Help rewireing radio...

[kyakubov]

Recently i started having a problem with my radio. For some reason every time i turn the ignition on, the Fuse 73 blows. I traced all the wires. Looks like Fuse 73 goes to Unloader Relay, which is activated by ignition through fuse 7, then the current goes through 0.75 vi/ws (violet with white) wire to a plug where it meets with another 0.75 vi/ws wire coming ignition and both of these combined to 1.5 vi/ws go to radio pin 16. ( I used wiring diagram to trace all these), please correct me if I am wrong here. So i am thinking some kind of short is happening somewhere from ignition to the plug where they meet before it goes to radio. I know the radio and amp work fine, because i tried to unplug the radio and it was still killing the fuse. I also noticed that based on ignition diagram the 0.75 vi/ws wire is turned on when ignition is on position 2, however the fuse already blows when the ignition is on position 1, so something is very strange.
I am trying to temporarily rewire the radio as i am planning a four hour trip this weekend, and my kids will just kill me if they do not have something to listen to. I have to somehow rewire pin 16 to make the radio work ( it's violet and white wire 1.5 vi/ws)
Does anyone have knowledge or tips that they can help me with, i would really appreciate it?

I have 2003 4.6is with Nav,

Thanks in advance.

[recklessspyder]

just an opinion....bring an ipod with speakers or some other sort of portable radio. No need to splice wires and create more work.

did you unplug the amp (i saw you said radio) and start it? unplug the relays? Again, I would hit every easy unplug before I started splicing.

not sure if you have a TCU or not...but on my 2005, that's on the same fuse I think.

[kyakubov]

unfortunately i do not have an ipod.
I did try to unplug the amp, I also unplugged the On Board Monitor, it was still killing it.
I am sure if I unplug the Reley, it will not kill the fuse, because there will be no power going to radio at all.

One other note is that, this problem started along with my dashboard illuminating lights. When these lights are turned all the way up to brightness they start to blink, so I am keeping them at the lowest and it's not blinking.

[Weasel]

You may need to break out a multimeter and do some resistance/ohm tests or circuits. If it doesn't blow the fuse instantly a voltage drop test in different spots tells you lots about the integrity of connections/circuits as well.

[kyakubov]

I actually bought the multimeter yesterday and i am gonna try to test it out. I have no idea how to use that multimeter yet, but i hope the instructions will help.


BTW, i love the headlights on your car. Did you change them or did that yourself?

[J.Belknap]

kyakubov... if you're just now getting up to speed with multimeters.... I'd really consider against going into changing the wiring stuff all around....

If you do forge ahead... label everything you touch/change.

[Weasel]

You can google search to find all kinds of info/instructional videos on how to do different types of tests with the meter... always better to educate yourself as much as possible when learning new things.

And I modified the OEM headlights myself, thread with quick basic pics showing the process here.

[big bob]

For the multimeter, switch it to Diode mode, and set the audio beep on if it has one. The display will say 1. Touch the tips together, the display falls to 0 and the unit might beep. Use this to check for shorts to GND.

[kyakubov]

I have not used the multimeter yet, but i was able to find the wire that has a short.
there is a connector next to Amp that has Violet and white wires connect to each other.
I cut off the one that was coming from ignition (i think it's coming from ignition because i saw the same color when i opened the ignition switch cover) and the radio started working fine.
I did not notice any change yet. Can someone tell me what was the reason that one of the wires were going to ignition to begin with?
I am confused as what function does that wire do in the ignition.
Now i have to locate a short within that wire, i really don't feel like taking the car apart to trace that short all the way to ignition from the trunk

thanks

[Weasel]

I'd look at the pin# it goes to on the amp and see where it goes in the wiring diagram, that will tell you what it does.