Seems like i shorted something out when i was installing a radar detector.

I was wiring the cord into the rear view mirror plug and must have touched the two wired together because my dash board went haywire and eventually is all blacked out. I then went to try and drive my car but could only go about 1 mile per hour and idling extremely rough. Danny told me it must be a fuse but i have no idea which it could be. does anyone know whats going on here? PLEASE PLEASE HELP. Dont want to have to take to my mechanic. Thanks guys John

 

Did you try the fuses lol. Find the one for the dash and radio. Hopefully thats all it is. Danny probably knows more then any of us.

 

Sounds like what happened to me when I was installing my Usa-Spec. My problem only turned out to be the battery but your sounds much more complicated. Go buy a fuse checker at you local autoparts store and check all the fuses. Thats the first step.

 

i checked all the fuses that i could see with my eyes. theres also a large black one near battery and i checked with volt meter and seems to work. the computer is all out of wack and it wont drive past a mile an hour or two. also, the battery is dead now have to jump it everytime then shortly thereafter it dies. Help

 

jw did you not unplug the battery when you were doing it? There are three fuse boxes just so you know one near the driver side kickpanel, one behind the battery, and one in front dunno which fuse would have blown.

 

Sometimes even if it looks like its fine, it could still be blown.

 

unplug the radar.. then check the fuse.. if you can hear music but the display is black. then it's most likely the fuse that controls the dimer switch.. which prolly controls all lights on the display (dash, radio, clock, etc..). If that's not the case u must have two wires still touching that is why i said undo the radar and whatever else u did.

 

the radar has been unplugged from the start. i have not checked the fuses behind the battery. i forgot about those also it has to be more than just a panel fuse as my idle is really rough and the fact that iu can drive the car at about 2 miles an hour floored says that there must be something really wrong. what fuses are behind battery?

 

Yuo should have used a 'Stealth Cord'. Easy connecting, out of sight.

 

Get a 12v automotive test light, the kind with the sharp point and ground clip. On the back side of these fuses there are little metal pieces, they are attached to the plugin terminals of the fuse. For testing fuses, you can touch the point to the metal part of the fuse on either end, if you have voltage on both ends the fuse is good, if only one end, the fuse is blown.
You can check a bunch of fuses very quickly.

 

you did unplug the battery after this happened right? Unplugging and allowing the car to reset may help in some manner... though it sounds like you likely fried more then a few fuses.

 

how long should i let the ecm reset for? im having aaa take to my mechanick in the morning if this doesnt work. also. the test light bulb has blown twice. what am i to ground the clip on? dont i just clip on any ground? then test the probe on the fuse ends? thanks THise really sucks

 

this sounds like a nightmare, if i were in your position i would have a professional look at :S hope everything works out for you

 

ECU reset should only take a few minutes, push the brake pedal a couple times while battery is disconnected. Test light bulbs don't go out very often, I don't know what to say about that. I have only replaced a few of them in the last 35 years, I do try to replace with a 14~16v bulb. Most any ground will do, just make sure it is really a ground (test the light on a known 12v source to verify ground and light operation). Also remember most fuses will not be energized until the ignition is turned on. When you are satisfied the light works using the ground you have chosen, touch the probe to the little metal bits on the top of the fuse, one near each end. If one end lights and the other doesn't the fuse is bad. Relax, You can do it!

 

Does the tester you are using have it's own battery? Does the light come on when you touch the clip to the point? If so, you are using a continuity tester. Continuity testers must not be used on energized (live) circuits. This would explain the blown bulbs. This tool can only tell you if a circuit, or section of a circuit is open (very high resistance "ohms"), or closed (very low resistance "ohms").

The technique I have been describing uses the 12 volt test light, (which is by far the more useful tool) this tester will tell you if the cars battery voltage is present or not at whatever point you happen to be touching.