QuestionI have no dash lights( 95 Convt), #8 spot in the fuse panel blows when
> I put a new fuse in, how do I chase it down? Dash Dim switch seems ok
> as the map lights on the rearview mirror come on( have removed trim
> and inspected also), door lights work, it's just everything on the
> dash. Don't have much history on the car, just purchased June
> 15th.Electrical proublem solving is my weakness, so be patient!
>
> Thanks! Rob
AnswerHi Rob,
The fuse #8 supplies current to the body computer which in turn sends it out over three different wires to the dash for illumination of all the lights on that part of the vehicle which are dimmable.
To reduce the problem I would begin by measuring the resistance of each of those circuits as compared to ground (and shiny metal structural surface nearby) using a digital ohmmeter. The three wire colors for the circuits are: orange, orange/black, and yellow/black and can be found at the headlamp switch or at the body computer which is located on the right cowl panel (behind the carpeting on the trim panel next to the passenger's right leg). One of those three wires will be found to be shorted to ground and we can go on from there. You will want to distinguish between a low ohm reading and a close to 0 ohm reading, the latter being the wire that is causing the fuse to blow. At the body computer you will find those wires on pin 3 of the black plug and pins 10 and 22 of the natural color plug. If you pull the plugs at the computer, measure the resistance on the plug side, if you pull the plug at the headlamp switch measure the resistance on the switch pins. Let me know the results and we'll go from there.
Roland
PS You didn't mention whether the fuse blew only when the headlamp switch was in an "on" position, or also even when it was "off", so do the measurements under both conditions as that may prove relevant.
Oh ho,
So you tell me it blows with the headlamps off! Then that would imply that either:
The brown wire from the fuse to the body controller pin 8 of the natural plug is grounded (remove the natural plug at the controller and measure for a short to ground with the fuse out of its socket), or
One of the 3 wires from the body computer to the headlamp switch is shorted to ground (measure from pin 8 of the body socket to ground after pulling the plug from the headlamp switch), or
It still could be there is a short to ground on one pins of the switch even though it is 'off' (so measure at each of the 3 wires of a listed originally (after verifying to see that none are grounded (the test just above)), or
Finally that the body computer itself could be shorting the current to ground, which I will tell you how to test if all above measurements don't reveal the short.
