Car took a dive...

[quickdodge®]

Got in my car to go home this afternoon and when I turned the key, nothing. Nothing but smoke. It came from the steering column. No power at all to the car. Seems my "dog bone" fuse blew. I had a replacement, so I put it in. Went to start the car. Had the same result. Shit. Later, QD.

[tdurr]

damn. Thats no fun. Hopefully it aint nothing too bad man.

[F8d2Blk]

Sounds like a wire is loose.

[puregroove]

dag... --hope you can get that joint running again.

[stillaneon]

Its a ground somewhere.

But I was expecting this to be a mitzu_evo thread....

GL QD

[JITB]

sounds like your harness got fried on something, or is touching the exhaust or melted somewhere.

That was the exact same thing that happened to me, when my harness got burned on my exhaust. smoke thru the steering column... good luck!

[Total_Blender]

Sounds like you have a short, either at the alternator wiring or at the starter. Does the fuse blow when you turn the ignition to the "on" position, or just when you turn the key all the way forward to crank it?

You might have your wires mixed up on the starter solenoid. Thats my best guess.

[BABY J]

Shortage... check every spot where your dash harness goes through the firewall. ALSO make sure that the voltage regulator is osolated off of the fender wall by the battery. That rubber grommett needs to be there.

[Saung]

Shortage wires under the dash....check your radio power wires....+ and _ wires a touching somewhere...good luck QD....

[Sammich]

^x2

[F8d2Blk]

This one time.....

I took a flap disc wheel and was grinding down a spot for a good ground on the firewall and took out my fuel pump wire and almost my starter wire. I didn't even realize it til about an hour later, trying to chase down why the fuel pump wasn't coming on?

[Total_Blender]

My guess is that its a problem with the starting or charging circuit. Those are the 2 circuits with enough juice to blow that main fuse. It it were any other circuit it probably would have blown one of the smaller glass fuses first.

You can test each circuit at the fuse box the see which ones shorting though. Just clip a test light to the battery and touch the terminal for each fuse. The one that lights the test light up will be the circuit thats grounding.

[uproot]

[FasTech]

Damn that sucks, QD. Best of luck with it man.

[SDBCIVIC]

My 82 had the same problem when i got it, found a bad connection on the starter cable. took it loose wire brushed it and reconnected it and its been working every since. where the heck do i get a replacement fuse though?

[81911SC]

Why would it be a short to ground? If that was the case whatever it was would just stay on assuming it had power. Sounds to me like a short to power with t blowing fuses.

[Total_Blender]

Why would it be a short to ground? If that was the case whatever it was would just stay on assuming it had power. Sounds to me like a short to power with t blowing fuses.

A power wire grounding out was what I meant. Like an ignition-hot wire being installed where a ground wire should go. When the switch is turned on and the wire becomes live, it short-circuits, blowing the fuse.

I am pretty sure you can get those big Honda fuses at the parts store, you just have to look on the lower shelves (and ignore the dumbasses who work there & don't know their ass from a ham sandwich).

When I bought my '79 Civic the previous owner had just ran a wire across there instead of a fuse. I was lucky enough to find a fuse in another old Honda at the junkyard.

[slow_hatch]

This is why I need to get a fire extinguisher

[81911SC]

A power wire grounding out was what I meant. Like an ignition-hot wire being installed where a ground wire should go. When the switch is turned on and the wire becomes live, it short-circuits, blowing the fuse.

I am pretty sure you can get those big Honda fuses at the parts store, you just have to look on the lower shelves (and ignore the dumbasses who work there & don't know their ass from a ham sandwich).

When I bought my '79 Civic the previous owner had just ran a wire across there instead of a fuse. I was lucky enough to find a fuse in another old Honda at the junkyard.

I got you now but that's a short to power

[quickdodge®]

Seems that when I put the nuts back on the steering column, I accidentally ran the nut/bolt right through the wiring harness for the ignition switch. Over the period of about 4 weeks, the nut/bolt had managed to sever through the insulation of one of the wires and had caused an exposed wire to be jammed onto the bolt. Causing the short. She's back to good. Later, QD.

[BABY J]

Who rides w/ their nuts on the steering wheel? Man you Conyers folk are pretty funny Good to know it's breathing again!!! Now off to the races!!!

[F8d2Blk]

Seems that when I put the nuts back on the steering column, I accidentally ran the nut/bolt right through the wiring harness for the ignition switch. Over the period of about 4 weeks, the nut/bolt had managed to sever through the insulation of one of the wires and had caused an exposed wire to be jammed onto the bolt. Causing the short. She's back to good. Later, QD.

Glad its all good again!

[quickdodge®]

Same here. Getting close to this festival and I was sweating trying to figure out what was going to happen, lolol. Later, QD.