I like to think of myself as pretty electrical savvy, but this is something I've never been able to wrap my mind around.
How do I find a short circuit in my car? Its somewhere in the accessory circuit, horn, interior lights, radio and cigarette lighter. The worst part about this is it seems to be a broken wire, in that sometimes I can put the fuse in and it pops the second I put it in, other times it will work for a day or two before blowing. How do I trace this without a $300 fault finder? Should I be checking continuity from the fuse box to every accessory? I've heard of checking the hot wires for ground, but won't I see ground regardless being that there are more loads on the same circuit? I'm thinking I should disconnect everything (pull light bulbs, remove plug from cig lighter, horn,) then check the hot wires for ground? Can anyone tell me what will all be on this accessory circuit on my 80 Malibu? I have wiring diagrams, but they don't help me distinguish what is all on the same fuse.
How do I find a short circuit in my car? Its somewhere in the accessory circuit, horn, interior lights, radio and cigarette lighter. The worst part about this is it seems to be a broken wire, in that sometimes I can put the fuse in and it pops the second I put it in, other times it will work for a day or two before blowing. How do I trace this without a $300 fault finder? Should I be checking continuity from the fuse box to every accessory? I've heard of checking the hot wires for ground, but won't I see ground regardless being that there are more loads on the same circuit? I'm thinking I should disconnect everything (pull light bulbs, remove plug from cig lighter, horn,) then check the hot wires for ground? Can anyone tell me what will all be on this accessory circuit on my 80 Malibu? I have wiring diagrams, but they don't help me distinguish what is all on the same fuse.