Blowing fuses

[Skwerlb8]

Finally got an aftermarket cd player for my pathy... Instead of going in to the shop and having it put in my brother convinced me that he could do it for me. Yesterday we found the wiring diagrams from installdr.com (search works!)..got it all hooked up..tossed a couple Alpine 5x7's in the rear. Everything seemed to be working alright. Lost of the dimmer switch for the dash..but who cares, right?

This morning i went out and started the truck..everything still worked fine. I got about 2 blocks down the road and lost all my dash lights and marker/running lights. Before i went into work i tossed a new fuse in the box and tried again. The lights lasted about 5 seconds and blew the fuse again. Anyone have any ideas? i dont know anything about wiring and electrical..thats my bro's deptartment. But any info i can pass on to him will greatly increase my chances of gettin it all back to right. HAAALP!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Skwerly

[Simon]

Bad ground, I'd assume. I hope you didn't tap into the dimmer at all with the aftermarket stereo, as I've never heard of that going well in a WD21 Pathfinder.

[edicer2]

its definatly a bad ground or wireing problem. you should just take it out and rewire it. why do you guys need to use a wireing diagram? They make wire harnesses for less then ten bucks at walmart or something. idk just a thought but its defiantly not wired right i would tear it apart and recheck it. make sure your ground if bolted down had the paint sanded off. Also check to make sure there arent any bare wires showing. Also make sure the cd player isnt over heating and poping fuses that happened in my parents landcruiser. Installing a stereo in our pathfinder takes about 15 mins with the walmart wire harness and 10 of those mins are tring to stuff the wires back there haha. But you shouldnt have to mess with the dimmer switch at all.

 

Hopefully that helps! let us know if it doesnt work after doing those.

Edited March 16, 2009 by edicer2

[BowTied]

Something similar happend to a roommate when he put a stereo in his girl friend's Pulsar. He had mistaken the ground for the dash lights and the stereo worked great unless the lights were on where it would blow a fuse. He was stumped until I came along and verified the +12V on the "ground". Best part is he was an electrical engineer technologist and I was in school for mechanical technologist. So verify your grounds are actually grounds and not just acting like a ground. G/L!

[GrimGreg]

he was an electrical engineer technologist

 

Key there is electrical, they don't know crap about low voltage, for that you need an electronics engineer.

[Skwerlb8]

got everything fixed up...pulled the stereo out and found some uncovered wires. Seems my bro cut off one to many harnesses and forgot to cover the cut wires from it. i'm guessing the dimmer was connected to that somehow? maybe? in any case..i dont consider it a great loss..i got my lights without blowin fuses and i got a cd player in my pathy..im good!