NEED ELECTRICAL HELP!!!!

I was trying to hook up my CB radio today.Its an older one I used on a previous truck, its got a + and a - wire comming out of it which I hard wired into my stereo wire harness like i did my old truck. By doing this I fried my instrument panel illumination fuse...I thought that i just touched some wires together so i put in a new fuse and it blew immediatly! I unhooked the CB like and put every thing back like it was.
Put yet another fuse in and now the panel lights will not come back on. Here is where I need the help:
1) how am i really supposed to wire the CB?

2) got any sudgestions of how I can fix the instrument panel lights?

Any help would be great, thank guys!

NickD

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93EB

 

[Ray Lobato]

Nick,
You didn't state the the fuse blew again after you disconnected everything and put it back to the original configuration.
1.)Did it blow again?
A.)yes, then check to see if you have a short around the place that you were hooking the CB into.
B.) No go to #2
2.)If it didn't blow again, can you measure +12V from ground to either side of the fuse?
A.)yes, is it both sides or just one side?
aa.)yes both sides read +12V. Go to #3.
B.) No, replace the fuse again, Go to #1A.
3.)If you can put a new lamp in the instrument panel, will that new lamp work?
A.)Yes, it works. replace the lamps.
B.)No, it doesn't. check to see if Voltage is present at the lamp.
If this doesn't work, then you will have to get a manual out and look to see if any components are inline with the instrument panel lights and see if you didn't blow that up. I'm at work right now, so I don't have the book in front of me to see what might be there. Hope this helps. Dead Link Removed



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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L.
97 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC

 

[Tourture]

I simply ran the power wire to an empty slot in my fuse box, and connected the ground wire to a bare piece of metal under the dash. never had a single lick of problem with it.
Eric

 

[dmeis]

Hi Nick,

It sounds like you may have hooked one of the wires to the illumination line in the harness.

I would recommend running your power and ground wires to the battery directly.

If you can't get everything working again we can get together next week after work and figure it out.

David

 

[NickD]

Ok, this is weird!
after I hooked every thing back the way it was, I turned on the head lights and no Panel lights came on, until I turned the nob (to turn on the dome light) and the panel light came on, flickered so I turned it all off and then back on, then it went out completely! And yes....the dimmer nob was up all the way, I actually had to turn it all the way until it clicked and the dome light came on. The fuse did not blow that time. How can I get to the lamps to check them? I hope its just a bulb!! Thanks guys for all your help!

 

[dmeis]

Your headlight switch may have fried.

I had problems with my headlights cutting out while driving down the road. It got so bad the the lights wouldnt come back on at all. I removed the switch from he dash and jumped the power wire to the headlight wire and the lights came on. You can try the same thing with your dash lights.

I think the new switch was about $12.

I have my old one that the illumination works if you want to see if this fixes it.

 

[NickD]

DAVID:So you think that its the switch and not the bulb/lamp? that would be easier to fix, thanks, I'll let you know what happens