Electrical issues on my 1993 nissan pathfinder

[unloveable75]

hi recently i was trying to test a light on my cigarette lighter and realized that it shorted out and long with it the stereo wont power on the interior light doesnt come on and also the clock on the dash board, but everything else works fine . i also check to see if i burnt out a fuse and all the fuses are good none are burnt out, is there some thing else i should check , its weird , please help

 

[Slartibartfast]

A shorted cigarette lighter should take out the room lamp fuse IIRC, which would take the lights/clock/stereo with it. I would take another look at the room lamp fuse, maybe switch it for another of the same size just to be sure. I've read that they can crack and not work but still look fine. If it's not the fuse, then all I can figure is that another connection on that circuit was weaker than the fuse and blew instead.

[ThaBigPerm]

Yes, double check that cig lighter fuse. I popped mine putting a stereo in, and it did precisely what you described. I didn't think it had blown either, since I used a continuity tester on the fuses while still in the block - all had tone and continuity. I didn't notice at first, though, that when testing continuity on that cig lighter fuse, the courtesy lights would light up under the dash - it was finding continuity through the wiring, not the fuse. When I pulled it and inspected it visually, it was indeed blown, and a new one fixed it all right up.

[flnl]

Mine too, I took off all the stereo fuses (as it has gone crazy) but the stereo did not shut off. When I took the cig lighter fuse off, it did. When I put all fuses on again, everything was back to normal. No more troubles since then, but I have to check it someday...

[unloveable75]

i recently changed the cig fuse and the interior light fuse and the radio fuse and nothing, still no power from the car stereo and no interior light and no clock, is there anything that got shorted out??

 

[RF600]

That fuse should blow before frying any wires. Did you smell smoke? Have you re checked the fuse to see if it blew again? If it did then I would say you have a wire shorting out.

[unloveable75]

That fuse should blow before frying any wires. Did you smell smoke? Have you re checked the fuse to see if it blew again? If it did then I would say you have a wire shorting out.

 

no i didnt smell anything, but its also affecting the way it starts though, how about if i remove the cig fuse?? would my pathy still function normal??

[RF600]

You won't have a dome light, clock in the dash. The radio might be on the same circuit, I forget.

[Slartibartfast]

I'm pretty sure the radio's on that circuit, too.

 

Odd that it's affecting the starting system. Could be two separate issues. I would give the fuse links at the battery a look, though, make sure they're not corroded/smoked.

[RF600]

I'm pretty sure the radio's on that circuit, too.

 

Odd that it's affecting the starting system. Could be two separate issues. I would give the fuse links at the battery a look, though, make sure they're not corroded/smoked.

 

Good point. I would also take the piece off of the battery terminal where the fuseable links mount. Give it a good cleaning. I had a headlight issue on my brother's pathfinder. The lights wouldn't turn on. Everything else worked fine. After removing and cleaning that piece the headlights worked again.

 

What I'm trying to say is start with the easy stuff and work your way to the harder stuff. More times that not, it is the easy stuff that gives you the most issues.