No dome lights or buzzer after gauges

[Wirenut]

I installed my gauges and the #10tst plate, now the dome lights, radio, and the buzzer that tells you the keys in or lights are on do not work at all. The power door locks pop back up when I try to lock them like if you left the lights on or the keys in but I didnt. All the fuses are fine, I checked every one. This sucks, I hate it, nothing ever goes right to me and I am gonna run over some stuff tonight with all this stress. Someone please figure this one out.

 

[illflem]

Sounds like you may have accidentally unplugged a connector, maybe in the steering column. Just check em out.

 

[HillCountrykid]

When installing a radio in my friends '97, one of the wires got loose and shorted on a metal bracket. Glad this was on my friend's truck and not at work (I'm also an electrician). The things you say went out sound like what went out on my friends truck. They're all on the same circuit. If all the fuses are fine, start at the fusebox and look to see if anything has come loose.

 

[Wirenut]

No Luck on finding anything loose or disconnected, this is aggravating. Anyone that has any ideas on this please help. I know Im the electrician, but vehicle wiring is french to me, it never makes any sense.

 

[RJOL]

If you haven't done it already, try disconnecting everything you added (gauges), both power and ground. You could have a bad gauge shorting out... Also, I don't know if any of the items you lost are protected by the main distribution panel (fuses and relays), under the hood, but you could check there...

 

[Wirenut]

Yes I disconnected the gauges and looked under the hood there, and nothing that went wrong was powered from under there, at least it didnt say it was.

 

[Cooker]

Unfortunately for you, I have to agree with HillCountryKid. Sounds like you might have shorted out the wire that control all these. This info is from the "Been There Done That" file



You can check for power at the proper fuse (I don't know what it is offhand, but I can dig out the manual if necessary). If it is determined you have no power at the fuse, you obviously shorted out the wire (or maybe it did become disconnected somehow). You can either track down the culprit, or use a jumper from a positive source to bring power back into the rear side of the fuse panel at the appropriate fuse.



Does this make sense? If not shoot me a PM and I'll try to go more into detail.



Good luck,

Ryan

 

[Big White Beast]

How did you make your power connection????

Those scotch lock connectors have been known to slice completely through wires. Either solder the connection or use an extend-a-circuit from little fuse. (Photo) Thats what I used and it actually give you another fused circuit for adding stuff like gauges.



Your a sparky too, so do as usual, start at point "A" and track it out. I know it's a pain in the a$$ especially in trucks and cars. Is it the stock radio?? Or is it aftermarket and some other installer alreay put an inline fuse in it. Or maybe an after market alarm system?? Those are all things I would look at.



Hopefully it's something simple and you can laugh later. For now just take it one step at a time.



Garrett



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[Wirenut]

Well, with my big injector install today, I only had time to mess with it for a minute. I verified that there is power at the fuse.

 

[Wirenut]

Guys, this really sucks, there is a mess of wires under that dash and I hate it. Im the guy my friends always come to when this happens to thier vehicle (I'm supposedly good with this stuff) well I'm getting discouraged and Im ready to take it to the local shop. I know I can make the radio work, maybe even the overhead consol by just running new power to these things, but I'm sure thats not gonna fix the problem where the doorlocks pop back up when I try to lock them.

 

[Big White Beast]

Wirenut...

It almost has to be where you were working. It sounds like something is grounded. The wires to the door unlock switch are a good place to start. Look where the wires come from the door. That would be where you fished em to get up the dash. You say the fuse is good but are you getting power out the other side wires. It may not be making a connection. I would look for something grounded first.



Garrett

 

[Wirenut]

Well, i fooled around enough today to figure it out somewhat. I had all my little testers and jumpers out and rigged it to where everything works but my overhead thermometer/compass. I had to run a jumper wire (constant 12v) from the fuse box to the pink wire in the over head consol. It made the dome lights, buzzer, radio all work, and the door locks work normal but I have no overhead consol at all, and (wierd ) the backlighting on my aftermarket cd player stays lit when I shut the truck off. The cd player shuts off but the backlighting stays lit. For now I just flip down the detachable face to keep it from running my batteries dead. Well I'm not spazing out anymore, but it would be nice to have that overhead consol working! Thanks for all the input and motivation guys. If anyone comes up with a possible proper fix for it, let me know. Happy Holidays!