ok seriously need help...

[caineroad]

Originally Posted by CTScott

OK - The big question is just how much current the ON wire is drawing. Apparently it is more than just the switching current of a relay coil.

You could connect the ON wire to the high current spade (along with the other red), but you would lose ignition switching for the seat heaters. You could add another relay, per my DIY, and do the ignition switching that way.

Thanks Scott, I will consider both options.

At the mean time, I bought a new fuse, drove to work this morning no problems, but when I hit reverse(to parking), the airbag warning light came on again. Instantly I know it was the fuse blowing out again.

But I didn't realize it was the reverse causing the problem, I thought it was the seat heater acting up again, I was so frustrated. I took out the seat heater connections, so it is not connected to the car. This time I put a new fuse in. Started the car up, it blew again... wtf

So apparently it could not be the seat heater causing the blow out, right?

I have a reverse camera tapped to the cigarette lighter line, and the reverse signal light connected to(if i remember correctly behind the change box)

I actually had the reverse camera for 3-4 months already without trouble.

Have I made enough testing that the seat heater should not be the culprit but something else, maybe the reverse camera?

Beg for any idea... dealership is charging me $105 for a diagnosis fee if i want to get it checked up...

The only difference is that this time the voltage is not draining, whats going on?

[CTScott]

The back-up lights run off the GAUGE fuse (literally the bulbs are powered by it, so that makes perfect sense why adding some extra load it and then turning on those bulbs makes the fuse pop).

I would check for a nicked wire or frayed end where you made your connections for both the back-up camera and the seat heater. You might have damaged a wire, while you were working in that tight space.

[caineroad]

Originally Posted by CTScott

The back-up lights run off the GAUGE fuse (literally the bulbs are powered by it, so that makes perfect sense why adding some extra load it and then turning on those bulbs makes the fuse pop).

I would check for a nicked wire or frayed end where you made your connections for both the back-up camera and the seat heater. You might have damaged a wire, while you were working in that tight space.

Good point! I will check it now.

[caineroad]

I checked the seat heater connections (only two red and 1 black)

they look like new, not touching any bare metals.

But I realized the seat heater ground(black) is in the same chassis bolt as the reverse camera ground, does that going to cause a short?

The reverse camera power cables (+/-) and signal cable, with extensions, they all look fine... no burnt, or touching the chassis.

I want to unplug everything from the reverse camera and see if my gauge fuse still blows. But fuses are here are not cheap, is there anyway I can use a multimeter to test, instead of putting a new fuse in?

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by caineroad

I checked the seat heater connections (only two red and 1 black)

they look like new, not touching any bare metals.

But I realized the seat heater ground(black) is in the same chassis bolt as the reverse camera ground, does that going to cause a short?

The reverse camera power cables (+/-) and signal cable, with extensions, they all look fine... no burnt, or touching the chassis.

I want to unplug everything from the reverse camera and see if my gauge fuse still blows. But fuses are here are not cheap, is there anyway I can use a multimeter to test, instead of putting a new fuse in?

Grounds should all be "shorted" together.

If you have a multimeter that measures current (A), you could connect the meter leads in place of the fuse to see how much current is being drawn on that circuit. If you do not, disconnect the battery and measure the resistance (ohms) between one of the fuse holes (the little holes in the top of a plugged in fuse) and ground.

[caineroad]

Originally Posted by CTScott

Grounds should all be "shorted" together.

If you have a multimeter that measures current (A), you could connect the meter leads in place of the fuse to see how much current is being drawn on that circuit. If you do not, disconnect the battery and measure the resistance (ohms) between one of the fuse holes (the little holes in the top of a plugged in fuse) and ground.

Great, my ground is not messed up!

I actually did what you said about the multimeter, but not sure if I was doing it right. I switched the car on to ACC position, so that supposedly the fans would come on. But without the fuse, no air was coming out, I turn the A setting to 10m, it's giving me 36amps.

But when i do the same to the cigarette lighter fuse, again with the fuse unplugged and I stuck the two probes in the fuse socket, it's showing me 1 (i guess infinity it means). Isn't this suppose to give me 15amps or less (rated fuse is 15amps)

So what should be the normal amps if there is no short??

Thanks

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by caineroad

Great, my ground is not messed up!

I actually did what you said about the multimeter, but not sure if I was doing it right. I switched the car on to ACC position, so that supposedly the fans would come on. But without the fuse, no air was coming out, I turn the A setting to 10m, it's giving me 36amps.

But when i do the same to the cigarette lighter fuse, again with the fuse unplugged and I stuck the two probes in the fuse socket, it's showing me 1 (i guess infinity it means). Isn't this suppose to give me 15amps or less (rated fuse is 15amps)

So what should be the normal amps if there is no short??

Thanks

You typically have to move the leads to another set of holes when measuring current. 10m for current would be 10 mA, which is very little current, so you are overloading the meter. You should have the meter set to its highest current rating (which is probably only 10A).

[caineroad]

Originally Posted by CTScott

You typically have to move the leads to another set of holes when measuring current. 10m for current would be 10 mA, which is very little current, so you are overloading the meter. You should have the meter set to its highest current rating (which is probably only 10A).

Here is how my multi looks:
http://i49.tinypic.com/ea3vwk.jpg

Are you saying one lead goes to the gauge socket, the other lead goes to another empty socket?

I measured this was the same result as I measure from both leads to the same gauge socket

result were:
200 - 1
2000 - 1
20m - 1
200m - 36.7
10A - 0.04

So it's less than 0.04A I suppose, while the car is in ACC mode.

I hope this is the right figures? I am going to unplug the camera and put the car in reverse and see what the Amp says.

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by caineroad

Here is how my multi looks:
http://i49.tinypic.com/ea3vwk.jpg

Are you saying one lead goes to the gauge socket, the other lead goes to another empty socket?

I measured this was the same result as I measure from both leads to the same gauge socket

result were:
200 - 1
2000 - 1
20m - 1
200m - 36.7
10A - 0.04

So it's less than 0.04A I suppose, while the car is in ACC mode.

I hope this is the right figures? I am going to unplug the camera and put the car in reverse and see what the Amp says.

You need to turn the knob to 10A. You clipped the bottom, so I can't see the holes, but it looks like there is a 10A hole on the left. One lead goes there and the other in common.

[caineroad]

OK! got it to work with 10A! It's showing me good result in reverse (4-5amps). In Park it's showing 0.05amps. I just put a new fuse in, no problems when i put in reverse, so far so good. But I have disconnected my reverse camera(signal wire) and all the connections from seat heater. It seems like the signal wire from reverse camera might be the culprit, since the extension I made, the wire is thinner than the original wire, i think that might be the reason. Like the original wire might be a 16AWG, but i put a 24AWG wire for extension, I think that's why. But It hasn't got any problems for the past few months. I will definitely put an eye on it and in the future I will start hooking back up the heated seats, and then finally the reverse camera(After I fixed the wiring). I think I should be good, at least now I know how to test current without a fuse.

Thanks a lot, really appreciate your time! <3