So unplugging the ROOM fuse definately kills that power, and power to all the other fuses. Where would I go looking for backfeeding on the ROOM circuit if all the dash is pulled out and the only thing plugged in is the cluster?

 

The row of fuses below the Room fuse are the IG1 fuses which should have power w/key to on and start w/one of these fuses being the Engine fuse. Are any of these fuses also powered w/constant hot voltage? The Room fuse powers the following circuits: ROOM: Clock, stereo, interior lights, alarm, ECU. You can possibly have a plug powered by the Room fuse connected to a circuit which it should not be plugged to. There is one plug under the driver side dash which mates w/another plug which it should not but I cannot remember which plug/circuit it is. You'll possibly need to look at each of these plugs and match it to the wiring diagrams in the FSM to see if you have everything in order. And you can always have an issue w/the fusebox itself such that it is passing voltage from one circuit to another in an incorrect manner.

 

Another thing you could do is unplug all the items which are powered by the Room fuse and make sure the connectors being unplugged are the correct plugs for that circuit and then once done see if the Room fuse still powers up the wrong circuits/fuses. If it does then it is more probable that there is an issue within the fusebox such as the back of it as opposed to the circuits powered by the Room fuse being plugged into the wrong plug.

 

My plan is to try to remove the fuse box tonight. I say that because even if I remove the ROOM fuse, the cluster is still showing 12V for the battery. I can only get that to go away if I remove the METER fuse.

I don't have any of the dash pieces in, so a lot of the under dash connectors are not plugged it (cruise/wipers/radio/HVAC, etc).

I have a feeling the input to the box is getting jumped right to the output. That is just my guess though. If I can get the box out and check the wire that should be IGN, and it is NOT hot, I know the box is messed up. If that wire is still showing 12V, I will scratch my head and curse A LOT....

 

So I was out with the car tonight messing around. I tried to get the driver's side fuse box out and realized you can only get it so far due to the wires behind it.

I had unplugged the blower fan and all connectors to it, the ECM connector, and two underhood connectors to see what would happen to rule out some wiring. When I flipped on the battery, the cluster let out the magic smoke and now the voltmeter won't show anything. Also to note, before the smoke came out, I noticed that as soon as you turn the battery on the oil pressure gage would walk itself up to the max reading....

Any ideas? I am at my wits end with this thing. Obviously something is really wrong, but I have no idea what.

 

The Oil Pressure Gauge has but one wire, Yellow/Red wire. If it is grounded it would cause the needle to rise to the top of the range. There is also a wire which splits off of this wire and leads to a condenser. The wire itself should not be grounded either.

 

Back at it again a little tonight. I went to connector X-16 in the passenger side footwell. There are 2 ignition wires (B/W). The B/W wire that is to the rear of the car in the connector, is always hot. Does anyone know where that wire gets connected to?

 

The Main Relay powers both wires on one end. Before this wire, part of the Front Harness, arrives at the connector it splits off into two wires so if one wire has power then the other wire should as well. After the wires connect to the Emission side of the connectors they both fuse together and power up all of the Emission solenoids plus the ECU, BAC, PRCV, Air Supply Valve, ATP Sensor, Pressure Sensor.

 

The wire that feeds into the ROOM fuse, where does that wire go? I tried to trace it down, but it disappears into the mess of the wires in the driver's side kick panel. This wire is always hot. I am assuming it should only be hot when the key is in RUN or CRANK?

I think the fuse box is working as intended, it is just that the wire feeding ROOM is always hot. Is it supposed to be?

 

I meant METER fuse above, not ROOM

 

Meter fuse would have power w/key to on/start.

METER: Gauges, alternator warning, cooling fan control, cruise control, reverse lights, HVAC, warning lights, reminders, AAS, alarm, 4AT control

Again, does your car have cruise control? If it does is it plugged in? If it is then disconnect it and see if things change for the better.

 

None of the dash is plugged in. SO no gauges, HVAC, Warning lights, Cruise is plugged in as far as switches go.

 

Guess I should come clean, I have an LS motor installed, ha. So a lot of the underhood wiring isn't hooked up as it isn't necessary to run my engine. Pretty much the only thing on the passenger side harness is the wiper motor.

Driver's side is still having all the relays plugged in, headlights, turn signals, fuse box, main relay, oil pressure, etc....
No alternator, but I am wondering if that connector is getting power somehow, but I don't even see it.

 

And I don't have cruise control on my car. Just checked the dash switches on my panel that is sitting in the living room, ha.

 

Do you have the largest plug to the CPU plugged in? If so, then unplug it and see if this changes things. Secondly, focus on any of the fuses which normally receives constant voltage such as the Stop fuse or Hazard fuse or Illumination fuse and pull the fuse and check which side is the hot/voltage side after the fuse has been pulled. Take note of this and pull the Meter fuse and see which side is the hot side and compare it to the previous constant powered fuse to see if it is the same side or not. If the side receiving the voltage after the Meter fuse is pulled is different then that it should indicate that the Meter fuse is being backfed by the Black/Yellow wire that the Meter fuse powers. You could also find this B/Y wire at any of the items which it should power, whether they are connected or not, and w/the Meter fuse pulled see if the B/Y wire has voltage or not. If it does then you know the wire is being backfed and this is your problem and if the B/Y wire does not have voltage then you know that the B/Y wire is not being backfed.

 

Big ECU connector is unplugged since I am using the stock LS ECU.

I just did your test of checking which side is voltage both for pulling the ROOM and METER fuse, and the hot side of the constantly hot fuses stayed the same.

 

If the B/Y wire side of the Meter fuse is not the hot side then the other side is powered normally by a B/W wire from the ignition switch. The B/W wire also powers the Engine, Steering, Window and Turn fuses. If you pulled these fuses is the Meter fuse still have constant power on what is the current hot side of the fuse. And since you added components from another car you have since bastardized the stock setup thus I probably will not be of much help.

 

As far as bastardizing the stock setup, I don't think that is the cause. I have the engine harness disconnected in any locations that it was wired into the chassis harness (3 connectors, 2 on the driver's engine harness side, and 1 in the passenger kick panel (X-16)). So unless there is some ground missing by not having them plugged in, I don't think that would be what is feeding power to the fuse box.

On a stock setup, is the METER fuse always having 12V going to one side of it with the key off, or only with the key in RUN/CRANK? I am guessing both sides are dead with the key off on a stock/working car, and only powers during RUN/CRANK.

I will have to go do the other test you just listed.

 

The Meter fuse is not a constant powered fuse. And have you ever thought of disconnecting the CPU you do have and see if this changes things. And have you checked the FAQ section for a pic of the interior fusebox to prove that you have the right fuses in the correct slots?

 

I have my ECU unplugged already. The only thing that is altered is I have my battery located in the passenger storage bin. I have positive running to a bulkhead fitting on the firewall, then to the starter, then alternator, and then finally the underhood fuse block.

Other than that, I have the underhood connectors plugged in for the headlights/turn signals, all relays that were in front of the radiator, horns on the beam in front of the radiator, underhood fuse box, main relay, starter cut relay.

Inside the car, the X-16 is unplugged, all dash wiring is unplugged as the dash/radio/blower motor are all in my living room (ran out of garage space, ha). IGN switch is unplugged. There are some connectors plugged in on the harness, but not many and they all seem to make sense (no other connector around with the same shape).



I have the correct amperage fuses in the correct locations according to my fuse cover, which matches the FAQ cover picture for my version (S4 coupe, non-turbo).

 

Just checked, the B/Y is the hot side of the METER fuse. It is also the only wire going to the METER fuse. On the back of the fuse box, the other side is empty, which might make sense as it just passes 12V through to feed the other IGN circuits right?

So that is why I am trying to figure out where that wire comes from. It must be shorted to 12V somewhere upstream of the fuse box.

 

Wrong. And you really need to read what has been stated and it would lead to less repeating of what has already been stated.

The B/Y wire at the Meter fuse is powered by the B/W wire from the ignition switchw/key to on/start. If the plugs at the ignition switch were unplugged then how could the B/W wire power the Meter fuse or any other IG1 fuses. The answer, it cannot. So, the B/Y wire having power is obviously incorrect so this is the wire you need to track down and this info has already been stated.

In addition, as previously stated, there are a couple of plugs under the dash which belong to different circuits yet the plug shape is the same and thus condusive to plugging the wrong connectors together.

And I said CPU and not ECU.

 

Sorry for the confusion, at work we refer to the ECU under a few acronyms, and some people still say CPU. I thought you were referring to the ECU just in a different way. I have since unplugged the CPU in the driver's side kick panel and it made no difference.

 

Ok, I finally got tired and pulled the engine harness part way into the car and started tracing wires. I figured out the IGN side of the chassis circuit is being fed 12V from a connector under the dash on the steering column area. Does anyone know what this connector is for? I am trying to find it in the diagrams, and the only thing I can come up with is maybe for the temp sensor? It is a 2 wire connector. Yellow and Black/Yellow on one side, Green/White and Blue/Red on the other. The Solid yellow goes with the green/white, and the Blue/Red goes to the Black/Yellow IGN wire.

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Thanks,
Scott

 

G/W and L/R is for the Key Cylinder Light.

Other plug is the Stop Light Switch for Cruise Control.