No Interior Lights

[85GRAY]

Guys I need some help! I was installing a new center console and installed the lighter incorrectly. Basically I shorted the 12volts to ground. So I was thinking not a problem, just fix the lighter (don’t short the circuit) and replace any fuses.

There was a bad fuse for the gauges, which I replaced but no others. Now the radio and interior lights don’t work and all the fuses are good.

I am assuming that I killed a fuseable link. I believe they are located near the firewall by the battery. So I am little unsure on process for verifying and replacing the fuseable link.

I have an 85 vette, please provide some suggestions.

 

[Schrade]

You're gonna' need a multimeter for starters...

 

[85GRAY]

Yes I have a multimeter, but what I am interested in is the tool that checks for current/power without touching the conductors. So maybe I watch too much home improvement shows, but I always see them use a tool the verifies if cables have power. Maybe it is only AC.

So I am viewing my Haynes manual for the electrical schematic (which is useless) and I can't even locate the lighter circuit.

I am assuming the fuseable link is on the cable (red) with black grommet about 1/2 inch long near the firewall beside the battery.

So please any help on a 85 wire schematic (non-haynes) and some help on the appearance/location of the fuseable link.

 

[Schrade]

Yes I have a multimeter, but what I am interested in is the tool that checks for current/power without touching the conductors. So maybe I watch too much home improvement shows, but I always see them use a tool the verifies if cables have power. Maybe it is only AC.

So I am viewing my Haynes manual for the electrical schematic (which is useless) and I can't even locate the lighter circuit.

I am assuming the fuseable link is on the cable (red) with black grommet about 1/2 inch long near the firewall beside the battery.

So please any help on a 85 wire schematic (non-haynes) and some help on the appearance/location of the fuseable link.

Copy on the Hayne's/Chilton's/Clymer's/Marvel Comics - they need a round hollow binder so you can hang it in the 'library', tear, read, wipe (crinkle if you're tender:booty), flush, repeat if necessary.

Short of having the FSM, find the fuse that supplies the interior lights, determine which one is the source (12V) side, and which is the ground side. Might be only possible by seeing which one of THAT fuse's socket connectors will ground out current FROM the multimeter, WITH A GOOD KNOWN source, right there at the fuse panel. Find 12V, see if either will ground out the current. The OTHER socket should show 12V. If not, you're going to have to physically follow the line, to know for sure.

It's a hot-at-all-times source, so it won't be THAT tough...

 

[KANE]

Guys I need some help! I was installing a new center console and installed the lighter incorrectly. Basically I shorted the 12volts to ground. So I was thinking not a problem, just fix the lighter (don’t short the circuit) and replace any fuses.

There was a bad fuse for the gauges, which I replaced but no others. Now the radio and interior lights don’t work and all the fuses are good.

I am assuming that I killed a fuseable link. I believe they are located near the firewall by the battery. So I am little unsure on process for verifying and replacing the fuseable link.

I have an 85 vette, please provide some suggestions.

This is really old school- but I guess you could back probe the links if you really want to check the links out. You'd have to use a test light on the negative lead on the battery and then back probe the other side of the link (the side farthest from the battery- you'd need to trace the link back to the battery or current source to verify). No light from current = blown.

 

[LLC5]

Guys I need some help! I was installing a new center console and installed the lighter incorrectly. Basically I shorted the 12volts to ground. So I was thinking not a problem, just fix the lighter (don’t short the circuit) and replace any fuses.

There was a bad fuse for the gauges, which I replaced but no others. Now the radio and interior lights don’t work and all the fuses are good.

I am assuming that I killed a fuseable link. I believe they are located near the firewall by the battery. So I am little unsure on process for verifying and replacing the fuseable link.

I have an 85 vette, please provide some suggestions.

You might want to double check all the fuses in the vehicle with a test light, I doubt you blew a fuse link without melting your harness, as the fuse should have blown first unless someone installed a larger fuse in the holder. If all you did was install the lighter incorrectly, and the radio and interior lights worked previously, then only the fuse should have blown, not the fuse link.

 

[85GRAY]

Ok fixed the problem and I am embarrassed to report the solution. So I got the wire schematic and followed the line in question to a fuse and realized that the fuse was missing. Some how I must have removed it and assumed it should be empty.

Thanks for the feedback and don't laugh to hard

 

[Schrade]

Who's laughing? I can beat that.

I bought an alternator ($150) and battery ($80) once because a fuse was blown. And I have FSM, multimeter, everything. Coming from someone who laughs in disgust at fools who buy parts blindly. If I had tested one wire for current (before I bought the stuff), could have saved $230, and 6 days...

Won't happen again tho' NOPE nuh uh...


till next week, anyway
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