the car. Further investigation showed a leak from near the AC/heater fan shroud, probably the heater core has started to leak. Ahh, the joys of an 84; always something to work on.
Thanks again for all the help.
During my investigations, I noticed a yellow liquid on the floor under the car. Further investigation showed a leak from near the AC/heater fan shroud, probably the heater core has started to leak. Ahh, the joys of an 84; always something to work on.
Thanks again for all the help.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
Thanks for all the replies and advice. I have an electronic shop manual for the 84. It is remarkable all the devices on that circuit. The resistance between the 12v wire and ground was 1000 ohms. I think this gives a current of 0.012 amps; not enough to blow 5 amp fuse. After this confusing piece of information I started disconnecting devices on the circuit. Fortunately I had gotten rid of the "breadbox" which made it easy to access what is behind it. After diconnecting several lights, radio, and the horn relay and more blown fuses, I unplugged the connector that feeds the vanity mirror lights and the fuse didn't blow. I have not investigated exactly where the short is but am happy to have things back together.
During my investigations, I noticed a yellow liquid on the floor under the car. Further investigation showed a leak from near the AC/heater fan shroud, probably the heater core has started to leak. Ahh, the joys of an 84; always something to work on.
Thanks again for all the help.
During my investigations, I noticed a yellow liquid on the floor under the car. Further investigation showed a leak from near the AC/heater fan shroud, probably the heater core has started to leak. Ahh, the joys of an 84; always something to work on.
Thanks again for all the help.
I hope that helps someone in the future.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,306
Likes: 242
From: Summerland B.C. Canada
Yes it will, you determine if there is a short by measuring the voltage on the output wire on the lamp that replaces the fuse. Short circuits are very low resistance and the output wire will measure very low voltage, like less than 0.1 volts while courtesy lights will be over 1 volt.
Good to know
