Electrical problems, Please Help!

[7391417]

Well hey there all,

It has been quite a long time since I have posted to the board, since making the 914 a weekend only car and putting very little miles on it, I have had no problems.......Till Now!!!!

Here is the situation: I was driving along everything fine, when all my guages die (tach, fuel, oil pres, oil temp, and volt) and my turn signals, brake lights and reverse lights dont work. I can start the car and it runs (a little rough though). As soon as a turn the ignition on, the 4th fuse from the right blows. now my book says this is the horn and fan, but these items work even with the fuse blown. If I replace the fuse and turn it on the guages come on briefly then the fuse blows again and the guages die. If I let the car run the alternator light comes on (feels like it is running off the battery.) Everything else works except the brake lights, turn signals (hazards do work) and reverse light and gauges. this is driving me insane, does anyone have any ideas!!!!!?????

Thanks for your help!

-Brent

[JRust]

Don't know if this is it but mine responded the same way. Mine did it after I got it painted & started having trouble with the gages & that fuse. I had a short in 1 of my turn signals up front that was the cause of all my problems. Could of just been some kinda fluke & probably isn't your problem. It sound like you just have something in one of those wires grounding out causing the short. Then again I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to electrical. Good luck

[scotty914]

here is an old elctrician trick ( i am a young one )

go buy a amp meter from your FLAPS ...

drop down the fuse panel and take the wires off of the fuse block and connect them through the amp meter ( the fuse that blows )

and install switch in it so you can shut it off and leave the key on

install a larger fuse in the space that is burning out

then take out all of the items that are on that circuit and disconnect them ... ie gauges, tail light bulbs etc etc

then turn the key on, dont start the car

using the switch turn it on and see what the amp reading is ... if it spikes shut the switch off quick so you dont melt any wires and if does go down 3 lines

then one item at a time hook them back up and turn the switch on till one item makes the meter spike

then you have it narrowed down to a specific item

now if it spikes when you first turn it on it is either the wiring it self or some thing you cant disconnect like the alternator

you can disconnect the alt off of the relay board to try to narrow it down some more

but dont forget to use the wiring diagrams in thae haynes manual and if you dont have one call 1888 280 7799 and order one ( for the slower people that is PELICAN PARTS phone number )

good luck and feel free to email with any other questions

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Brent, you've got the fuse cover on backwards... That 4th fuse is actually the #9 fuse. (12-11-10-9, the 4th from the other side.)

It's obviously a short in something. Did anybody do anything to the car shortly before this started happening? (My favorite here---) For instance, did some butcher shop.... I mean, body shop, do some work on the car, perchance? Replace a light bulb?

--DD

[7391417]

Yes, the #9 fuse is what I meant when I said fourth one from the right. Yes, definately a short, but what is shorting is the mystery! No work had been done to the car recently (As I do most everything) It has been running purfectly for over a year, I took it out for a lesurely drive, as I am almost home, the fuse pops, and the problems started. I will try a few more things tommorrow.

[philinjax]

You have a short either in the RD/WH wire that supplies power to the main instruments or the BK/WH wire that supplies power to the brake lights, backup lights and center console instruments.
Open the rear trunk and pull the BK/WH wire off both rear light
assemblies. Start the car and see if the instruments come on line and the fuse stays intact.
If that ain't it, put those wires back on, check to see that the backup light switch wire (GY/BR) has not come loose from the side of the tranny and is touching a ground some place. If that ain't it, pull the RD/WH wire off the #9 fuse and see if that eliminates the blown fuse. If that ain't it, I give up.
Phil

[7391417]

Problem Solved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Well, after disassembling the dash, studying the wiring diagrams, tracing the circuits off the number 9 fuse for shorts and finding nothing in the instrument, or brake circuit that could be shorting, I decided to take a look under the back of the car as recommended in a reply to my original post, and what did I find? The reverse light wires loose and grounding against the tranny! Plugged them back in and Viola' everything works great. I was thinking thats strange, then I realized that about a month ago I had replaced the starter, I must have pulled on the leads while replacing that, and hadn't really driven the 914 much since. Oh well, a time consuming but easy to fix problem, only thing is now I have to by a new turn signal switch assembly as mine kinda came apart when removing the steering wheel, oh well, at least my signals will self cancel now!!!! Thanks for all your replies!

-Brent

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