Ignition/fuse problem Options

[celica95st]

Ok...where to start...I keep blowing my Gauge fuse whenever I put the key in and it's happend before and all i did was replace the battery and it worked. I replaced the battery and alternator and still blowing the fuse. A piece of paper with wiring diagrams came with the alternator and it said it was the ignition. Should I get a new ignition system (coil, cap, rotor, plugs, wires)? Please help me on this

[alltracman78]

First off, ignore that piece of paper if it's telling you the gauge fuse supplies power to the ignition, it doesn't.

Unfortunately it does supply power to a BUNCH of things on the car, including the instrument cluster, some ECUs, seatbelt stuff, the list goes on and on...

Do you have any experience with electrical stuff?
You're going to have to trouble shoot a short to ground.

Does it do it as soon as the key is in the ignition?
When you turn it to ACC?
When you turn it to ON?

[D-Man]

Ok...where to start...I keep blowing my Gauge fuse whenever I put the key in and it's happend before and all i did was replace the battery and it worked. I replaced the battery and alternator and still blowing the fuse. A piece of paper with wiring diagrams came with the alternator and it said it was the ignition. Should I get a new ignition system (coil, cap, rotor, plugs, wires)? Please help me on this

no no, its not necicery that these items are causing the problem; in fact I doubt that any of them are. The first thing you need to check is your wireing to the gauge itself. If someone used electrical tape or anything other than a connector to attach the wires where they're going, start by fixing that. Chances are that something my be wired backwards, or even just a positive thread not holding tight and catching a shock when you pass a charge thru it. (starting the car) Changing the battery could have jostled it a bit to keep it from grounding out for a while. But now, a new battery isnt working. I'd recommend trying these WELL know culprit's first, before assuming generally good guys (coil, cap, rotor, plugs, & wires) of doing mal-deeds.

I may be wrong, but what are the chances of theese items blowing ONLY your gauge fuse and doing nothing else wrong?

Also, by gauge fuse; are you referring to your insterment cluster or to an after market gauge such as a boost gauge or a tachometer (ect.)?

[Bitter]

fuses do not just start blowing on their own.

what did you last do the car before the fuse blew?

[Jeunesse]

Could you have replaced it with the wrong fuse amperes? If not, the simplest thing that you can do is replace it with a little bit higher ampere fuse.

This post has been edited by Jeunesse: Mar 1, 2008 - 10:51 AM

[celica95st]

It was the gauge fuse itself, not any gauges. It wound up being a loose wire on my alternator that was tripping the fuse. Everytime I turned the key to ACC it would blow it no matter what size fuse I put it. But a nice $600 bill from the shop telling me that. Such B.S!!!

[bccentaur3]

OUCH!!!! You probably took it to the shop because you couldn't afford down time, right? I wonder how many hours they spent on the car.