Electrical issue, interior lights,radio
 

I did my best to seach the forums. Most of what i found was people with corrosion or blown fuse.

Right, well I'm left scratching my head and I'm sure the answer is right there. BUT where I'm at, I shorted something(whoops) the 12a battery constant at the cig lighter is not getting power anymore. I also checked at the fuse box, the fuse did not blow. I also do not see power there with the voltmeter.

Interior lights were working, they are not now, obviously lighter does not work. The trunk hatch button still works. Studying the hanes manual i figure that shouldn't work either.

What am I missing here? From what it looks like it would point at the fusable link on the strut tower. But i tried swapping out the 1.25 wire and no change.

Thanks in advance. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...313b824ced.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8c738945e1.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...32c19bb600.jpg

did you check for 12v at the wire that feeds the cig lighter?

Stupid question, but did you check all of the fuses and fusible links? If something shorted, it's the fuse's job to protect the circuit. The fuse will go long before any wiring starts to melt provided the correct amperage fuse is installed.

I checked it at the fuse block.
Thats why i provided the fuse block picture, but it seems all the ones that look intact are intact.
How do you know if the fusible link is bad? Wouldn't that make almost everything else not work being the big White and red one?

Theres a fusible link under the steering column cover as well. Might want to check it out.

Where is that one?https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...6b3593eb9c.jpg

And? Did you have 12v?

If you did, Check the wire at the cigarette lighter. If you have 12v there, pull the back of the cigarette lighter off. Theres a fusible like (like a piece of solder) holding the connections together.

If you didnt, then youre not getting power to the fuse block or the fuse is blown. Did you check both sides of the fuse for 12v with the volt meter? I'd check main power into the fuse box and/or underhood fuses.

Is this the fuse you checked? It should be a 15a not a 10a.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...faedf25332.jpg


Also this should be pretty simple. If you werent getting any power at the fuse box, everything in the purple box wont work and also the auto clock and the cig lighter. You said the hatch button is working so one of those things isnt true. Either there no power at the fuse box or the hatch button works. Check for 12v volts at all the locations with red arrows, check for ground on the black arrows.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...add8bfbeb5.jpg

I get 12.7 from the battery

Im having a hard time following what you checking in the 3rd picture my man.

What are you using as a ground in the second picture? Ground somewhere else like on the body and check BOTH sides of the fuse plug.

If youre getting 12v at the battery, check for 12v before and after the fusible link at the shock tower. If you dont have 12v going into the fusible link, its the wire between your fusible link and your battery.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...53af31600f.png

Thank you everyone., In my fiance's car it had blown the one right below where I was testing and on my car it had blown the hazard fuse. So it comes back to the age old method of literally checking all of them. :doh:

:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:

Glad you fixed it.

Indeed, checking all of the fuses is first step. That's why I mentioned it above. Glad you were able to track down the issue though and I'm convinced you learned quite a bit in the process. A job well done.

Hey all, noobie here. I apologize to Thatman in advance for psuedo hijacking this thread, but its pretty relevant to my issue and has pics for the circuit already posted. I found and 82 GS for my 16 year old son this last summer. Interior lights, lighter and clock have never worked, as well as any of the warning chimes or buzzers. Dash lights and warning lights work. Radio works, as does the glove box light, fuel and hatch switches. I do have power to the circuit, but its shorted somewhere. The 15a Cigar Fuse blows before its fully seated. AC was removed at some point, wiring is all there and so is the fuse for it...not sure if there is any issue with that. So, I have disconnected the positive terminal at battery and have my multimeter in the shorted end of the fuse holder and grounded on the chassis (its screaming) for testing for loose wires and plugs. This car was stored for some time and although the previous owner thought there wasn't any critter invasion, I have found other wise. So, I have rewired the drivers door switch and made other wire insulation repairs from the mouse. Sadly, this didn't fix my problem. My biggest question is, could the door chime and seat belt buzzer be shorted out causing the circuit to ground out? 2nd, question, is the rear hatch part of the light switches? If I have the doors and hatch open, will it give me a false power to ground and blow the fuse immediatley? I have removed all the light bulbs, and removed the dome lights and rear hatch light. the console is completely disconnected (so lighter and clock are unplugged and out of the car). It appears as though the power for the cassette deck was pulled off of a plug maybe not associated with that circuit, but is in the thick of a "rats nest" of wires in the console. I have the car fairly stripped inside right now, so I'd like to get this issue resolved while its all accessible. Thanks for reading!

The chime is one of the components on that circuit, so yeah there's a possibility it could be causing the short. Your best would be to unplug H-03, H-05, X-06, H-06, H-09, H-10, and H-11. Load the 15a fuse on that circuit. If it blows then either LY has a short, or there's a short inside the CPU. If it doesn't blow, start plugging the components back in 1-by-1 until it blows.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b45c9b0cef.png
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f9d6bf9a90.png

Second question, the rear hatch should be on its own 20a circuit.

*EDIT*

After reviewing the wiring diagram again, it looks like the hatch switch for the luggage lights is on the same circuit so it can also be a culprit. It looks like H-06, H-09, H-11 arent actually connectors, so instead disconnect X-02 and X-03

Heres what the connectors look like

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...bb4fb6cd27.png

Thanks FT, I appreciate the reply! It looks like I have my afternoon project ahead of me. I have everything off of that circuit except for the chime and the ignition switch. I hope thats the problem. Not sure if you know, is the chime behind the cluster, or can get to it from underneath? I assume the door switches wont matter if the lights are all disconnected?

Not sure if you can get to the chime connector from under the dash, never worked on a first gen. On a second gen, the cluster is fairly easy to remove. Its like 8 screws and 4 plugs. It looks like it is one of the round connectiors plugged into the back of the cluster. Correct, the door switches shouldnt matter because theyre on the ground side of the circuit.

I've got about everything disconnected...were these CPU's problematic? I unplugged the Flasher Relay CPU and my fault went away....dont want to get too excited...

They general work without issue. They can be susceptible to moisture because of their location.

plug it back in and see if the fuse blows.

Well, its pretty clean up there, can't say the mouse didn't used it as a restroom. I know enough to be dangerous, so my skill set makes me just dumb enough to take stuff apart, hence my reluctance to celebrate just yet. I am no automotive wiring expert, especially when diagnosing shorts...but I can wire up a pretty good sound system, and swap parts out like a champ. I haven't even found where this relay falls in place with the loo. I just kept working backwards until I made the noise stop!

I plugged it back in its still good, then plugged in what I believe is the seat belt buzzer, still good. I suppose ignition next then turn the key and see if it blows?

Update: The flasher relay was about the last thing before main CPU for me to unplug, as everything else on the entire circuit was unplugged and still showing a fault. Everything is work fine now, except the door switch leaves the led light in the dome light with a little glow, probably the switch. I suggested he refrain from actually using the cig lighter for anything but phone charging. I did find the chime on the back of the cluster, unplugged it and plugged it back in, those work now too, I was able to reach it without removing the cluster, removing the HVAC vent tube opened up a bunch of space.

Not sure if unplugging the Flasher Relay helped reset itself some how? I didn't even see it involved wit this circuit, I just saw the blue and yellow wire going to it, so I unplugged it.

I have belonged to several car forums over the years, (Lexus, Sunbeam, iboats) its nice to have the resources here on these older RX's. I really appreciate FuhrerTuner jumping in the way he did. KCREPU too. I hope I can pay it forward on this board soon.

I'll keep ya posted if anything else changes.

Now on to the interior "rats nest"...the stock radio and cassette player, I've never seen anything like it...wth?

Sounds like you are well on your way, but here are a couple of other places to check just in case:

1. In the center console there are two bullet style connectors. These are for the automatic transmission, if equipped, and sometimes people connect the two wires together (if they don't have an auto), and that causes a short. The wires are red I believe, and they both have some large rubber jackets over them. Without the auto they should be connected to nothing.
2. You also mentioned that the AC had been removed. There are two more bullet connectors down under the passenger side dash by the blower motor. These normally connect to something on the AC condenser/exchanger box thing. If these are plugged into each other and the little AC button in the fan speed knob is depressed, it will also cause a short - I know from personal experience...

Best of luck :)

I found both of these wires in both of these areas, I tucked the console set out of the way again, but I'm pretty sure he plugged the AC set in. I will unplug those. Thanks for sharing!